Phone Terminology Decoded: What Successful Sales Managers Actually Need to Know
- Rosa Peraza
- 24 minutes ago
- 42 min read
In today’s sales environment, phone outreach remains a cornerstone of engaging prospects and clients. For sales managers, fluency in dialer and phone terminology isn’t just jargon – it’s foundational knowledge that can directly impact a team’s success.
Knowing the difference between a predictive dialer and a power dialer, or understanding metrics like ASR or AHT, means you can make informed decisions, set realistic targets, and troubleshoot issues efficiently. On the flip side, being unclear on these terms can lead to miscommunication, underutilization of technology, or even compliance pitfalls.
For example, not recognizing what “Scam Likely” labels mean could result in lower call pickup rates, and ignorance of laws like TCPA or the DNC list can expose your company to hefty fines (up to $1,500 per illegal call in the U.S.). In short, mastering this terminology empowers you to lead a high-performing, compliant sales team.
In this comprehensive guide, we will clearly and conversationally define the key dialer and phone terms every sales manager should know. We’ll explore how understanding this vocabulary improves team performance and ensures legal compliance.
From core dialer types (manual vs. auto, predictive vs. power vs. progressive) to essential call metrics and telecom regulations, consider this your glossary and guide. The tone is professional yet approachable – think of it as a friendly primer that de-mystifies the technicalities.
Let’s dive in and see why these terms matter and what they mean for your sales team.
How Terminology Affects Sales Team Performance and Compliance
Sales managers who understand phone terminology can enhance their team’s productivity and compliance in several ways. First, clear communication about dialers and metrics eliminates confusion. Your reps and IT staff will all speak the same language, reducing errors. For instance, if everyone knows what a “call disposition” is, they will log call outcomes consistently, yielding better data and insights.
Understanding key performance indicators (like connection rate or average handle time) also helps in streamlining operations and boosting productivity. Managers who grasp these metrics can set informed targets and identify bottlenecks.
Moreover, familiarity with terminology lets you choose the right tools and settings. Knowing the difference between a predictive and preview dialer means you can pick the dialing mode that best fits your campaign (high-volume efficiency vs. personalized touch). In fact, leveraging the appropriate dialer technology can dramatically improve output – predictive dialers have been shown to boost outbound call rates by up to 300% in some cases. That translates to more conversations and opportunities for your team.
Perhaps most critically, understanding phone and dialer terms helps ensure legal and ethical compliance. Terms like TCPA, DNC, or STIR/SHAKEN are tied to regulations that carry serious consequences if ignored. A manager well-versed in these knows, for example, that using an auto dialer to call cell phones without consent violates the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), or that failing to scrub the Do Not Call list can lead to steep fines. Additionally, knowing about “Spam Likely” flags and caller ID authentication means you can take steps (like registering numbers or enabling STIR/SHAKEN) to protect your phone number reputation and keep contact rates high.
In summary, mastering dialer and phone terminology enables sales managers to make data-driven decisions, deploy the right technology for their team’s needs, and steer clear of compliance landmines. It’s about speaking the language of modern sales communications – which ultimately helps you lead a high-performing, efficient, and compliant sales team.
Core Dialer Terms Defined
Every sales manager should understand the fundamental types of dialers and dialing modes available. Dialers are essentially tools or systems that automate the process of calling leads, with varying levels of speed and agent involvement. Below, we define the core dialer-related terms:
The infographic above provides a visual overview of different types of outbound dialers and their characteristics. Each dialer type – manual, predictive, auto, progressive, preview – balances agent efficiency and personalization differently. For instance, manual dialing is slow but personal, while predictive dialing maximizes call volume. As shown, choosing the right dialer depends on your campaign needs and the importance of volume versus contact quality.
Dialer
In a sales context, a dialer generally refers to any software or device that automates the process of placing phone calls. It’s essentially the engine of your outbound calling efforts. A dialer can be a standalone system or part of a CRM/call center platform. Its job is to queue up phone numbers and dial them, often logging call outcomes as well.
The purpose of using a dialer is to save your agents from manually punching in numbers and to maximize the time they spend talking to live prospects. There are various types of dialers (covered below), ranging from fully manual to highly automated. In short, think of a dialer as your team’s calling assistant – it takes care of the dialing so your sales reps can focus on selling.
Manual Dialing
Manual dialing is the traditional, old-fashioned way of making calls: an agent physically enters a phone number on a phone or softphone and places the call. In manual mode, there is no automation – the sales rep must dial each number one by one from their list.
This method offers full control and a personal touch (the agent decides exactly when and whom to call), but it’s highly inefficient for large call volumes. Agents can waste significant time on misdials, listening to ringing, or leaving voicemails. Manual dialing is essentially the opposite of an auto dialer – it’s slow but straightforward.
Sales teams today often reserve manual dialing for very high-value calls where a personalized approach is crucial, or they use it as a fallback if automated systems fail. Otherwise, most teams rely on some form of automated dialer to increase efficiency.
Auto Dialer
An auto dialer is any system that automatically dials numbers from a list and connects answered calls to an agent (or plays a recorded message). This is a broad term encompassing many dialing modes – essentially any dialer more advanced than a hand-dial is an “auto dialer.” With an auto dialer, once the campaign is started, the software handles dialing without agents needing to input numbers.
If the call connects and a person answers, the auto dialer routes the call to an available agent; if it hits voicemail, busy signals, or no answer, it can log that outcome and move on.
The big advantage of auto dialers is efficiency: they dramatically reduce agent idle time by filtering out unanswered calls and only involving agents when a live connection is made. However, auto dialers must be used carefully to comply with laws like TCPA (which restricts automated calls to cell phones without consent). Examples of auto dialers include predictive, power, progressive, and preview dialers – all of these are essentially auto-dialing in different ways.
Predictive Dialer
A predictive dialer is a powerful type of auto dialer that uses algorithms to call multiple numbers ahead of agent availability, “predicting” when the next agent will be free.
The goal of a predictive dialer is to keep your agents talking back-to-back, with little to no downtime between calls. It dials several contacts per agent (the dialing rate can be tuned) and screens out unanswered calls, busy signals, and voicemails. When a live person picks up, the dialer quickly routes the call to an agent.
By calling ahead in volume, predictive dialers achieve very high agent utilization – reps aren’t sitting idle waiting for calls to connect. In fact, a well-tuned predictive dialer can significantly boost call output (in some cases handling 300% more calls than manual dialing).
However, there are trade-offs. If the dialer overestimates and connects more calls than there are free agents, some answered calls get “abandoned” (the prospect hears silence or hold music because no agent is available).
This can harm customer experience and even violate regulations if the abandonment rate is too high. Predictive dialers work best in environments where you have a sizable team of agents and need to maximize call volume (e.g. telemarketing, large outbound campaigns).
