What is IVR?
IVR (interactive voice response) is an automated phone menu that lets callers choose options by pressing keys or speaking before they reach a person.
Why it matters for sales teams
For inbound calls, an IVR routes callers to the right team, such as sales, support or billing, and can answer simple questions without an agent. Done well, it gets a caller to the right person faster. Done badly, it traps them in menus.
For outbound calls, IVRs are an obstacle. When a rep calls a company's main number, a menu and a directory often stand between them and the person they want. That is why reps value a direct dial or a mobile number over a switchboard line.
Example
A rep calls the main line of a 500-person company to reach the head of operations. The IVR asks them to press 1 for sales, 2 for support, or say a name. The rep says the contact's name, the system cannot find it, and the call lands in a general voicemail box. With a direct dial, the same call would have rung the contact's own phone.
IVR vs call routing
Call routing is the broader idea of sending each call to the right destination. An IVR is one way to do it, by asking the caller. Other methods route by the number dialed, the time of day or which agents are free.