The majority of telemarketing companies in recent times provide lead generation outbound telemarketing services for their clients. The biggest reason for this is that leads play a very important role in the achievement of a telemarketing campaign. If the lead generation outbound telemarketing services are given professionally, it will lead to productivity and success. However, if the lead generation outbound telemarketing services are done inadequately, it will bring depressing failure. So, you must keep in mind a thorough selection of lead generation services.

As indicated by the “2004 Response Rate Report” from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), reports that telemarketing has come to an end have been very much embellished. Telemarketing still sells more products than any of the other direct-response marketing methods, with a 5.78% response rate, even since the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry was formed.

“What we found was that in spite of a lot of talk about telemarketing’s end, people are still buying,” says Louis Mastria of the DMA. “About 66 million consumers bought at least once through telemarketing last year.”

Tim Searcy, American Teleservices Association CEO, says inadequate telemarketing industry pursuing was a main reason in forming the DNC Registry, which, indicated by the FTC, now holds 64 million telephone numbers. Still, companies are able to contact present customers and customers who have previously bought something with offers and information even if they put their names on the DNC list.

“Companies are surviving through better targeting. If you’re on the DNC list and are receiving telemarketing calls, you have an existing relationship with the people who call,” explains Searcy. “Because clutter is reduced, it’s easier to get through to the customer.”

Mastria is of the same opinion that companies that had been using telemarketing correctly from the beginning are still profiting. “A legitimate company isn’t going to waste time and money to keep calling someone who has said that they don’t want to be contacted.”

What are the telemarketing laws in the United States? The primary law is the National Do Not Call Registry (read our article on the DNC List Here)

From the FCC Website:

“In an effort to address a growing number of telephone marketing calls, Congress enacted in 1991 the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TCPA restricts the making of telemarketing calls and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems and artificial or prerecorded voice messages. The rules apply to common carriers as well as to other marketers. In 1992, the Commission adopted rules to implement the TCPA, including the requirement that entities making telephone solicitations institute procedures for maintaining company-specific do-not-call lists.

On July 3, 2003, the FCC revised its TCPA rules to establish, in coordination with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a national Do-Not-Call registry. The national registry is nationwide in scope, covers all telemarketers (with the exception of certain nonprofit organizations), and applies to both interstate and intrastate calls. The registry went into effect on October 1, 2003, and is administered by the FTC. To reduce the number of “hang-up” and “dead air” calls consumers experience, the Commission’s telemarketing rules also contain restrictions on the use of autodialers and requirements for transmitting caller ID information.”

However, in addition to the DNC Registry there are indeed other laws dictating what call centers can and cannot do.

DNC FAQ:

• The DNC Registry only applies to residential lines. Businesses are not covered under the law.
• A person may still receive calls from political organizations.
• A person may still receive calls from charities.
• A person may still receive calls from those conducting surveys.
• A person may still receive calls from companies with which he or she has an existing business relationship for up to 18 months after his or her last purchase, payment, or delivery from it, unless person specifically asks the company not to call again.
• A person may still receive calls from a company up to three months after submitting an application or inquiry to that company, unless the company is specifically asked not to call.
• A person may still receive calls from bill collectors (either primary creditors or collection agencies.). These callers are, however, regulated by other laws, such as those limiting them to calling during “reasonable hours.” Some creditors may not call debtors who file for bankruptcy protection.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules that require anyone making a telephone solicitation call to your home to provide his or her name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity can be contacted. The original rules also prohibit telephone solicitation calls to your home before 8 am or after 9 pm, and require telemarketers to comply with any do-not-call request you make directly to the caller during a solicitation call. In June 2003, the FCC supplemented its original rules implementing the TCPA and established, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the national Do-Not-Call list.

Auto-Dialers (Outbound IVR)

Automatic Telephone Dialing Systems and Artificial or Prerecorded Voice Calls

The FCC has specific rules for automatic telephone dialing systems, also known as “autodialers.” These devices can be particularly annoying and generate many consumer complaints. The rules regarding automatically dialed and prerecorded calls apply whether or not you have registered your home phone number(s) on the national Do-Not-Call list.

