How to Avoid Getting Calls Flagged as Spam or Telemarketer

Have you been getting fewer connections on your cold calls? Too many answering machines? If so, there's a good chance your phone number has been flagged as SPAM LIKELY, TELEMARKETER, or even FRAUD by phone carriers. When a potential prospect sees this, they usually immediately ignore or send the call to voicemail. It's simply getting harder and harder to get your calls through as carriers are getting stricter.

Once your number is "SPAMMED" (flagged and displayed as telemarketer, spam, etc.), it's extremely hard to get that undone. In theory, with these new updates to FCC laws aimed at targeting “robodialers,” carriers now provide their consumers with the tools to help ignore potential scam calls. However, the carriers have gone too far and often flag legitimate businesses.

The most likely way that your caller ID gets marked as a spam number is by making a large volume of calls from one caller ID in a short amount of time to a specific carrier, such as T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon. These carriers have different algorithms that see "unusual" call volumes and automatically flag it without any easy way to have it undone. We believe they have gotten extremely overzealous in their labeling which is harming small businesses trying to make a living.

Use These Strategies to Avoid Getting Spammed

1. Use Dynamic Caller ID to rotate your caller IDs - This is an absolute MUST! By using a dialer such as Dolphin Cloud Power Dialer with dynamic caller ID, it will automatically rotate a list of several legitimate caller IDs for you and your team. So each successive call comes from a unique number. We recommend a ratio of at LEAST 5-10 phone numbers rotating for each agent making calls.
2. Use a Power Dialer, not a Predictive Dialer or Auto Dialer - Predictive and auto dialers call several numbers at a time - a red flag for carriers. While they can dial numbers faster, in addition to your numbers getting flagged as spam, you also have to deal with short duration calls, telemarketer delays, and dropped calls.
3. Test Often & Abandon Flagged Caller IDs - If you suspect your caller ID may have been flagged, test it by calling your cell phone (or a friend's cell with a different carrier). Stop using that caller ID and move on.
4. Avoid Short Duration Calls - Any US domestic completed call that is equal to or fewer than 6 seconds in total duration is defined as a short duration call. Carriers view this as a red flag so wait at least 7 seconds after a call is connected before moving on. This could happen if your sales reps are disconnecting immediately when they hear a voicemail greeting, or hanging up within 6 seconds of someone picking up a call.
5. Cold Call in Good Faith - Be courteous, don't call the same numbers over and over, have a way for people to reach you back, and of course be sure you're trying to sell something that can provide real value to people.
6. Register Your Phone Numbers with Caller ID Reputation Registries - This won't give you complete protection, but it may help. Some registries: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Stir/Shaken and FCC Regulations

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is using Stir/Shaken to “declare war” on those billions of robocalls that are almost all crooks trying to rob you. (The Canadian government is doing something similar) Examples: Car warranties, Student debt forgiveness, “Microsoft” tech support, etc.

Since all the spam calls have not stopped, the FCC is in the process of taking another over-reaching step that is called “Caller ID Authentication.” Only calls with Caller IDs that are “authenticated” by the calling phone carrier will be permitted to go through.

Conclusion

If you use dynamic caller ID along with a dialer like Dolphin Cloud and take reasonable steps, your business can still be successful making cold calls. Being aware of your caller IDs, call through rates, and avoiding short duration calls will make a huge difference if you've been struggling and not sure why.