| About Action IVR | FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Contents
What is it?
A prospective client reads your ad in the Yellow Pages and calls your toll-free
number. The ad in the Yellow Pages indicates which code number to select to hear
a message. He listens to the pre-recorded message and then can switch or transfer
into your regular office number for an appointment. Or he can select another code
number and listen to another message.
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How does it work?
A prospective client reads your ad in the Yellow Pages and calls your toll-free
number. The ad in the Yellow Pages indicates which code number to select to hear
a message. He listens to the pre-recorded message and then can switch or transfer
into your regular office number for an appointment. Or he can select another code
number and listen to another message.
Once a person calls your Action IVR telephone number , and once they hear your message,
a message that is based on real experience and professionalism, the percentage of
conversions to live appointments can range from 50-90% of all calls! Why? I have
determined that people tend to gravitate to the law office which they first call.
They become familiar with your office quicker than any other. Think of it. You meet
an American in a foreign country. One of the first questions you ask is usually,
'What state are you from?' If a person is from your home state, doesn't that create
a little excitement and you start asking what town, etc. they are from? The same
principle is at work when gathering information about a financial problem. The more
familiar the potential client is with your office, the more likely they are to make
an appointment with you.
Marketing your legal services through information is two-edge sword. First, it's
very effective. It works. I have the records to prove it. The attorneys who are
using the system are absolutely free to cancel anytime they wish. But they don't.
Why? Because Action-IVR is as I said, 'a proven work horse'. It works and they will
tell you so. I will arrange for you to talk directly to them and ask your questions.
Obviously, interactive ads set you apart from any other attorney marketing bankruptcy
services in the Yellow Pages and you have to put yourself in the position of a consumer.
Say you had to buy gutters for your house and you looked in the Yellow Pages under
gutters. And let's say there was an IVR system to give you information about gutters.
Let's say that your questions were found in an ad which you could call and simply
listen to the message. And let's say that all the other ads were 'flat' or 'non-interactive
ads'. Won't there be a greater chance that you would call the IVR system especially
when you saw exactly a question which was foremost in your mind? And if you were
impressed with that message as being authoritative, confident, experienced and trustworthy,
wouldn't you be at least be more likely to call or transfer your call to a live
person for further inquiry? Second, it's ethical and dignified. That's right. If
you have done any marketing, you must know how advertising which really grabs the
consumer by the labels and is effective has two potential problems: It might not
be ethical and it might not be 'dignified'. But to have your 'cake and eat it too',
namely, highly effective marketing which is ethical and dignified is very, very
difficult to achieve. Well, here it is. When the phone company went to offer an
IVR system to attorneys to use in the Yellow Page, Connecticut found such service
to be unethical because it gave the appearance that the phone company was 'endorsing'
or 'recommending' the attorney who used the system. However, if the individual attorney
uses an IVR system, this is absolutely ethical and there's no prohibition. It's
offered as a service which truly educates the public about bankruptcy. Therefore,
it's your right under commercial free speech and it can't be anything other than
dignified because you aren't selling. You are merely offering free information based
on your years of experience. Of course, you have the usual caveat of warning that
your information is for general purposes and might not apply to the listener's specific
case. And that only a consultation with an experienced attorney can determine how
the law would be applied in any individual case. And once you get to first base,
isn't it more likely you'll get to third and even have a home run? And we have the
statistical reports to prove it!
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Who developed this?
Two people developed the IVR system. Dave Falvey and Raju Kavalla.
I'm Dave Falvey and I'm a consumer bankruptcy attorney. What are my credentials?
Go to: www.abcworld.org and
under Consumer Attorney, click on Connecticut. Also, you can go to www.grotonbankruptcy.com . So as the boys in Texas say,
'I've been around the waterfront for a long time'. Am I a programmer? Absolutely,
not. I have all I can do to understand and practice bankruptcy correctly. Plus,
I have seen attorneys who are programmers and they get too bogged down in technology.