Autodialers can produce, store, and dial telephone numbers using a random or sequential number generator. They often place artificial (computerized) or prerecorded voice calls. The use of autodialers, including predictive dialers, often results in abandoned calls – hang-ups or “dead air.” Except for emergency calls or calls made with the prior express consent of the person being called, autodialers and any artificial or prerecorded voice messages may not be used to contact numbers assigned to:

• any emergency telephone line;

• the telephone line of any guest or patient room at a hospital, health care facility, home for the elderly, or similar establishment;

• a paging service, wireless phone service (including both voice calls and text messages), or other commercial mobile radio service; or

• any other service for which the person being called would be charged for the call.

Calls using artificial or prerecorded voice messages – including those that do not use autodialers – may not be made to home phone numbers except for:

• emergency calls needed to ensure the consumer’s health and safety;

• calls for which you have given prior express consent;

• non-commercial calls;

• calls that don’t include or introduce any unsolicited advertisements or constitute telephone solicitations;

• calls by, or on behalf of, tax-exempt non-profit organizations; or

• calls from entities with which you have an EBR.

Caller Identification (ID)

If you have caller ID, a telemarketer is required to transmit or display its phone number and, if available, its name or the name and phone number of the company for which it is selling products. The display must include a phone number that you can call during regular business hours to ask that the company no longer call you. This rule applies even if you have an EBR with the company, and even if you have not registered your home phone number(s) on the national Do-Not-Call list. Before these rules took effect, the words “private,” “out of area,” or “unavailable” might have appeared on the Caller ID display.

Call Center Consultants aim at teaching contact centers how to provide world-class customer support, increase revenues, manage employees, and measure success.

Call Center Design

Properly designing a new call center is one of the most important tasks any organization may face. A Call Center consultant helps its clients avoid the major pitfalls associated with this important effort. Some of the key components include:

• Capacity planning

• Site location and selection

• Floor space design

• Furniture selection

• Technology design and selection

• Organizational structure

• Hiring/training programs

• Compensation and incentive plans

• Project management

• Others

Performance Healthcheck

Have you ever felt like your call center needed a tune-up? In many respects, the contact center environment is similar to a finely-tuned machine. If one component of that machine gets out of synch, the whole engine begins to misfire.

Call center consulting professionals conduct a comprehensive review of all critical contact center operations and practices to identify opportunities to improve service performance, increase productivity, and manage costs more effectively.

June 27^th, 2003, the FTC launched the National Do-Not-Call Registry to help with compliance of the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act. The Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003 (Public Law No.108-10, was H.R. 395 of the 108th Congress) was sponsored by Representatives Billy Tauzin and John Dingell and signed into law by President George W. Bush on March 11, 2003. This law establishes the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry in order to facilitate compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.
The Razor Predictive Dialer scrubs all imported lists against its internal Do-Not-Call database to ensure you never dial any numbers you do not wish to.
Telemarketing companies have 31 days from the date a phone number is added to the registry to remove that number from all their lists.In plain English, what this means is that you need to update your list once a month.There was a rumor going around saying that cellular phone companies are going to release their subscriber information out into the market.The rumor turned out to be false as it is currently illegal for any automatic dialer to call a cellular phone number. However, telemarketing companies need to also take care to add anyone who requests to be put on their company’s Do-Not-Call list because the law also allows consumers to pick and choose which company’s they allow calls from.One of the great things about the Razor Predictive Dialer software is that your agents can add a customer, at the customer’s request, to your DNC list with a single touch of a button.

National DNC FAQ:

• To research more of the Razor Predictive Dialer features click here.
• To register by telephone (US), consumers may call 1-888-382-1222.
• You can visit the Federal Trade Commission website at http://ftc.gov/
• Telemarketers can register their business and download lists here https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov/
• Consumers can register for the National DNC here https://www.donotcall.gov/
• National Do-Not-Call FAQThe DNC Registry only applies to residential lines.Businesses are not covered under the law.A person may still receive calls from political organizations.A person may still receive calls from charities.A person may still receive calls from those conducting surveys.A person may still receive calls from companies with which he or she has an existing business relationship for up to 18 months after his or her last purchase, payment, or delivery from it, unless person specifically asks the company not to call again.A person may still receive calls from a company up to three months after submitting an application or inquiry to that company, unless the company is specifically asked not to call.
• A person may still receive calls from bill collectors (either primary creditors or collection agencies.). These callers are, however, regulated by other laws, such as those limiting them to calling during “reasonable hours.” Some creditors may not call debtors who file for bankruptcy protection.

