Without question, the most popular and valued voice broadcasting feature is the ability to leave messages on answering machines. It's estimated that 70% of Americans are NOT at home during the day to answer their home phone. Moreover, many people believe that delivering a voice broadcast message to a phone is preferred over a live answer. Why? Because it's more convenient for the recipient to listen to the message at their convenience and that the message completely avoids the "startle factor" because it's in the same format as recipient's other messages on the answering machine. Some customers prefer delivering their pre-recorded voice broadcasting messages to live answers only, others to answering machines only, while most of our customers choose to deliver to both.
April 2008 Archives
When someone answers the phone and says hello, they expect an immediate response. So it's no surprise that folks may become a little startled when they hear a recording answering them. It takes them a split second to recognize that they are listening to a recording and not a live person. Moreover, as they make that mental adjustment, they will probably miss what you are saying in the first few seconds. That's why it's important to "ease" into the message to let folks adjust to what they are hearing. Rather than start your message by saying, "This is John Smith from ABC Organization" which they won't comprehend or remember anyway because it's too fast -- you can start by saying "I'm glad I was able to reach you. This is a recorded message from John Smith from ABC Organization, just calling to remind you that we have an important meeting next week." Your recipients will be less startled and find it a more comfortable approach and you'll also find it more effective as well, especially if you are leaving a message on an answering machine and don't want your name accidentally cut off while the recipient's recorder is starting.
We often talk in the office here about the ways our customers can help themselves improve the quality and success of their phone message deliveries. There are just two very important things you can do to insure success. They would definitely be considered "best practices" for phone broadcasting. First, make sure you have an up to date and correctly formatted phone list. An Excel spreadsheet works fine and you'll need a complete 10-digit phone number (including area code) in ONE column. Second, work on your message by writing a script and practicing it aloud several times. Chances are, after you read it, you will make changes. The average script goes through about five to ten drafts before it sounds right. With a properly formatted phone list, and a good script, you are 95% there!
Schools and colleges of all sizes are implementing emergency notification systems that will alert parents and students of late breaking announcements. The time to prepare is now -- not later when you are scrambling for ideas on how to get information out fast. Why is outsourced voice broadcasting an ideal solution? First, you can save tens of thousands of dollars because you don't need to buy your own hardware system to make the calls. That system is already in place and you only need to pay for what you use, when you use it. Second, you can access the system 24/7 over the phone and don't have to worry about having someone in the office to manage the notification delivery. In other words, if you're the principal, you can access the system from your home phone at 4am, recording you message, and have it send it to your stored phone list at 6:30am, or whatever time you choose. So, before you invest an big fancy system that is going to cost the taxpayers dearly, check out buying the service instead. It's faster, much cheaper, and a lot more convenient. Now is the time get set up before the next blizzard or unexpected school closing hits. We have a special School Alerts link at the top of this page where you can find more details.
Voice broadcasting goes by many names -- voice blast, robo calls, automated phone calls -- but it all boils down the same thing. It's just a way to send pre-recording phone messages over the phone to hundreds or thousands of people at once. Yes, there are a number of bells and whistles you can get, but the bottom line is getting your phone notifications out to as many people in the shortest amount of time. So, call it whatever you want -- we know what you're talking about -- and use our service with complete confidence.
What are the biggest advantages of the latest voice broadcasting technology? Two words: Fast and Cheap! I can hardly keep track of postage rates, but I think it costs 23 cents to send a post card these days. And then say it take 3 days to reach its destination. Not to mention buying the cards, the labels, and the time it takes to process.
But voice broadcasting is MUCH different. It's also known as voice blast, automated phone calls, robo calls, etc. For a fraction of the price, you can now send information to THOUSANDS of contacts simultaneously! Why spend days trying to reach people, when you can reach them all in minutes? And if they aren't home, the systems can automatically detect answering machines and leave messages for them to listen to at their convenience. For the right applications, sending pre-recorded messages over the phone is your fastest and least expensive way to get the word out!
But voice broadcasting is MUCH different. It's also known as voice blast, automated phone calls, robo calls, etc. For a fraction of the price, you can now send information to THOUSANDS of contacts simultaneously! Why spend days trying to reach people, when you can reach them all in minutes? And if they aren't home, the systems can automatically detect answering machines and leave messages for them to listen to at their convenience. For the right applications, sending pre-recorded messages over the phone is your fastest and least expensive way to get the word out!