They are less suitable for small teams or high-value sales calls where a personalized touch (and avoiding any pause when the prospect answers) is important. In summary, a predictive dialer is all about speed and efficiency, using automation to dramatically increase talk time by minimizing wait time between calls.
Power Dialer
A power dialer is an auto dialer that calls one contact after another sequentially for each agent, as soon as that agent is ready. It’s sometimes considered a step below predictive dialers in automation aggressiveness.
Unlike predictive dialers, a power dialer typically dials one call per available agent at a time (not multiple calls per agent). The moment a rep hangs up or finishes wrap-up on a call, the power dialer automatically dials the next number on their list. Essentially, it eliminates the downtime between calls, but it doesn’t try to predict future availability beyond ensuring an agent is free right now.
This means power dialers have no (or very few) abandoned calls, since they don’t dial more calls than there are agents.
Power dialers are great for increasing efficiency while still keeping a 1:1 ratio of calls to agents. They are commonly used in sales teams to significantly boost call productivity – agents don’t waste time dialing or dealing with voicemails because the system can skip to the next call or drop a voicemail automatically. According to sales tech experts, power dialers focus on handling higher call volumes and reducing idle time for agents.
Many power dialer solutions also integrate useful features like call recording, voicemail drop, and CRM logging. In practice, a power dialer is ideal when you want efficiency without going fully predictive. It’s intense but controlled: agents will be on one call after another, but you won’t overwhelm them with multiple parallel dials. Think of it as the dialer for “high-volume, but quality matters” scenarios.
Progressive Dialer
A progressive dialer is very similar to a power dialer – in fact, the terms are often used interchangeably by different providers. Both progressive and power dialers ensure one call per agent at a time, dialing when the agent is free.
The nuance sometimes given is that a progressive dialer might offer a bit more agent control or preview time before dialing the next contact. In a progressive dialing mode, the system waits for an agent to signal readiness or reaches a ready state, then automatically dials the next number.
Some progressive dialers allow the agent a few seconds to view the next contact’s information (hence “progressive” as in progressing to the next call with context), or the call might even require a manual click to start once ready. This is in contrast to a pure power dialer which might launch the next call immediately when an agent is free.
In essence, progressive dialers prioritize a steady pace and call quality over sheer volume. They ensure no call is placed unless an agent is available, thus virtually eliminating dropped/abandoned calls. This can improve customer experience, since anyone who answers gets an agent on the line without delay. Progressive dialers also tend to allow agents a moment to collect themselves or quickly review details before the next call, which can lead to more personalized conversations.
Because of these traits, some sources note that progressive dialers focus on maintaining customer satisfaction and connection rates, whereas power dialers focus on maximal efficiency.
For practical purposes, many modern sales dialer systems label their one-call-at-a-time automated mode as either “power” or “progressive” and often these modes overlap in functionality.
As a sales manager, know that both refer to dialing one call per agent automatically. The progressive dialer is simply tuned to balance efficiency with a bit of breathing room, making it a good choice if you want to increase calls per rep while preserving a personal touch and minimizing any chance of a hang-up.
(It’s worth noting: some vendors and articles might differentiate power vs. progressive based on minor technical points, but universally both are far more efficient than manual dialing and safer than predictive in terms of avoiding call abandons.)
Preview Dialer
A preview dialer is a dialing mode that gives the agent preview time to decide whether and when to call each contact. In a preview dialer system, before dialing a number, the agent is shown the contact’s information (e.g., from the CRM) and can take a moment to review details – such as the contact’s name, company, previous interactions, or any notes.
The agent can then initiate the call with a click when ready (or in some implementations, the system will auto-dial after a set interval, giving a short preview window). This is the least automated of the auto dialer family because it involves agent decision for each call. Think of preview dialing as a blend of manual and auto: the dialing itself is one-click (no number to punch in), but the agent controls the pace and can skip or prepare as needed.
The benefit of preview dialers is personalization and research. They are ideal when calls require a tailored approach or the contact is high-value, so the rep might want to gather context before talking.
For example, in B2B sales, an SDR might use preview mode to read about the prospect’s company and past emails before calling, ensuring a more informed conversation. The trade-off is speed – preview dialing slows down call cadence significantly compared to power or predictive modes.
Agents might spend extra time per call prepping, which means fewer dials in a day. Therefore, preview dialers are best for smaller, high-quality lead lists or follow-ups where conversion quality outweighs sheer quantity. Many dialer software suites allow managers to toggle between preview, progressive/power, and predictive modes depending on campaign needs.
In summary, the core dialer terms – manual, auto, predictive, power, progressive, preview – represent a spectrum from fully manual calling to fully automated calling.
As a manager, understanding these lets you choose the right tool for the job. If you need massive scale and your team can handle it, predictive dialing might deliver the most talks (just mind the abandon rate).
If you value control and personalization, preview dialing gives reps the context to succeed. And if you want a balance, power/progressive dialing offers automation with minimal risk.
Knowing the lingo ensures you can match your sales strategy to the appropriate dialing technology, thereby improving outcomes and efficiency.
Key Phone and Call Metrics
Tracking performance is vital in any sales call operation. There are several key phone and call metrics that sales managers should know and monitor. These terms often appear in call center dashboards or reports and indicate how effective your calls and processes are. Let’s define the important metrics and what they mean for your team:
Call Connection Rate
Call Connection Rate generally refers to the percentage of outbound calls that successfully connect to a live person. In other words, it’s the ratio of calls where someone answers (or at least the call reaches a person or voicemail) versus the total number of call attempts.
A higher connection rate means more of your calls are reaching a target (as opposed to just ringing out or hitting busy signals). This metric can be calculated simply as:
Connection Rate = (Connected Calls ÷ Total Dialed Calls) × 100%.
In sales contexts, you might define a “connected call” as one that either reaches a human or possibly even a voicemail – essentially anything that isn’t a fast busy or unreachable. Some use Call Connection Rate interchangeably with Answer Seizure Ratio (ASR), which we define below.
A strong connection rate is crucial for an outbound sales team because it reflects dialing efficiency and data quality. If your connection rate is low, it could indicate problems like calling at suboptimal times, dialing invalid/wrong numbers, or issues with caller ID (e.g., being flagged as spam such that people don’t answer).
Managers use this metric to adjust strategies – for instance, calling during business hours or using local presence numbers to improve answer rates. The bottom line: Call Connection Rate tells you how often your calls are reaching someone, and it’s the first step in the funnel of making a successful contact.
Answer Seizure Ratio (ASR)
Answer Seizure Ratio (ASR) is a telecom metric closely related to connection rate. It specifically measures the percentage of call attempts (seizures) that result in an answer signal. In plain terms, ASR = (Number of answered calls ÷ Number of call attempts) × 100%. It’s used to gauge network quality and call success rate.
According to industry definitions, ASR is “the percentage of answered telephone calls with respect to the total call volume”. In telecom lingo, each call attempt is a “seizure,” and a answered call is one where an answer signal was detected (which could be a person answering or potentially even voicemail picking up).
