| Phone broadcasting is a technology that enables you | | | | hour. |
| to simultaneously send hundreds, even thousands, of | | | | When looking for a phone broadcasting service |
| people a pre-recorded message over the phone. It is | | | | bureau, you will need to keep the following questions in |
| also known as voice broadcast, voice blast, phone | | | | mind: |
| blast, and in the political realm as robo calls. | | | | - Will the service bureau launch the job for you, or can |
| It is a highly regulated field and commercial | | | | you do it yourself with a web interface that is |
| telemarketers are facing increased federal and state | | | | accessible at any time? (Some companies do both.) |
| regulations that make it more and more difficult to | | | | - How are the recordings done? Can you record over |
| send pre-recorded messages. Over half of the phone | | | | the phone, or do you have to email a wav. file? |
| numbers in the United States are now on the Do Not | | | | - Are the calls made over fiber optic lines or VoIP |
| Call registry and telemarketers are not permitted to call | | | | (over the Internet)? |
| them. Moreover, new regulations will require | | | | - How is the service billed? Do you pay by time, or by |
| telemarketers to get written permission from those | | | | message? Do you pay for calls that are |
| people they wish to call. | | | | non-deliverable (for example, no answers or busies)? |
| However, there are many phone broadcasting | | | | - What kind of format do the phone lists have to be in |
| applications which are perfectly legal and more and | | | | (Excel spreadsheet)? How are they delivered to the |
| more organizations are using the technology to | | | | service bureau? |
| supplement their communication efforts. | | | | - Will you be able to put your own phone number in |
| For example, the use of phone broadcasting to send | | | | the Caller ID that shows up on the recipient's phone? |
| "informational" messages is becoming a necessity. | | | | - What kind of reports will you get? |
| Schools and colleges are implementing emergency | | | | With the latest technology, you'll find most service |
| notification systems that alert students, parents and | | | | bureaus are able to deliver your pre-recorded |
| constituent groups about school closings and other | | | | messages to both live answers and answering |
| important announcements. Airlines use phone | | | | machines (voice mail.) Generally, you will be able to get |
| broadcasting to inform passengers of changing | | | | reports and see who actually listened to your |
| schedules or flight status. Stock brokers use phone | | | | message and see how many messages were |
| broadcasting to give clients up to the minute market | | | | delivered. A good service bureau will make the whole |
| reports and recommendations. | | | | process relatively easy. You'll be amazed at how fast |
| Phone broadcasting users can buy their own | | | | you can get your message out. |
| equipment, but the vast majority find that hiring a | | | | Phone broadcasting is a very powerful medium |
| service bureau is much more cost effective, easier | | | | because it is targeted and "hits home." It can be life |
| and faster because of the built in capacity of the | | | | saver, and it can also be abused. Use it wisely and it |
| larger systems being used. Professional phone | | | | can be the most valuable resource you have in |
| broadcasting companies can send out tens of | | | | keeping the lines of communication open with your |
| thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of calls an | | | | important contacts. |