Hello! Over the years, call centers have perfected the art of telemarketing. I’m here to tell you the secrets to closing more sales over the phone using a simple, yet effective formula for your calling scripts. There are a couple common sense things you can do to increase sales that I’d like to share with you before we get into the script. The first is: Keep It Short & Simple (KISS). The second: Use a predictive dialer system to increase the speed at which you dial. Afterall, the more people you call, the more customers you will get. Onto the industry secrets…

1) Your introduction should be brief. Most lead lists will include the person’s name. The more relaxed and conversational your intro is, the more likely your audience will listen to your pitch. I think the most effective greeting is a simple “Hi, is this Keith?” If it is, Keith will be wondering if he knows you, or perhaps you have spoken in the past. If it isn’t Keith, the person on the other end is more likely to pass the phone to Keith without screening the call. Make sure to SMILE when you speak. Studies show that your tone of voice changes to reflect a smile and it comes across in telephone calls.

2) Explain who you are and what company you are with. You want to keep this really short as well. A good example is: “My name is Jeremiah and I am with Top10 Lawn Care. We are committed to keeping your lawn thick and green.” Remember K-I-S-S. Incorporating your slogan can be beneficial as well.

3) Now it is time to describe the benefits and features of your company. Keep It Short & Simple. Three Features with Three Benefits. The key is to peak their interest without talking so long they lose interest. Short and compelling is the way to be.

4) Close with authority and sincerity. The only reason you are even calling the person is to ask them to buy something. Do not fall into the trap of making sales calls without committing to asking for the sale. It doesn’t make any sense. I like using a two tiered close. For example, using both the assumptive and alternate choice close: “Based on what you have shared with me, Let’s get you started; did you want the blue or the red travel set?”

5) Accessorize the sale. If they are willing to buy one product, you should offer more products that enhance or compliment the initial sale. If they give you an objection such as “I already have that product”, be ready to offer related products. Simply because the customer does not need the product you called for doesn’t mean they won’t want accessories for what they already own.

Visit us at http://www.predictive-dialer.org/contact.html

If you are a loan modification company please read our article regarding how our dialer will best serve your company. Predictive Dialing for the Loan Modification Industry

First let’s look at the loan modification industry. What is a loan modification?
A loan modification is when the lender modifies your current mortgage in order to work with you because of a hardship. The purpose is to help make your loan more affordable. Usually it is in the form of a rate reduction and fixing the rate for a certain amount of time. In today’s financial market many mortgage companies are folding as homeowners default on their loans. This is bad news for the mortgage companies, but great news for companies that specialize in loan modifications.

One of the biggest challenges that loan modification companies face is simply reaching new customers. How do you go about letting people know that it is very possible that their current debts may be renegotiated? One of the most effective ways to generate new, qualified leads is to use a predictive dialer system. A predictive dialer does several key things that are very specifically beneficial to the loan modification industry.

If you are in the Loan Modification Industry or a legal representative that aids loan modification officers, please call Orion Communications at 1-877-812-7251 to learn more about predictive dialing and to receive a live demonstration of the Razor Predictive Dialer. You can start dialing millions of residential and business leads faster than ever before so don’t wait to learn about this outstanding technology!

Visit us at www.predictive-dialer.org/contact.html

Branched Scripting is a tool that predictive dialer software uses to provide a script that changes based on the input of the sales agent. The system administrator can program in drop-down menus, check boxes, radio buttons and text fields. As the agent reads the script, depending upon what conditions are set on the different answers; when the agent tells the script to go forward a new page will be displayed based on the previous answers. For example; Joe is on a call with Diane. Joe reads his script to her and at the end he asks, “Are you interested in refinancing your home?”. Joe then selects “yes” from the drop down menu and presses “Next”. The script advances to a page that asks further questions to qualify Diane as a refinance customer. Had Diane answered “no”, the script would have advanced to a page with objection rebuttals. This works because the drop down menu had the condition set to branch the script. Branched scripting can do much more though. Let’s say Diane had said yes; the qualification page would have questions concerning her mortgage and other debts. As Joe fills in the fields with her answers, those fields can be programmed to save that data in Diane’s lead file. When Joe sets her disposition to “Sale”, Joe’s supervisor can retrieve that information and pass it along to a Mortgage Analyst.