A high ASR means a large portion of your outbound calls are being answered, whereas a low ASR indicates many calls fail to reach anyone (due to no answer, busy, rejections, etc.).
Typical ASR values in outbound dialing might range from 40%–60% in decent conditions – this accounts for the fact that a good chunk of calls go unanswered. ASR is often used by carriers and VoIP providers to monitor call quality; for example, if ASR drops, it could signal issues like far-end switch congestion or a lot of invalid numbers being dialed.
For a sales manager, ASR gives insight into dialer performance and list quality. If your ASR is low (say under 30%), you might be calling at the wrong times or your lead list may contain many bad numbers. Improving ASR can involve actions like calling during business hours, cleansing your contact lists, and avoiding repeated calls to unanswered numbers.
In summary, ASR is a more technical term for answer rate, reflecting the efficiency of your calls connecting. A strong ASR is needed to achieve good sales results, because you can’t pitch if no one picks up the phone!
Average Handle Time (AHT)
Average Handle Time (AHT) is a metric that represents the average duration of a call from start to finish, including not only the talk time but also any hold time and after-call work. In a sales call scenario, AHT would typically encompass the time the agent spends talking to the prospect, plus any wrap-up tasks immediately after (like logging notes or updating CRM records).
A formal definition is: “the average time it takes for a call center agent to complete a call from start to finish, including time spent talking and any additional time on hold or searching for information”.
To calculate AHT, you take the total handle time for all calls and divide it by the number of calls. For example, if in one hour a rep handled 10 calls and spent a total of 30 minutes on them (including wrap-up), the AHT would be 3 minutes (180 seconds). This metric is important because it speaks to efficiency and effectiveness.
A lower AHT might mean your agents can resolve calls or move through conversations quickly – which could indicate efficiency, or it could mean they are rushing. A higher AHT might mean calls are more involved or reps are taking longer per call – which could indicate personalized attention or inefficiency depending on context.
In a sales team, you don’t necessarily want the shortest handle time (especially if your goal is to build rapport or close deals on the phone), but you also don’t want calls dragging needlessly. Monitoring AHT helps find that balance. For example, if one agent’s AHT is significantly higher than others, you might investigate if they are doing excessive paperwork after the call or if they are struggling to get to the point during calls.
Conversely, an extremely low AHT could mean an agent is rushing prospects off the phone and not fully engaging. Use AHT alongside other metrics – like conversion rates or call quality scores – to judge what the “right” handle time is for your sales process.
Typically, AHT gives you a benchmark for how long a standard call should take so you can staff properly and identify outliers in performance.
Abandonment Rate
Abandonment Rate (or Abandoned Call Rate) is the percentage of calls that are terminated before reaching an agent or desired end-point. This term can apply slightly differently in outbound vs. inbound contexts, so let’s clarify for sales teams (usually outbound).
In an outbound predictive dialing scenario, abandonment rate refers to the proportion of calls where a prospect answered the phone but no agent was available to speak with them (the call was “abandoned” by the system).
This typically happens with predictive dialers when the dialer places more calls than there are free agents, and someone picks up only to hear silence or hold music and eventually hangs up. Such abandoned calls are highly undesirable – they annoy prospects and, in many jurisdictions, are regulated by law (for example, the FCC in the U.S. requires abandoned call rates to be below a certain threshold, often 3%).
The formula for outbound abandonment rate can be:
(Calls answered by customer but not handled by an agent) ÷ (Total calls answered by customers).
NobelBiz explains it as the percentage of calls “picked up by receivers but not answered by an agent” in an outbound campaign.
In an inbound context (like customers calling in), abandonment rate is the percentage of callers who hang up before an agent answers. For instance, if 100 customers call and 5 hang up while waiting on hold, the abandonment rate is 5%. This is a critical customer service metric, indicating caller patience and staffing sufficiency.
For sales managers, the abandonment rate in your outbound dialing (if using predictive or aggressive dialing) is important to monitor for both compliance and customer experience. A high abandonment rate on an outbound campaign means you are likely dialing too aggressively – prospects are answering and nobody is there to greet them, leading to frustration.
Tuning your dialer’s pacing or adding more agents can reduce abandoned calls. Remember, a progressive or power dialer mode essentially has an abandonment rate of zero by design, since it won’t call without an agent ready. It’s the predictive mode that needs careful managing. Ensure your abandon rate stays within legal limits and as low as possible to avoid irritating potential customers.
A low abandonment rate indicates that the vast majority of answered calls are being handled properly by your team, which is what you want for a good reputation and compliant operation.
First Call Resolution (FCR)
First Call Resolution (FCR) is a metric traditionally used in customer support, but it’s worth understanding in a sales context too. It measures the percentage of inquiries or issues that are resolved on the first call, with no need for follow-up calls. In a call center, FCR is considered one of the most important measures of effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
It means the customer’s need was fully addressed in that initial interaction. For a sales team, you might interpret FCR as, say, the percentage of prospects who get all the info they need (or even close the deal) on the first call without requiring callbacks. It could also apply to things like solving any lead’s concerns or scheduling a demo in that first outreach call.
High FCR is generally positive – it implies efficiency and a good customer experience (no run-around). In a sales scenario, a high FCR could mean your reps are knowledgeable and effective, able to handle objections or provide answers immediately. However, sales cycles can be multi-step by nature (rarely “resolved” on one call unless it’s a one-call close scenario).
So, FCR isn’t always a primary sales metric, but it is relevant if your team also handles some service or support calls, or if you measure whether initial calls meet a successful outcome (like qualifying or setting a meeting) in one go.
From a management perspective, you might borrow the FCR concept to strive for maximizing outcomes in first contact – for example, training reps to either close simpler deals or at least achieve the next step (e.g., scheduled follow-up) on that first call whenever possible. If applying it, you’d calculate FCR as: (Number of calls where issue/goal was achieved on first attempt ÷ Number of initial calls) × 100%.
According to industry knowledge, FCR is one of the most watched support metrics because it correlates strongly with customer satisfaction. In sum, know the term as it often comes up in call center discussions: FCR = solving it in one call. For sales, translate that spirit into meeting the customer’s need or advancing the sale in the first conversation as effectively as you can.
Call Disposition
A call disposition is simply the label or outcome assigned to a call after it ends. It’s the way an agent classifies what happened on the call. Dispositions could be things like “No answer,” “Left voicemail,” “Connected – interested,” “Connected – not interested,” “Appointment set,” “Disconnected number,” etc. In practice, most sales dialer software will prompt the rep to choose a disposition code at the end of each call or will automatically log certain ones (like no answer or busy) based on the call result.
According to Revenue.io’s glossary, “a call disposition is a label that describes the outcome of a call”. By tracking these outcomes consistently, sales managers can gain valuable intelligence to optimize their process.
