The federal solar tax credit is on its way out, and in less than two years, homeowners will no longer be able to deduct nearly 20% of the cost of their solar energy systems from their federal taxes. To the typical solar business, this means almost nothing, but the smart and proactive business will tackle this as an opportunity to sell more solar packages in a wider geographical compass. Of course, letting consumers in on the urgency of the matter should be a huge selling point that prompts homeowners to take care of the home project they may have been putting off before the tax legislation expires in 2024. While there’s a lot I can say about the effect of this legislation, I’ll keep my focus on what I know best – the home services market. In this article, I’ll cover everything solar companies need to know about reaping the benefits of marketing automation for their businesses. Why Marketing Automation? Any good marketing technology should do three things: help marketers learn from past campaigns, be transparent about the current state of marketing, and strategize for the future. How can that be achieved? Luckily for you, Phonexa’s all-in-one platform for automated calls, leads, clicks, email, SMS, accounting, and more, puts every aspect of your business marketing in one place, providing you with the tools and functionalities, real-time insights, and scalability, to achieve precisely that. Now, ahead of SolarCon 2022 in Salt Lake City, here are a few ways your solar business can benefit from using marketing automation technology. 1. Leverage Calls, Powered By Ping Post Calls 2.0 If you’re running targeted Google Ads for your services with a CTA that prompts consumers to call your business, you know how critical it is to answer a call quickly. But if you’re not backing these calls with tracking technology that secures dynamic functionality, know that you’re losing consumers before they even make it to your sales funnel. Considering the urgency and that over 40% of callers abandon after waiting too long in the queue, now is the right time to invest in solutions like Call Logic to help you avoid the churn. Track all aspects of your call from the source to the conversion and beyond to gain detailed insights about which aspects of your call campaigns work and which don’t. And when you get leads that don’t fit your criteria, take advantage of Ping Post Calls 2.0 to streamline selling leads by allowing simultaneous pings to high-intent buyers. As a result, you’ll convert the leads that fall into your criteria, or you can sell the ones that your company cannot service to the highest bidder. 2. Creating Revenue Streams Via IVR Knowing when to say goodbye to an underqualified lead should always be an easy call, and with Phonexa’s responsive IVR system, you can automate that vetting process within seconds. Let’s say a call lead has already shown you their high intent in buying your product, but the lead doesn’t quite fit well into your target audience, be it due to the customer’s financial background, deal size, or geographic location. Phonexa allows users to retain or re-route these leads through automated filters and IVR blocks that can ping the caller’s information to first and third-party databases to find out more about them. With that, you’re being methodical about your lead generation efforts by vetting only the best leads for your business. Then you’re monetizing on the lead data that you don’t deem suitable for your business type. It’s a double-win! 3. Mobile-Friendly For The Win Let’s consider this factoid – nearly 75% of solar consumers conduct their business via mobile devices. About 41% of customer journeys begin on an e-care platform before switching to traditional channels. The next logical step here is a phone call. When your advertisements, landing pages, and offerings are designed and optimized for mobile, you’re increasing the likelihood of consumer calls and conversions. A user-friendly mobile experience will streamline the customer call journey and make these callers a part of that average 30 to 50% of consumers that convert after a phone conversation. Improve your mobile experience with the following: Launch trackable ads with enabled link and click tracking functionality; Use clickable phone numbers at the top of your campaign landing pages; Use vanity phone numbers; Design for mobile or create a mobile app Final Thoughts The solar industry has varying challenges and sensitivities, but one thing that constantly evolves and improves this process is automation technology. That’s why investing in a platform that covers all aspects of your business is the right place to start. When choosing your platform, remember that implementing the above strategies will generate a steady stream of new revenue for each campaign, helping you set efficient budgets and meet your ultimate conversion goals. Be efficient, and always keep the urgency of speed to contact at the forefront of all your marketing decision-making for your solar company’s business and leadgen strategy. Send Patrick Boyd a message on LinkedIn if you’d like to meet with him while at SolarCon 2022 in Salt Lake City. Schedule a consultation if you’d like to learn more about how Phonexa can power the marketing automation efforts for your solar company.