I want something that works and makes the cash register ring and I want it simple.
I have been using the Action IVR system for over 14 years as I have said. Therefore,
the system has been developed based on my real needs in the battlefield. 14 years
of marketing experience comes with the package. For example, putting aside the difficulties
of having a flexible and robust IVR system and those difficulties and costs will
be staggering, and let's say you develop an IVR system which has more bells and
whistles than a locomotive, how do you use the IVR system to make your phone ring?
I absolutely state that unless you use the IVR system according to the guidance
which I will give you, your IVR system will not work! I know that sounds arrogant
but let me say that I have been through the trenches and have been battered, bused,
kicked and bitten (called 'the school of hard knocks' -you should see the advertising
dollars which were completely and totally wasted. Sickening, and like most, I hate
the Yellow Pages and I wish I didn't have to advertise. Why? I'd rather not have
the overhead but I'm in business and if I don't advertise, my business will be adversely
affected. Today you either advertise or you die).
In offering you the IVR system, I consider myself to be an associate of your law
firm and as such, I have to produce results for you. If I don't produce, you have
to get rid of me and I accept the challenge. That's why I offer you my personal,
golden guarantee. More about that later.
Yes, I have hired programmers to develop the IVR system and I drove them nuts to
achieve exactly what I know is needed in the system. I'm the end-user who wants
to obtain bankruptcy clients. I wanted a Kalasknikov machine gun; I wanted a rifle
that if I fell into the sand, or mud or river, it would continue to fire every time
and never miss. I wanted the IVR system to be sturdy, dependable and operable 27/7
and never, never miss one second by being down. I wanted a system with plenty of
practical bells and whistles and one which could be changed and improved easily.
I wanted it to be extremely, extremely user friendly. I wanted a system which was
so intuitive that it could be used without any instruction. And I wanted a system
with a state of the art professional 'feel' or 'look' to it. This is what my programmers
had to achieve and I must say, they did achieve it. I was fortunate to meet Raju
Kavalla through my local banker. I had told my banker how I wanted to develop an
e-learning website and other IT projects for my business. He referred me to Raju
Kavalla who had just opened an account with his bank and who expressed an interest
in developing IT projects.
Raju had just started to work as a consultant for one of the largest Fortune 100
Companies in America and he's too modest to tell you, so I'll tell you that his
work is so recognized that there are many times when he's the only person on the
corporate jet being flown to one of their locations either in the United States
or overseas to put out an 'IT fire'.
Raju and I have worked together on the Action-IVR project and other IT projects.
I view myself as the marketing department and Raju is, of course, the IT department.
I couldn't bring about the Action-IVR system without Raju (it is absolutely complicated
and demanding technology of integrating the telephone with the computer) and Raju
couldn't bring about the marketing (bankruptcy scripts, legal ethics, marketing
campaigns, etc) without my efforts.
Before I offered my Action-IVR system to attorneys outside of Connecticut, I first
went to my colleagues who had known me and my work and my practice for many years.
Now this is the hardest sell because these attorneys are my real peers because Connecticut
is a very small state and everyone knows everyone who practices bankruptcy. I'm
honored to tell you that these attorneys know my work and know my practice. They
know that I file a considerable number of bankruptcy petitions. Over the years my
filings have fluctuated based, of course, on the economy. But I believe that it's
fair to say that in some years I have been at least one of the largest filer of
bankruptcy petitions in Connecticut. So everyone was very interested in my 'marketing
secrets' and/or strategies. And since I know everyone who files bankruptcy petitions
in Connecticut, I didn't want to go into their 'territory' and compete because these
attorneys are my colleagues and, indeed, friends. Further, I didn't want to run
around the state with various offices and try to control my files. The administrative
nightmare of such a project of trying to maintain quality control and the costs
were not something I wanted to tackle. However, I don't mind sharing with good colleagues
and friends my 'marketing secrets' and they in turn have agreed not to use my IVR
system outside their designated areas. Now we know that areas are developed naturally
due to distance and practical problems. Anyone is free to accept a client from any
area of the state; but, they have all agreed not to use my Action IVR system by
advertising in a market area which is not their area. Also, as another practical
matter, they have no interest or motivation to go outside their area and, indeed,
even if they did, their areas are so large that they know that clients will not
travel that far to retain them. In other words, their market areas are large.
