FAQs

Tele-Town Hall Events

Can I include mobile numbers in my phone list for a TTH?

You can dial mobiles if and only if you have written consent from that mobile owner. The only exceptions are government elected officials or if deemed an emergency status (e.g. early days of COVID-19).

Do I have to dial out to a phone list? Can I just have participants dial in instead?

You do not need to dial out to a phone list – you can hold an inbound only TTH event where your participants dial a toll free number to join the call. You can also provide the toll free Participant Line to any outbound TTH event for those who weren’t called.

Is it possible to have the same toll free Participant Line for all of my Tele-Town Halls?

Yes – although a dedicated toll free Participant Line will need to be purchased in order to have the same number (annual fee applies).

Can I play an audio clip during my event?

Yes! Audio clips can be played during any TTH event as long as that audio file is uploaded prior to the event.

Is it possible to get a recording of the Tele-Town Hall once it has ended?

Yes – all events come with a .mp3 recording of the event that is available for download with your post-event data.

What is the maximum number of people who can participate in a TTH and how long does it take to call them?

We have held TTH events over the years to calls of almost 1,000,000. Dial outs can vary but can reach speeds of upwards of 300 calls per second.

How long can a Tele-Town Hall last?

Tele-Town Hall Events can last as long as you need. There is no limit.

What happens to people in the screener queue who are unable to ask their question on the air?

Every TTH event comes with the ability to have your participants leave a voicemail either after the conclusion of the event or when they leave the event. All participant voicemails are stored with your post-event data.

If I don’t a phone list, can you all help provide one?

Yes – we can provide detailed phone records based on a plethora of search parameters (rates do apply).

Peer-to-Peer Texting

Yes, P2P texting is completely legal and FCC compliant because messages are sent one by one.

How long can a message be?

An SMS message segment is 160 characters (spaces count as characters) (multiple segments can be sent in 1 message). A text only MMS  does not have a character limit but is limited to 485kb in size.

Can I Send Videos and/or Images? 

Yes, pictures and videos can be uploaded and sent as MMS messages.

How large can an MMS file be? 

485 kb is the limit – you can compress your video file on the TTH platform.

Yes, you can include both and can even insert a traceable link if you would like to see who clicks your link.

Can Commercial Clients Utilize P2P Texting? 

Yes, but lists must be scrubbed against the National Do Not Call Registry.

What is 10DLC?

10 Digit Long Code (10DLC) is the new standard for text messaging utilizing a traditional 10 digit phone number. Although similar to the existing long  code, 10DLC is a reliable messaging channel with throughput levels suitable for SMS campaigns which is sanctioned by the mobile operators.

Who Needs to Register for What? 

ALL Tele-Town Hall Peer-to-Peer (P2P) customers need to register as a brand and campaign with Campaign Registry to be able to continue sending P2P.  (forms available from your Tele-Town Hall Sales Associate).

Political Campaigns, PACS and Political Party Organizations must also register with Campaign Verify and receive a token that will be assigned to their  Campaign Registry Brand/Campaign. (form available from your Tele-Town Hall Sales Associate).

501c3 and 501c4 organizations must register with Campaign Registry as a Brand/Campaign but DO NOT need to register with Campaign Verify.

Will My Text Messages Cost More? 

Not with Tele-Town Hall. Implementation of 10DLC does include surcharges that will be levied by the carriers but Tele-Town Hall is not raising your  texting rates.

Why Register?

10DLC will result in higher delivery rates for legitimate text traffic. Also, once fully implemented, there will be fines associated with sending  unregistered text traffic.

How do I Register? 

Fill out the appropriate form(s) and return them to your Tele-Town Hall Sales Associate.

Voice Broadcasting

What is a Voice Broadcast?

A Voice Broadcast is a pre-recorded message sent to many phone numbers. This technology has previously been referred to as “robo calls,” but bad actors in the space have made that term synonymous with unsolicited telemarketing and scams. Tele-Town Hall Voice Broadcasts are fully FCC compliant. They are used by organizations like churches, sports teams, and businesses to rapidly deliver voice messages to their members.

Are any types of messages restricted by Tele-Town Hall?

Yes, Tele-Town Hall does not deploy telemarketing or solicitation messages. Account holders are also responsible for complying with applicable laws. Members must also agree to abide by our Terms of Service and Responsible Use policies when creating a new account.

What phone number is displayed when someone receives a Voice Broadcast?

The phone number displayed on the recipient’s phone will be from the same area code as your organization. This adds familiarity for the participant, and it helps ensure a higher acceptance rate. Alternatively, the caller ID can be set to your organization’s phone number.

What happens if a call is not answered by a person?

The Voice Broadcast will be left as an answering machine message. If the phone rings busy or is not answered, our system will try to deliver the message again later. You will never be charged for call attempts to invalid or disabled numbers.

What states and countries can Tele-Town Hall deliver Voice Broadcasts to?