Set to take place from March 21 to 23 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, LeadsCon 2022 is a promising venture for performance marketers, lead generators, and SaaS companies alike to once again showcase to marketers how to increase leads across new industries. This year we’re marking our return to LeadsCon for the sixth consecutive year as an exhibitor at booth #101 at the Paris Ballroom. LeadsCon is especially exciting for Phonexa, as our team heads back to Las Vegas equipped and ready to position front and center the groundbreaking product feature Ping Post Calls 2.0, a live transfer call product feature available as part of our all-in-one marketing automation solution. Call Logic: Call tracking and distribution LMS Sync: Lead tracking and distribution E-Delivery: Email and SMS marketing Cloud PBX: Cloud phone system Lynx: Click tracking Opt-Intel: Suppression list management Books360: Automated accounting Additionally, Phonexa Chief Strategy Officer Amanda Farris will take the stage with Brian Brown, the President of Jupiter Auto Insurance, and Ethan Ewing, the CEO of ProPair, on March 22 at 11 a.m. at the Versailles 4 hall to headline a session titled “AI & Machine Learning: What Tech is Really Making a Difference in LeadGen?” The trio will tackle how AI shapes the lead generation industry. The session will teach attendees how to leverage AI in marketing to action acquisition campaigns, unlock new testing channels, accelerate revenue, and increase customer lifetime value. Phonexa will later carry the conversation by hosting a private dinner for speakers. As a continued effort to expand the company’s Partnership Program, Farris will focus on forming strategic partnerships around LinkUnite, the Phonexa-powered inaugural forum for female leaders in digital marketing. Connect with Farris on LinkedIn to learn more about Partnership opportunities, LinkUnite, or other marketing community-building initiatives. Applying Ping Post Calls 2.0 To Your Lead Gen Campaigns Front and center during some of our conversations at LeadsCon will be Ping Post Calls 2.0, a fully-optimizable product feature in Call Logic. Designed to optimize and improve the lead journey, this unrivaled new tier has reinvented the Ping Post process by changing the publisher-buyer interface and allowing publishers, buyers, direct advertisers, and affiliate networks to benefit from the way it operates. Since its launch, Ping Post Calls 2.0 has benefitted the most complex and dynamic lead gen business models across all industries. Ping Post Calls 2.0 supports all five lead flows and customer touchpoints to ensure a successful lead distribution journey. Lead Flow #1: Data collected by IVR Lead Flow #2: Data is pinged before the call, with the caller’s phone number Lead Flow #3: Data is pinged before the call, without the caller’s phone number Lead Flow #4: Call with applications and no bidding Lead Flow #5: Pinging based on agent availability Join the crowd of industry-leading early adopters of this groundbreaking technology and get an in-depth look at how Ping Post Calls 2.0 works. Learn more about how to start using all five call lead flows for your business ahead of LeadsCon by downloading our e-book on Ping Post Calls 2.0. Live Transfer Calls aren’t the only way Phonexa has helped affiliate networks and lead gen businesses maximize the power and potential of their campaigns through the use of the technology. A recent case study with a financial services lead gen network found that LMS Sync, Phonexa’s comprehensive lead management system, has helped increase lead processing volume by 18% — resulting in a 25% increase in revenue and a 15% bump in conversions. Read this case study to learn more about how Phonexa helped this lead generation network master seamless end-to-end lead journeys. 5 Workshops Phonexa Will Be Monitoring At LeadsCon Achieving Compliance in the Rapidly Evolving Higher Education Regulatory Landscape by Marcelo Parravicini (CEO & Principal, Cygnus Education) March 22, from 11:35 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Innovative Strategies and Solutions for Outbound Dialing Success by Chris Clark (Account Executive, Neustar) March 22 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Compliance and Omni-Channel Marketing Strategies for Growing Brands by Bastian Cowsart (Performance Marketing Leader, Lixil) and Arvell Craig (Director of Compliance Services, Contact Center Compliance) March 22, 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. The Home Services Landscape Reboot: What’s Changed and What to Expect in 2023 and Beyond by Colleen Butterfield (Vice President of Customer Acquisition, Sunpro Solar Inc.), Matt Curtis (Director of Business Development, ADT), Keving Geiger (Vice President, Business Development, EverCommerce), and Ruben Ugarte, National Director of Home Services and Clean Tech, ActiveProspect, Inc) March 22, from 2:10 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. How is Lead Fraud Performed and How Does it Create TCPA Violations? By Daniel Delnero (Principal, Squire Patton Boggs), Rich Kahn (CEO & Co-Founder, Anura.io), and Rob Seaver (Executive Director, Consumer Consent Council) March 23 from 11:10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Reimagining the Call Experience by Establishing Your Brand’s Credibility by Justin Marks (Vice President of Marketing, Quantum Assurance) March 23, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feasting In Vegas, Paris-Style In addition to our conference-centered activities, you’ll likely find the phenoms of Phonexa feasting on the flavors of the Paris Hotel in the following spots – you should join, too! The Eiffel Tower Restaurant If you ever want to show your business partners and dining guests that you can rise above the hype in Las Vegas, there’s no better spot than dining in the elegance of the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel. Cafe Belle Madeleine Want to dive deeper into the feeling of being in Paris? Stop by Cafe Belle Madeleine to be transported to the French capital with a selection of pastries and quick bites, hot beverages, and drinks. Beer Park This is the perfect location for that non-caffeinated afternoon pick-me-up between conference speaker sessions and meetings. Have a cold beer, cocktails, and reimagined stadium favorites with incredible views of Las Vegas. Gordon Ramsay Steak Enjoy American and French fusion in Gordon Ramsay’s contemporary steakhouse, where you have the option to choose from a selection of prime beef aged to perfection in a chic European atmosphere. Mon Ami Gabi French Restaurant Elevate your dining experience in an open-air setting overlooking The Strip with an extensive list of French wines and other classics like steak frites and fruits de mer. 5 Ways To Loosen Up In Las Vegas Consider a thrill ride at the SpeedVegas & Hollywood Cars Museum Stop by The Mob Museum and get a provocative and contemporary outlook on crime-related topics Indulge in your most extreme, heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping experiences at STRAT SkyPod Sit back and watch a vibrant Cirque du Soleil show hosted nearly every night Extend your stay and watch an NHL game featuring the Golden Knights taking on the Nashville Predators at the T-Mobile Arena on March 24. Schedule a meeting with our team ahead of LeadsCon 2022 to learn more about our presence at the conference.
