How to link telephony with your CRM: calls, recordings and leads in one card
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
When telephony is linked to your CRM, every call (incoming, outgoing and missed) lands in the customer card on its own: who called and when, how long you talked, where the recording is. A call from a new number becomes a lead, and a missed call becomes a “call back” task for the responsible manager. You need a ready integration from your provider or PBX, or an API. After connecting, test with three calls and make sure numbers are saved in one format.
What gets lost when telephony and CRM aren’t linked
After a call, the manager forgets to log it or writes something short: “talked, will think about it”. Who called, what they asked and what was promised stays only in the manager’s head. Missed calls sit in red on the phone, and nobody knows who should call back. When a manager leaves, their conversations with customers leave too.
What you see in the CRM once they’re linked
| Event | What happens in the CRM |
|---|---|
| Incoming call from a new number | A lead is created: number, time, source, recording |
| Call from a customer in the database | The call is added to their card and open deal |
| Missed call | A “call back” task for the responsible manager |
| Outgoing call | In the call history: who called, how long, the recording |
| AI operator conversation | Recording, full transcript, collected answers and next step |
The head of sales sees more too: how many calls each manager made a day, how many went unanswered and how many hours it took to call back. Nobody collects these numbers by hand; they appear in the CRM’s reports.
Many PBX and provider integrations also let staff dial a number from the CRM with one click. Ask your provider.
Ways to link them
- A ready integration from your provider or cloud PBX: many providers have apps for Bitrix24 and amoCRM. Ask whether there is one for your CRM.
- Through an office PBX: the PBX connects to the CRM through a module or a connection a developer writes.
- Through an API and webhooks: the telephony sends an event for each call and the CRM receives it. This needs a developer.
- An AI operator’s CRM connection: the result of each conversation goes straight into the CRM (more below).
Setup steps
- Decide what a call becomes in the CRM: a lead or a deal, in which pipeline and stage.
- Write the rule for the responsible manager: in turn, by product line, or the customer’s own manager.
- Use one number format: +998 and nine digits. Otherwise one customer ends up with two or three duplicates.
- Choose which fields get filled: source, service wanted, district, next step.
- Run three tests: a call from a new number, one from a known customer and a missed call. Check how each looks in the CRM.
- Watch for a week: are managers writing outcomes in the card, are tasks closed on time?
An AI operator and your CRM together
For example, Quyosh Energiya, which installs solar panels, works in Bitrix24. Sado’s AI operator answers the call and asks your questions: which district the house is in, what the roof is like, how much the family pays for electricity a month. After the call a lead is created in Bitrix24, and the call card holds the recording and full transcript. The manager calls back with the details ready.
The Bitrix24 connection is ready-made: AI operator for Bitrix24. amoCRM, Google Sheets, 1C, BILLZ, MoySklad and other systems are connected by our team together with you: AI operator for amoCRM. For anything else there are webhooks and a REST API. Every call is also kept in the Sado portal. More: logging calls in your CRM and AI operator for incoming calls. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Do I need a developer to link telephony and a CRM?
Usually not, if your provider or PBX has a ready integration with your CRM. Connecting through an API does need a developer. Sado’s team connects Sado to your CRM.
What if one customer shows up as duplicates?
The usual cause is the number format: with and without +998, with and without spaces. Use one format and turn on duplicate search in the CRM.
How long should call recordings stay in the CRM?
The company sets the period. Uzbekistan has a law on personal data: don’t keep recordings longer than needed, and delete them when a customer asks. Ask a lawyer about the exact period.