I'm Raju Kavalla and I'm the IT person who worked with Dave Falvey in developing
and customizing the specific IVR system which he and his fellow attorneys wanted.
Originally, I am from Hyderbad, India where I have a degree in engineering. Presently,
I work as a full-time consultant for a Fortune 100 Company in their IT department.
Prior to coming to the United States, I was a manager of a multi-million dollar
IT company in England and I have taught computer programming at the college level.
One of my duties while in England was to qualify the IT company for a Level 5 Rating
with SEI. Obviously, in my spare time I have been the architect and/or programmer
for the Action-IVR system.
Dave Falvey and I have worked as a team in developing the Action-IVR system. Dave
is the end-user and really knows how to market and use the Action-IVR system effectively
to increase his business. I have been the IT person responsible for organizing,
structuring and implementing a robust and flexible IVR system. For example, Dave
would want to conduct a special advertising campaign in the 'PennyPincher' newspaper
(a speciality newspaper) and at the same time he's using the IVR system in the Yellow
Pages. Dave wanted a special report to judge and gauge the effectiveness of placing
his 'Interactive IVR' ad in the 'PennyPincher' newspaper but he didn't want to have
to obtain a new toll-free number for each specially placed ad which would mean delay
and considerable cost. My job as chief architect was planning and building of a
system which has excellent flexibility to achieve any marketing objective. Dave
has brought to me an endless list of practical marketing needs and as he has said,
just when I thought I had completed the project, he came with another problem which
was so difficult, I would have to discard all previous work and start again from
scratch. That's why we had to develop a secure website database to handle all of
the needs for specialized reports. Dave was always saying, 'The reports are everything'
and as he has freely admitted, he drove me 'nuts' with his demands. But in all fairness,
I was able to be patient with the never-ending demands because I realized that the
Action-IVR project had to be Beta Tested in the field with other users and I could
appreciate the necessity for flexibility in the database.
My responsibility is in developing and maintaining the sophisticated technology
and programming necessary for a very advanced telephony system which we call Action-IVR.
Dave is the one who understands the subject of bankruptcy, the legal ethics in marketing,
and the practical needs of the marketeer when advertising. We discovered that when
an attorney doesn't use the IVR system correctly, it won't work. The technology
can be flawless and the telephony working to the highest standards. But without
the proper guidance in marketing, the Action-IVR system won't have the dramatic
impact on your business that it is capable of producing. What has been developed
is a collaboration between marketing and IT. And I totally agreed with Dave when
he was always saying, 'You can't have one without the other'.
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What absolute and golden guarantee comes with the ActionIVR system?
As I said, when you lease my IVR system, I consider myself to be an associate of
your firm. I have to pull my own weight or ship out. When I was first hired by a
law firm, I don't know what it was because in all fairness to the gentleman law
firm that first hired me, there was no pressure on me to bring in business. This
was a long time ago and unfortunately all the members of that firm are no longer
with us. It was a very small office with a total of 4 lawyers including myself.
But I felt that either I bring in my own 'book of business' and help the firm be
profitable, or I would resign. If I failed them, I didn't deserve to be an associate
and my value system is such that I felt that any money that they paid me, had to
be refunded. I guess that's why I became a partner within 1.5 years.
When you lease my IVR system, I'm going to work for you as a junior associate. Unless
I prove myself to you, then I should refund any money you pay me. That's right.
