You may already be using IVR (Interactive Voice Response) to route calls to specific departments, reduce wait times, and even handle simple call center inquiries. call or your office. However, if you’re only using it for those functions, you’re probably missing a trick.
IVR can be a great tool that you can use effectively to boost your marketing campaigns and make them more effective, whether your priority is localized marketing or you are targeting a wider geographical area. In turn, this can lead to better sales and conversion rates. How can you use an interactive voice response system to benefit your marketing and achieve your goals? Read on to find out.
What is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system?
While interactive voice response systems typically refer to a class of software created for call centers (and other call situations) that rely primarily on speech recognition, they can have multiple uses. They are self-contained and automated systems that reduce the need for human intervention and direction and are primarily designed to help customers and save them time.
IVR systems are most commonly used in call centers, where they can help deal with high call volumes and handle simple queries, allowing human agents to handle queries with more complex issues. They can also help ensure calls are routed to the right department or team by asking some simple questions at the start of the call.
Interactive voice feedback systems are primarily AI-powered and use ML (machine learning) to improve performance over time. They can range from fairly simple systems with limited functionalities to more complex systems capable of handling many types of queries and carrying out simple conversations with customers.
How to use the Interactive Voice Response System to the benefit of your marketing
1. Generate Leads
Having several dedicated IVRs can be a great way to generate leads and interest. Someone might see an ad or message that piqued their interest and call for more information. Your IVR line can act as a CTA (call to action) that answers some simple questions about the product in question, asks the customer, and can then take them to the next step in the sales funnel. your.
For example, a customer sees an ad about regression testing. They call the number provided, to get more information, and if their interest grows, the system can refer them to a member of your sales team to hopefully close the deal or answer questions. Ask more complex questions about the product. Even without a sale, this still creates an opportunity to collect important data.
2. Message waiting
Okay, nobody likes being paused, and that’s exactly one area that interactive voice response systems are designed to minimize. However, sometimes waiting times are unavoidable, especially during peak hours of the day when call volume is high. You have several options in this case; you can have silence, you can have music that keeps the elevator mundane, or you can use your IVR to broadcast marketing messages.
Of course, silence is not really an option and most people despise the music. So IVR messaging is a good option that can engage your callers with a message while also showing that you’re interested in the call (best tip; include an estimated time until the call is received. reply may also be helpful). It also provides a great opportunity to inform callers about promotions/special offers or new products.
3. Research and data collection
When you consider that waiting times are often unavoidable, having this “fixed audience” can also give you the opportunity to gather data and do market research. Of course, time may be limited, so any request or question you ask should acknowledge this fact. Keep polls or questions as short and simple as possible. The brevity of the searches you perform through interactive voice response systems does not preclude the collection of quality data. Identify the data you want to collect or the most important questions that will enable informed decisions and integrate them into the IVR message. You can also rotate any search query and edit as needed.
4. Confirm and verify
Let’s be honest here; Customers can get a little bored if they receive a lot of marketing-related calls or emails. By combining a CRM (customer relationship management) system with interactive voice response systems, you can not only personalize the service you deliver but also reduce the number of calls or emails you receive. customer received. Some degree of personalization is crucial when it comes to marketing tactics.
For example, a customer purchased a hosted VoIP system from your organization. They call your team with questions regarding this purchase, your CRM recognizes them, and your IVR system can then provide them with updates on when their VoIP system is will be installed or other related details, such as additional services that may complement their original order.
5. Automated Mobile Marketing
While you might think that interactive voice response systems are primarily designed for incoming calls, they can also be extremely useful tools when it comes to marketing calls. You can focus primarily on optimizing your online content for mobile devices and improving your customers’ overall online experience, but you should also consider IVR as an outbound marketing tool.
Random calls are notoriously difficult, but if you’re calling existing or potential customers who have agreed to be on your subscriber list, those targets are more likely to accept the call. from brands they know and people they trust. Since your IVR systems are connected to analytics tools, this can be a great strategy that can lead to more sales. The important thing to focus on is that interactive voice response systems are not one-way horses. There are a number of ways using IVRs can benefit both your business and your customers. Even startups that are just at the deciding stage of using a DBA can already consider how IVR might fit into their plans and business models.
In terms of marketing approach, interactive voice response systems can convey important marketing messages while capturing important data including not only contact information but also thoughts and ideas. customer opinion. Used properly, IVRs can be a great way to engage with your base demographic while automating some steps of your marketing strategy.
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