Starting on Jan. 1, 2023, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) will replace the legacy California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) with an added layer of consumer protection regulations that will limit the processing, deletion, and access of the sensitive personal information of any California consumer, employee, job applicant, and contractor. But the closer we get to 2023, the more questions arise from stakeholders and companies about what compliance changes await us next year, along with what will remain of the landmark CCPA regulation. Setting the Stage: CCPA vs. CPRA As evident in the graph below, CPRA will include limitations and regulations originally enforced by the CCPA. In addition, it will add specific types of new amendments to each category covered by the CCPA, enabling a more comprehensive overview of grey areas in data privacy. These new amendments can mean different things for different organisations, but if you operate in the lead generation and distribution industry — as a publisher, advertiser, or as part of an affiliate network — now is the right time to start preparing for 2023. But before we get to the “why,” let’s dive deeper into the current state of CCPA compliance across industries. The State of CCPA Compliance: A Dire Need for a Change A recent CYTRIO study found that of the 6,745 U.S. companies reviewed for compliance, an overwhelming 90% were unprepared to meet CCPA and CPRA requirements as of March 31 of this year. With penalties on the horizon for non-compliance, companies should be scrambling in search of strategic and technological solutions to ensure CCPA compliance. Here’s a breakdown of how businesses can avoid penalties by preparing for these new regulations, set to take effect in just under seven months. Issues Related to Non-compliance The most glaring issue related to CCPA regulations is companies not complying with Data Subject Asset Requests (DSAR). A DSAR gives data subjects the right to ask companies what personal information of theirs has been collected and stored, as well as how that information will be used or is currently being used. CCPA requires that companies respond to a DSAR within 45 days from the date the request is received. Companies that fail to respond to a DSAR request within the 45-day timeframe are subject to penalties. However, the CYTRIO research found that less than 10% of companies — some 9.76% — had deployed a CCPA DSAR management automation solution during the first quarter of 2022. Even more concerning is that this represents a drop from the 11% of companies that automated their DSAR processes during the previous quarter. Does this mean that companies have de-prioritised consumer compliance? Studies suggest just that. Further compounding the issue of failing to comply with DSAR management is that many companies do not provide a system for consumers to exercise their data privacy rights, despite these same companies stating within their privacy policies that they are entirely CCPA compliant. Considering that DSAR requests coming from data aggregators are increasing in frequency and volume — with most requests being Right to Delete (erasure of data) — challenges facing non-compliant companies are only getting worse. The Journey Towards Compliance Issues related to non-compliance represent only half of the uphill battle facing the above companies. The other half of the battle is for these companies to make progress toward becoming compliant. The CYTRIO research revealed that deploying an automated solution was another obstacle facing non-compliant companies. According to a poll cited within the research, 63% of respondents said cost was the primary factor holding them back from deploying an automated privacy rights management solution; deployment complexity followed at 22%. However, companies can become compliant with CCPA regulations by implementing white label solutions such as Phonexa’s Opt-Intel, designed to help marketers with suppression list management and email compliance. Compliance Solutions Within Opt-Intel So, how does Phonexa come into the big picture of compliance? Offering software solutions that provide peace of mind to those looking to strengthen their data security infrastructure conducts better data hygiene. The following are just some of the comprehensive features within Opt-Intel that securely streamline consumer data transfers and preferences when it comes to email and SMS communication, thus ensuring CCPA compliance: Compliance notifications: Keeps users in the loop on all of their compliance concerns with constant notifications and other tools that identify inconsistencies while keeping users aware of any CAN-SPAM violations Opt-out domain white-labelling: This feature allows users to maintain email hygiene using tools and customisable options for opt-out Secure, automated data transfers: This functionality lets users send critical data to partners (networks, publishers, and advertisers) without compromising consumer information The Timeline Going Forward A considerable part of implementing new CCPA tactics comes with the need to be up-to-date with transition timelines. Here are some datelines you should know: July of 2022: All companies should satisfy risk assessment requirements January of 2023: CPRA takes effect January of 2023 and onwards: The CPRA will be enforced with a 12-month lookback on consumer requests back to January 1, 2022 Final Thoughts Ultimately, the new CPRA will apply to startups and other companies making at least 50% of their annual revenue from selling or sharing California-based consumers’ PI or personal information. Companies that don’t comply with amended regulations will be fined. Adapting digital software tools like Opt-Intel will secure consumer protection compliance for lead generators and marketers. It will do so by streamlining automated data transfers, providing error checkpoints, and communicating compliance messages and tips. With Opt-Intel by Phonexa, the days of data vulnerability and fear of non-compliance are gone. Schedule a consultation to learn more about how Opt-Intel can be paired with your tech stack and other marketing automation tools to ensure better data compliance for your business.
