August 3, 2018
Caller ID Reputation and Why It Matters
Your caller-ID could be marked as spam already. When too many users mark your number as spam, the chances of your sales call getting answered go down drastically. That’s because nobody wants to waste time talking to ‘spammy’ call reps.
Less than half the people in the US answer calls from unknown numbers. The integrity of your caller id comes into play here. The name of your business not correctly displayed on a potential customer’s phone means it is more likely that it will either go unanswered, get marked as spam, or both. For instance, let’s say your business’ name is Roy Rental Services. It is possible for it to display as “Rental” or “Roy S” on a customer’s phone. In either case, the name does not tell the customer anything about your business. Thus, even if you are reaching the right audience, you are unlikely to engage them.
In some instances, it is also possible that your phone number was previously associated with a business that did not have an outstanding reputation. If the databases weren’t updated, your phone number would show up as the erstwhile business on people’s phones, thus reducing your chances of getting a good ROI from telemarketing.
There Is The Issue Of Dialing Compliance, Too
Caller id spoofing is sometimes illegal, and if your telemarketing service is doing it, you could land in trouble. Caller id spoofing – displaying incorrect information about your business to lure customers into answering the call – can be a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act and a bunch of other federal laws.
Best Practices For Caller ID
You are not just competing with other businesses; you are also competing with scammers, malicious callers, and spammers. It is important, thus, that your caller id information presents your business as an ethical and professional organization. Here are a few ways you can ensure that:
1. Your caller ID name should represent the purpose of your business.
In most cases, the exact name of the business suffices. However, you have a limited number of characters for this name. In the case your business name exceeds the limit, try using abbreviations without distorting the business name. For instance, if your business name is Take Four Rental Services, you can shorten it to Take 4 Rentals.
2. Use local area code.
Ditch the toll-free number. Instead, use an actual phone number, preferably with the local area code, as it will likely increase the response rate to your sales calls.
3. Maintain consistency.
If your business has multiple locations, make sure your caller id is consistent throughout. Having different caller id details for various offices can confuse customers. That said, it can be a good idea to separate caller IDs by employees. It can lend your telemarketing efforts a personal touch.
Caller ID might seem like a minor detail, but it can affect your marketing efforts, especially in today’s age of continuously bombarding people with new information. That’s where the importance of a good telemarketing software comes into play. A capable telemarketing software will not just allow you to control your caller ID details but also be capable of cloud-hosting and predictive dialing, two cutting-edge services that have changed the telemarketing landscape.