Call dispositions are extremely useful for several reasons. They allow you to:
Measure results: e.g., how many calls resulted in voicemails vs. live conversations, how many leads agreed to a meeting, etc.
Manage follow-ups: The disposition often determines the next action. For instance, a call marked “Left voicemail” might be scheduled for a callback next day, whereas “Not interested” might be removed from the campaign.
Identify issues: If you see a lot of “Disconnected number” dispositions, your data quality may be an issue. Or too many “Rejected call” dispositions could signal a need to try a different call time or improve your opening pitch.
Common dispositions in sales include categories for positive outcomes (like “Appointment Set” or “Demo Scheduled”), negative outcomes (“Not interested,” “Do Not Call request”), and neutral outcomes (“No answer,” “Voicemail,” “Busy”).
By analyzing disposition reports, a manager can tweak strategy – for example, if 80% of calls are going to voicemail, perhaps invest in a voicemail drop system or adjust the calling hours.
Or if a campaign yields many “Call back later” dispositions, maybe the list is interested but timing is off. In summary, call disposition is the simple term for how each call is classified after completion. It’s the fundamental data that feeds your sales call analytics and follow-up processes.
Ensure your team understands the disposition codes and uses them correctly, as this data is gold for refining your outreach and training needs.
Telecom & Carrier-Related Terms
Beyond the dialer and call outcomes, sales managers should be aware of some telecom and carrier-related terminology.
These terms deal with how calls are identified, transmitted, and sometimes blocked or labeled by phone networks. They’ve become especially pertinent with the rise of robocalls and new regulations to curb spam. Knowing these can help you protect your outbound call reputation and improve contact rates. Let’s explain the key terms:
Caller ID (CNAM)
Caller ID is the information transmitted to a call recipient’s phone to identify the incoming caller’s number (and sometimes name). CNAM, which stands for Caller Name, is specifically the Caller ID Name that can accompany the phone number.
Essentially, CNAM is the data that shows a text name along with the incoming number on certain phones (typically landlines or VoIP phones can display a name, whereas mobile phones often just do a lookup for known numbers or show “Wireless Caller”).
According to Nextiva’s definition, “CNAM is the name information that is tied to a phone number and may display on devices that receive a phone call from that number”.
For businesses, setting a proper caller ID name (CNAM) means that when you call someone, they might see your company name rather than just a random number.
However, the catch is that CNAM is not universally guaranteed – it’s managed by databases that carriers access, and not all carriers or devices show the name. Businesses can register their numbers in CNAM databases so that their calls show an official name. If you don’t register a CNAM, your call will just show the number, or generic labels like “UNKNOWN” or the city of origin.
Why does this matter to a sales manager? Because a recognized or trusted caller ID can improve answer rates. If a prospect sees “Acme Corp” on the display, they might be more inclined to answer than seeing just an unfamiliar number. On the other hand, if your caller ID is misleading or blank, people may ignore it.
There’s also a link with spam labeling – if your number gets flagged, sometimes the CNAM might display as “Spam Likely” or similar by the carrier’s substitution (more on that below).
Make sure your caller ID (CNAM) is set appropriately for outbound numbers – many cloud phone providers allow you to set the outgoing caller name, but it usually needs to be 15 characters or less and must be registered in the national CNAM database to take effect.
In short, Caller ID = phone number, and CNAM = caller name that shows up. For a professional sales operation, get your caller IDs in order so prospects know who’s calling at a glance.
STIR/SHAKEN
STIR/SHAKEN is a pair of standards/protocols that have been recently implemented to combat caller ID spoofing and restore trust in phone calls. The acronyms stand for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-Based Handling of Asserted information using Tokens (SHAKEN). In simpler terms, STIR/SHAKEN is a framework that authenticates calls by digitally signing the caller ID information as a call passes through the phone network.
Why was this needed? Because scammers have increasingly spoofed numbers – making it look like calls are coming from legitimate or local numbers when they’re not. STIR/SHAKEN allows carriers to verify that a call actually comes from the number it claims to be from. The originating carrier attaches a digital certificate to the call signaling (saying “Yes, this number is not spoofed, we know who registered it”), and terminating carriers check that certificate. If the authentication checks out, the call is verified; if not, it might be marked as potential spam or blocked.
For consumers, this means you might see “Caller Verified” or a checkmark on calls that passed STIR/SHAKEN verification on some phone apps. For businesses and sales teams, STIR/SHAKEN is important to ensure your legitimate calls aren’t mistaken for spoofed robocalls. In the U.S., the FCC has mandated that all major carriers implement STIR/SHAKEN in their IP networks. As a result, if you use a VoIP service or cloud dialer, you’ll want to ensure your provider supports STIR/SHAKEN signing for your calls. This can reduce the chance of your calls being flagged as “Scam Likely.”
In summary, STIR/SHAKEN = an industry caller ID authentication system that helps validate the legitimacy of a call’s origin. It’s behind-the-scenes, but as a sales manager, you should ask your telephony provider if your outbound numbers are STIR/SHAKEN compliant. It’s one more tool to maintain call answer rates – by proving to carriers and customers that your calls are the real deal and not spoofed spam.
Local Presence Dialing
Local Presence Dialing is a feature (common in many sales dialers) where the system automatically uses a local phone number as the caller ID when dialing out to a prospect in a given area.
The idea is to make your call appear local to the recipient, on the theory that people are more likely to answer a call from a number that shares their area code or region. For example, if your rep is calling someone in Chicago (312 area code) but your company is based in New York (212 area code), local presence dialing would display a 312 number to the Chicago prospect, instead of your 212 number.
This technology works by having a pool of numbers in various area codes and selecting the one that best matches the number being dialed.
As Ringover describes, “Local presence dialing is a VoIP feature that allows sales reps to match their outbound phone number to the prospect’s local area code automatically,” which increases the chance that the prospect picks up. Prospects often feel more comfortable answering local calls, as it could be a neighbor, a local business, or an important call within their community, rather than an unfamiliar out-of-state number.
For sales teams, local presence can significantly improve answer rates. In fact, one study noted in a sales dialer context found that using a local area code doubled conversion rates and increased phone leads by 112.5% compared to using a non-local number. That’s a huge lift in performance by simply changing the number displayed.
However, there are a few cautions: Overuse or misuse of local numbers can lead to those numbers being flagged if people still don’t pick up and then mark the missed call as spam.
Also, if the conversation reveals you’re not local, the prospect might feel tricked, so reps should be prepared to smoothly handle the “Are you really calling from around here?” question (perhaps by referencing a local presence or just being candid about where they’re calling from). Despite those considerations, Local Presence Dialing is a popular technique to boost pickup rates for cold calls by leveraging the familiarity of local numbers.
Call Spoofing
Call spoofing refers to the practice of falsifying the caller ID information that is displayed to the call recipient. Essentially, a caller using spoofing will make their call appear to come from a number other than their actual number.
