Quick Telemarketing Guide For Sales Organizations to Avoid D0-Not Call Registry Fines

VERY FEW sales offices doing their own in house calls know the rules. First they believe that the Do-Not-Call Registry does not apply to them if they are calling fellow business people. WRONG. $11,000 Wrong. Others believe that if they are offering a career opportunity instead of selling a particular product, they are 100% in right in calling anyone by phone. WRONG. Again $11,000 wrong.

YOU MUST REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS FIRST

We know of less than a handful of sales offices that have Registered with the FTC before starting to make outbound phone calls. The penalty for even calling a person WHO IS NOT on the do-not-call-list could amount to a fine of up to $11,000. A company that is either a telemarketer or seller  can be liable for placing ANY telemarketing calls until the seller has paid the required fee for the do-not-call registry. EACH violation is considered a separate violation subject to full fines.

REGISTRATION FEES TO PAY

When an organization accesses the system for the first time, it will have to create a profile and provide some identifying information, such as organization name and address, representative, plus the representative's telephone number and email address.. For l area codes selected there is an added $62 per area code. The 2^nd six months the charge becomes $31 per area code where you will be calling. Fortunately for sales organizations who market on a national basis the maximum annual fee is $17,050 for the database of the entire United States.. Each organization accessing the registry data will be required to pay an annual fee based on the number of area codes the company accesses.

What if an established business relationship exists?

A telemarketer or seller may call a consumer with whom it has an established business relationship for up to 18 months after the consumer's last purchase, delivery, or payment - even if the consumer's number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. In addition, a company may call a consumer for up to three months after the consumer makes an inquiry or submits an application to the company. CAUTION FLAG?, Does that mean that you have a maximum of 180 days to follow up on a lead.?  If a person you sold bought a single payment product, can you call them after 90 days? If a client lapsed on a contracted sale after 180 days can you call them. Yes, but questionable if on the do-not-call list. Start collecting Emails right now.

ADDITIONAL FINEABLE SITUATIONS  Unless a telemarketer has a person’s prior consent to do otherwise, it is violation of the Rule to make telemarketing calls. It is a violation to block your Caller ID number. or firm name. deny or interfere with a person’s right to be placed on any Do Not Call Registry., abandon calls, or threaten or intimidate a consumer or use any obscene language. Sellers and telemarketers must keep at least 1 copy of all substantially different advertising, brochures, telemarketing scripts, and promotional materials.

NO LONGER A TEST. When the National do-not-call list concept was started, it was to be for a limited time period. If a person did not re-register after 5 years, the phone number would be removed from the list. However congress and the FTC came in to save our poor souls.. As a result, there is no longer any time restriction to remain on the do-not-call list. numbers can only be removed from the registry under two conditions: with permission from the individual assigned it, or if the FTC determines, based on periodic checks, that the numbers have been disconnected, reassigned, or are otherwise "invalid."

Telemarketer includes any person or business who, in connection with telemarketing, initiates or receives telephone calls to a customer. If you are a telemarketer, you may register as a "telemarketer working for a seller/client" or as a "Telemarketer with Independent Access".

The do-not-call list is at 55% right now and were it to increase only 5% annually. It you equal 80& in 5 years. Maybe it’s a good time to reevaluate quality direct mail marketing sales leads.

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