The United Kingdom is home to one of the world’s most dynamic economies and call centres that support entire businesses making up that economy. As Chief Executive Officer of Phonexa in the U.K., I’ve seen firsthand how the local market value for call centres has rocketed to be amongst the numbers of £2 billion, dubbing the U.K. as the country with the third-largest Cloud PBX market size in Europe. Is there increased competition for the ordinary business owner? Yes — with a growing PBX market comes the great need for businesses to keep up. So, if you own a business or agency specialising in insurance, home services, debt, or financial services, you’re in luck because Phonexa can help you with exactly that. I say this because a burgeoning PBX market indicates that through phone calls, consumers are dictating a shift back to a more connected human-to-human relationship with the businesses they partner with. But a shift back to telephone communication shouldn’t be considered bad practice or an outdated one at all. When you back your business with a dynamic Cloud PBX system like the one offered by Phonexa, you’re setting yourself up to achieve a whole new level of customer satisfaction. Are you excited about Cloud PBX but aren’t sure where to start? Here are three questions you should ask yourself before choosing your next Cloud PBX system to support your inbound and outbound call strategy. Earlier, we wrote about the ins and outs of Cloud PBX, highlighting everything businesses need to know to dial up effective call marketing strategies. Read more here. Do I Know What I Need In A Cloud-Based Telephony System? Imagine the convenience of storing all of your call data in one place and accessing it at any given time. That may just be the flashiest offering of a good Cloud PBX system — an excellent means of streamlined communication — that widens the horizons for improvement based on real call data. Let’s get granular. What’s the cloud? How can a business owner or marketer benefit from using a cloud-based PBX system? The convenience of cloud-based calls has many hefty benefits. For instance, current-day Cloud PBX replaces the old, stocky hardware that once took up office space and drained businesses of revenue due to its massive maintenance costs, extended downtimes, and increased labour. Nowadays, all of it lives in the cloud and can be accessed with login credentials and an internet connection from any geographical point. What used to be a painful reality is now a game-changer for call centres, with increased connectivity and no disruptions to internal processes or productivity. The following are some general conditions to look out for: Flexible Customisations That Supply Your PBX Needs: the key players include everything from creating an effective, multi-tiered IVR or setting specific call filters or guidelines for your PBX operation for startups. Responsive Capabilities To Add Or Remove Users: A seasoned Cloud PBX system allows administrators to add, remove, or replace end-users or call agents within minutes. Some companies will go the extra mile to charge for additional users and data; however, a good cloud communication platform shouldn’t have to rely on that to earn additional revenue. The following are some product features you need: Interactive Voice Response: These guided call menus allow client interaction through several pre-set questions and response actions. The IVR is essential because it shortens the caller’s time on hold and shortens the entire process. A good IVR collects caller information through a series of questions and sends the responses to call agents ahead of time. Call Agent Scoring: This feature tracks and scores keyword usage in conversations with clients so that your company can measure the productivity of customer representatives. It also connects keyword usage to conversions, allowing companies to score their agents fairly. Outbound Calling Functionalities: This function increases conversion opportunities by dialling web lead prospects and putting them in immediate contact with an agent. Personalised And Smart Call Routing: Paired with an IVR, this functionality will allow you to use your agents’ scores and agent queue to connect callers to the team member best suited to serve the lead’s specific needs. Is It Scalable? Do you have larger plans for your business for the coming months and years? Keep that in mind when choosing your next Cloud PBX technology. Experience shows that ill-informed decisions regarding a long-term commitment to SaaS platforms can be a punch to your pockets. That’s why you must choose a service that can grow alongside your business. Instead of focusing on affordability, narrow your scope on what you want your business to look like down the road. Identify your goals to understand whether the system you’re considering can be scaled to your future needs. To decide whether a system is scalable for your business, determine if they offer new AI integrations, signs of voice recognition, or ringless message capabilities. If the company doesn’t yet offer these functionalities, ask whether they are on the horizon for this company. If the answer is insufficient or unbelievable — you should know to go the other way. The truth is that PBX 2.0 is on its way to revolutionising entire industries, and whether your business will get to bear its first fruits is entirely up to your provider’s ability to keep up and scale. Will It Give Me The ROI I’m Seeking? Cloud PBX phone systems open up a world of financial gain and returns on your investment, regardless of the size of your company or the vertical you’re in. Your ROI can come in actual dollars or incremental improvements in efficiency and productivity. With Cloud PBX, you can quickly achieve both, as cloud-based systems will give you the following benefits: No more hardware costs Easy scalability with small investments Customer and employee satisfaction Shorter call length with the ability to handle higher call volumes Less interruption to your business When factoring in some or all of these details, you get cumulative value from your investment, and you’ll begin to see an increased inflow of productivity and profits. How Phonexa Can Help Your U.K. Business Scale What you get with Phonexa’s Cloud PBX system is everything you need to achieve a smooth and quick customer-caller exchange and experience. Its unique, multi-dimensional features and sought-after capabilities are etched with tools that give a positive growth rate and revenue. Phonexa’s Cloud PBX works seamlessly with the rest of our all-in-one platforms for call and lead generation, tracking and distribution, and more as an integrated software solution. With impressive market growth, I look forward to helping U.K. based companies scale to their business potential with the use of Cloud PBX bundled with Call Logic for call analytics and tracking, as well as other products within Phonexa’s all-in-one suite for marketing automation. Connect with David Pickard on LinkedIn to learn about partnership or sales opportunities Phonexa UK. Schedule a consultation with our team in the United Kingdom to learn more about how Phonexa can be the one-stop shop for your call centre’s Cloud PBX needs.