This can be done for legitimate reasons (e.g., a doctor calling from personal phone but displaying the office number) but is widely abused by scammers to trick people into answering (e.g., by displaying the recipient’s own area code and prefix – known as “neighbor spoofing” – to appear local, or by impersonating a known entity’s number).
The FCC defines spoofing succinctly: “Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity”.
For a sales manager, it’s important to distinguish legal/acceptable spoofing from illegal or unethical spoofing. Using local presence numbers as discussed above is a form of “benign spoofing” – you are intentionally displaying a different number, but one that you own and is selected to match the locale.
This is generally legal, as long as you’re not doing it with intent to defraud or harm. Illegal spoofing typically refers to scammers using numbers they have no right to (like someone else’s number or a random victim’s number) to misrepresent who is calling. The FCC has regulations making harmful spoofing illegal, especially under the Truth in Caller ID Act.
Modern systems like STIR/SHAKEN are making it harder to successfully spoof numbers, since unverified calls are now more likely to get flagged. The key takeaway is never spoof caller ID with intent to deceive or without proper authority. If you want to use different caller IDs (like various local numbers), use a service that legitimately provides those numbers and participates in STIR/SHAKEN so that your calls are authenticated.
Remind your team that spoofing can damage trust – if a customer feels duped by seeing a familiar-looking number that turns out to be from a salesperson, that sets the conversation off on the wrong foot. It’s a fine line: local presence good, outright spoofing a random neighbor’s number bad.
In short, call spoofing is about falsifying caller ID. It’s a term worth knowing because it’s at the heart of why people sometimes don’t trust phone calls. As a legitimate business, you’ll want to distance yourself from illegitimate spoofing practices, while still leveraging features (like local presence) that legally improve contact rates.
“Spam Likely”/Call Flagging
If you’ve ever seen “Spam Likely,” “Scam Likely,” “Spam Risk,” or similar labels on an incoming call, you’ve encountered call flagging by carriers or third-party analytics services. “Spam Likely” is essentially a warning to the user that the call might be unsolicited or fraudulent.
Phone carriers analyze calling patterns and user feedback to decide if a number is potentially a spam caller. When a number is flagged, the carrier will display a tag like “Spam Likely” on the recipient’s caller ID instead of the actual caller name (or sometimes along with the number). For example, T-Mobile in the US labels suspected spam calls as “Scam Likely.”
For a sales team, this is a big deal: if your outbound number gets flagged, your connect rates can plummet because people understandably avoid answering calls marked as spam. So how does a number get flagged? Carriers look at factors such as: very high volume of outbound calls, low answer rates, short call durations (typical of robocalls that hang up), and consumer reports/complaints.
If your team makes thousands of calls, especially to consumers who might not expect them, it’s possible your number’s “reputation score” deteriorates. As NobelBiz explains, these labels mean “carriers or analytics providers have flagged [the number] as potentially unwanted or harmful”. Reasons can include high call volumes in a short time, many recipients rejecting or not answering, or users reporting the calls.
To avoid “Spam Likely” issues, businesses can do a few things: rotate through a pool of caller ID numbers (so no single number does all the volume), register with call authentication frameworks (STIR/SHAKEN helps), and maintain good dialing practices (don’t repeatedly call people who never pick up, honor opt-outs, etc.).
There are also services that monitor and help remediate your number’s reputation across carriers. It’s also wise to register your outbound numbers with analytics providers and tools like the Free Caller Registry to proactively assert your identity as a legitimate caller.
In essence, “Spam Likely” is the new hurdle for telemarketers and sales dialers – a product of carriers trying to protect consumers. Being aware of it means as a manager you can proactively manage your caller IDs. If suddenly contact rates drop, it could be due to call flagging. Ensure your calls follow best practices:
introduce your company clearly (so if someone wasn’t expecting the call, they at least know it’s legitimate), maybe keep call attempts per number reasonable, and have a strategy for number reputation management. It’s a evolving aspect of phone sales, where technology and policy intersect: your number is almost like an email sender reputation – keep it clean or risk being junked.
VoIP vs. PSTN
When dealing with phone systems, you’ll hear about VoIP and PSTN. These refer to the underlying technology of how calls are delivered:
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. This means phone calls transmitted over the internet or private IP networks, in the form of data packets. Modern cloud phone systems, sales dialers, and softphones typically use VoIP – your voice is converted to digital packets and sent over the network. VoIP doesn’t require traditional phone lines; it requires an internet connection. It’s flexible, often cheaper (especially for long distance), and supports advanced features and integrations (since it’s essentially software-driven telephony).
PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network, which is the traditional circuit-switched telephone network – basically the regular phone lines. Sometimes also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) for basic analog lines. PSTN calls go over copper or fiber phone lines and use exchanges to route calls. When a PSTN call is made, a dedicated circuit is opened between the calling and receiving party for the duration of the call. PSTN has been around for decades and is very reliable and power-stable (for example, landlines often still work in power outages because they carry their own power). However, PSTN can be more costly for long distance, less flexible, and doesn’t natively support the multimedia or data-rich features that VoIP can.
In today’s world, most business telephony is moving toward VoIP, if not already there. However, PSTN interconnects still exist – for instance, when a VoIP call needs to reach someone on a landline or mobile, it will hop onto the PSTN at some point.
The line is blurring between VoIP and PSTN as telecom infrastructure modernizes, but the distinction is useful: VoIP is digital and internet-based, PSTN is the classic phone network with physical lines and switches.
From a sales manager perspective, understanding this helps in discussions with IT or vendors. If your dialer is VoIP-based (very likely), call quality depends on your internet connection and network. Terms like SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) are related to VoIP signaling. If someone says “our calls are over PSTN,” they imply using traditional lines perhaps for better quality or compliance. PSTN is often seen as very secure and high quality, but less feature-rich. VoIP offers cost savings, scalability, and more advanced features (like easily integrating with CRMs, recording, transcriptions, etc.).
One implication: call recording and monitoring are typically easier on VoIP systems, since the audio is already digital. Another: emergency calling and location tracking are things to think about; PSTN automatically ties to a service address for 911, whereas VoIP requires configuration for emergency services (E911).
In summary, VoIP vs PSTN is Internet vs Traditional Phone Line. Most likely your sales team is using VoIP for dialing (cloud dialer = VoIP). But it’s good to know the terms: if someone says “the PSTN,” they mean the regular phone network. Understanding both ensures you’re aware of the capabilities and limitations of your phone system (like needing good bandwidth for VoIP calls). It also helps you troubleshoot – if call quality issues arise, you might consider if it’s a VoIP network issue (jitter, latency) versus a PSTN carrier issue. Both have their pros and cons, but the trend is that VoIP is the present and future of business telephony, riding on top of the PSTN where needed.
