Patrick Hogan — February 21, 2017 Follow @growtenfoldWhen you combine the convenience of modern-day telephony with the power of data – that is, computers, the internet and all the information you can mine from it – you get the power tool that every business should have.
That’s what computer telephony integration (CTI) is. CTI integration is your key to a better performing sales team, increased revenue and efficient customer service. CTI functionality is what gives you the edge.
CTI Functions: The Top 5
You can give your team a boost when you adapt the many CTI functions into your internal business processes.
1. Efficient Call Routing
Foremost when it comes to CTI functionality is its more efficient call routing. Here, skills-based call routing, automatic call distribution, interactive voice response (IVR) and other CTI functions are integrated with your client/ lead/ supplier database, and select business software, such as your CRM system.
Call processing then becomes more responsive to the needs of your callers. Calls can be routed according to:
- Demographics
- IVR selection
- Previous interaction
- Agent availability
- Agent specialization
- and more.
The result is higher quality interactions with your sales team and other call agents within your business. Calls are processed faster. And, callers are directly forwarded to people they want to talk to or team members who are best qualified to respond to their requirements.
2. Automatic Caller Authentication
The comparison of call origin against user/ client data is also a way to short-cut call processing. Instead of having your caller repeat their information to authenticate their account every time they call, you get automatic caller authentication through CTI integration. This not only saves your sales rep or agent some time. It can also mean less frustrated callers.
3. Phone Flexibility
You don’t always have to be next to your computer or phone. Log out but still be available for queries or help requests. Improve your team’s accessibility by forwarding calls to select devices when members are not logged into the system. This can make a world of difference when you’re trying to close deals. Clients love agents who seem to always be there for them!
4. Collaborative CTI Functions
CTI also comes with several collaborative functions. Features like conferencing, whisper coaching, call barging and warm transfer empower your reps and agents to work better together by enabling easy collaboration.
For instance, through warm transfer, you can brief the call recipient about the caller’s issues before actually transfering the call. This saves them time; and, your caller does not have to repeat their query.
5. Automatic Floating UI System
This is perhaps the cherry to top off our 5 key CTI functions. It is the interface wherein the power of CTI integration is best experienced.
The dashboard contains information about your caller based on their call origin, authentication and IVR selection. You can edit and add to this as needed. Log calls requests, queries, issues and other details. Know the location of your caller and the language they speak. Include personal information to their dashboard profile.
User data you can log include:
- Purchase history
- Ticket status
- Billing information
- Chat transcripts
- Events
- Support requests
- Personal information
When configured correctly and used optimally, you get a robust and up-to-date information source that pops open automatically when you need it. You can provide your caller with an efficient and personalized call experience.
Optimizing Your CTI Integration
Remember that the best way to approach your CTI integration is to look ahead and plan according to where you want to take your business.
There are many CTI functions that you can take advantage of. Some of these functions may not seem useful now when you look at your current organization size and requirements. But, as you grow bigger and begin to use a lot more productivity tools, your needs will likely become more complex.
The beauty with CTI is that you won’t run into a lot of compatibility issues. CTI can be integrated to work with many of your business systems.
Know the breadth of CTI functions available to you, and build up your business systems with this in mind.
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