Has anyone had success with autodialers?

Hi Sherry,

I'm actually releasing a course on this launching on Jan. 8th!!

Giving away something for free is one of the best ways. Getting specific is definitely the right direction - also putting in a specific "case study" helps with conversions too. For instance...

"...we generated 100 phone calls for ABC Plumber Company in 3 weeks..."

Scarcity is another good addition to your message:

"...only looking to work with 1 plumber in Los Angeles..."

Voice talent is DEFINITELY not necessary. I've had my girlfriend record my messages and they would convert.

Business owners don't necessarily "LIKE" to be sold to, so that's why I try to offer something for free. Not your standard "free websites analysis"... that's BS. Everyone does that, so you should try and be a little more creative. It can still work, but it's better if you try and offer something uniquely free from your company.

Unfortunately, profanity is part of the game with using auto-dialers. Like I said, they don't want to be sold and typically hate sales calls, so it's important to make your offer you put on your calls THE BEST YOU'VE EVER OFFERED in the HISTORY OF YOUR COMPANY.

Waste of time -- only was good for B2C before the Feds starting fining folks.

There's so many reasons why it robo-dialing B2B sucks. Just pick up the phone and ask for the owner, or just walk in cold.

Hello,
We have used an autodialer in the past and hired low wage employees a commission structure to make cash with. I suggest you sit a person in a chair with a pc and a cell phone and hand them a script. =)

I'm probably not your typical client, but I either hang up as soon as I hear a tape recorded message, or boycott them for life. I have a major problem with interruption marketing when there is absolutely no effort made on the other side.

After many of the professional telemarketing comments made in this forum, I've become a bit more tolerant of live callers .

Marvin

I did a voice broadcast using OpenVBX a few weeks ago to realtors in my area (about 45) offering a free video for one of their listings and got 7 call backs that left messages for me. Almost all called back to the inbound message, but the majority hung up after listening for varying lengths of the outgoing message.

I think If you make it sound like you are leaving voicemail message it is perceived to be less robo-call like, mainly because they they have no way of knowing you robocalled them. Totally depends on the niche though, and what you have to offer.

I could see it working for leaving messages on answering machines regarding a niche website you have that ranks well. Everything is a testing game anyway though.

Thanks everyone for your valuable input and insights. Just as I expected, most business owners hate prerecorded messages, myself included. I don't blame them. I would hang up as well, although I would never leave a message just to spew profanity.

I initially viewed autodialing campaigns as numbers games, and honestly it didn't cost much time or money to try, so I don't regret it even if it's for nothing more than the learning experience. It would be nice if it generated even one sale, and I might keep trying different niches to see if that's my issue. Besides the untargeted generic calls, I have tried target several specific niches, namely chiropractors and locksmiths. The chiropractors all had gatekeepers and I never got a single message back, while locksmiths did answer their own calls but boy were they an angry bunch!

The answering machine trick is a good idea. I did try this with either the chiro's or locksmiths, not sure which, but I don't think it did as it was intended. Calls were still being picked up by recipients. I was using Mark Helton's Voice Prospector so maybe I set up something wrong. Back to the drawing board for me!

That was a cute concept that could still work now with an autodialler to targeted businesses.

@Claude Whitacre - On the other hand, in 1976, I worked for a company that hired three girls to give FAKE recorded messages. They were selling fire alarms to homeowners. They actually got results from that. But again, the quality was low.

Autodialers are good for monitoring remote telemarketers, or large rooms where you cant directly look over peoples shoulders, you can sit at a desk and watch everyones stats from a monitor in real time, or you can click a button and be in the headphones with any individual in the room.

In Bowers room though, which I have written about, we didnt use dialers, that is rare for a large room, rather we had a few lower level supervisors who monitored different areas of the room, because it was sizable.

Dialing alone, I prefer manual, because you dont get dropped calls, awkward greetings with delays....these are all things that telemarketers learn to pace themselves and deal with, but conversion is higher for me when I manual dial.

If your ARE going to use a dialer alone, be sure to set the callback number to another line with an answering machine, because you will get maybe two dropped calls for every answer you get on the phone, and that can be slightly advantageous, because people will be ringing you back all day, and leaving messages and phone numbers on the caller ID constantly.

Those can be treated kind of like call backs.

When you call them back it gives you a little leverage in the greeting because you can say "I had this number show up on my caller ID , I was just wondering if I could help you?" They will ask "Who are you?" and it gives you an opening to start pitching.

The call backs from dropped calls, though a few are ticked, are even more valuable than the cold calls, because of that opportunity to open, and because on a subconscious level, you ARE simply returning a call, even though on a conscious one thats not really how it is...

So one benefit with dialing alone, using a dialer, is that you can make lemonade out of the dropped calls. Be sure to turn the ringer off on that extra line, because it will ring all day.

Of course Im referring to a "predictive" dialer actually, not AUTO, but people use the term loosely.

All in all , I personally like manual for dialing alone, because it allows you to anticipate and prepave each greeting... picture the name in your head a few seconds before hand...it seems like I have better energy on greetings manual dialing, and that makes sense. If you are rolling with a dialer though, you get use to delays, conversions just arent as high at the greeting generally.

-John

Another thing is that you can write a killer answering machine message on the call back line, and it will blow up all day with people getting the message. that can result in a sale here or there. Every sale counts.

Edit: Wooops, you WERE talking about "auto"....sorry.