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Q: What
are the laws regulating outbound calling?
Q: How
can I make sure I follow all of these laws?
Q: Are
there any advantages of outbound calling over inbound?
Q: Can
I do both outbound and inbound in the same call center?
Q: How
do I find clients?
Question: What
are the laws regulating outbound calling?
Answer: The restrictions on outbound calling are
numerous. Starting with the national "do not call" list
(DNC), which list millions of names and numbers that are illegal for you
to call. The penalties of making a mistake are severe. There
are limitations on the times of day you can call, what you can say, when
you must end the call, and how you end the call. There are also
legal requirements on how your predictive dialer (the software and
equipment that places calls for your staff) performs. And that is at
the federal level. Many states also have laws, governing calls made
within the state, or into that state, that are more restrictive than the
federal laws. The legal limitations of outbound calling are numerous
and confusing.
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Question: How
can I make sure I follow all of these laws?
Answer: There are software programs and services that
can help keep you in compliance with many of the "do not call"
(DNC) laws. Your equipment vendor can guide you in properly
configuring their predictive dialer so that you remain in compliance with
those regulations. Your vendor may also be able to provide you with
other resources to explain the ins and outs of the various laws.
Other resources include call center consultants that specialize in
outbound consulting or attorneys who specialize in telemarketing.
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Question: Are
there any advantages of outbound calling over inbound?
Answer: There are two advantages. One is that
call centers doing outbound calling are only open those hours during which
they can call; that is, they are not open 27x7, but perhaps 9am to 9pm,
Monday through Friday. (Though some calling does lend itself to
weekends.) The other advantage is that you only schedule your staff
to work when there is work to do. This way your labor costs track
with your revenue. (Inbound call centers need to have agents
present, waiting for calls, even if no calls come in.)
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Question: Can
I do both outbound and inbound in the same call center?
Answer: Some call centers do both outbound and
inbound calling, but most do not. It is certainly not something that
you should consider doing when you are starting out. You should
focus - and excel at - one or the other. Later on, once you have
mastered outbound calling, you might want to expand into inbound, but many
call center owners simply start a second call center to focus on that, as
opposed to mixing the two together.
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Question: How
do I find clients?
Answer: There are countless books, classes, and
resources about marketing and selling a non-tangible service. These
should be consulted and followed carefully. Aside from that, know
that finding clients will be hard work and will require dedication and
tenacity in following and believing in a marketing plan.
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