Can apologizing calm an irate customer? Maybe. Maybe not. “Sorry” is a common word for call center agents who spend their days demonstrating how they can tackle any issue and drive client satisfaction. But call center staff often have a strong belief that they need to go the extra mile and keep apologizing to deal with difficult customers on the phone. After all, in the lead generation industry, the call is especially critical in the path to closing in on a sale. According to Harvard Business Review, apologies that keep resurfacing in the conversation with an irate caller are likely to backfire. More often than not, demonstrating too much empathy or trying to be cheerful in a conversation with emotionally-charged clients also results in decreased satisfaction. If so, the question is, how should call center agents handle a difficult conversation? Sure, it’s challenging but not impossible to sell to the irate caller whose dissatisfaction has hit an all-time high. Since every issue is unique, asking questions and diagnosing the entire problem is the only way to develop an angry caller policy and make sure that the same or similar problems don’t reoccur in the future. Let’s take a closer look at how brands can provide excellent call service. Harnessing the Value of Complaints Navigating the customer experience can be a tricky matter. Even when brands go to great lengths to deliver excellent service, there’s always a chance that a client can hit a snag. Murphy’s law states: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” To name a few things, products can get broken or damaged, deliveries can get delayed, the servers can go down, or call center staff can be unhelpful. Those are pretty substantial motives for angry phone calls, and that’s why delivering a positive experience is not always easy. Besides, client experiences do not occur or remain in a vacuum – negative experiences especially. Let’s face it: frustrating experiences and bad customer service come at a heavy price. In a recent Microsoft Corporation report, 58% of consumers agreed that poor customer service is a justifiable reason to part ways with a brand. Сoupled with the significant increase in sharing negative information online, this is a social media disaster waiting to happen. It’s no secret that as activity on social media keeps spiking, consumers continue sharing and comparing their experiences online. This means that, for angry customers, it’s no longer about discouraging only friends and family members. It’s about sharing with everyone and anyone who’s eager to listen. The central question is whether brands realize that silent and irate customers expect excellence, which is reflected in immediate feedback, no recurring issues, and multi-channel support. Today, the consumer-brand relationship is very different from years past. The tangible benefits of products are no longer the principal focus. Consumers expect communication to transfer seamlessly to different channels, and they have no desire to repeat themselves or describe a problem in detail multiple times. In fact, a phone call ranks number one among all the channels consumers prefer to communicate. Source: Gladly Naturally, phone and email remain the most frequently used channels for consumer-brand communication. That’s why call center agents need to treat complaints and angry phone calls not only as routine tasks and stress factors but also as an opportunity to learn and improve their services, as well as transform the perception of the brand. What Angry Phone Calls Can Teach Brands The fear of an angry client is what every call center representative knows firsthand. The acute stress agents feel weekly or even daily is often the cause of increasing call center turnover rates. While stress is a part of the job for call center agents, it’s also a negative factor that affects the support team’s engagement, satisfaction, and the overall experience provided to customers. In fact, one in three agents states that one of the biggest challenges they have to deal with is managing too many calls. But what about the ability to respond to clients’ needs and expectations? Sure, the market is volatile and brands have to remain agile and attentive, as well as eager to learn and align their mission with client expectations. Otherwise, brands won’t be able to provide a consistently positive experience to consumers. At the same time, the increasing number of calls can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to handling every angry customer in a call center. Phone conversations, however, are overflowing with insights that might fall through the cracks if call centers don’t utilize a high-quality tech stack. With the right call tracking solution in place, brands can bridge data gaps, refine the customer journey, boost ROI, and build better relationships with clients. Every marketer and call center manager needs to leverage call data even if it means driving insights from calls with emotionally charged customers. Call analytics is another critically important part of the tech stack that enables brands to view the client journey from the very first interaction to keywords used during conversations with call center staff. There’s no doubt that treating angry phone calls or complaints as an opportunity is not that simple. While some of the perceptions and frustrations of angry callers might be unreasonable, the inability of help centers to resolve issues or assign knowledgeable call center staff is often a deal-breaker for customers. Here’s how consumers tend to respond when asked about the most important aspects of customer service. Source: Microsoft Corporation As you can see, frustration and angry phone calls originate at a point when customer service falls short of expectations. That’s the principal reason for brands and call centers to develop policies and scripts that enable call center agents to handle confidently every concerned or frustrated client. Angry Caller Policy Explained Brands often develop angry caller policies to protect call center representatives and clients. The policies are geared toward professionally handling all types of calls, including rude calls or over-the-line abuse. However critical it is to ensure client retention, brands also need to take care of call center staff. With such policies in place, call center agents are trained to manage any scenario, draw the line between reasonable anger and abusive calls, set healthy boundaries, and understand when it’s appropriate to disconnect abusive callers. Here’s how brands can improve the call experience: Utilize call recording software: Leveraging a product like Phonexa’s Call Logic is one of the ways to enhance the client experience and take call center training to the next level. It allows marketing experts and managers to get transcripts of the conversations and scan them for specific keywords and patterns. Use IVR to speed up the process: Utilizing interactive voice response can help businesses take the pressure off their call center agents by solving simple issues or queries. While some clients get frustrated by IVRs, it can be an extremely effective tool if brands ensure that it offers solutions instead of obstacles like complicated menus or putting clients on hold. Follow up with difficult customers: It’s not uncommon for clients to get angry during a call because of issues unrelated to the conversation. Some consumers tend to be silently frustrated, which often makes them silently seethe. That’s why making a follow-up call can help agents address the imbalance and mitigate risks. Offer alternative options or solutions: Some customers find it hard to clearly communicate the issues for numerous reasons, including anger. That’s why it can be helpful to suggest using alternative communication channels like email, for instance, to explain their position and provide more details. Dealing with emotionally charged clients also requires a specifically tailored strategy and well-rounded script. Here’s how brands can ensure that consumers are heard and agents are efficient. How to Calm an Angry Customer In most cases, active listening coupled with conflict resolution skills can de-escalate angry phone calls. However, every call center representative should be trained and prepared for the worst-case scenario. Here are some strategies that have proven to be effective in de-escalating angry clients. Allow