If you’re running lots of outbound calls—whether it’s sales, fundraising, or follow-ups—manual dialing is a time sink you just can’t afford. That’s why tools like Phoneburner exist: to speed up the grind with power dialing. But just having the tool isn’t enough. If you want to actually get more calls made (with less chaos), you need to schedule and automate those dialing sessions. Otherwise, power dialing becomes just another thing you mean to do, but don’t.
This guide is for anyone who’s using Phoneburner and wants to set up reliable, automated dialing sessions—whether for yourself, a small team, or a bigger call center. We’ll walk through what actually works, where you’ll hit friction, and how to keep it manageable (without a PhD in workflow automation).
1. Get Clear on What You’re Automating (and Why)
Before you get lost in menus and settings, pause for a second. Ask yourself:
- Who is making the calls? (You? A team? Multiple teams?)
- Who are you calling? (One big list? Leads from a CRM? Different groups?)
- How often do you want to call? (Daily? Weekly? Only when leads come in?)
If you don’t have answers here, you’ll end up with a spaghetti mess of schedules and lists that nobody follows. Don’t overcomplicate it—start simple, then add layers if you need them.
Pro tip: Automation won’t fix a broken lead list. Make sure your data is clean-ish before you automate.
2. Set Up Your Power Dialing Lists
Phoneburner’s power dialer runs off “contact lists.” These are the people you’ll actually call. Here’s how to get set up:
a) Create or Import Your List
- Manual upload: Use a CSV file to upload contacts. Map your columns carefully—bad mapping = wasted calls.
- Sync from CRM: If you use Salesforce, HubSpot, or another CRM, you can integrate directly. Don’t expect magic; you’ll still have to double-check mapping and filters.
b) Segment for Sanity
Don’t just dump everyone into one giant list. Segment by: - Lead source - Call priority - Territory or rep
This makes scheduling and reporting way less painful. It also helps when you automate—so you’re not blasting the same folks over and over.
3. Schedule Power Dialing Sessions
Here’s the meat of it: actually getting those sessions on the calendar so they happen.
a) For Yourself
If you’re the only one dialing, use Phoneburner’s built-in calendar to block off time:
- Go to Dial Sessions > Schedule Session
- Pick your list, and set your date/time
- Add reminders (email or SMS) so you don’t flake
This is basic, but it works. If you’re easily distracted, schedule recurring sessions—same time every day or week.
b) For Teams
If you manage a team, get more structured:
- Use the Team Scheduler to assign sessions to reps
- Schedule recurring sessions for consistency (e.g., every Monday at 10am)
- Assign specific lists to each rep (so you don’t step on each other’s toes)
What works: Teams that have shared sessions (everyone dials at once, maybe with a leaderboard) tend to call more consistently.
What doesn’t: Vague “dial when you get time” plans. People always have an excuse to skip.
4. Automate Session Launch and Lead Distribution
Here’s where things get tricky. Phoneburner can automate some parts of the dialing workflow, but it’s not a full-blown workflow engine. Be realistic.
a) Lead Streams (for Automation)
Phoneburner’s “LeadStream” feature lets you automatically distribute leads to reps and trigger dialing sessions.
- Set up a LeadStream: Go to Team > LeadStreams > Create New
- Define rules for distributing leads (round-robin, first-come, etc.)
- Assign reps and set their call quotas
Automated session launch: When new leads hit the stream, reps get notified to dial. You can require them to call within a set window.
Caveat: This works well for new leads, not so much for nurture or follow-up calls. For ongoing lists, you’ll still need to schedule sessions manually or use recurring calendar invites.
b) CRM Integrations
If you’re using Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar:
- Set up integration in Phoneburner’s Integrations area
- Map fields and set up triggers (e.g., when a new lead enters a certain stage, add to a dialing list)
Automated list updates: This keeps your dialing list fresh, but you still have to schedule (or automate) the actual sessions.
Don’t get lost: Most integrations are “pull” only. You’ll need to test—sometimes the integration drops leads or duplicates them.
5. Use Reminders and Reporting to Keep Sessions on Track
Automation is useless if nobody shows up. Here’s how to make sure sessions actually happen:
- Set up reminders: Email/SMS reminders before each session. Phoneburner can do this, or you can use Google Calendar/Outlook.
- Track participation: Use Phoneburner’s reports to see who actually dials, how long they spend, and how many calls get made.
- Nudge low performers: If a rep keeps skipping sessions, follow up. Sometimes it’s a tech issue, sometimes it’s just slacking.
What works: Public dashboards and light accountability. People know when they’re slacking off if it’s visible.
What doesn’t: Assuming automation will motivate people. It won’t. You still need a nudge.
6. Optional: Automate More with Zapier or Make
If you want to go further, third-party tools like Zapier or Make can help. This is for the “I want to automate everything” crowd.
Ideas:
- Trigger a Phoneburner session when a new lead hits your CRM.
- Send a Slack reminder before each session.
- Update a Google Sheet or dashboard with session stats.
Warning: This adds complexity, and breakages are common. If you’re not comfortable troubleshooting zaps, keep it simple.
7. What to Ignore (For Now)
- Chasing every new “AI” feature: Most don’t actually automate dialing or scheduling—they just tweak call scripts or scoring.
- Over-optimizing lead routing: If you have fewer than 10 reps, round-robin or simple assignments are fine.
- Trying to automate “human” motivation: Automation is for process, not people. You’ll always need a real check-in now and then.
Keeping It Simple (and Actually Making Calls)
Here’s the honest truth: automation is great, but it’s easy to go overboard. Start with a clean contact list, schedule regular sessions, and use reminders to nudge yourself (and your team). Automate lead distribution if you need to, but don’t obsess over it.
Iterate as you go. If something’s breaking down—people aren’t showing up, lists are messy, sessions get skipped—fix that before adding more tech. In the end, the goal is more conversations, not more configuration.
Keep it simple, start dialing, and tweak as you learn what works for your team. The fancy stuff can wait.