16 Must-Have Call Center Features for Sales Teams

May 14, 2024 9 min read

Hava Salsi

Hava Salsi

running-operating-sales-call-center

If you’re setting up an outbound call center, chances are you’re looking at which software can support your team the best. Even the highest-performing agents need the right tools to drive sales, maintain productivity, and guarantee customer satisfaction.

Here, we’ll cover the features that are must-haves in your next call center software, the benefits of implementing the right platform, and best practices for your outbound sales team.

What to Look for in a Sales Call Center 

The right call center solution can become a pillar of your sales strategy, and it’s hard to rip and replace it, so finding the right platform the first time around is critical.

Advanced features like automation and data analytics make you more efficient and leave you more time to focus on improving customer relationships, which is essential when 71% of people demand personalization — and feel frustrated when they don’t get it. 

McKinsey-consumers-expect-companies-to-deliver-personalized-interactions

Here are the 16 essential call center features you should put on your checklist:

Dialing features

Lead management

Nextiva-call-pop

Productivity and coaching

Compliance

STIR/SHAKEN system

Best Practices When Running an Outbound Sales Team

Although a call center solution can help you meet targets, success still hinges on how well you manage your team. Here are some best practices to help you make the most of your call center tool.

Set clear goals and key performance indicators

Defining goals and tracking your progress can guide your sales team toward success. Everyone knows what good performance looks like and what they need to do. 

Here are some of the most relevant metrics to follow:

  • Call volume 
  • Connect rate
  • Conversion rate
  • Average handle time
  • First-time close rate
  • Wrap-up time
  • Call quality ratings

Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) can even help you encourage agents and reward top performers. 

With the right call center solution, you can use gamification to motivate your sales team. Nextiva has this feature built into our analytics dashboard. All you have to do is click on the icon and set up leaderboards or contests.

Gamification outcomes

Understand your ideal customer profile

Identifying your ideal customer profile (ICP) helps you concentrate your resources on the most promising leads and shortens the sales process. That means analyzing existing data and conducting market research to discover which demographics usually lead to conversions. 

Closed sales don’t count for everything, though. Consider which groups have the highest retention rates and upsell opportunities, too.

Work alongside other departments to gain extra insights into your ICP. For example, the customer support team and inbound call center often have firsthand knowledge about customer needs and the challenges they face.

Incorporate all this customer data into your call center sales strategy. If you know that certain groups often use your product to solve a particular issue, mention that use case in your pitch. By tailoring your approach, your team can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its outreach. 

Invest in quality lead generation

Once you’ve defined your ICP, apply this information to ensure sales reps contact the right groups and generate quality leads. That way, you can increase conversion rates and see a higher return on investment (ROI) for your sales initiatives.

Use lead scoring and prioritization to optimize your sales funnel. Your CRM software can assign a value to each lead based on the demographic and behavioral data you input. 

If you need to, you can customize the different types of outgoing calls to identify which ones have the highest priority. 

Monitor your team’s efforts through your tool’s analytics dashboard. You should be able to see how many high-scoring prospects agents contact and what percentage of their calls lead to sales. 

If the number is lower than expected, you might need to revisit your ICP or invest in some training and development for your team.

Screenshot of a wallboard displaying real-time analytics from Nextiva.

Use the best tools

The best outbound sales tools let you improve customer interactions and boost sales. They also help you share data among all the software platforms to give your team total oversight. 

Here are some popular types of software you can integrate with for better call center operations:

  • CRM: Many types of call centers already have access to a CRM solution via their company. This software is essential for building workflows around potential and existing customers. Ensure your CRM software not only has all the essential features but also is connected to other apps. Platforms like HubSpot and Zendesk are known for their integrations. 
  • Productivity: Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Google Workspace allow your team to communicate and work together better. Many customers use these brands by default. So being able to sync with tools like Google Calendar for appointment setting (rather than forcing leads to install a new app) creates a better customer experience.
  • Revenue intelligence: This software can analyze your customer data to generate actionable insights you can incorporate into your sales strategy. One popular tool is Gong Collective.

Choose tools that not only suit your needs but also integrate well. You need the ability to switch seamlessly between platforms so you don’t lose momentum. That’s why Nextiva offers integrations with all the leading apps for call centers.

Nextiva integrations

Develop winning call scripts

Developing effective scripts helps you standardize communication to ensure consistency across your team. Try to create a script for every scenario that you know gets results. 

Start by considering your ICP and which ideas and strategies will resonate with them. 

One key element is pain points. For example, executives are more likely to respond to offers that demonstrate clear ROI, whereas operational staff will appreciate solutions that save them time and effort.

As you write your script, give it a logical structure with some flexibility. Customers need to feel as though you’ve reached each stage of the conversation organically. However, agents need scripts that let them discuss a wide range of scenarios.

Prioritize coaching and development

Never forget the human element. While software sets your team members up for success, they’re still the ones who close deals. Ongoing call center training is essential to equip salespeople with the skills and knowledge to perform their jobs well. 

Regularly monitoring calls and discussing performance is a powerful development strategy. Staff are 80% more likely to be engaged if they receive constructive feedback. You can set platforms like Nextiva to start recording when a specific situation arises that you want to work on.

Clarify the areas of agent performance you’re assessing and how you’re measuring them to structure your reviews. 

Are you checking the individual’s communication skills or their product knowledge? Hold review sessions promptly to make sure your insights are still relevant to their role.

Incentivize the right behaviors

Recognizing and rewarding actions that align with your goals can motivate teams. Incentives also have a knock-on effect. If agents see their colleagues get shout-outs or bonuses, they will be more likely to emulate their behaviors.

If you’re using a platform with gamification, you have an instant way to identify top performers. You can offer agents perks for upselling or cross-selling products.

Recognition is a powerful motivator. A recent study revealed that public recognition is the most effective and memorable way to acknowledge employees. 

Consider posting about achievements to your company’s social media or presenting an award for specific accomplishments.

Hit Your Sales Goals With Nextiva

A sales call center equips outbound sales teams with the tech and tools to improve customer relationships, make more calls, and ensure that those calls are more likely to be successful. 

Besides offering a pricing plan that matches your budget, your next platform should have features like:

This helps you truly empower your team rather than just adding to their workload. 

Nextiva’s AI-powered contact center solution brings all these essential tools (and more) into one place. From tracking KPIs and handling high call volumes to cold calling and call recording, you can get it all done in a single platform.

Plus, Nextiva integrates with some of the world’s top CRM and help desk software, so it can fit right into your existing workflows.

Scale up with contact center AI.

The modern contact center has arrived. See how Nextiva helps you deliver the best customer experience at scale.

Hava Salsi

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hava Salsi

Hava Salsi is a content writer and editor specializing in B2B SaaS, HR, and tech. With over five years of experience working with startups and businesses around the world, she produces engaging, user-centric content that educates, ranks highly, and drives conversions. She spends her time building her virtual writers' community, the H Spot, and tending…

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