What is an auto dialer?
An auto dialer is any software that places phone calls automatically from a list, so nobody has to enter each number by hand.
Types of auto dialers
- Preview dialer: shows the contact first and dials when the rep is ready.
- Progressive dialer: dials the next number as soon as the rep is free.
- Parallel dialer: dials several numbers at once for one rep.
- Predictive dialer: dials ahead for a pool of agents based on when they are expected to be free.
Some auto dialers play a recorded message instead of connecting a person. Calls that use a prerecorded or artificial voice are robocalls, which the TCPA restricts.
Why it matters for sales teams
The right type depends on list quality, deal size and how much context a rep needs before speaking. A team calling a large cold list wants volume. A team working named accounts wants preparation.
The word also has a legal side. The TCPA defines an automatic telephone dialing system as equipment with the capacity to store or produce numbers using a random or sequential number generator, and to dial them. That is a legal definition, not the everyday phrase, and whether a given tool falls under it is a question for counsel. FCC rules on calling hours and the national do-not-call registry apply to telephone solicitations whichever dialer places them.
This is a general definition, not legal advice.