Voice broadcasting
Voice broadcasting is a mass communication technique, begun in the 1990s, that broadcasts telephone messages to hundreds or thousands of call recipients at once. This technology has both commercial and community applications. Voice broadcast users can contact targets (whether they be members, subscribers, constituents, employees, or customers) almost immediately. When used by government authorities, it may be known as an emergency notification system (since such notifications are intended only for use in emergencies).
Voice broadcast systems manage a database of phone lists as well as digitally recorded phone messages. Using telephony components, these computers can simultaneously broadcast thousands of phone messages. Personalized information can be included in the phone messages through the integration of text-to-speech software.
Advanced systems include telephony boards with answering-machine detection, and the logic to properly play a unique message to answering machines without message truncation.
Interactive voice broadcasting
Interactive voice broadcasting (also referred to as interactive voice messaging) programs allow the call recipient to listen to the recorded message and interact with the system by pressing keys on the phone keypad. The system can detect which key is pressed and be programmed to interact and play various messages accordingly. This is a form of Interactive voice response (IVR).
The actions that can be programmed may include surveys, information confirmation, contact preference confirmation, or navigation through a phone menu. An example of the use of this technology is automated phone surveys, where professional polling organizations place automatic calls to conduct surveys. Respondents are provided survey questions that are answered using DTMF-tone keypad responses.[1]
More qualitative results can be captured by allowing call recipients to leave their own voice message instead of just button presses. This function can not only be used for "grassroots" lobbying, but can be used to allow loved ones to leave voice messages for each other when separated after a disaster.
Voice broadcasting law
Voice broadcasting law is a subset of laws under telemarketing law. One of the most recent of these laws is the 2008 Telemarketing Sales Rule Amendment as issued by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Predictive dialing drop call rates and prerecorded message delivery restrictions were provided in the amendment.[2] "
Popularity of Voice broadcasting
Voice broadcasting is a popular method of direct marketing. Industry groups such as insurance, real estate, telemarketing, healthcare, direct sales, etc., have used it to create leads or as a follow-up method to their existing or past customers and/or current prospects. Also, interestingly one example of the popularity is its use by nonprofit organizations (NPOs). For example, an NPO can use voice broadcasting to send a simple "thank you" message to its donor base. This may be very valuable especially when an organization is manpower constrained and there is a large donor list to call periodically, e.g., quarterly, to thank or to request additional donations.
Two voice broadcasting methods for lead creation
Two popular methods to create leads with voice broadcasting are to deliver a prerecorded "live" interactive message and the voicemail message. The prerecorded message is commonly referred to as the "Press One" method. This is because when the dialer or voice broadcasting system calls, the respondent is asked to interact with it by pressing a number on their keypad (usually "1"), for example, to receive more information or to connect with a live agent standing by.
In the matter of voicemail messages, the dialer will drop/deposit the prerecorded message onto a prospect's answering machine. The objective is for the recipient to check and listen to their messages, and then to call back the phone number in the prerecorded message for more information.
See also
References
- ↑ "A Quick Guide to New Survey Methods" (PDF). University of Minnesota. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ↑ "FTC Issues Final Telemarketing Sales Rule Amendments Regarding Prerecorded Calls: Rule Will Halt Prerecorded Sales Calls Unless the Seller Obtains Consumer's Permission". US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Retrieved 14 February 2013.