It doesn’t matter in what industry you work, a phone call is just that. This might come as a surprise to you but, that’s not how it works. Yes, at the end of the day you’re reaching someone.
But, making and receiving the call isn’t the same thing. You must’ve heard the terms inbound and outbound calls before. Not sure how they’re different?
We’ve you covered. We’ll give you a guide on some of the major differences between inbound calls vs outbound calls. Ready to learn more?
Inbound vs Outbound Calls: How Are They Different?
If you’re in sales, marketing or whichever industry, making and receiving calls are part of your daily routine. Maybe you’re a business owner considering outsourcing your calls. You stumble on the terms inbound and outbound calling.
You aren’t sure what type of service you’ve to hire. Do you need both services? The only way to know is by understanding both concepts. Here’s your guide to understanding both types of calling and the main differences between them:
What Are Inbound Calls?
Inbound calling is when you receive calls. It can be your customer asking for a question about your product or service. Maybe it’s a new lead or someone wanting to know if you can solve their problem.
Either way, the best thing about it is that the caller is engaging with you. They want to hear from you. When you receive an inbound call, you’ve to make sure you’re satisfying the caller’s needs.
If they’re contacting you asking for customer service aim to solve their problem during the call. Handling your customer’s inbound call the right way can pay huge dividends. Remember a happy customer means more potential business and referrals.
What Are Outbound Calls?
Outbound calls are calls made to clients or prospects. Did you ever receive a call from your bank offering other products? That’s an outbound call.
If you sell a product or service, using the right outbound calling practices is a must. That’s going to be one of the main methods you’ll use to get those sales.
When you make an outbound call, you’ve to make sure your client feels comfortable. Not being able to develop this trust with the client can translate into losing existing and potential business.
Outbound calling isn’t only used for sales. You can use this type of calling service for collections. So if you need sales and collections support, you should consider hiring an outbound calls center.
What Are the Main Differences Between Inbound vs Outbound Calling?
Some business owners underestimate the importance of inbound and outbound calls. Most of the time, they don’t understand that you need to use both to grow your business. You can have great customer service but, your business won’t grow if you don’t bring those sales in.
Both types of calls might sound the same but they aren’t. Here are the main differences between both types of calls:
Purpose
Both types of calls aim to create trust between the client and your business. But, the purpose of each type is different. An inbound call is for listening and helping the client.
When a client calls you to receive customer service, you want to make sure you listen to them. You should ask questions about their inquiry to make sure you’re meeting their needs.
In contrast, you place an outbound call to research, generate leads and sales. An example is when you place mystery shopping calls.
You or one of your associates may be calling your competitors to know where you stand in the market. Are your rates competitive?
What is different from your approach? These are some of the questions you can answer by using outbound calls. You must harness the power of each type of calling to take your business to the next level.
Roles in Your Business
Both types of calls have their own role in business. Inbound calling fills roles such as customer service, lead qualification and calls redirecting. Also, this type of calling service can handle direct advertising responses.
When you run ads on a national scale, an inbound calling service can take care of those calls coming in. When you have a list of leads, this type of service can help you turn them into sales and upsell them into bigger sales. Also, an inbound calling service can help you redirect internal calls to the right team member.
Outbound calls fill the roles of lead generation, market research, sales, and database maintenance. When you run the right outbound calling campaign, you can quadruple your lead generation. If you’ve your own lead generation plan for your salespeople, you know how important outbound calls are in your business.
When you place a call to a possible supplier or a competitor, you’re harnessing the power of an outbound call. Knowing what your competitor is up to can help you remain competitive in the market. That’s one of the reasons why mystery shopping is so popular today.
Talking with a prospective supplier can help you find new ways to source your products. This can help you grow your company. Also, you use outbound calls when you’re updating your customer’s files.
What Type of Calling Service Should You Hire for Your Business?
You should hire both types of calling services. Successful businesses need to have a good inbound and outbound calls system. You could do it in-house.
But, it would be great to hire someone to do it for you. This way you can concentrate on growing your business. You should do your research before hiring a company.
Every business has its own needs and standards. When hiring a calling service, you should look for a company that meets your needs and matches your standards. Remember they’re going to be the voice of your brand.
Your clients expect the same quality of service you provide on a daily basis. The right inbound and outbound calling service will be able to provide the highest quality of service.
Are you thinking about hiring an inbound calling service? If so, you’ve to make sure that you’re getting the right return on investment per inbound calling campaign.
Don’t know how to calculate the ROI for your inbound calls campaign? Check out our blog post to learn more.