Political Robo Calling that Works
By: Scott Perreault
With the landscape of American politics becoming extremely polarized, the use of many different techniques to illicit a positive or negative response from the voters are being conducted outside of traditional radio and television methods. A new method of communication is with the use of Robo Calling. A taped voice being presented to the person who answers their telephone. A new spin on the telemarketing concept. We all know what high esteem the telemarketing industry holds in our society, the question is, can Robo Calling elevate itself to a status where individual households welcome and indeed listen to these calls?
Scott Radio conducted an informal survey of over three hundred households who had received a Robo Call during the last election. The results were surprising. The vast majority did not find the call negative. Most found them informative. A common reply was they felt “included” in the process. If a friend had received a call and they did not, it was considered a reason not to vote for that candidate. Unlike sales people calling to ask for money, the Robo call is not seeking money, rather a much more valuable item, of which every adult has just one to give. A vote. The overwhelming result of the survey is Americans remain proud. While in the world of consumerism, some individuals are thrifty while others spend until the credit card is declined, in the matter of our one vote, we remain cautious and prudent on how we use it.
The one strong comment during the survey was the approval of Robo Calls from male voices who were not aggressive, yet were not drone. The research shows that Robo Calls from the candidate were not well received. Candidates often delivered an impression of being long-winded, begging or disrespectful. If you are considering the us of Robo Calls, you need to do everything in your power to ensure a benefit to your candidate, rather than creating a negative impression that results in a old fashion lynching on election day.
Scott Perreault (http://www.scottradio.com) is a radio and narration voice veteran with over twenty years of broadcasting and voice work experience. From the writing, production and development of radio campaigns to the recording of a two-hour audio book, Scott has experienced many facets of the voice business. Scott Radio offers free demo voice work. If you remember Promo code #98, the commercial or Robo Calling is free.