Entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for the newest innovations they can use to improve their businesses. From marketing to operations and sales, entrepreneurs are increasingly using self-help technology to make instant customer connections and increase engagement. One solution that stands out today is the use of Interactive Voice Response Systems (IVR).
IVR offers business owners multiple capabilities to make positive customer connections beyond the standard customer support service options. Here’s how entrepreneurs can leverage this technology to reach more people, more quickly and effectively.
Accelerate Lead Conversion Efforts
IVR technology has quickly become a new channel for businesses to accelerate their lead conversion efforts and support sales operations. With IVR, entrepreneurs can now pre-qualify leads in their outbound marketing efforts and ensure more successful lead scoring for inbound sales. You can also gauge interest using an IVR system to listen to customer responses. If a lead meets the scoring requirements, the IVR can direct the call to a qualified business sales agent to close the deal.
Refine Your Marketing Campaigns
The IVR experience that your customers enjoy is no different than your other brand interactions across your customer touchpoints. Remember that any time you get an inbound call, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to communicate your brand values, deliver a custom marketing message, or introduce an offer while routing them to the right destination. You can use an IVR to reaffirm marketing messages and even offer customers an option to call a specific number to redeem offers, enter contests, or take surveys.
Streamline Payment Processing
IVR technology offers a convenient way for your customers to complete simple transactions such as updating account details and paying bills. Using IVR, you can make it more convenient for customers to make payments using voice-activated or touch-tone technology. With an innovative phone menu, IVR makes it easy to tailor call flows to securely and efficiently funnel your callers to the appropriate department. Customers love this self-help feature, and it ensures easy payment collection for your business as well.
Create Appointment Reminders
Whenever you’re scheduling customer appointments, it’s best practice to always ask for their phone number. That makes it easy for you to send them reminders using IVR technology. Think of the automated reminders you get for scheduled car repairs, restaurant reservations, or medical appointments. That’s made possible by IVR technology. It’s a convenient option for your customers and is easy for you to implement. You also get to enjoy huge savings for your business.
Collect Real-Time Feedback With IVR Surveys
Surveys are an effective way to get immediate feedback from your customers and are essential to making informed business decisions based on customer insights. One of the best ways to implement IVR technology is to get customer feedback following their recent interaction or transaction. IVR-enabled surveys allow you to ask the questions that matter most. Open-ended questions work best and are ideal for collecting real-time feedback that helps your business adapt to your customers’ ever-changing needs.
Use IVR Technology to Optimize Customer Experiences
IVR technology offers one of the most effective ways to improve your marketing efforts and sales. With the right approach, you can improve efficiency, increase customer loyalty, and reduce costs. Opt for a cloud-based IVR solution to help you adapt to your evolving business needs. You should consider combining IVR with other self-help solutions to serve your customers more effectively.
