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I want to leave messages for businesses after hours, can I???

by jharri
15 replies
I am thinking about using an auto-dialer to make calls to businesses to diversify my marketing efforts. I am wondering if I reach an answering machine, can I hit that button that leaves a pre-recorded message (with a hint of my promotional offer)...

If I can get live people answering my calls, great, I will talk to them. But if I get the beep, I can make a lot more calls by allowing my auto-dialer to leave my messages for me.

Not looking for legal advice, but does anyone have any idea if that could get me into potential hot water?

This is strictly B2B calling.

Thanks,
Jim
#businesses #hours #leave #messages
  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    I have no idea about the legal aspects of this.

    However, people do do it. I don't know how effective it is.

    I will share with you that if you don't have conversations with people, you will hardly ever sell anything. And I qualify with "hardly" rather than "never" because you conceivably could simply luck into blindly offering a solution for a problem someone has...and they buy it essentially on spec.

    Is that going to happen often enough to keep your business alive?

    Does that sound like a strategy you want to rely on?
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      This idea kinda makes sense. The numbers for regular media advertising say a customer needs to see / hear your message on average 8 times. Who is to say a phone message doesn't count as 1? Im not sure I would leave it to the message to create the action, however I would use the message as a possible moment when the customer thinks as they talk to you "That voice and name sound familiar."
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      • Profile picture of the author midasman09
        Banned
        Many of my "Marketing" buddies (who used to call prospects during biz hours) have gone to "Auto Calls" programmed to phone from 1 to 6 am with the "call to action" to a "Voice Mail" recording so the ONLY prospects they phone are "Interested" prospects.

        CallFire has a great program for doing this.

        Don Alm
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        • Profile picture of the author Biz Max
          Not a fan of pre-recorded. I get those calls all the time and never listen to them. As
          for prospects getting pissed off, sure. Some will get pissy no matter when a call/visit
          is made. We gotta do what we gotta do.

          Jason's right, in this case 'passive marketing' will not likely yield a sustainable income.
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            I've used pre-recorded call in the dim past. The call takes the person to a voicemail to leave their information. This was consumer sales before the Do Not Call laws.

            Maybe 1,000 completed calls, and 4 or 5 leads. Most of the leads were unqualified. Ad you would still have to listen to the 20-30 people yelling at you in the messages left.

            As far as leaving voice mail messages after work? It will "Work". But don't expect more than a lead or two after every 1,000 calls. If the cost of leaving 1,000 messages is worth it to get one or two leads? Sure.

            If you mean manually leaving these messages? That's madness...Madness, I say!
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  • Profile picture of the author mojo1
    You definitely want to make sure your auto dialer calls at the appropriate time. Another warrior shared how they'd gotten reamed by a prospect who was the recipient of his outsourced telemarketer call at or near midnight. I tried to locate the thread but it's been deleted

    Whether you're relying on technology or a human just be considerate as no one wants to receive a call late in the evening or before the crack of dawn.
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  • Profile picture of the author jharri
    Thanks guys. I was planning on leaving voicemails around 6:30pm to 8:30pm. I would guess most businesses would be closed by then...
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    • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
      be careful with dentists.

      did a campaign once, and it reached the dentist "emergency" # or something they used after hours.

      at least expect some blowback.

      goodluck
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      • Profile picture of the author TheBigBee
        This will get more risky in 2014. Many business owners list their cell phone numbers depending on who they are giving the number to. Often times these end up being sold and acquired by the likes of Infofree and sold to you. If you don't make sure you have all records scrubbed against domestic do not call and cell phone numbers - you will have probs with the FTC for sure.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Leaving a marketing message won't win you any clients UNLESS you offer EXACTLY what they need at that exact time. I know from a business and personal point of view, if I receive a marketing message I NEVER return the calls.
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    • Profile picture of the author Biz Max
      Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

      Leaving a marketing message won't win you any clients UNLESS you offer EXACTLY what they need at that exact time. I know from a business and personal point of view, if I receive a marketing message I NEVER return the calls.
      I'm not sure how my number is on every autodialer's call list but
      I get them every day. Love it when I answer and hear:

      "Don't hang up! How would you like to make $500,000 in as little
      as one year?" Er, yeah sure. I hang up ALWAYS.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Originally Posted by WhiteRhino View Post

        I'm not sure how my number is on every autodialer's call list but
        I get them every day. Love it when I answer and hear:

        "Don't hang up! How would you like to make $500,000 in as little
        as one year?" Er, yeah sure. I hang up ALWAYS.
        Me too. Maybe 3 or 4 a day. Usually during business hours. I always hang up before I hear the message.

        Also, a three second delay caused by an auto dialer will get a hang up.

        No, I don't want any more Viagra.
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  • Profile picture of the author tristatemedia
    i rent billboard space and i always call after hours and leave an exact short message and i always get callbacks and clients.
    be short and professional.............
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    • Profile picture of the author JacqueP
      Originally Posted by tristatemedia View Post

      i rent billboard space and i always call after hours and leave an exact short message and i always get callbacks and clients.
      be short and professional.............
      Yes, short and sweet gets the best results on voice mails. Though, I too offer advertising, so I'm sure its a little different for someone trying to sell something else.
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  • Profile picture of the author marketingstatic
    Beating a dead horse I just say legal or not its not the best way to get a Quality lead.
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