PhoneBurner technically can integrate with Microsoft Outlook…but there’s a catch. A third-party program is required to facilitate the connection. So, while integrating the world’s leading business email platform with one of the industry’s top power dialers is both possible and relatively easy, it isn’t free and comes with some notable drawbacks. 

 

How PhoneBurner Connects to Outlook 

PhoneBurner unfortunately does not offer native integration with Microsoft Outlook. Instead, Phone Burner users looking to connect the two have to use a third-party paid application called Zapier. 

What is Zapier?

Zapier is a workflow app that enables users to connect thousands of different types of software to enable cross-platform tasks to be performed faster and easier. Zapier partners with some of the most popular software producers in the world like Microsoft, Quickbooks, and many others. They offer connectivity with effectively every type of business software imaginable, allowing users to create “Zaps” that connect two distinct programs through Zapier’s proprietary API. When an action is manually triggered in one program, the Zap will then automatically perform the prescribed follow-on actions the user has set up in other programs. For instance, the entry of a sale into a POS system could trigger a Zap that automatically connects to Quickbooks and uploads the relevant data. Or, in the case of Phone Burner, the user-configured Zap allows data to be passed back and forth between the dialer and the user’s Outlook account. 

How to Connect PhoneBurner and Outlook with Zapier

First and foremost, PhoneBurner users will need to sign up for a Zapier account, which currently runs anywhere from $19.99 to $599 per month, depending on how many task automations are needed. There is a free option available, but it comes with so few tasks that it isn’t useful for most business applications. 

With an account set up and Zapier downloaded, the user can then select a trigger event in either PhoneBurner or Microsoft Outlook. The trigger event defines what gets the “Zap” started. Zapier currently supports a variety of Outlook triggers covering everything from calendar events to new contact creation to email actions and beyond. For instance, a Zap could be set up to automatically create a matching contact in PhoneBurner whenever a user manually creates a new contact in Outlook. 

With the trigger action set, the user simply selects the resulting action in the paired program, sets the data they’d like passed from one platform to the other, and saves the Zap. From then on, as long as the Zap is active, Outlook and PhoneBurner will communicate automatically. 

Benefits and Drawbacks of PhoneBurner’s Zapier Outlook Integrations

Integrating Outlook with a power dialer like PhoneBurner through Zapier offers one major benefit: it allows existing PhoneBurner users to quickly and easily access some of the benefits such an integration has to offer. However, there are a number of major drawbacks. 

First and foremost, Zapier only offers a limited set of actions that can be performed between the two platforms. Users don’t get a truly integrated solution. It’s more like a duct-tape, 80-percent-style solution that will do the job, but isn’t ideal. Companies looking to truly unlock the potential of a power dialer/Outlook integration will need something more robust. 

Additionally, there are costs involved. Business users who already pay for Outlook and PhoneBurner are forced to take on a third monthly bill just to unlock limited functionality. So, while integrating PhoneBurner and Outlook is technically possible, it isn’t a great option. Luckily, there is a better solution available. 

 

Integrating Outlook with CRMDialer

CRMDialer is a leading customer resource management platform that comes with a full-featured power dialer built-in, right out of the box. Sales organizations that are looking to adopt a new CRM or replace an existing one can get all the benefits of both systems, combined and seamlessly integrated, with a single, highly affordable, easy-to-manage bill. Better still, CRMDialer also integrates natively with Microsoft Outlook, meaning every area of the CRM – including the power dialer – seamlessly shares data with Outlook and provides access to all its best email, contact management, and scheduling features without ever having to switch platforms. 

Benefits of CRMDialer’s Outlook Integration

Because CRMDialer connects natively with Outlook, the integration is far more complete and much smoother than anything available through third-party tie-ins. Setting up Outlook in the CRM takes a matter of minutes and requires no technical expertise, and once the two platforms are tied together, users can complete all of their email and scheduling tasks right from within CRMDialer, manage their calendars, sync data in either direction, and more, all with zero friction and zero headaches. And because it’s a built-in feature, there is no extra charge to connect the two platforms.

CRMDialer offers a seamless and highly functional Outlook integration that exceeds anything PhoneBurner and Zapier can offer and does it without costing the user an additional penny. CRMDialer is also a Zapier partner, enabling companies to connect an already industry-leading CRM to thousands of other pieces of software, creating an even more powerful sales tool. 

For a first-hand look at all the ways CRMDialer can help your sales organization streamline calling, email, scheduling, and all other aspects of your sales process, start your no-commitment free trial today.