Compliance and Regulation Terms
Sales managers must also be versed in the regulatory environment surrounding phone calls. Outbound sales calls (especially to consumers) are subject to various laws and regulations designed to protect consumers’ privacy and rights. Ignorance of these can lead to serious legal and financial consequences.
Here we’ll cover the key compliance terms and what they mean in practice for your sales team:
TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is a United States law, enacted in 1991, that imposes restrictions on telemarketing calls, auto-dialed calls, pre-recorded calls, and unsolicited faxes.
For our purposes, the TCPA is most famous for regulating automated dialing and pre-recorded messages to consumers. Under TCPA and accompanying FCC rules, businesses cannot make telemarketing calls to cell phones using an automatic telephone dialing system (autodialer) or an artificial/prerecorded voice without prior express consent from the called party.
It also prohibits calling any number on the National Do Not Call list (we’ll cover DNC next) for telemarketing purposes, and restricts calling times (no calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time of the recipient).
To put it plainly: if your team is cold-calling consumers, you either do it manually or ensure you have proper consent if using a dialer to call cell phones. The TCPA’s definition of an autodialer has been debated and even addressed by the Supreme Court, but the safest interpretation is to assume most modern dialer tech could be considered an autodialer if it has the capacity to store and dial numbers automatically.
So compliance often means obtaining consent from prospects (e.g., web form opt-ins that include permission to call) before dialing their mobile numbers automatically.
TCPA violations carry steep penalties. Consumers can sue or the government can enforce. The law allows for $500 per violation, which can triple to $1,500 per willful violation. That might not sound like much, but if you accidentally auto-dial 1,000 cell numbers without consent, you could be looking at up to $1.5 million in liability in a worst-case scenario.
The FCC has stated the TCPA “restricts the making of telemarketing calls and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems and artificial or prerecorded voice messages”. Notably, texts are considered calls too under TCPA.
For sales managers, the TCPA is a critical piece of compliance. Make sure your dialer settings and policies reflect it. Some practical steps: scrub cell phones if you don’t have consent (or call them manually), always honor opt-out requests (if someone says “don’t call me”), and train reps never to leave pre-recorded voicemails en masse without proper setup. Also, maintain a company-specific DNC list – TCPA mandates you honor anyone’s request not to be called again.
Basically, treat consumers’ phone numbers with care: get permission when required, and follow the rules on timing and identification (you should provide your name/company and contact info in the call).
TCPA is U.S.-specific; if you call internationally, other countries have their own laws (e.g., Canada’s CRTC has similar rules, Europe has GDPR/PECR for marketing calls, etc.). Always check the laws for the regions you dial into. In the U.S., consider TCPA your telemarketing Bible to avoid lawsuits and fines.
DNC (Do Not Call) List
The DNC list refers to the Do Not Call Registry, a national database maintained by the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) in which consumers can register their phone numbers to opt out of telemarketing calls. Once a number is on the National Do Not Call Registry, telemarketers (with certain exceptions) are prohibited from calling that number.
Telemarketing companies are required by law to scrub their calling lists against this registry and avoid calling any numbers on it (unless they have an established business relationship or prior consent, etc. as defined by law). The National DNC Registry covers both landlines and cell phones in the U.S..
From a sales perspective: if you’re making cold calls to consumers (B2C sales), you must incorporate DNC list scrubbing into your process. Failure to do so can result in hefty fines. We’re talking up to $43,792 per violation as of recent adjustment for inflation by the FTC, and the FCC can also issue fines (the FTC and FCC coordinate on telemarketing rules enforcement). PossibleNOW (a compliance provider) notes that under TCPA, fines can be up to $1,500 per call for violations, and under the Telemarketing Sales Rule (enforced by FTC), fines can reach as high as ~$50,000 per call. So it’s really not something to ignore.
How do you comply? Typically, by using a service or obtaining the DNC list (telemarketers can access the registry data) and filtering out those numbers from your call campaigns. Most reputable dialer software have a DNC scrubbing feature or allow you to upload a DNC list. Additionally, if someone you call directly says “put me on your do not call list” – you must immediately flag them and avoid future calls; that’s the company-specific DNC which you also must maintain.
B2B calls are generally exempt from the National DNC (the registry is for personal/consumer numbers), but be cautious: a person’s cell phone could be on DNC even if used for business, and some states have business-to-business call restrictions too.
In short, “DNC list” is a do-not-call database of people who opted out. Your duty is to respect it. If your target market involves any level of consumer calling, get access to the registry, scrub your lists, and ensure no agent or automated campaign is dialing those numbers. It’s both a legal requirement and a sign of respect for consumer preferences.
GDPR and Call Recording Consent
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which is a comprehensive privacy law in the EU that took effect in 2018. While GDPR covers all aspects of personal data processing, one relevant aspect for phone calls is call recording consent and data handling. Under GDPR, recordings of calls are considered personal data if they contain information about individuals (voices, what’s said, etc.). This means you must have a lawful basis to record calls with EU persons, and in many cases that basis is consent.
What does that mean practically? If you are recording calls (for training, quality, CRM records, etc.) involving individuals in GDPR jurisdictions, you typically need to inform them and possibly obtain their consent at the start of the call. You’ve likely heard lines like, “This call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes” – that’s part of informing. However, GDPR raised the bar: implied consent (just staying on the line) may not be enough.
The person may need to actively agree (“Is it okay if I record this call?”) unless another lawful basis applies. Some other bases could be: the recording is necessary for the performance of a contract, or to fulfill a legal obligation, or for the legitimate interests of the business provided those interests aren’t overridden by the person’s rights.
Legitimate interest can sometimes apply (e.g., recording to improve service), but it’s safer to lean on explicit consent if possible when it comes to sales calls.
Moreover, GDPR grants individuals rights over their data. If you record calls, you must be prepared to: provide a copy to the person if they request it, delete it if they invoke the right to be forgotten (assuming no other necessity to keep it), etc.. You also need to secure those recordings (store them safely, limit access) as they are personal data.
In many U.S. states, two-party consent laws for recording also exist (e.g., California requires all parties consent to record). So even outside GDPR, domestic law might require announcing or asking permission to record. It’s a compliance dual-whammy: know your local law and GDPR if applicable. If you’re calling internationally (or even domestically if reaching people in California, for instance), it’s best practice to just be upfront: “May I record this conversation so I can focus on our discussion and not miss details?” Many business people will consent if asked politely.
For sales managers, the key is: if your company records calls (which is a common feature in many dialers for training or note-taking), ensure compliance by getting consent where required. GDPR made it clear that the old “by continuing you consent” passive notice might not hold up; they expect a higher standard of consent (freely given, specific, informed, unambiguous).
Fullview’s guidance emphasizes that implied consent is no longer enough and you must get explicit permission to record once speaking with a customer.
So train your reps: if calling Europe (or anyone in a two-party consent state or country), add a line in the intro like, “Is it alright if we record this call? It helps me not miss anything you say.” Also, update privacy policies and ensure your systems allow deleting recordings if a data subject requests erasure.
