Marketing has become extremely personal. Through vast amounts of data collection, marketers are able to tailor more interactions around the specific consumer. Promotional emails are addressed with my first name, web content is served to me based on what a company already knows about me, and display advertising seems to reflect my entire life story. And the best part about personalization? Consumers love it. 74% of online consumers get frustrated with websites when content (e.g. offers, ads, promotions) appears that has nothing to do with their interests (Janrain & Harris Interactive). Personalizing emails can improve click-through and conversion rates, targeted nurturing can increase the number of sales opportunities, and personalized web experiences can generate more revenue.
Personalization is everywhere. 35% of Amazon’s product sales result from their recommendation engine (VentureBeat). 75% of Netflix users choose movies based on recommendations from Netflix (Gigaom). As technology becomes increasingly advanced, marketers are finding more and more ways to connect with consumers on a personal level, and one of those ways is to personalize the call experience.
Personalizing the Call
Consumers are expecting a personalized experience for every marketing interaction, and this means phone calls too. Due to the increasing use of mobile phones, more calls are coming into businesses than ever before. According to analyst firm BIA/Kelsey, by 2018, inbound calls to businesses are supposed to reach upwards of 73 billion. Creating a caller experience that is highly personal can lead to increased customer satisfaction and retention, as well as consumers who are more willing to make a purchase. Personalizing the call experience is crucial, but most marketers aren’t yet capitalizing on it.
Route Callers by Source
The caller experience can be personalized in a number of ways. Getting the caller to the right place is crucial, and this starts before a call is ever made. Using call tracking software, you can determine where the caller found your phone number, and how they got there, providing you the ability to route calls based on marketing sources. Knowing where the call was made from and what they searched for to get there allows you to route that call to the person most suitable to handle that call. Or maybe the call originated on your careers page, meaning that call should be routed directly to your HR department. No matter what the source, call tracking will capture that information, which can then be used to route the call to the appropriate place. This real-time personalization gets the call to the right place based on how the caller found you.
Use Custom Surveys to Manage and Route Callers
There are numerous ways that calls can be handled depending on who specifically is calling. The most common way of creating an individualized experience for callers is by using interactive voice response (IVR). These automated surveys can route and qualify calls, process orders, survey customers, and more. With a voice automation solution, the answers to these IVR surveys can be used to route the call to the person best able to handle the call.
Advanced Call Routing Capabilities
Routing phone calls to the right place on the first try is a surefire way to keep consumers happy. With advanced call routing, it is easy to direct phone calls to the right location or person, all in real-time. Calls can be routed using geo-location to ensure that they are connected with the store or sales unit closest to them. VIP customers can get the special treatment they deserve when calls are routed based off of their phone number. Are your weekend calls handled by a different department or outsourced? No problem, just route your inbound calls based on a custom schedule. With all of these options you can ensure that your callers are getting where they need to and talking to the right person.
Enable Your Agents with Real-time Caller Information
The personalized call experience doesn’t stop after the call is routed. Enabling your sales and service reps with the caller’s information right at the time of the call lets them greet callers by name or already have an idea of why they are calling. With CRM screen pops, your agents will have immediate access to the caller’s name, number, location, the source of the phone call, and any search keywords that led the caller to you. This allows your sales and service reps to handle each call on an individual basis, personalizing the experience for the person on the other end of the phone.
Every marketing experience that the consumer has should be personalized just for them. By adding real-time call personalization to your arsenal, you make your customer experience better and more personal. With so many options on how to route your inbound calls, your callers will talk to the right person, right away. Interested in learning more about real-time call personalization? Check out our white paper, the Marketer’s Guide to Qualifying, Routing, and Scoring Inbound Calls to Optimize Sales.
