Local Presence Dialing: Understanding Its Benefits and Functionality

Whether you’re running a small startup or a large corporation, reaching out to your potential customers and clients is essential to sustain business growth, no matter how tough it is. Cold calling is one way to do it, but with so many fraudsters and scammers out there, people do not pick up the phone, simply ignore calls from unknown caller IDs.

Now, this situation leaves businesses dangling and looking for solutions to get over it. In spite of this tough-to-deal-with situation, propitiously, there is an easy-to-use and cost-effective software that can be used: phone systems with Local Presence Dialing.

💡Did you Know? A recent study by SoftwareAdvice found that using a local presence dialer when cold calling increased connection rates by 400%.

In this article, we will discuss all the gritty details about what is local presence dialing, its functionalities, uses, and benefits while also taking notes of challenges associated with its usage and future trends.

Let us get going!

What is Local Presence Dialing?

Local presence dialing, or local presence, is a modern telecommunication technique that lets individual users, business sales teams and contact center representatives, or outbound call center agents make phone calls to potential clients while displaying a local area code phone number, even if the caller is in a different location, to the receiver and get in touch with them.

It is a simple yet effective piece of tech, generally VoIP-based, that is mostly used to significantly improve call acceptance rates by call centers, as most consumers don’t like to be constantly bombarded by unfamiliar numbers.

What Is the Functionality Behind Local Presence Dialing?

Basically, local presence dialing is a complex internet telephony feature whose functioning can be divided into the following two steps:

Starting and Call Routing: In this initial and crucial step, the caller first makes a call to the designated recipient using a VoIP solution. And when the outbound call is being directed, it is routed and run through a network of local numbers in the area code that the recipient is in. Here, the caller simply selects the appropriate local number that they want to use from the inventory of available options.

Displaying the call as a local number on the recipient’s device: Once the call-routing process is done and set, the receiver will receive a call with a local number being displayed on the caller ID, making them think it’s a local business call and pick up the call.

Now that you know how local presence dialing functions, let’s move on and discuss why you, as a business owner, need to use it!

Why use local presence dialing?

A long list of local numbers made available by this feature to be used just by your business is the biggest reason why you should use it. It also makes the calling process to customers in different regions more convenient and streamlined while making the company look more professional and trustworthy. On top of that, a majority of cloud-based phone providers that offer local presence dialing also provide additional features like smart call routing that enable the customer to call back to the same operator through the same number.

Benefits of Using a Local Presence Dialer

When a business organization wants to expand its operations or increase sales, a local presence dialer is a surefire way to do so while providing numerous benefits; some of the prominent ones are:

1. Increased Connection and Acceptance Rates

With a local presence dialer (LPD) integrated into your business’s phone system, there is no need for a middle person to connect with the local customers. It automatically does the routing for you, and when people receive calls from a local number, they instinctively accept it, which results in an increase in overall call connection and acceptance rates.

2. Increased Brand Trust and Awareness

In keeping with its beneficial capabilities, when people see a local number on their caller ID, they are more likely to trust the caller and be willing to answer the phone. This is because local numbers are associated with businesses and organizations that are located in the same area as the recipient, and consequently, they can remember the brand’s name.

3. Boosted Productivity and Sales

Finally, one of its greatest advantages is its capability to enhance business productivity and sales, as implementing a local presence dialer can significantly increase the call acceptance rate. This gives contact center representatives more opportunities to pitch the business as well as the products and services, resulting in productivity and sales growth. 

Challenges and Considerations in Using Local Presence Dialer

While Local Presence Dialing offers numerous benefits, it’s important for businesses to be aware of the challenges and considerations associated with using it. Some important ones to be dealt with are: 

I. Compliance with Regulations

One of the biggest challenges of using a local presence dialer is compliance with regulations. Different countries and regions have different regulations governing the use of local presence dialing. So, businesses should carefully review the regulations in the countries and regions where they plan to use a local presence dialer to ensure that they are in compliance.

II. Managing Multiple Phone Numbers

The next big challenge to overcome is the management of multiple numbers. Given the situation that businesses need different area code local numbers for clients in different locations, that makes management an arduous task for companies with large-scale operations and customer service programs with local dialers. 

III. Maintaining Data Privacy

Local presence dialing means surfing through a huge collection of personal numbers and information, meaning that all the private data associated with use must be protected in accordance with applicable local protection guidelines. In addition to that, businesses must have their own privacy policies to maintain and secure the customer’s data. 

Future Trends in Local Presence Dialing

While local presence dialing is already a powerful and effective tool, it is still in its early stages of development. So, as technology continues to evolve, so will local presence dialers in a way to suit the needs of its users. We can expect the following trends to continue in the world of local presence dialing in the near future: 

A. Integration with AI and Chatbots

The advent of AI and Chatbots is here, and no platform is left unaffected by its approach. That being said, AI-integrated dialers will be able to identify, connect, and contact potential customers with a need for human intervention, while chatbots will provide assistance and answers to queries, resulting in saved business resources and time.

B. Advanced Analytics and Predictive Dialing

The next trend to surely take into effect will be the use of advanced analytics to identify the best times to call potential customers and the most effective sales pitches and predictive dialing for automatically dialing phone numbers and connection with potential customers, saving businesses time and effort.

C. Regulatory Changes and Impact

On the flip side, new and stricter regulations will be imposed for protection due to the sensitivity of the data involved in the whole process. Currently, most countries have similar rules, but in the future, governing bodies will change the methods of use of local presence dialers. So, businesses will have to carefully review the guidelines and comply with them. 

Closing Thoughts

To sum it up, Local Presence Dialing is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance a business’s communication and outreach efforts by creating a local and trustworthy impression; it enhances answer rates, builds customer trust, and boosts lead conversion. While it has some unique capabilities and benefits of its own, it’s crucial to remain compliant with the regulations associated with it , manage phone numbers effectively, and prioritize data privacy.

FAQs

Does local presence dialing work?

Yes, local presence dialing does work. It is a proven technology that has been used by sales teams for many years to increase connection rates and conversion rates, letting agents call customers in different regions while displaying a familiar area code and local phone number.

What does local contact number mean?

A local contact number is a phone number that is associated with a specific geographic location. This means that when someone calls the number, they will be charged local calling rates, even if they are calling from another part of the world. Local contact numbers are often used by businesses to establish a local presence in a new market or by individuals for personal reasons.

Why is local presence important?

Local presence is important for businesses for several reasons; here are some of the notable ones:

• By doing so, businesses are able to reach a wider audience. 
• Potential customers are more likely to trust businesses when they do this. 
• Businesses can participate in local communities through it.
• Businesses are able to appear in local search results.
• It enhances the competitiveness of companies.

Are there any legal restrictions to using local presence dialing?

Generally, there are no legal restrictions to using local presence dialing. While there are certain guidelines regarding the use of local presence dialing, it is a completely legal practice. However, some countries have specific laws and restrictions about how local presence dialing can be used. Some major ones being you cannot use a phone number that does not belong to you, and you cannot use it to mislead or deceive people.