4 New Telemarketing Rules that Affect Small Business

Recently the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) strengthened its rules on what many consumers were yakking about: pre-recorded messages to both cell phones and landlines. These are known as auto-dialers or “telemarketing robocalls”. Many consumers argued the pre-recorded messages and texts were eating up their precious minutes and wanted it to stop. The FCC’s new rules are also meant to be more consistent with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rules on telemarketing and the original Do Not Call rules put in place.

So as a small business owner, here’s how the new rules affect you:

• If you are using an auto-dialer or recorded telemarketing sales calls to a customer’s cell phone or landline, you now need prior written consent. The written consent can be received multiple ways including paper, e-signature, phone opt-in and website submission. Cole Information Permission Template Example
• There is no “established business relationship” when it comes to making auto-dialers or recorded telemarketing sales calls to customers.
• Auto-dialer calls must have an interactive opt-out option at the beginning of the message and throughout the call’s duration.
•  Each calling campaign’s abandoned or “dead air” call number can only be 3% during a 30-day period.

 The FCC’s revised rules do not apply to informational calls like wishing a customer a happy birthday or an appointment reminder as long as you don’t include sales pitch during that call.

If you’re still confused on whether you’re in compliance with the new telemarketing rules, why not check out this Small Business Marketing 101: 3 Steps to Telemarketing in a “Do Not Call” World. James Angel with dialyourleads.com provides some great insight.

How have the telemarketing rule changes affecting your small business? What tips do you have? We’d like to know.