[ HOWTO w/ PICS ] - Telemarketing for under $40

How would you reach your target market with a small budget? On top of that, how to do it when resources, time and manpower are also limited? These were the issues we had to confront when we first launched ThemBid.com in the Inland Empire. Our goal was simple; get our name out there with a $100 budget and minimal resources. Sound impossible? Not really. After all, we are an innovations company - we thrive on challenges. Knowledge is power, creating knowledge is innovation.

All we had to start off with was a database of small business phone numbers. This information is available online courtesy of the city of Riverside. We brainstormed on possible ideas on how to leverage this information. We came up with ideas such as hiring a telemarketing firm, mail out fliers to businesses, join a chamber of commerce, and the list went on. Everything required resources and manpower to manage the project. Therefore weren’t viable solutions. Little did we know that the solution was with an application we used every day.

In order to communicate with one another quickly during the workday, we use the Skype Instant Messenger client. Skype also offers an optional upgrade in which members can make unlimited phone calls to any landline for $8.85 for three months. Skype also offers a freely available API that can be used to create custom software. We now had two of the three pieces of the puzzle. We had the phone numbers, and had the ability to make phone calls. Now we needed to develop the software to automate this procedure.

The Requirements List
In order to successfully implement this software we needed specific requirements.

• No human interaction whatsoever.
• Call a predefined list of business phone numbers.
• Dial that phone number and play an automated phone message.
• Log the information to a specific log file
• Call only during the business week.
• Call during specific work hours.
• Easy to use control panel.
• Windows XP/Vista compatible.

The Software Used
In order to create and implement the automated telemarketing strategy, we used freely available software that served a specific purpose. Each is defined below.

• Winamp 2.95
  
  A light mp3 player that can play a message while using little system resources.

1. 1. http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=winamp
   2. Cost [Free]
   3. The reason why we went with this version of winamp was because it was solid release and it used little system resources compared to newer versions of winamp.

• Skype
  
  The phone-dialer software that will dial to local small businesses.

1. 1. www.skype.com
   2. Free calls within Skype Members online.
   3. Sign up for $8.85 for 3 months to make landline calls. We will need this service to make the calls [Upcoming explanation below]

• Virtual Audio Cable
  
  In order to speak with someone online you would need a microphone. Virtual Audio Cable allows an audio player to be that microphone. In this situation, it redirects the output of Winamp and redirects to the input of the Skype microphone.

1. 1. http://nrcde.ru/music/software/eng/vac.html
   2. They do offer a free trial software. The only caveat is that the word ‘Trial’ is heard in the background every five seconds.
   3. The registered version runs for $30.00 [Upcoming explanation below]

Additional Components

• MP3 Audiofile
  
  This is the audio file that will be played with every outgoing call.

The Software Development Platform
We chose to go with Microsoft C# because of its ability to create quick GUI applications. We also used freely available software that connected to the Skype API relatively easy. This can be downloaded from,
http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/skypecontrolapicsharp.asp
Development time - two weeks.

— How To Use The Software —

[Disclaimer, we are providing this service 'as-is'. We assume no responsibility for any part of this process.]

Part I - Using NO CASH - verify the system is set up properly.

Software Installation

1. Download Skype here
   1. Sign up and Sign in. Register a username and password. This process is completely free.
2. Download the free demo version of Virtual Audio Cable here.
3. Download and install winamp 2.95 here, again this is free also.

Initial Configuration

1. Winamp Configuration
   • Run Winamp, click on the top left corner of the application to open the dropdown menu.
   • Click on ‘Options‘ -> ‘Preferences’
     
   • On the left menu, click on ‘Output‘
   • In the resulting menu, double-click on ‘Direct Sound output‘ menu item.
     
   • Under the device tab. On the drop down list, make sure you select the Virtual Audio Cable Line. On your system it may be named ‘Virtual Cable’, or something to that effect. The naming may vary from system to system.
     
   • Save everything.
   • If you play an mp3 file, and you don’t hear nothing… This is normal! The sound is being directed into the virtual audio cable.
2. Sype Configuration
   • Run Skype, click on the top menu - ‘Tools‘ -> ‘Options‘.
     
   • Select the ‘Sound Devices’ option.
   • For Audio In, make sure you select ‘Virtual Audio Cable‘.
     
   • Save Everything.
3. Initial Test
   You are now ready to automate your phone calls and have the winamp player be the person speaking to everyone!
   • Open Skype and Winamp
   • Highlight the default buddy, ‘Skype Test Call‘. Click on the green Dialing Button.
     
   • When the operator prompts you to speak, click play on the Winamp player to play your recorded message.
   • If everything is successful, you should hear that message being played back within that phone call!
     • This means this message will be played to all people you are going to be calling.

Part II - Let the magic begin

Once you have verfied the software to work correctly, now you just need to complete a few more steps to have your very own telemarketing system up and running.

1. Purchase the $8.85 software service from Skype here.
   1. [Note] - You will need to login with your username and password. Make sure you select 3 months [Only $8.85]
   2. This will allow you to make phone calls to the landlines.
2. Purchase the full version of Virtual Audio Cable here.
   1. [Note] - If you dont mind having ‘Trial’ playing every 5 seconds, go ahead and use the demo version instead. Now your cost is only $8.85 for telemarketing!

Installing the automated phone dialer.

1. You can download the automated phone dialer here.
2. Install and Run the software.
   1. Note - Make sure you have Skype & Winamp as well.
3. Once you have it running, make sure you click connect first.
   1. This will connect the phone dialer control panel to the skype program.
4. Select ‘Allow this program to use Skype’, and click Ok.
5. Make sure it says ‘Attach: Success’ on the phone dialer control Panel. Aside from the timestamp.
   
6. Select the phone number text file you wish to use.
   A simple text file will do. One phone number per row.
   1+AREA CODE + PHONE NUMBER:[Syntax]
   13235551234
   11234567890
   13105552122
   
7. Select the audio file you wish to be played on all your outgoing messages. This is the message that will be played out to everyone.
   
8. Select the text log file you wish to create.This is for your personal record keeping purposes.
   
9. Select the length of the phone call.
   • [NOTE] - This must be greater than the phone message itself.
   • This is to ensure that the dialer doesn’t get stuck with a call that nobody never picks up.
10. Select the time frame you wish the automated phone dialer to dial out to.
    
11. Select the amount of time inbetween the phone calls.
    
12. Click Start, and watch the automated phone dialer work its magic!
    

Remember this phone dialer is to be used in accordance of the terms of service of Skype.

-Jose Lopez, Chief Programmer ATL Innovations, Inc.