In summary, GDPR means careful handling of call recordings – get consent, secure the data, and honor individuals’ rights. Call recording is a fantastic tool for coaching and compliance, but ironically it itself has compliance requirements you must follow.
Call Monitoring vs. Call Whisper
These terms relate to supervisory features on calls:
Call Monitoring (also just “monitor”) means listening in on a live call without the speaking parties (agent or customer) necessarily knowing in the moment. A supervisor can silently listen to the conversation for training or quality purposes. Typically, the agent might hear a beep or have an icon indicating a monitor is on (depending on jurisdiction, one or both parties might need to be informed that calls can be monitored). But practically, monitor mode is one-way eavesdropping – the manager hears everything, but neither the agent nor the customer hears the manager.
Call Whisper is an extension of monitoring where the supervisor can speak to the agent privately during the call, and the external party (customer/prospect) cannot hear the supervisor. It’s like the manager whispering advice in the agent’s ear in real-time while the agent is talking to a customer. The agent hears the coach, but the customer is unaware. This is used for live coaching, helping the rep through a difficult call or training new agents without the customer hearing the mentor.
Think of it this way: Monitor = ghost listening, Whisper = coach prompts. There’s also Call Barge which means fully joining the call so all parties hear (turning it into a three-way conversation), but that’s not in our list.
From a compliance standpoint, if you’re monitoring or whispering, you should have disclosed to the parties that calls may be monitored or recorded (usually in onboarding or a pre-call message). Many companies include in the recorded greeting “This call may be monitored or recorded.”
That covers legal bases for both monitoring and recording in many places. Be aware of your local laws: in some two-party consent places, even monitoring might be considered a form of interception that needs consent.
From a usage standpoint, call monitoring and whisper are invaluable tools for sales managers. You can listen to live calls to assess rep performance or to step in if needed. With whisper, you can train new hires by feeding them lines or corrections in real-time.
For instance, if a rep forgets to mention a key feature, you can whisper, “Talk about the new discount here,” and the rep can take your cue, all while the prospect on the line is oblivious to the coaching. This boosts confidence and effectiveness on calls.
It’s important to use these features ethically. Whisper should not be overused to the point the rep becomes just a mouthpiece for the manager – that can fluster the rep. It’s best for training scenarios or subtle prompts. Monitoring is often done for QA scoring or if an escalation is anticipated.
To summarize: Call Monitoring = silent listening to calls, Call Whisper = hidden coach-in-the-call. Both are features provided by most advanced phone systems or dialers for team management.
They help ensure quality and support reps during calls, but make sure all necessary consent and disclosure (as per compliance) are in place, because nobody likes the idea of Big Brother listening without permission. With proper use, these tools can significantly improve your team’s call quality and conversion rates, as managers can guide outcomes live.
Dialer Software Features to Know
Lastly, let’s cover some common dialer software features that every sales manager should be aware of. Modern sales dialers come packed with capabilities beyond just dialing numbers. Knowing these features allows you to fully leverage the technology to streamline your team’s workflow and increase productivity.
Call Recording
Call Recording is a feature that records the audio of calls (and sometimes stores it for later playback). In sales, recording calls is incredibly useful for training, coaching, dispute resolution, and keeping a record of what was promised or discussed with clients. Most dialer systems let you automatically record all calls or let reps manually start/stop a recording.
Key points:
Training/QA: Managers can review recorded calls to provide feedback to reps, share exemplary calls with the team, or onboard new hires with real call examples.
Compliance: As discussed in the GDPR section, you must handle recordings lawfully. But recordings can also help with compliance in another way – for instance, you have proof that a rep did/didn’t say something required. Always inform the other party where legally required that the call is recorded.
CRM entry: Some systems attach call recordings to CRM contact records, so a rep can later listen to what was said or share it with a colleague taking over the account.
From a sales management perspective, recordings provide unparalleled insight into customer interactions. Rather than relying on a rep’s subjective summary, you can hear the voice of the customer. Did the rep follow the script? How did the customer react to our value prop? It’s all in the recording. This allows continuous improvement.
Do note that storing recordings takes space and must be secure. Many platforms store in the cloud. You should set a retention policy (e.g., delete or archive after X months if not needed) in line with privacy rules and practical use.
In some industries (finance, etc.), recording is mandatory for compliance. In sales, it’s usually optional but highly recommended for quality control. Just keep privacy in mind: get consent as needed, and don’t use recordings for anything beyond legitimate purposes.
CRM Integration
CRM Integration means that your dialer or phone system is connected with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software (like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, etc.), allowing data to flow between calls and your customer database. This is a game-changer for productivity: when a dialer integrates with CRM, it can automatically log calls, notes, and dispositions to contact records and also pull up relevant customer info for reps when calls connect.
For example, an incoming call could automatically pop up the caller’s CRM record on the agent’s screen, or when a rep calls out, the dialer can display the lead’s history from the CRM. After the call, the call outcome and recording could be saved to the CRM without the rep doing manual data entry. Intelliverse notes that a sales dialer ensures data entries are clean and accurate by logging calls and integrating with CRM, leading to more meaningful insights and learning.
Benefits:
Reps don’t waste time manually logging calls – the dialer does it, which means more calls per day and less admin work.
Data consistency: every call is tracked, every voicemail or conversation can be noted, so reports are accurate (no “if it isn’t in CRM it didn’t happen” issues).
Contextual selling: when the CRM info is in front of the rep as they talk, they can tailor the conversation (“I see you downloaded our whitepaper last week…”).
Follow-up tasks: integration can trigger follow-up sequences or update lead statuses automatically based on call dispositions.
As a manager, you want CRM integration because it gives you visibility. You can see call volume, outcomes, and pipeline movement in one place. Plus, analyzing which activities lead to deals (e.g., number of calls to convert a lead) becomes easier. Also, if a rep leaves, the interaction history is in CRM for the next person – no knowledge lost.
Most cloud dialers have native integrations with popular CRMs or offer APIs to connect. When setting up, ensure that fields like call duration, timestamps, notes, and dispositions sync to CRM. Define how you want activities logged (as tasks, call objects, etc.) and what constitutes a completed call vs. call attempt in the CRM.
In summary, CRM Integration aligns your calling efforts with your central customer database, automating busywork and equipping reps with information. It’s a must-have for a high-performing sales operation.
Call Routing
Call Routing is the process of directing incoming calls to the appropriate person or team, based on predefined rules. While many sales teams focus on outbound calls, call routing comes into play if you also handle inbound calls from prospects or customers returning calls. Even for purely outbound teams, you might have a callback number that prospects can dial, so how you route those calls matters.
Call routing can be simple or sophisticated:
A basic example is round-robin routing: incoming calls from the sales line go to the next available rep in a rotating order.
