Posted on June 28, 2023 in Admins, Users  

Salesforce Telephony: What Are the Options?

There are a handful of elements that can be a serious game-changer to Salesforce implementations – one of them is integrating your telephony system into Salesforce. This relatively simple idea produces some amazing results that supercharge your user productivity.

In this article, we will go through the benefits of using telephony in Salesforce and the various ways of achieving this simple but very effective integration.

What Is Telephony in Salesforce?

In Salesforce, telephony refers to the integration of telephone systems with the Salesforce platform. It enables users to make, receive, and manage phone calls directly within the Salesforce environment. Telephony integration enhances communication and streamlines workflows by allowing users to handle calls, track call data, and access customer information all in one place.

Telephony in Salesforce is done through a VOIP (voice over internet protocol) service. Many offerings on the market provide this, including RingCentral, Natterbox, and Salesforce’s own Service Cloud Voice.

The Benefits of Telephony in Salesforce

There are many benefits to integrating your telephone system with Salesforce. One is that it gives you the ability to know which of your customers is calling before you pick up the phone. You can instantly get a profile screen showing their customer information or the account record of the caller.

It also makes outgoing calls so much easier. Gone are the days of having to find a customer phone number, enter the number on your phone (including the dial-out), then dial. With integrated telephony, simply turn every phone number inside Salesforce into a clickable link.

You can also simplify your life by having any notes you take during a call automatically logged and associated with objects like contact records, cases, or anything you create. This is great for both inbound and outbound calls, especially where they need to be reported on.

Most importantly, it’s no different from your normal phone system. Make outgoing calls, put them on hold, transfer to another agent, or add people for a conference call – all without ever leaving the Service Cloud console.

Salesforce Call Center

Call Center is exactly what it says on the tin – phone call capabilities integrated through Salesforce. It uses Computer-Telephony Integration, or CTI, to be able to do this.

To take advantage of Call Center, you will need to install a CTI provider, such as RingCentral or Natterbox.

There are a few terms you need to be familiar with when it comes to Call Center:

• Softphone: An on-screen phone from which you can make and receive calls.
• Call Center: A Salesforce feature that integrates Salesforce with call systems built by developers or partners.
• Open CTI: A JavaScript API that lets developers or partners build cloud-based call systems for use with Salesforce’s Call Center.

Since Open CTI is browser and platform agnostic, support agents can make calls on any browser and platform of their choice.

If you want to make use of the Call Center, follow these steps:

1. Install a CTI package created by a developer or partner from AppExchange.
2. Create a call center for your organization – an Open CTI system that integrates with Salesforce.
3. Add your users to the call center so that they can make and receive calls with a softphone in Salesforce.

Service Cloud Voice

Service Cloud Voice is integrated into the Service Console, allowing agents to access a comprehensive view of every customer and their inquiries. The console functions as a virtual assistance center, providing a customized display of each customer’s cases and digital interactions for anyone to view.

Service Cloud Voice enables service agents to gather customer information from various sources. This includes voice calls and digital platforms integrated into the console, such as email, chatbots, web chat, social media, online communities, SMS messaging, and more. Agents utilize this data to provide satisfactory responses and deliver excellent customer experiences. Additionally, agents can handle multiple channels and customer cases concurrently.

Sales Cloud Voice gives you the following:

• Telephony inside of Salesforce: Natively integrate phone conversations inside the console, rather than screen pops, to share one platform for easier data capture and a better call experience.
• Automatic voice transcription: Convert human speech into text on cases and other records in real time, with no typing or hassle.
• Omni-Channel to push calls to agents and manage workloads alongside other channels: Agents access a single Omni-Channel widget for calls and any interaction with fewer screens, clicks, and distractions.

The Differences

If you are looking for telephony integration, there are some differences between Service Cloud Voice and Call Center that are worth noting.

Service Cloud Voice is built natively for Salesforce. It is pre-integrated with Amazon Connect, or you can use a third-party managed package of your choice. Call Center requires the integration of a third-party managed package and requires additional setup.

Call Center has some basic features, including screen pops, click-to-call, and data recording and analytics. Service Cloud Voice, on the other hand, seamlessly integrates data and voice transcripts to populate records automatically. With the addition of AI, further actions can be suggested, and powerful reporting options can be unlocked with Analytics.

Finally, Service Cloud Voice integrates with one Omni-Channel widget for easy access to all your customer digital conversations. Call Center integrates with the console footer, making it separate from other digital conversations.

Salesforce Sales Dialler

A rebrand of the previous Lightning Dialler, Salesforce Sales Dialler, allows you to make calls directly from within Salesforce using an in-app solution. You can automatically log your calls, take notes, and more, all from within the app.

Once enabled, you will notice that phone numbers in Salesforce have a clickable link. If you need to make a call, simply click the phone number!

The call panel contains all your Sales Dialer features, including your call history, a keypad, and your call list.

The Sales Dialler (as the name suggests) is designed for Sales and includes features such as call lists, voicemail recording in advance, localized area codes, and call coaching. This tool is ideal for a sales rep who spends much time making calls to close deals.

Einstein Conversation Insights Assessor

This is a fairly new development and one that seems to have gone a little unnoticed. Now, there is the Einstein Conversation Insights Assessor, which generates a report and estimates your ROI when enabling telephony in Salesforce.

Simply select your phone integration and your video conferencing software, and generate your report!

Summary

Telephony in Salesforce can massively improve your users’ productivity, whether you are in sales or service. The setup for each option varies in complexity and cost, so you will need to do your research before making a final decision on which way to go.

For more information on each offering, you can make use of the following Trailhead modules:

• Trailhead: Call Center Integration for Lightning Experience
• Trailhead: Service Cloud Voice
• Trailhead: Sales Dialer
• Salesforce Help: Einstein Conversation Insights