Sending Automated Phone Calls to a List of People
By Lee Simonson
Sending automated phone calls to a list of people is both easy and inexpensive. You only need three things to make it happen.
1) A list of phone numbers in a digital file. For example, an Excel database file.
2) A message you can record, either over the phone or on a digital file such as .wav.
3) A reliable service bureau that has the capacity to handle your job and is easy to work with.
As long as you are sending an "informational" message involving such things as appointment reminders, schedules, event announcements, emergency closings, college and school alerts, and other news, you should be safe from the new federal regulations that prohibit sending recorded telemarketing calls without first obtaining permission from those you are calling. The new regulations are much stricter than the national Do Not Call list. If you are in doubt, you can check with an attorney, knowledgeable source, or look up the new federal regulations regarding automated phone calls on the Internet.
Preparing your list is rather straightforward. You need to include the 10 digit phone number, including the area code, in a single database column. You can also include your other information such as names, addresses, etc., in other columns. That may help you identify what numbers were successfully reached when you receive your job report after it is completed.
Recording your message over the phone is easy. When you work with your automated phone call service bureau or provider, you may be given the choice of either launching your own job on a do-it-yourself basis, or having them do all the work. Some providers will offer to do the work for you at no additional cost. If you do-it-yourself, chances are you will either call a designated number that will record the message, or the system will call you. (You will control this via an online webpage or interface.) Before you record, write, rewrite and practice reading your script several times. You'll also have an opportunity to listen to your recording and, if you don't like it, you'll have the option of doing another recording -- as often as you need to get it right. Be sure to record over a landline phone and not a cell phone or VOIP connection which may distort the quality of the recording.
It's important to identify yourself and make sure you have your provider put in the correct Caller ID information so your recipients can see where you are calling from.
The rates you pay can be based on the quantity of phone numbers you have in your list (per dial) or the number of successfully delivered messages (per minute.) There are pros and cons to each, but generally speaking, paying on a per minute basis is best, especially if you have a questionable list of numbers that may not be entirely accurate or up to date. A list is considered a good list if 85% of the numbers on it can be reached with either a live person or an answering machine picking up incoming calls.
Overall, you'll find sending automated calls to a list of phone numbers can be one of the most effective and least expensive ways to communicate with a large group of people. You may be calling dozens, or tens of thousands. But big or small, you'll enjoy the convenience of getting your message out in minutes without the need to purchase expensive hardware of equipment. You don't even need any special software. The system is in place and ready to use.
You can get more valuable information about sending automated calls here: http://www.orangepoint.net/phone_broadcasting.html
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