Clients to Vent Interruption is the worst approach when dealing with difficult customers on the phone. The principal task of the call center manager is to stay calm and lower the temperature of a potentially heated conversation. Once the situation is under control, agents can ask for more details and offer alternatives or solutions. Ultimately, every client wants to feel valued and heard. If the situation doesn’t escalate or a client doesn’t become more emotional, the query can get resolved in no time. Work on Reflective Listening Skills It’s hard enough for consumers to hear that a call center representative understands them. A more effective approach is to hear clients out, analyze the situation and then, interpret their words. This way, any irate caller will note that the agent is interested in getting to the bottom of the problem and is actively committed to resolving it. Break Down the Issue Every complicated problem consists of several manageable components. Breaking down a serious issue is an effective problem-solving approach. This way, call center staff can outline the smaller issues, organize their tasks, and get a better portion – if not all – of the work done before the follow-up calls. Don’t Fall Prey to Emotion The way agents react to angry phone calls determines the course of the conversation. It’s critical for call center staff to remember that they have far more to lose than their temper. Keeping the language and tone professional and treating clients with respect regardless of the situation should be prioritized at all times. Learn to Handle an Angry Customer in a Call Center: Script Real-life scenarios can be very helpful when it comes to training help center team members. While the principal approach of businesses is to come up with specific scripts that can help call center staff deal with angry callers, improvising can also be part of the training process. This way, agents can learn the skills that are essential for handling tricky situations like pros. Examples of Customer Service Scripts Call center agents usually don’t have to deal with angry callers nonstop. But they can occasionally come across an emotionally charged or verbally aggressive client. Here are some suggestions on what businesses can add to their scripts to help agents de-escalate angry callers: I understand your frustration. Can you please elaborate a bit more on [problem]? Hello [Name], thank you for bringing this up. We’re currently working on resolving this issue. Can you please hold on for a few seconds? I’ll check with my team and update you on this further. What I’m hearing is that you’re having trouble using our [product, service, feature, etc.]. Would you feel comfortable if I connect you with a [dedicated expert]? [Name], that’s a great question. Let me find that out for you right away. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and feelings regarding this matter. Unfortunately, we’re not currently planning to implement [new features, services, etc.]. Should anything change about your query, we’ll let you know right away. Hello [Name], we are sorry to hear that. Your anger is absolutely justified. Here’s what we can do to fix the issue. [Name], we realize this is disappointing and apologize for the temporary inconvenience. In the meantime, a [suggestion of an alternative action or solution] can work as a temporary fix. [Name], we’re sorry about that. Here are three easy steps that can help you fix the problem: First, you need to [a detailed instruction]. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with. Ultimately, developing call center scripts makes sense to ensure that call center staff deliver consistent answers and a delightful experience to customers. Having well-tailored responses in place helps support teams to stay in control of the conversations. Conclusion Consumers expect meaningful interactions when they reach out to brands as part of the lead generation journey. They also expect consistent answers and immediate feedback, especially when they encounter issues and become frustrated. Solutions like IVR, call tracking, and call recording empowers brands to get a clear understanding of how they operate and serve their clients. With a high-quality tech stack in place – like Phonexa’s all-in-one marketing automation solution for calls, leads, clicks, email, SMS, accounting, and more – businesses can focus on other critical tasks like developing scripts for help centers and understanding how to de-escalate irate callers. Armed with actionable insights, effective strategies, advanced tracking, and analytics, brands can ensure that they are delivering compelling, consistent, and exceptional service. Schedule a consultation to learn more about the Phonexa platform and how its singular suite of marketing automation tools can help you optimize your efforts and elevate the customer experience.
What do you need to keep your business going? It’s safe to say that every enterprise is looking to drive leads, scale profits, and land new clients. While keeping clients happy and boosting sales remain critical tasks, digital agencies often struggle when dealing with lead generation. If you’re in the digital marketing space and lead generation industry, how do you know where to start and how to maximise the value of your service? Today, it’s crucial for marketing agencies to utilise the right automation tool that can ensure operational efficiency and help them grow their business. That’s why many startups and marketers are looking to employ white label solutions. It’s no secret that digital agencies strive tirelessly to supply effective and captivating products. That’s why they work relentlessly to come up with various tools and solutions, including lead generation services. But let’s face it – there are only so many products one agency can create, support, and improve. With white label software products at hand, agencies can scale their efforts, extend their offerings, acquire new customers, and much more. Let’s explore in more detail why lead generation is often missing a white label solution in an agency’s brand strategy, and how to leverage it. What is a White Label LMS Software? A standard lead management system (LMS) allows digital marketers to monitor all channels and gather granular information on the performance of lead generation campaigns. Phonexa’s LMS Sync, for instance, is designed to facilitate and automate the process of distribution, strategy recalibration, campaign creation, and much more. When it comes to white label lead generation software, it can be used by an advertising agency or any other digital agency looking to offer lead gen services to customers. How does it work? Agencies partner with the white label software provider to use its system for a monthly or annual fee. Some white label service providers also handle tasks like database research and outreach. For instance, Company A, a white label software provider, sells software geared toward lead management for agencies to Company B, a digital agency. Then, Company B rebrands and resells this software with its logo to Company C. Simply put, agencies get to rent or lease ready-built solutions without the need to create brand new in-house products. Such solutions serve as an add-on package for the range of current services a company offers. Capabilities of White Label Services Agencies often look for white label LMS platforms that can help them tackle issues their customers face and maximise the value of driven leads. With a white label LMS platform from Phonexa, your customers can leverage automated lead sorting and filtering, turn declined leads into a new revenue source, ensure that every prospect and lead is accounted for, and get a firm grasp on their ROI. Advantages for Agencies Ultimately, white label lead distribution for agencies offers numerous benefits, including a possibility of instant rollout and an expanded product portfolio. But that’s hardly a complete list. Let’s take a closer look at the other benefits white labelling offers – here’s a list of undeniable advantages of partnering with a white label lead management software provider. Boost Brand Awareness Without Hassle Apart from brand memorability, small businesses, startups, and large enterprises also focus on strengthening and empowering their company through improving products, introducing new solutions, and enhancing their