It’s bound to happen. Sooner or later, calling from social media sourced lists with their many cell phone numbers will cause a TCPA violation, maybe even a class action. Probably when you least expect it. But most business to business tech and software salespeople don’t think so. They need to call those cells. And the ones on the Do Not Call Lists. The ones the TCPA says you can’t dial with any automated assistance (which covers virtually 100% of B2B calls).
How are you going to defend yourself against the FTC, FCC, State AG’s or smart private right of actions lawyers if you get caught without any preparation? You’re not registered with the National DNC Registry. You’re not even attempting to identify cells vs. landlines before you call. (The first question the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will ask should they initiate an audit. And heck, they're even soliciting complaints against you.)
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Why Many B2B's Don't Care About Compliance - Video
This video is for informational purposes. Be sure to consult your own attorney for questions specific to your business.
B2B registration for the National List is Free.
Not $17,000 like everyone else. That’s because you can register under the business to business calling exemption at www.telemarketing.donotcall.gov This is the beginning of being able to defend yourself against the new breed of B2B smart litigants on cell calls. This also goes a long way to show the FTC, FCC and State AG’s that you are serious about compliance.
Carry it a step further and identify cells and you’re well on your way to surviving any government or private audit. Hire a third party to handle compliance for even more safeguards.
How do these fast moving business to business callers stay on the right side of TCPA Law?
With a robust number lookup tool. Before each call, archiving the status of everything they do automatically. Saving those records for six years. Are you calling a landline? Is it on the Do Not Call List? Is it a cell? Is that cell on the do not call list? In the B2B world, you can make lots of calls. But it's how you make those calls that's critical. And without proactively archiving the type of number you're calling - whether landline or mobile - it's virtually impossible to defend yourself against call prohibitions. See our blog: "How Agents Scrub Do-Not-Call Law Numbers."
How to protect Multiple B2B Agents - Video
This video is for informational purposes. Be sure to consult your own attorney for questions specific to your business.
Where do I find an easy number checking tool that does all this – and will hold up under legal scrutiny?
A Certified Do Not Call Law Compliance Provider. This is the niche market that was established when the Government came out with their National Do Not Call Registry in 2003. Companies quickly discovered that relying on the FTC’s number checking tool was woefully inadequate. It didn’t archive your checks. It went down a lot. You can only review a few numbers at a time. So a whole new industry grew up around accurate DNC and TCPA number dispositions and archiving. A single tool checking for landline dispositions and cell identifications - as well as providing all the little requirements like a DNC policy, company specific in-house list - and all available in the timeframe and format you'll need should a problem occur. (Today, the Government hires one of our major providers to perform data hygiene on their own National List. Talk about coming full circle!!!) See our page: "Single User Quick Check."
And of course, the States have their own DNC and mini TCPA laws that can overshadow Federal. And these laws are always changing as legislations gets strengthened, and DNC TCPA prosecutions continue to rise at an astonishing clip.
Here's an example of a robust number checking tool to help protect your Business-to-Business calls.
“You can do all that compliance stuff for me - and retain most of my numbers to call?”
Ya. And it’s even better than that. If you happen to make a mistake – either mechanical or human – because your policies, procedures and enforcements are all being carried out by this one simple tool, and backed by the top DNC player, you’re as protected as it gets from these constantly changing communication laws. As insulated from the DNC and TCPA as is possible today. In other words, a perfect track record over the last 12 years.
For more information on our B2B numbers lookup tool for DNC and TCPA compliance, call Bob at 561-317-3001 to discuss your personal situation.
