The All Aboard Newsletter

Hey everyone, welcome back to another edition of the All Aboard Newsletter!

Sorry about missing last week! I was celebrating America’s birthday a little too hard (Yeeeeeeehaw) but I'm back, and today we're diving into a big issue: flagging for spam on outbound calls.

If you're making outbound calls in your agency, this is one of the most important things to keep an eye on.

If you are flagging spam it will absolutely SINK your efforts. So yea, don’t let that happen without having a plan to fix it.

Let’s break down why it’s a problem, how you can address it, and what’s coming down the pipeline.

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Why should you even care about spam flags?

If you’re dialing out on your leads and nobody is picking up, it can be frustrating as all hell.

You blame the leads. You blame the prospects. You blame Mercury being in retrograde (IYKYK).

But in reality… you might just be getting flagged as spam and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done anything wrong.

Its just part of the game at this point.

When your numbers aren’t flagged, you should see an 8–10% answer rate.
 
Once flagged? That drops to 1–2%.

Aka - You’re dead in the water. It does not make sense to invest in outbound and not have a plan for spam.

Lets put some numbers to it.

• 100 calls a day, no spam flag: 8–10 pickups.

• 100 calls a day, flagged: 1-2 pickups.

If you’re relying on your reps to hit 40+ items a month, they’re going to need actual human conversations.

Spam flags make that impossible.

We expect our salespeople to quote 6 to 8 households a day. If we can’t get more than a couple people on the phone its pretty obvious they’re not going to hit their goals.

You see the problem right?

So….Why do we get flagged?

Its not entirely clear (or proven) what causes you to flag as spam and we probably won’t know for sure.

Why?

Well, just like Facebook, TikTok, Linkedin, and other platforms have an algorithm, so do carriers. And that algorithm changes all the time.

However, most of the time, spam flagging comes down to sloppy dialing practices or behaviors that closely mirror what scammers would do.

Here are some examples.

• Short call durations: If you’re consistently having short calls, it can signal that you get hung up on a lot. So make sure the call is ringing to voicemail before hanging up AND when you get people on the line, aim to convert at least 50% of pickups to quotes/transfers. That will help the “average duration” of the call improve.
  

• Inconsistent volume: If a number goes from 0 to 400 dials in a day, carriers throw up red flags. Warm them up over time. If you’ve got a brand new number, maybe make 30 calls the first day, 60 the next, 90 after that etc. Think about what type of behavior looks normal and not necessarily like a telemarketer.
  
  

• Brand new numbers: Just like email, if you start blasting on day one, you’re toast. Warm them up gradually. Think of your phone as having its own “reputation” score like we have credit scores. “Length” of tenure shows its legit!
  

• Erratic dialing: Double dialing, parallel dialing, or hammering 500+ calls daily? That’s a one-way ticket to Spam City. Plus, its just a shitty thing to do. I promise you, if you double dial me, it better be an emergency or you’re getting blocked.
  

• No carrier registration: If you haven't registered your numbers, the carriers have no clue who you are. So, make sure you register your numbers and show that you’re legit. Note - Just because you’ve registered, you can STILL flag spam.

Cycling your numbers can be a better strategy than doing nothing at all, but its not a remedy for spam.

You can cycle 10 numbers a day, and half of them can still flag.

The future ain't getting easier

Apple is rolling out new call screening this fall. While it won’t be on by default (yet), the trend is clear: it’s only going to get harder to reach prospects by phone.

And look - Here’s the reality.

1.) Many people are saying this has been around for a while on Android phones.

That is true, but with a caveat. Its largely been a feature on Google Pixel phones which make up about 5% of the overall smartphone market in the United States.

Apple on the other hand makes up 58% of the market in the U.S so the risk is high.

2.) This setting is NOT turned on by default.

So, the hope here is that most people do not go in and turn this setting on and screen your calls, but the reality is that many people will (in my opinion).

Which means to adapt — you have to get smarter and more tactical, not necessarily more aggressive.

That means contacting prospects in more ways (see my multi-channel outreach chart in last weeks newsletter) AND getting much more polished in your approach.

Do I think this will kill outbound?

Absolutely not.

Do I think it will wash out a lot of poorly trained telemarketers and sub-par salespeople?

Absolutely.

So, what can you do about it?

Option 1: DIY (Painful, but doable)

• Register every number manually with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

• Use tools like Hiya (Registration) + Number Verifier or Caller ID Reputation (Monitoring) to check daily.

• Swap flagged numbers, warm up new ones slowly.

• Register flagged numbers w/ the carrier and wait (sometimes weeks) to get them remediated.

• Rinse and repeat — forever.

Option 2: Let us handle it

At Next Call Club, we manage spam remediation on autopilot. We monitor, mitigate, and remediate so your numbers stay clean.

We have a technology stack that costs us well over $30,000 per year that we fractionalize for agents who don’t need something with a minimum that ranges over $1,000 per month.

We do it for $50–$60 per number per month. Bonus: Once numbers are remediated, you don’t need to keep cycling through dozens of lines.

You only need one number per person and you don’t need to cycle or swap numbers anymore.

Plus, if it makes more sense for you to go direct, we’ll tell you and make an intro.

Want to go even further? Brand your caller ID

Ever get a call from a random 10-digit number?

You probably ignore it. I know I do.

I ignore about 10+ calls per day.

But if it says Peachy Insurance, you might pick up — or at the least Google it.

Why do I believe that?

Well for two reasons:

1.) Before I do business with any company, what do I do? I search them to see what types of reviews they have. Why would insurance be any different?

2.) We see that internet leads we’ve called call us back on our google number.

We brand all our outbound calls. It builds trust, improves answer rates, and even drives callbacks from prospects who find us later online.

And, when combined with spam remediation, its super valuable.

What do you think is better for a prospect.

To get 5 calls from you on 5 different numbers, or to get 5 calls from you on the same number?

In my opinion, the latter.

5 calls from 5 numbers seems like they’re getting called by “everyone”

5 Calls from one number looks like persistence.

Caller ID helps you build your brand.

And in a world where companies are losing their soul, your local brand can be incredibly powerful.

Let us know if thats something you want to talk about.

In closing..

Getting people on the phone is only going to get harder. The window to fix your outbound strategy is closing fast.

I live an breathe this stuff. Please take this seriously.

If you’re not prepared, you’re going to get left behind.

Clean numbers, smart branding, and proper dialing habits aren’t optional anymore — they’re survival.

If you need help, want to brainstorm, or just want to vent about your telemarketers, you know where to find me.

Three ways I can help you:

1.) If you need leads, calls, or data analytics - We’d love the opportunity to show how Next Call Club can help you grow faster and more profitably than before. We’re ready for the TCPA changes and can help you be ready too!

2.) Looking to scale in 2025? Maybe you’re shifting your strategic direction. Want a person you can work through plans with? Lets talk about 1:1 Consulting for you and your agency!

3.) Want to sponsor this newsletter? Lets talk about whether you’re a fit to reach 1,000+ agency owners every week!

As always - Thank you for the support! I’m looking forward to bringing you insights, ideas, and actionable strategies multiple times per month! If you enjoyed this newsletter or it gave you value, please consider sharing it with a friend!