Who doesn't want leads for life insurance, annuities, final expense, or other senior products? The question is whom can you trust to provide leads that not only produce sales, but also have been legally harvested. And here's a related question: should you buy leads that have been generated through robocalling (i.e., through pre-recorded voice telemarketing)?
Even though the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) made telemarketing robocalls illegal in 2009, there has been an explosion of such activity recently by companies trying to sell mortgage debt relief, extended car warranties, vacations, home security systems and insurance, among other services. In response, the FTC has been cracking down on large robocallers. Over the last several years, it has shut down or fined more than a dozen companies responsible for more than 2.6 billion illegal telemarketing calls. But plenty of robocalling marketing firms, who claim that their methods are legal, are still operating. But the question is, did consumers explicitly agree in writing to receive those specific robocalls?
Seductive pitch
Lead generation companies no doubt make seductive pitches. One company claims to provide exclusive voicemail leads and direct live prospect transfers to insurance agents. How does it work? The company's computer calls consumers, making a pre-recorded sales pitch. Depending on the type of lead purchased, the voice either asks consumers to leave a voicemail or to press 1 to speak to a live telemarketer. In the former case, the company will e-mail agents an audio file of the prospect leaving their name and phone number. It will also include the original phone number it called. In the latter case, the system will prompt consumers to press 1 to speak directly with the agent, who receives the call in real time.
Although the company claims to call only prospects who have opted in, it's unclear from their website how they secured that opt-in. According to the FTC, unless this permission is given in writing, the robocalled lead will have been generated illegally. So unless a lead provider can substantiate its claim of having written opt-ins, do not use its service. Also be skeptical of FMOs or IMOs who claim to have discovered loopholes in the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule. Unless you're willing to pay an attorney to vet their claims, you may want to stick with leads generated through conventional methods (i.e., direct mail, live telemarketers, etc.).
At the end of the day, ethical agents not only do what's right, they do what's legal. Don't purchase robocall leads unless you are 100 percent certain they were generated legally—i.e., with written permission. And never cold call consumers without scrubbing your list of people who have placed their name on the FTC's Do Not Call List. As with all things in life, it's best to be safe, not sorry.
Source: The National Ethics Association. www.ethics.net
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