Tele-Town Hall delivers messages to the entire United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. We’re also able to send Voice Broadcasts to other counties like Australia and England, to name a few.

Do I need to purchase any hardware or install any software to send Voice Broadcasts?

No, all Tele-Town Hall products are web-based, so you don’t need any special hardware or software.

IVR Automated Surveys

What is IVR?

IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response. IVR has become the premier technology in surveying because it cuts down on hold times, it’s more cost effective than hiring agents to record responses, and callers are more inclined to participate.

How many questions can I ask?

Ask as many questions as you would like. Moreover, you can set up branching logic trees for responses, randomize the order of questions, and set response quotas for each participant.

Can I record custom messages to play when someone answers the call?

Yes. Tele-Town Hall strives to ensure that surveys are as personalized as possible to boost recognition and ensure the highest response rates. You can record custom audio greetings, follow up questions, and thank you messages.

Is it difficult to set up?

No – all you need is a call list and the questions you would like to ask. If you don’t have a call list, Tele-Town Hall can help you build one.

Next, you will call into the Tele-Town Hall prompt line and record yourself asking the survey questions. This give your IVR Surveys a personalized touch.

Last, you will decide order of the survey questions. A member of the Tele-Town Hall team will walk you through each step of the process.

Do I need to purchase any hardware or install any software to conduct IVR Surveys?

No, all Tele-Town Hall products are web-based, so you don’t need any special hardware or software.

What phone number does the call come from?

The phone number displayed on the recipient’s phone will be from the same area code as your organization. This adds familiarity for the participant and helps to achieve the best response rates for IVR.

What are the survey delivery options?

IVR surveys can be configured as outbound (dialing out to your audience), inbound (participants call in to participate), during a Tele-Town Hall event, or in tandem with a Live Calls program.

How do I view survey results?

View results in real time with Tele-Town Hall’s IVR monitoring widget. Once your IVR survey is complete, you will receive a report detailing participant responses. These metrics can help you in several ways. First, it provides statistically-valid insight into what your audience believes.

Can I conduct IVR surveys in multiple languages?

Yes.

Polling Suite

Which products comprise Tele-Town Hall’s polling suite?

Live Call Program surveys, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) surveys, and Peer to Peer (P2P) text surveys.

Yes, all three polling methods are FCC compliant. Presidential candidates and major corporations trust Tele-Town Hall to deploy their surveys. None of our products utilize auto-dialers. This technology is designed to be non-intrusive and to foster true communication between two parties.

What states and countries can Tele-Town Hall deliver surveys to?

Tele-Town Hall delivers messages to the entire United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Do I need to purchase any hardware or install any software to use Tele-Town Hall’s polling suite?

No, all Tele-Town Hall products are web-based, so you don’t need any special hardware or software.

Are these surveys difficult to set up?

No – all you need is a call list and the questions you would like to ask. If you don’t have a call list, Tele-Town Hall can help you build one. Setting up questions in our web-based platform is a matter of a few clicks. A member of the Tele-Town Hall team will walk you through each step of the process.

How do I view survey results?

View results in real time with Tele-Town Hall’s monitoring widget. Once your survey is complete, you will receive a report detailing participant responses. You are the sole owner and proprietor of your survey results.

Targeted Data Acquisition

Can Tele-Town Hall help me build a contact list based on voting demographics?

Yes. We pull from a voter file containing over 235 million registered U.S. voters, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This file is known for its all-encompassing political data, which is regularly updated based on new voter registration, voter history, party switchers, early/absentee voters, and over 1,000 lifestyle demographics to assist with micro-targeting.

Can Tele-Town Hall help me build a list based on consumer demographics?

Yes. We pull from a multi-sourced consumer file that is comprised of over 253 million consumer records and enhanced with landlines, mobiles, and emails. This data is updated quarterly based on consumer spending, credit information, and more.

Can Tele-Town Hall help me build a list based on likely donors?

Yes. We pull from a donor file comprised of over 30 million individual donors and over 163 million donations. This unique dataset is perfect for fundraising and compliance. The data originates from financial disclosure information filed by candidates, PACS and party committees with the Secretary of State.

Can Tele-Town Hall help me build a list of political contacts for advocacy work?

Yes. We can pull data sets on federal, state and local elected officials to assist with your advocacy needs. Furthermore, we can provide staff and committee assignments so your organization can get in contact with the right decision makers.

Can Tele-Town Hall help me build a list of international contacts?

We have access to data in 180 countries for your campaign and advocacy needs.

Can Tele-Town Hall help me improve a list that I currently own?

Yes. During the matching process we cleanse and standardize your files, flag for deceased and moved, and append telephone numbers and email addresses. We can increase the depth of your information by appending political districts, donor information, party affiliation, vote history, ethnicity, gender and more.

Request a demo with one of our experienced sales engineers, all specialized in your industry and know exactly what it takes to get your message out there.