Inbound and Outbound Calls: What’s the Difference and Do You Need Both? 

Nowadays, there are endless ways you can communicate with others, whether it be organisations, people, or the whole world if you fancy! 

Regardless of whether your audience needs to get in touch with you, or vice versa, telephone will always be paramount for businesses. 

Why? Because it gives you an instant, direct and more personal connection with one another – something that can’t be emulated through other means such as email or social media. 

In the Contact Centre industry, we differentiate our phone calls as inbound and outbound. But what exactly does this mean and involve? And how do you know if you need them? 

Let’s dive into the differences between the two, and why you may benefit from them. 

Inbound Vs Outbound: What is The Difference? 

While they may sound similar, inbound and outbound calls are worlds apart in how organisations and audiences contact one another. 

At Mango Direct Marketing, inbound and outbound call handling is one of the largest services we offer. From small to large scale campaigns covering fundraising, teleshopping and more, it’s safe to say we know a thing or two about what separates them both – and what makes them successful! 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these as a standalone service: 

Inbound Calls 

Simply put, inbound calls are those that people make to actively get in touch with organisations.  

Inbound calls can be made for many reasons. It could be for a customer service query, or to make a donation. More than likely, people will be calling to get an answer to a question, or they need a solution to a problem.  

At Mango Direct Marketing, we are proud to have an expert team of inbound call handlers. From the moment a caller gets in touch with us, they will be greeted with the warmth and knowledge you’d expect from someone who feels like an extension of your team. 

Outbound Calls 

On the flip side, outbound calls are those that are made by our team to connect with your audience. 

Outbound calls are made for lots of reasons, depending on the industry.  

For example, in the corporate industry, outbound calls are mainly associated with customer service and sales calls, for example: web drops/abandoned cart items, club memberships etc. However, they can also be used for appointment setting and market research. 

For the charity industry, the list is a little longer. Depending on your needs, you can utilise outbound calls for everything from thanking your supporters to upgrading donations, converting cash given to regular givers or reactivating donations. 

Of course, we know no two campaigns are ever the same! So, depending on your organisation and what you want to achieve when it comes to improving the communication between you and your audience – the need for either inbound, outbound (or both!) will always vary. 

It’s More Than Just a Call 

Whether it’s an incoming or outgoing call, being readily available and keeping in touch with your audience reaps so many rewards. 

For example: it’s what keeps brand loyalty and awareness alive, maintains good relationships and reputation, and creates new opportunities to generate leads. You really can’t go wrong with some good old-fashioned human interaction, especially if there’s some good craic thrown in for good measure, too! 

Even with newer contact methods available like live chat, email and social media – these ultimately act as a support to phone calls, which remain prevalent as the more trusted and sought-after option.  

In fact, research shows that telephone is the preferred support contact method for 70% of consumers of all ages. Plus, the demand for businesses to implement phone support services has continued to increase over the past five years!  

Do You Need Both Inbound and Outbound Calls? 

Our honest opinion? Both are extremely powerful tools in growing an organisation and creating a loyal audience.  

If you’re in a competitive sector, then there are massive benefits that come with blended Contact Centre solutions. For example, you can cover all bases of support with one campaign focusing on inbound (e.g. taking sales or donations calls), and another focusing on outbound (e.g. strengthening loyalty through making follow-up customer service calls or thanking supporters). 

At Mango Direct Marketing, we understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to telephone support. One thing’s for sure: you can trust us to hand-pick the best call handling team, and tailor our services to help you achieve your targets.  

Whether you choose inbound or outbound calls (or both!) – it is our aim to provide you with innovative solutions to give your audience an excellent, memorable experience. 

If you want to get started – get in touch with us today!