In today's economic environment, now more than ever, businesses are searching for ways to quickly cut costs, streamline operations and recover receivables faster. One simple way to accomplish that is electronic invoicing, via fax or email. The cost is a fraction of what you pay to mail your invoices, your customers receive them immediately, and your collection cycle is shortened. Not only will you eliminate high postage costs, but your paper and printing costs are reduced as well. Best of all, there is no need to develop programming or purchase hardware and/or software, because we have the delivery system already in place. You just email your data to us, we parse it, and we send your invoice or statement in the format you want, including PDF invoices.
Electronic invoices come in two forms: faxed invoices or emailed invoices. Many companies choose one or the other, but you can actually do both simultaneously with our system. That way you can deliver an invoice in the format your customers like best. There is no need to maintain separate databases for your fax or email invoice customers either. Our system can handle both types of recipients in the same database. Why are more companies embracing the idea of emailing or faxing invoices? Dramatic cost savings! No more printing and no more postage! And with the added benefit of not having to buy any new hardware or software, implementing e-invoicing or electronic invoicing is the fastest and easiest way to see immediate savings.
In my opinion, yes. Someday, sending voice messages over the Internet may be as convenient and reliable as today's fiber optic system. But unfortunately, VOIP isn't there yet. There are many companies in the voice broadcasting business that use VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to send their customers' messages. And since it's cheaper to use VOIP, their customers think they are getting a better deal. Yes, it's cheaper all right, but there's a price to pay in the end. The problem is reporting. VOIP's reputation as a reliable platform to properly record and time delivered messages is questionable. So if you are paying per minute, or per call, you may want to think twice about the report you get back if you're using VOIP.
There's plenty of doubts and you won't have any trouble getting second and third opinions by Googling "VOIP reliability" or "VOIP dependability". In a new book that will be released this summer (Summer '08) by Himanshu Dwivedi, entitled Hacking VOIP, he says, "administrators must contend with eavesdropping, audio injection, Caller ID spoofing, VOIP phishing and other unique exploits. All of these security holes can result in the leakage of information and in unreliable phone calls." In the voip lowdown blog, one commentator admitted, "all we hear about in the mainstream media is how vulnerable and unreliable VoIP is. And let's face it... until people start taking the steps to safeguard their networks, this technology isn't going to go places."
There's a lot of work to do to get VOIP up to the standards that fiber optic customers can take for granted. Until that day comes, your best bet is to use "old fashioned" fiber optic telephone lines to get your messages out and properly reported.
The days of using automated phone dialers and sending pre-recorded phone messages to an indiscriminate list of numbers in the phone book are long over. The federal government, and most state governments, have instituted laws that strictly regulate such activities. In fact, if you aren't careful, you can be subject to a very hefty fine. While the laws are constantly changing, there are some general rules of thumb you need to know about.
First, unless you have an existing business relationship (EBR) with someone, it is against the law to voice broadcast a message to someone who has their number on the national Do Not Call list. Many states have their own Do Not Call lists as well. Second, the only exceptions are for non-profit organizations or political candidates. So, if you are private telemarketer, you are advised to study the rules carefully, or hire an attorney who can help you. There are phone lists you can purchase that are "scrubbed" against the Do Not Call list that would enable you to call people who don't mind being solicited. However, if you are misled and the list was not scrubbed against the Do Not Call list, as advertised or promised by the list broker, you can still be fined. One company was fined over a million dollars. These are treacherous waters and you have to VERY careful. Here is a good run down on what the law says: http://www.dnclistmanager.com/do_not_call_laws.html
Nearly all of our OrangePoint business involves serving customers who send messages to those whom they have a prior business relationship with, so our customers are safe from any penalties. Nonetheless, it's important that you follow the letter of the law, and that's exactly what we ask our customers to do. Meanwhile, there are several companies that specialize in "call compliance" -- services that insure that you don't get yourself in trouble. Here is the link to a popular call compliance company that claims none of their customers have ever been fined. It would be worth it to check them out: http://www.callcompliance.com
Nearly all of our OrangePoint business involves serving customers who send messages to those whom they have a prior business relationship with, so our customers are safe from any penalties. Nonetheless, it's important that you follow the letter of the law, and that's exactly what we ask our customers to do. Meanwhile, there are several companies that specialize in "call compliance" -- services that insure that you don't get yourself in trouble. Here is the link to a popular call compliance company that claims none of their customers have ever been fined. It would be worth it to check them out: http://www.callcompliance.com
You should also review the Federal Communication Commission guidelines here: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tcpa.html
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.
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 voice 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!