As you can see, branched scripting is a powerful tool for predictive dialers however there is more. Branched Scripting is also the way IVR (Interactive Voice Response) works. Joe’s supervisor decides that the first page of the script will be the same every single call and has the bright idea that it would be more productive to have that portion pre-recorded. Joe’s supervisor, David, records the message and loads it into his predictive dialer as an IVR-Script. He then programs a condition into the script that asks the user to “press 1 to speak with an agent, press 2 to hang up this call”. Now when Diane is called, she will hear a recording telling her that she can save thousands of dollars by refinancing. The recording asks “Are you interested in refinancing?” If Diane presses 1, she will then connect to Joe who is waiting with the rest of the script to help her. IVR scripts can be very in depth and even do the same recording of answers as mentioned above. In fact, the script can be programmed to ask an entire series of questions with multiple choices based on touch tone answers, and the entire IVR call can be stored in a database.

Branched Scripting is a tool that predictive dialer software uses to provide a script that changes based on the input of the sales agent. The system administrator can program in drop-down menus, check boxes, radio buttons and text fields. As the agent reads the script, depending upon what conditions are set on the different answers; when the agent tells the script to go forward a new page will be displayed based on the previous answers. For example; Joe is on a call with Diane. Joe reads his script to her and at the end he asks, “Are you interested in refinancing your home?”. Joe then selects “yes” from the drop down menu and presses “Next”. The script advances to a page that asks further questions to qualify Diane as a refinance customer. Had Diane answered “no”, the script would have advanced to a page with objection rebuttals. This works because the drop down menu had the condition set to branch the script. Branched scripting can do much more though. Let’s say Diane had said yes; the qualification page would have questions concerning her mortgage and other debts. As Joe fills in the fields with her answers, those fields can be programmed to save that data in Diane’s lead file. When Joe sets her disposition to “Sale”, Joe’s supervisor can retrieve that information and pass it along to a Mortgage Analyst.

As you can see, branched scripting is a powerful tool for predictive dialers however there is more. Branched Scripting is also the way IVR (Interactive Voice Response) works. Joe’s supervisor decides that the first page of the script will be the same every single call and has the bright idea that it would be more productive to have that portion pre-recorded. Joe’s supervisor, David, records the message and loads it into his predictive dialer as an IVR-Script. He then programs a condition into the script that asks the user to “press 1 to speak with an agent, press 2 to hang up this call”. Now when Diane is called, she will hear a recording telling her that she can save thousands of dollars by refinancing. The recording asks “Are you interested in refinancing?” If Diane presses 1, she will then connect to Joe who is waiting with the rest of the script to help her. IVR scripts can be very in depth and even do the same recording of answers as mentioned above. In fact, the script can be programmed to ask an entire series of questions with multiple choices based on touch tone answers, and the entire IVR call can be stored in a database.

Visit us at www.predictive-dialer.org/contact.html

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is a type of technology that allows people to interact with a database (usually one that routes calls or records information) by using their telephone touch pad or by voice recognition. IVR systems can save business money by routing calls to the correct person and also making information or automated services available to the public 24 hours a day.

There is also a type of Outbound IVR that is used with a predictive dialer system. The predictive dialer software dials phone numbers from a large database known as a lead list. When a person answers the call from the dialer, a pre-recorded message is played and a list of voice prompts is given. Depending on which touch tone or voice command the listener gives, the dialer plays a specific matching recording. Most outbound IVR systems will have an option for the customer to “press 1” to speak to a sales agent. The dialer then routes the call into a call center where agents are waiting for IVR routed calls to come in. An example of this technology would be political campaigns where a pre-recorded message is played and then the listener has the option to ‘press a key to make a donation’.

Inbound IVR systems are very common place today. Anytime you call a company and go through a series of menus, you are using an IVR. Outbound IVR scripts can be very complex offering a wealth of information to the listener as they go through a series of questions and can retrieve answers based on their touch tone responses.

Visit us at www.predictive-dialer.org/contact.html