business capacity. Naturally, it requires time, effort, and money. With white label products, companies don’t have to go through the hassle of developing a solution from the ground up. In fact, all they need to do is rebrand the solution. Elevate the Value of Your Marketing White label lead generation solutions are geared toward helping customers tie leads to specific initiatives, tap into the attributed data, and assess the generated revenue. Ensure Meticulous Lead Tracking The value of your agency’s work is typically tied to the number and quality of delivered leads. With a white label LMS platform, you can keep track of every prospect and lead in your funnel. Propel ROI Generation When agencies employ a white label solution, they have more time to plan customer outreach, scale their pipeline, set their pricing plans, and acquire clients. They not only get to save effort and money but also generate ROI faster. Take Pressure Off Your Team When your company develops a product, your employees have to deal with all the issues like fixing bugs and malfunctions. Employing white label solutions allows you to focus on handling customers and boosting their loyalty. Visualise Future Growth With a white label LMS solution from Phonexa, customers can leverage predictive modelling to show various outcomes of active lead generation campaigns and predict the potential success of expanding them into new states or GEOs. Enhance Brand Consistency White labelling allows agencies to give their clientele a seamless look and feel across all product features and communication channels. Improve Client Retention High-quality leads make for happy and loyal clients. Employing a white label LMS solution empowers agencies to show their clients the value of driven leads and encourages them to stay for good. Schedule a consultation with one of Phonexa’s experts to explore how you can empower your brand and expand your product portfolio with white label LMS software.
The insurance services industry is one of the biggest spenders in the world of advertising. It’s understandable why agencies spend so much time and funds to create an omnipresent experience that will precipitate the company’s existence into consumer minds prompting them to take action later. Insurance carriers like Geico, Progressive, and State Farm spent $5.38 billion in 2020 alone on advertising. What if you could bypass that step of conventional ads and dive directly into earning big through digital advertising? Of course, the stakes are higher than ever for most insurance marketers with this solution. But if you leverage the right technology, you’ll bridge the gap and begin to see the return on your investment almost immediately. But to do that, you must first meet your insurance clients where they are — on their phones. You must utilize call tracking technology and make yourself available to your clients through a streamlined and personalized journey. Here’s everything you need to know about creating unique call tracking journeys for your insurance business, as well as the top reasons why you should. Why do Insurance Companies Need Call Tracking? It’s no secret that most — if not all — customers in the market for insurance coverage will end up calling an agency before they decide to commit or convert. So, regardless of your agency’s conversion metrics, most insurance conversions will actually happen over the phone, where callers can get instant answers to their questions on a human-to-human basis. In fact, phone calls result in about 30 to 50% conversions, so backing your insurance call center with technology that tracks call outcomes down to a granular level will help you materialize your agency’s potential, and attribute success to a single call, campaign, or click that resulted in the outcome. 1. No Direct Contact Equals Fewer Conversions Getting the attention of your callers and prospects is only a tiny part of the battle. However, what does change the course of events is how you keep consumers engaged. Frequently, this depends on what you do to win them over. A proven metric is creating a streamlined and uncomplicated caller journey through an unconventional Interactive Voice Response system that collects caller data before they’re even connected to a live agent. And with so many people clicking and calling to inquire about specific coverage and policies, agencies need responsive and scalable software that prompts higher conversions. But we know that receiving a call doesn’t automatically secure a conversion. The realities are quite different and require a more humanistic approach to tying together a converting call journey to engage high-intent callers. You may ask, “what happens when a client reaches a call agent faster?” Over 40% of callers will abandon the call if they’re waiting too long in the queue. Tracking phone calls will help you eliminate the guesswork of how you can retain these callers and customers. All you need to do is ensure that callers experience a good call journey before connecting with your agents. Take that journey to another level by creating custom caller experiences through an interactive voice response system or the use of Cloud PBX technology to collect and retain certain information about your callers. Then create profiles for each to personalize your agency’s interactions with them going forward. When doing so, remember — some 59% of customers say that tailored engagement based on past interactions is very important in winning and retaining their business. 2. Ruling Out Campaigns That Don’t Work With intense and costly efforts to stand apart in a saturated insurance marketplace, agencies should be confident that their budget isn’t being spent on things that don’t bring revenue. With Phonexa’s call analytics software Call Logic, agencies can do precisely that as part of all-in-one marketing automation solution for calls, leads, clicks, email, SMS, accounting, and more. With valuable analytics and data insights on a given campaign, this software provides insurance marketers with the ability to identify, flag, and remove campaigns that no longer serve their goals. Some identifiable data points can include demographic groups and characteristics that have responded to a given ad, flagged campaigns that received greater engagement and interaction, conversion rates they collectively delivered, and more. 3. Leveraging the Potential of Real-Time Data & Flagging Capabilities What makes Phonexa’s call tracking software stand apart from competitors is its ability to provide real-time data insights, fraud reports, and more to help marketers adjust campaigns to respond to campaign needs. A recent case study with a financial services lead generation network found that the Phonexa platform helped the network flag and eliminate fraudulent transactions, which resulted in a 30% decrease in fraudulent lead flows. With these types of changes, real-time data analytics helps companies save a ton of resources on fixing fraud-driven campaigns or other faulty marketing activities. And as these reports come in, campaign changes can be applied, and new metrics can be reported. With instant optimization, insurers will have the necessary tools to handle any uncertain market fluctuations at any given point. Your Issues, Our Solutions: How Phonexa Can Help Insurance Marketers For insurance marketers, it’s always essential to engage with clients and prospects on multiple fronts. Doing this effectively and efficiently is nearly half the work. For that reason, Phonexa’s all-in-one marketing solution for calls, leads, clicks, SMS, email, accounting, and more, provides all the tools necessary to ensure an omnichannel presence for their target audiences. Want to track and attribute call outcomes for insurance leads? Try Call Logic. Interested in a dynamic lead management system where you can buy or sell your insurance leads? Opt-in for LMS Sync. If you’re in the game for some email and SMS outbound reach, go with E-Delivery. Lynx is the right tool to emphasize your call campaigns with links and track them. Tie it all together with Books360, our automated accounting platform that can take the revenue you made through each campaign, manage your payouts and attributes, and make sure you never miss a lead. Schedule a consultation or a free demo to learn more about how Phonexa’s all-in-one suite can power your insurance agency’s call tracking goals.