Another example is skills-based routing: if you have multiple teams (say an SMB sales team and an Enterprise sales team), you might route calls differently based on input (like “Press 1 for sales”) or the number dialed.
Geographic routing: route by the caller’s area code to a region-specific rep.
Time-based routing: different destinations after hours (voicemail or an on-call person).
Call routing often uses an ACD (Automatic Call Distributor) or IVR (Interactive Voice Response) to filter/queue calls. As Sprinklr defines, “Call routing is a system used in call centers to direct incoming calls to the most appropriate agent or department based on predefined criteria”. The goal is to get the caller to someone who can help them as efficiently as possible.
For a sales manager, proper call routing ensures that when a hot inbound lead calls, they reach a salesperson quickly and one who is equipped to handle them. You wouldn’t want a valuable prospect stuck on hold or landing with the wrong department. It’s part of delivering a good customer/prospect experience.
Also consider special routing like:
Callback routing: If an agent calls a prospect and the prospect calls back the number, some systems can try to route that call to the same agent who originally called (this personal touch can be nice if possible).
Voicemail routing: Perhaps after trying to ring agents for 20 seconds, route to a team voicemail that sends a notification to Slack/Email.
In summary, Call Routing is about intelligently handling inbound calls so that they go to the right place without unnecessary transfers or waits. As a manager, set up routing rules that match your team structure and ensure every caller gets prompt attention. It can make the difference between catching a lead live or losing them if they hang up from frustration.
Voicemail Drop
Voicemail Drop is a feature that allows agents to leave a pre-recorded voicemail message with one click, instead of having to repeat the same message over and over or physically speak it every time. When a call goes to a prospect’s voicemail, the agent can hit a “voicemail drop” button, and a pre-recorded message (recorded by the agent or team beforehand) will be inserted into the voicemail system, while the agent can immediately move on to the next call.
The agent doesn’t have to wait through the entire voicemail greeting and beep and then talk – the software handles that by playing the message and disconnecting.
This is a huge time-saver in high-volume dialing. Consider that a typical voicemail might take 30-60 seconds to deliver (listen to greeting, leave message).
If 50 calls in a day go to voicemail, that’s potentially 30-50 minutes spent just leaving messages. Voicemail drop virtually eliminates that wasted time. As VoiceSpin describes, “Voicemail drop is a call center technology that allows agents to automatically ‘drop’ a pre-recorded message into someone’s voicemail inbox, eliminating the need for them to do it manually”.
Some best practices: The pre-recorded message should sound personal and not generic. Often agents record it in their own voice, mentioning their name and number.
E.g., “Hi, this is [Rep Name] from [Company]. Sorry I missed you – I was calling to share [value prop]. I’ll send an email as well, or you can call me back at [number]. Have a great day!” You want it to feel like a normal voicemail you’d leave one-by-one. Also, you might have a couple of variants (one for first attempts, one for follow-ups).
Legality: Voicemail drops (especially ringless voicemails that drop without a call) have some legal grey areas, but dropping a voicemail as part of a normal call that reached voicemail is generally fine. Just ensure you’re not doing anything like a “silent voicemail” to someone on DNC without calling – that could still be considered a call in terms of TCPA.
Performance: Use voicemail drop to maintain a human touch at scale. Instead of agents skipping voicemails or rushing them, a well-crafted dropped voicemail every time ensures consistency. And since it saves time, your agents immediately go on to the next live call attempt, increasing call throughput.
For management, voicemail drops mean you can enforce a quality, approved voicemail script across the team and know that it’s being delivered every time a call isn’t answered, without eating into calling time. It’s efficient and maintains outreach cadence.
Click-to-Call
Click-to-Call (also known as click-to-dial) is a feature that enables your agents (or even prospects on a website) to initiate a phone call with a single click on a phone number or button, instead of manually dialing. In the context of a sales team’s tools, click-to-call usually refers to the ability to click a phone number in the CRM or lead list and have your integrated phone/dialer automatically dial that number for the agent.
This saves the step of copying or typing the number. It’s essentially a speed dial for any number on your screen. OnePageCRM describes it simply: “Click-to-call is a digital speed dial... a button on your website or within your CRM that, when clicked, instantly sets up a call”.
For inside sales, click-to-call is fundamental. Reps spend all day in a CRM or browser – turning every phone number into a hyperlink they can call with one tap improves efficiency. It also reduces misdials (since no numbers are being manually entered wrong). Most CRM systems with integrated telephony allow this; e.g., a “Call” button next to the phone field.
There’s also the consumer side of click-to-call: for instance, a prospect on your website might click a “Call Sales” button, which could either dial your number via their computer (webRTC call) or trigger an immediate callback connecting them to a sales rep. But the primary use in our scope is internal – your team clicking to dial out.
As a manager, ensure your team knows how to use click-to-call from the CRM and doesn’t resort to manual dialing (it sounds basic, but sometimes habits die hard!).
Also, if your business runs email campaigns or has a web presence, offering click-to-call for inbound can increase the chances interested prospects connect with you – for example, an email with a clickable phone link on mobile makes it effortless for a prospect to call your rep.
In summary, click-to-call reduces friction in making calls. It ties back to CRM integration; if set up right, an agent can pull up a lead and click the number, and the call is off (and automatically logged). Over a day of dozens of calls, even saving 15 seconds per dial adds up. It’s one of those little features that significantly boosts productivity and is now essentially standard in sales dialers.
Armed with these terms and definitions, you as a sales manager should feel more confident navigating the world of dialers and telephony. Understanding the terminology – from the nuances of dialer modes to the importance of call metrics and the imperatives of compliance – enables you to optimize your team’s approach.
You can now have informed conversations with your operations/IT folks about implementing the right dialer technology, with your reps about hitting the right metrics, and with leadership about staying compliant and efficient in outbound sales.
Remember, success in a calling campaign isn’t just about having a great product or a persuasive rep on the line; it’s also about the systems and processes that get that rep talking to the right person at the right time, and doing so in a legal, respectful manner. Terminology is the first step to mastering those systems. Happy dialing, and may your connection rates be ever in your favor!
Put Your New Phone IQ to Work—Without the Guesswork
Now that “ASR,” “power dialer,” and “STIR/SHAKEN” are part of your everyday vocabulary, the next step is turning that knowledge into measurable revenue. That’s where Tendril comes in.
Our agent‑assisted dialing platform bakes every best‑practice you just read about into a single workflow:
Human‑initiated calls that keep you clear of TCPA landmines.
Local‑presence IDs and STIR/SHAKEN authentication to dodge “Spam Likely” labels.
Real‑time metrics—AHT, connection rate, abandonment—displayed in the CRM you already live in.
The result? Reps spend less time translating jargon into settings and more time in live, high‑quality conversations.
Ready to see sales terminology transformed into pipeline? Book a quick demo and watch Tendril turn your new mastery of phone fundamentals into faster connects, cleaner compliance, and higher close rates—today.
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