How long should an appointment-setting contract be?
As short as the provider allows, and ideally one batch with no minimum term. You are buying calls to your own list, and you cannot know how that list performs until it has been called.
A first run on one list answers the questions that matter: how many people were reached, how many meetings were booked, and how many of those meetings were held. Once you have those figures for your own market, you can decide whether to commit to more. Committing before that means paying for a result you have not seen.
What should I ask if a provider wants a longer term?
Ask what the term pays for, and ask for the answer in writing. A minimum term is a commercial choice by the provider, so it is reasonable to ask why it is set at 3, 6 or 12 months and what you receive in each of those months.
Also ask whether you can see results from the first weeks before the rest of the term is locked in, whether you can stop after the first period, and what happens to your list when the contract ends.
What should I check in any contract before signing?
Read these points in writing, whatever the term:
Term and renewal: the minimum period, whether it renews on its own, and how much notice you must give to stop. A contract that renews unless you cancel in a short window is easy to miss.
What you are paying for: calls, hours or booked meetings, and how a booked meeting is defined. Ask whether a no-show counts.
Your list: whether it is used only for your campaign, and whether it is deleted when you ask.
Visibility: whether you can play the recorded calls, and how often you receive reports.
Approval: whether you approve the opening and the reason for the call before it starts.
Responsibility: who at the provider is named for your campaign and can be reached in working hours.
If any of these is vague, ask for it to be written down before you pay.
Does the Do Not Call Registry affect how long a contract should run?
Not directly, but the contract should say who is responsible for the Registry check. Checks of numbers against the Registry are made through the PDPC's DNC Registry service at dnc.gov.sg, and the result of a check is only valid for a limited period, so the PDPC page on checking numbers is worth reading before you plan when a list will be called.
The PDPC Advisory Guidelines on the Do Not Call Provisions are the starting point for how the rules apply to your own calling. This is general information only, so check with a lawyer about your own case. Also check that the contract says that anyone who asks not to be called again is not called again, and that the request is passed back to you.
How does Greetsby handle contract length?
Greetsby has no contract and no monthly fee. You choose a batch, pay for it before calls start, and when it is done you decide whether to order another. The prices are S$1,800 for 1,000 numbers, S$3,600 for 2,000 and S$5,400 for 3,000, which is S$1.80 a number and covers up to 4 attempts on different days between 9.30am and 6.00pm.
Greetsby does not guarantee a number of meetings. The first batch shows what your own list produces, and you can play every call, including the ones that did not book. A weekly report lists calls made, people reached, meetings booked and meetings held.
Greetsby is for small and mid-sized Singapore businesses that sell to other businesses, B2B sales teams, and financial advisory firms. For insurance and financial advisory work, the firm must sign up, not an individual representative. To start, pick a batch on the Get started page, or write to hello@greetsby.com. Replies come within one working hour, 9.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Questions
Is a 12-month contract ever worth it?
It can be, once a first batch has shown results on your own list and you want to plan a steady flow of calls. Signing it before you have seen any results from your list means paying in advance for an outcome you do not yet know.
Can I cancel an appointment-setting contract early?
Only if the contract says so, so read the notice period and any renewal clause before you sign. With Greetsby there is nothing to cancel, because each batch is paid for on its own.
Who checks my list against the Do Not Call Registry?
You do, at dnc.gov.sg, before the list goes to the provider. Greetsby asks you to confirm that you have done this when you upload the list.
Can an individual insurance agent sign up with Greetsby?
No. Under MAS Notice FAA-N02, only the financial adviser firm may appoint an introducer, so the firm must sign up.
Sources
- PDPC: Advisory Guidelines on the Do Not Call Provisions
- PDPC: Check numbers against the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry
General information for businesses in Singapore, not legal advice.