Every marketing campaign will feature a discussion of the campaign’s ROI, or return on investment. But to some, the importance of knowing your ROI isn’t always clear. There may be a debate as to why marketers should get caught up in such details. In an interview with the Harvard Business Review, Jill Avery—a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School—had a blunt message for marketers who aren’t interested in their ROI. “Good marketing is not about winning creative awards or telling interesting stories,” she says; it is squarely about “delivering customers and sales.” In short, knowing your ROI allows you to accurately measure the success of your marketing campaigns. What is your ROI? Your marketing return on investment—sometimes abbreviated as MROI—is critical in that it gives a snapshot of what kind of revenue or conversions your marketing campaign is able to generate in comparison to the resources that were put into it. For the most basic example, imagine you put £50 into starting a lemonade stand: building the stand, buying the ingredients, and putting up posters. Then you made £125 in sales—that would mean you had £75 in return profits or an ROI of 150 per cent. This calculation comes from a simple formula of ROI (per cent) = [(Revenue – Investment) / Investment] x 100. By looking at your ROI in terms of a percentage, rather than the raw number, you will have a clearer vision of your ROI and be able to compare it across campaigns of various sizes. Having an ROI of £1,000 sounds impressive, but it becomes dramatically less so if the ROI percentage is only 10 per cent. The Importance of Knowing Your ROI It should be apparent, then, that having an accurate understanding of your ROI is valuable for businesses for many reasons. Essentially, your ROI will give you a “score card” for your marketing campaigns. It answers fundamental questions regarding the allocation of resources or the impact of the creative branded messages in the campaign. Having this knowledge is useful for many reasons. If you’re in the marketing department of a larger company, you can use a high marketing ROI percentage to prove to leadership that they should allocate more resources to your efforts. You’d have a difficult time getting any kind of budget increase without first having proof that you are getting results with the budget you already have. The independent marketers has even more need for a thorough understanding of their ROI. In many case, your entire budget and business plan will revolve around having a very high ROI percentage. Digital marketers with few overhead costs need to know precisely what their ROI is for any given campaign to determine how much revenue they’ll be able to pull in. Once a marketer has a strong understanding of their return on investment, they will be able to answer many more questions about their business. They will be able to plan campaigns more efficiently once they know which efforts will yield the highest ROI percentage. Furthermore, once a marketer knows their ROI, they will be able to run a tight ship and hold themselves accountable. The ROI is a perfect way to attach a specific value to the work you’re doing. As a result, that number can be very powerful and it becomes vastly important that the number is accurately calculated. Complications When Calculating Your ROI As important is it is to know your ROI, it isn’t always the easiest figure to calculate. While the formula ROI (per cent) = [(Revenue – Investment) / Investment] x 100 is certainly straightforward, what can be difficult is determining exactly how much revenue was the result of any given marketing investment. If you’ve spent funds on Google Ads, email marketing, and digital banner ads, who can you assign your incoming revenue to the marketing channel that brought it in? The solution can come in the form of an ROI-driven marketing platform with call tracking, lead management, and email marketing that is able to gather this kind of data. The right platform can collect necessary information that tells marketers which of their efforts brought in every lead. This allows you to compartmentalize and sort all the revenue generated by each marketing channel so that you can have a definitive ROI percentage for all your marketing efforts. It’s entirely possible, for example, that you put some £2,000 into paid search ads and £5,000 into radio ads and get a return of £25,000 in revenue. That can seem great, but a granular analysis of your ROI may reveal that you’re getting 400 per cent ROI on the paid search ads and just about 150 per cent on the radio ads. You’ll likely want to scale up your paid search and hold or reduce your radio budget. The next time you run your campaign, you could see even higher revenue returns for spending less. Stay on Target Ultimately, for marketers who want to see the quantifiable success of their marketing efforts, they’ll need to put in the effort to calculate their ROI. While the formula is simple, the collection of data is much more complicated. Marketers can use technology to track marketing revenue across different channels, allowing them to discover new insights from targeted ROI percentages. Such revelations can be used in preparing budgets and planning campaigns in order to become more efficient and increase profit margins.
