| Telemarketing, or Telesales in the United Kingdom, | | | | for specific products to those telemarketing agents |
| employs many different technologies today. There are | | | | specialising in those products. |
| five distinct technologies used to provide the | | | | 3. Customer Relationship Management - Customer |
| telemarketing company the services it needs to | | | | Relationship Management, or CRM, is a widely |
| conduct its business in as efficient manner as possible. | | | | implemented strategy for managing a telemarketing |
| 1. Autodialer - An autodialer is an electronic device that | | | | companies clients and sales prospects. It utilises |
| can automatically dial telephone numbers to connect | | | | technology to organise, automate and synchronise |
| the telemarketing agent with the prospect. Once the | | | | business practices. |
| call is completed, the autodialer can announce verbal | | | | 4. Predictive Dialer - A predictive dialer is a |
| messages or even transmit data, such as SMS | | | | computerized system similar to an autodialer which will |
| messages to the called party. | | | | automatically dial batches of telephone numbers in |
| A big advantage for autodialers today is the ability to | | | | order to connect telemarketing agents with |
| detect whether a live human has answered or if an | | | | prospective clients. However, unlike the autodialer, the |
| answering machine/voicemail did. The autodialer can | | | | predictive dialer uses a variety of algorithms to predict |
| then take different actions depending on which | | | | both the availability of the telemarketing agents and |
| answered. For example, when a live human has | | | | called party answers adjusting the number of calls |
| answered, it could be connected with a live | | | | being made in real-time. |
| telemarketing agent. However, if voicemail or an | | | | 5. Private Branch Exchange - A Private Branch |
| answering machine answers, the autodialer can leave | | | | Exchange, or PBX, is a telephone exchange that |
| a verbal message instead. | | | | primarily serves a large business, such as a |
| 2. Automatic Call Distributor - The automatic call | | | | telemarketing company, that has hundreds or even |
| distributor, or ACD, is a device or system that will | | | | thousands of telephone extensions within the |
| distribute incoming calls to a specific group of terminals | | | | company. PBXs make the connections among the |
| that a telemarketing agent uses. The system consists | | | | internal telephones and connects them to the external |
| of hardware for the terminals and switches, phone | | | | telephone network. |
| lines, as well as software for the routing strategy. | | | | As you can see, telemarketing companies are highly |
| These can include instructions to route calls from | | | | reliant on technology to make their businesses as |
| certain parts of the country to specific groups, or calls | | | | efficient as possible, just like any other business today. |