How to choose the right Phone System for your Salesforce implementation

How do you Optimise Salesforce Sales Cloud for your end users? During this five-part blog series we are going to look at the ways to maximise the features of Sales Cloud harnessing the power of third party apps to get a full end to end solution for your business. 

• Part 1 – How to Optimise the Design of Sales Cloud for Users
• Part 2 – How to Implement a CTI for Sales Cloud
• Part 3 – How to take Payments in Salesforce Sales Cloud
• Part 4 – How to do Financial Accounting in Salesforce Sales Cloud
• Part 5 – Sales Cloud vs Revenue Cloud: What’s the Difference?

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While chatbots have become a popular trend, phone communication remains a vital touchpoint for customer interactions. In fact, Salesforce reports that over 92% of customer interactions still occur over the phone. This highlights the growing importance of prioritizing “real people” interactions within your sales and service teams.

Therefore, selecting the right phone system for your CRM becomes a critical decision. It can significantly impact the efficiency of your teams and ultimately, your customer experience.

This blog will guide you through the key considerations when choosing a phone system that integrates seamlessly with Salesforce. 

But before we dive in, let’s address a fundamental question: What is CTI?

CTI, which stands for Computer Telephony Integration, acts as a bridge between your phone system and your Salesforce CRM.

Imagine this: a customer calls your business. With CTI, their information can automatically pop up on your screen within Salesforce as soon as the call connects. This eliminates the need to manually search for contact details, saving you valuable time and allowing you to personalize the interaction from the get-go. CTI can also log call details, recordings, and notes directly into the relevant Salesforce record, keeping your customer data centralized and up-to-date. 

In essence, CTI streamlines communication and empowers your teams to deliver exceptional customer service directly through Salesforce.

What is Salesforce Open CTI?

Think of Open CTI as a special set of tools for ISV companies and developers. It was introduced by Salesforce to allow telephony vendors to build phone systems that allow Salesforce users to make calls using a built-in softphone, without needing separate software or adapters on the computer.

Here’s how Open CTI connects to a telephony system – source Salesforce.com

Before the introduction of Open CTI, Salesforce users could only use the features of a CTI system after they installed a CTI adapter program on their machines. These types of programs often included desktop software that required maintenance and didn’t offer the benefits of cloud architecture.

Open CTI and Service Cloud Voice

Salesforce Service Cloud Voice takes phone integration a step beyond Open CTI. Whilst the underlying architecture is very similar, Service Cloud Voice comes with many pre-packaged configurations for a customer service specific use case. Unlike Open CTI, Service Cloud Voice is natively integrated with Omni-Channel and Omni Supervisor, providing a seamless experience for contact center agents and supervisors across all digital channels. 

What makes a good phone system for Salesforce?

Open CTI and Service Cloud Voice can be implemented into Salesforce through a variety of ISV telephony vendors. 

And with so many options available, it’s important to understand the key features that may be important for your org’s use case:

• Seamless Integration: This is the foundation. Calls should automatically log within Salesforce, with caller information popping up for instant context. Notes and recordings should also be easily added and linked to the appropriate Salesforce record.
• Click-to-Dial Functionality: Eliminate manual number dialing by allowing calls to be initiated directly from any phone number within Salesforce with a single click.
• Screen Pop: As soon as a call connects, the relevant customer information (account, contact, case, etc.) should automatically appear on your screen within Salesforce. This saves time and allows for personalized interactions.
• Call Logging and Recording: All calls, both inbound and outbound, should be automatically logged and stored within Salesforce. Additionally, the ability to record calls for training or quality assurance purposes is crucial.
• Call Analytics and Reporting: Gain valuable insights into call performance through reports and analytics. Track metrics like call volume, duration, and resolution rates to identify areas for improvement.
• Softphone Integration: For a truly streamlined experience, consider a system that allows for calls to be made and received directly within the Salesforce interface using a built-in softphone.

What makes an excellent phone system for Salesforce?

Now that we’ve gone through the basic features that you should expect from a telephony vendor, let’s take a look at some of the deeper functionality being brought to the market by vendors such as RocketPhone.ai:

Enriched User Experience with Lightning Web Components: A phone system should offer more than a pop up widget and dial-pad. Voice AI can be deployed to offer real-time assistance to reps during a phone call, call assistance, coaching tips, call stats should all be made available to reps inside their Salesforce window through Lightning Web Components. A modern phone system will provide a comprehensive library of web components to allow Admins to build a unique telephony experience for each team. 

Deep Integration with the Salesforce Data model: Modern phone systems for Salesforce should go beyond basic call logging by contextualizing every interaction within the Salesforce data model. This means that each call is linked to relevant objects such as opportunities and cases. With the addition of voice intelligence, you should gain unparalleled insights into your conversations. 

Wondering why a campaign isn’t generating expected leads or opportunities? Your phone system should tell you that the campaign is experiencing a high percentage of negative sentiment calls and a 25% increase in the number of competitor mentions, and a 17% increase in pricing objections.

A Platform Approach That Includes Mobile: Many businesses rely on mobile phones for communication, but traditional VoIP apps often suffer from poor adoption and connectivity issues. A vendor like RocketPhone, offers a groundbreaking solution by providing a dedicated network and SIM card for seamless integration with Salesforce. Say goodbye to clunky apps—simply make calls from your phone as usual, and watch as they’re automatically logged in Salesforce. This innovative approach provides valuable insights into calling performance across all customer-facing teams, giving you a comprehensive view of your communications strategy.

Empowering Your Teams with the Perfect CTI/Phone System for Salesforce

Choosing the right CTI/phone system is no longer just about making and receiving calls. It’s about creating a seamless communication hub that empowers your teams to deliver exceptional customer service. With features like click-to-dial, screen pop, and call recording, a good CTI system can streamline workflows and boost efficiency.
But for truly transformative results, look for a system that goes beyond the basics. Deep data integration, voice AI-powered insights, and a mobile-first approach can unlock a treasure trove of customer intelligence and empower your sales and service teams to close more deals and resolve issues faster.

Ready to take your Salesforce communications to the next level?

• Identify your specific needs: Consider your team size, budget, and desired features.
• Evaluate leading CTI vendors: Look for vendors that offer seamless Salesforce integration, advanced functionality, and a commitment to innovation.
• Request a demo: Experience the power of a modern CTI system firsthand.

By investing in the right CTI/phone system, you’re investing in the future of your customer relationships. Let’s start a conversation today and discover how to empower your teams to deliver exceptional service, every call, every time.

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