Calling Lists

[computergroove]

Where does one come up with a calling list? I was thinking of generating one in excel and importing it into the server.

[williamconley]

I have an excel spreadsheet, but recently I have found a way to do it WITHIN SQL (after the first one is in place) and still have random order with each new list, generated by MySQL. I even have a query I can run that will randomize an existing list (using the LName field). Would any of this be helpful?

[computergroove]

I wasn't aware that dialing in a random order was important in any way. I am happy to let the server dial alphabetically by number unless there is a benefit to doing it your way.

My question was really about being to get my hands on an existing calling list with peoples first and last names and possibly addresses on it to. I called the phone company (AT&T) and they told me that no such list was available. How are all of you getting your calling lists?

[DarknessBBB]

As Telephone Company Business Partner they can provide you profiled lists.
If you work by yourself you can buy them. In Italy you can buy them from Telextra, in example. The price goes from to € 1.000 to € 100.000

[williamconley]

InfoUSA and several hundred others (many of whom re-sell InfoUSA's list or some other major sellers lists). You can pay anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars per name.

If you are actually generating or purchasing lists, this means you are not calling your own existing customers. If you are not calling your own customers and you are calling inside the US, you must adhere to the DoNotCall list. There are several, many states have their own, but the primary one is here: donotcall.gov website for serious rules. You can get 5 area codes for free, but the list is around $17k last time I checked. And not having it while telemarketing to strangers inside the US is ... well, read the laws yourself. There are a great many laws and rules involved in Telemarketing using an autodialer and even without an autodialer.

Vicidial is actually a tool specifically designed to adhere to many of these rules and to be able to DEMONSTRATE that you are doing so.

If you are calling "every number in an area code" from a list generated in excel (after removing all the DoNotCall list entries), and you call in Numeric Order ... you may draw the attention (in a negative way) of the phone company through whom you are making hundreds (thousands, hundreds of thousands?) of sequentially numbered calls.

When they notice this activity, they will not be happy.

If you randomize your list and call every area code/prefix only a few times per day as a result, your likelihood of being noticed is greatly reduced. In fact, if you make 50,000 calls per day sequentially, you will likely make all of them with one provider. But randomly, spread out over the entire US, with all area codes and prefixes included ... you will not likely touch each phone company very often, and not in a sudden burst.

Even if you follow ALL the rules, and you have 100 operators standing by and have 30 of them available to ensure each and every call is a Live Operator call, you may not like what happens if you dial sequentially. Even outside the US. American phone companies are not the only ones who are touchy about this sort of thing.

Also, statistically, if you have no random order, you may get sales reps who do not like "this area" and decide that their sales are suffering because they are in "this area" today. Which of course, they cannot do if there is no "area" on any day. Then you can let your bean counters notice that a certain area code has a significant good or bad flavor to it. Based purely on sales.

Back to where you get lists: everywhere. The people who sell lists will generally GIVE you 500 or so to see if you like it. Test them, if you like them, purchase. If they won't give you a sample, be wary. If you don't get any sales out of the sample they give you, be even more wary about making a purchase.

Also beware of where THEY got the list (did they just use a webbot on Yahoo white pages?). And be sure that YOU remove DNC numbers from the list. If you call someone on the DNC list, pointing a finger at the company that sold you the name will not satisfy the PROSECUTOR. You are the telemarketer. Read the rules and laws which pertain to the business you are in. Not knowing them can cost you a great deal of money. No joke.

Sorry if I sound like I'm preaching, but not being told can cost you cash. I'd hate to avoid it.

[PrimePro]

What kind of list do you need? If you are specific about what you are looking for I can point you in the right direction.