An outbound call is a call a business or a contact centre makes to a prospect or customer, whereas an inbound call is a call a customer makes to you. Outbound calling is typically used for sales and lead generation, debt collection, customer service follow-ups and market research.

Inbound calls vs outbound calls

Inbound Outbound
Who starts the call The customer You
Main goal Resolve a query quickly Reach the right person to achieve a certain call outcome
Key technology IVR and call routing Dialler, CRM and lead data

Many contact centres, including BPOs, handle both inbound and outbound, taking a blended approach that lets agents switch between the two.

What is an outbound call centre?

An outbound call centre is a team dedicated to making calls out to customers and prospects. It can be in-house or outsourced, and it typically runs on a dialler that places calls automatically and connects answered ones to available agents.

Types of outbound calls and their objectives

What defines a successful outbound call varies depending on the use case and objective.

Use case What it is Typical successful call outcome
Sales and Lead Generation Cold calling for new business, qualifying leads, and upselling or cross-selling to existing customers. A sale completed, an appointment booked, or a qualified lead passed to the sales team.
Debt Collection Payment reminders and arrangements, where reaching the right customer at the right time matters. A payment made, or an affordable payment arrangement agreed.
Customer Service Proactive outreach that addresses issues before they escalate, plus courtesy calls, after-sales calls and satisfaction surveys. An issue resolved before it escalates, or feedback captured from the customer.
Market Research Surveys that gather insight into customer behaviour, product feedback and industry trends. A completed survey with usable responses.

Outbound calling best practices: how a campaign works

The type of outbound call and the outcome that makes it successful are the central focus of any campaign. Once those are set, everything else follows. The right contact centre software makes best practice easier to follow at every stage, which makes campaigns more efficient and effective. Our guide to the outbound dialler features you need covers the technology in more detail.

1. Define the call type and the target outcome

Confirm what kind of call you're making (see the table above) and what a successful call looks like, such as a payment arrangement agreed, an appointment booked or a survey completed.

How software helps

  • Campaign settings let you set up each campaign around its call type, so a collections campaign and a sales campaign can run differently on the same platform.
  • Result codes let agents record the outcome of every call, so results can be measured against the outcome you defined.

2. Build and segment the contact list

Choose the contacts most likely to deliver that outcome, and segment them so each group gets the right approach. Check consent and screen against Do Not Call and TPS registers before you dial.

How software helps

  • Data segmentation lets you target the right audience and prioritise the contacts most likely to convert, so agent time goes on the best opportunities.
  • Do Not Call and TPS screening removes registered numbers automatically, which cuts wasted calls and the risk of fines.
  • Consent management helps you show contact was permitted.

3. Choose how to dial

Match the dialling mode to the call. Predictive suits high-volume campaigns, progressive suits regulated campaigns and collections, and preview suits complex or high-value calls. Our guide to choosing the right dialling mode goes into more detail.

How software helps

  • Multiple dialling modes on the same outbound dialler let you switch approach by campaign, instead of forcing one pace on every call.
  • Answer machine detection skips voicemails, so agents spend more of their time in live conversations.
  • Compliant pacing is designed to avoid abandoned calls, and it can switch numbers to preview mode when they need recalling within 72 hours, so an agent is guaranteed if the call is answered. Our guide to Ofcom and PECR regulations explains what applies.

4. Prepare and match your agents

Use scripts as flexible conversation guides, not rigid ones, and give agents the training the call type needs. Then put the right agents on the right calls.

How software helps

  • Dynamic call scripting adapts to each conversation while keeping data capture accurate.
  • CRM integration puts customer history in front of the agent, so conversations are more personal and customers don't repeat themselves.
  • Outbound skill-based routing matches each lead to an agent with the skills the call needs, ranked by proficiency, so complex or high-value calls reach the people best equipped for them.

5. Run the campaign

Work out when your contacts are most likely to answer. Answered calls connect to agents with the customer's details on screen, and unanswered numbers go back into the queue to be retried.

How software helps

  • Number recycling puts unanswered calls back in the queue, so more leads are reached without agents re-listing numbers by hand.
  • Frequency limits keep how often each contact is called within official limits, so leads are reached but never pestered.
  • Configurable calling windows keep each campaign within compliant hours.
  • Valid CLI presentation shows customers a number they can call back on.

6. Review, coach and refine

Measure results against the outcome you set at the start, then use what you learn to improve the next campaign.

How software helps

  • Reporting dashboards and scheduled reports show results by campaign, team and agent, so you can see which approaches are hitting the target outcome.
  • Call recording helps you spot coaching opportunities and refine objection handling, using real calls as examples.
  • Audit trails record how each campaign was run, which supports compliance checks.

Measuring your outbound campaign performance

Measuring the success of outbound calls must look beyond the number of calls made. Tracking relevant KPIs gives you valuable insights that enhance the effectiveness of your campaigns. It also empowers you to make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.

Here are some of the essential KPIs you should monitor to gain a comprehensive understanding of your outbound calling performance:

Connect Rate: Measure the percentage of your outbound calls that reach live prospects. A high connect rate indicates efficient dialling strategies and minimal wasted time on busy signals or unanswered calls.

Average Handle Time (AHT): Track the average duration of your outbound calls. While a lower AHT might seem ideal, it’s important to consider the context of your campaign goals. For example, a complex sales call might naturally have a higher AHT compared to an appointment scheduling call.

Conversion Rate: This is the golden metric for many outbound calling campaigns. Measure the percentage of calls that achieve your desired outcome, such as a completed sale, appointment booked, or survey completion.

First Call Resolution (FCR): Track the percentage of customer issues resolved during the initial call. A high FCR indicates efficient problem-solving by your agents and minimises the need for frustrating callbacks for customers.

Customer Satisfaction Ratings: Customer feedback is invaluable. Regularly monitor customer satisfaction ratings to gauge their perception of your outbound calling experience. Positive ratings indicate a well-executed strategy, while negative feedback highlights areas for improvement.

Improve your outbound calling with MaxContact

MaxContact's cloud-based outbound engagement platform combines a dialler with skill-based routing, reporting and built-in compliance controls. Book a demo to see how it could work for your team.