Background
Hiya is in the B2B software business. But it is also in the sales business.
Just like you, Hiya must sell its products by calling prospects, developing relationships, and closing deals. In this guide, Hiya shares with you its secrets to success. These are the outbound calling strategies Hiya uses to connect with prospects and customers, and by following these best practices you, too, can boost your answer rates and drive growth for your company.
Problem
People don’t answer their phones
Whether you are calling business-to-business or business-to-consumer, you will discover the current reality: people won’t answer their phones unless they know exactly who is calling them. Every day millions of calls go out for sales, service, billing, recruiting, and more. However, research commissioned by Hiya shows:
Despite the abysmal answer rates, 85% of business people believe voice calls are critical to achieving their goals, and consumers prefer voice over email and text for important interactions. Businesses reaching out to Hiya said their biggest challenge was getting calls answered.
Solution
Lead with branded calling
To increase sales and customer engagement, Hiya has adopted a “Branded Calling First” approach. This involves identifying who is calling and why before the recipient answers the phone. What is branded calling? Branded calling is the evolution of voice engagement, transforming an ordinary, unidentified phone call into a powerful brand impression.
Just as a well-placed, contextually relevant Google search ad reaches a consumer at the exact moment of intent, a branded call delivers immediate recognition and trust in the palm of the customer’s hand. It ensures that businesses connect with their audience in the most contextual and compelling way possible, right at the moment they are ready to engage.
You wouldn’t send an email without your company’s domain. You wouldn’t create an ad without your company’s branding. So why would you make a call without ensuring your brand is front and center? The phone remains a critical customer touchpoint—make every impression count. Branded calling increases brand visibility, builds trust, and drives meaningful engagement.
Benefits of branded calling:
- Brand trust: Calls display verified company names and logos.
- Higher pickup rates: Prospects recognize who is calling.
- Stronger engagement: Conversations start with less skepticism.
Case study
Hiya’s experience with branded calling
Hiya uses the Branded Calling First framework in its own marketing demand generation strategy, delivering measurable results. Below are key metrics and outcomes Hiya has experienced using this approach.
25% answer rates
By displaying Hiya’s name and logo, prospects were more inclined to answer calls, knowing who was reaching out. This has resulted in a 25% answer rate and a 43% unique answer rate enabling more conversations and opportunities to engage potential customers. The average industry answer rate is somewhere between 4-6%. Hiya’s 25% answer rate is more than 4 times the average.
15% recipient call back rate
By displaying Hiya’s name and logo, prospects were more inclined to call you back when they missed your call
58% human connection rate
Combining the unique answer rate with the recipient call back rate gives you your total contact rate which Hiya uses to define Human Connection Rate. With Hiya and our console data you now know how many people you are having conversations with. When looking at the Human Connection Rate we are talking to 58 out of every 100 people we call. That is game changing!
