The Do Not Call Registry was implemented in the US in 2004. The registry greatly reduced the number of telemarketing calls one has to deal with. Given the many ways there are to communicate with people today, it's hard to believe that cold calling was ever very effective. Today the focus for businesses is to find the people that actually want their products, through permission marketing. This is where marketing is most effective. Did you know that political, charity, and survey robocalls are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry?

What are Robocalls? Robocall is a term for an automated phone call that uses both a computerized autodialer and a computer-delivered pre-recorded message. Robocalls are often associated with political and telemarketing phone campaigns, but can also be used for public-service or emergency announcements. Definition provided by Wikipedia.

Here are just a few examples of robocalls:

• Politics: "Get Out the Vote" (GOTV) campaigns use robocalls to increase the number of votes cast in an election.
• Sales: A customer may still receive calls from companies with which she has an existing business relationship for up to 18 months after her last purchase, payment, or delivery from it, unless person specifically asks the company not to call again.
• Emergency Notifications: These emergency blasts are helpful in situations such as a neighborhood evacuations or inclement weather notifications. Using robocalls for emergency notifications is a great way to keep people safe and informed.

Although on opposite sides of the spectrum, both robocalls and the National Do Not Call Registry have their place in today's telephony world.

Inphonite, LLC develops and markets professional, automated phone messaging systems and interactive computer telephony products that improve the profitability and productivity of a wide range of organizations.

By Michael Harris with Inphonite, LLC