I can't stand these marketing people who tell me that if I purchase their services
or products, they can't guarantee me the results. I know these marketing people
are shocked when I ask them for a guarantee. No one asks them for a guarantee. Why
not? If they know what they are doing, if they know and believe in what they are
doing, if they truly want to help you because their victory is your victory and
their loss is your loss, why don't they offer a guarantee. If you become member
of our group, then I guarantee you success. And if you aren't satisfied with the
result, I'll offer to resign before you cancel.
What exactly is the guarantee? If you aren't satisfied for any reason with the results,
you can cancel at any time and you owe nothing. Further, I'll refund to you any
and all monthly payments which weren't an expense for me. What's an expense? You
receive a phone call on the IVR system and the phone company bills us for the call.
We in turn bill you for the call. This is an expense. Now in all fairness, these
calls will mean real business to you. But if you don't get many calls which does
not happen when you follow my instructions, you won't have much in the way of expenses
anyway. When a practitioner is getting many 'hits' or 'calls' and it always means
increased business as you would see, I haven't had anyone say, “ Turn the IVR off
because I don't want the calls'. But if you want to have it turned-off, I will have
it turned-off but it would be insane. Further, you have to follow my instructions
on how to use the IVR. If you don't follow my instructions, it won't work. Plain
and simple as that and if you don't agree to follow my instructions, I'm not going
to offer the IVR system to you for the simple reason, as I told you, it won't work.
Remember, I put my dues in and I bring 14 years of continuous prior experience to
the table. As Rodney Dangerfield would say, 'I need a little respect' or this is
not going to work. I can't tell you what my instructions will be because obviously,
that's part of my trade secrets.
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What kind of bells and whistles does your IVR system have?
TODO: Update this section.
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What does it cost for the ActionIVR system?
Regarding the cost, here's my philosophy. I want you to have a long term association
with you and that means our costs have to be fair and reasonable and frankly on
'cheap side'. Most of the problems with franchises stem from the fact that the franchiser
wants to gouge the franchisee with exorbitant prices. The First Commandment: Thou
Shall Not Gouge or Overcharge. Second Commandment: Thou Shall Keep the Prices Low-especially
if you want repeat business.
Plain and simple, there are no huge up-front fees. So take a yoga cleansing breath.
First, I don't like huge up-front fees for anything, so why should you? I don't
believe that people should gouge one another. And as I told you, since all payments
except expenses are refundable, why would I want to be bothered with the accounting
of putting your deposit into escrow? Second, I'm more concerned that you are an
experienced and reputable practitioner than I am with any up-front fee. All the
practitioners in our Connecticut group are very experienced and, of course, highly
ethical attorneys. I take such personal responsibility in this Action IVR system
that I prize your participation more than the money. Yes, I want to make a profit.
That's only fair but I want to first and foremost know that I have helped you and
only then am I entitled to any compensation.
But let me try to be a little specific about costs. There is a set-up fee which
involves the recording of your scripts. We have arranged to have a professional
studio record your scripts if your are concerned about the quality of the sound.
We only charge you what is charged to us for this service. You can go to your own
sound studio and have it recorded and send us the CD. Then you totally control the
costs but it's probably going to be cheap and easier to use our studio.
Further, let's say you are not too concerned with voice quality. When I used my
first IVR system, we used a very simple system and the voice quality was acceptable.
It wasn't 'professional' but it got the job done and it was effective. We can tell
you how you can do-it-yourself and send it to us but if you are basically computer
illiterate like myself, (I have to have someone set it up), you better not tackle
it. But I assure you, we'll tell you how to record the scripts yourself and send
them to us and you'll totally eliminate this cost. Each set of scripts are evaluated
and given a quote for professional recording and I would say the range is between
$300-$1,000. It depends on the length. The longer the script, the longer to record.
There's no limit on the length of your script. If you had your own IVR system which
would cost a small fortune, you would have the same exact cost because to have a
professional voice and professional studio do the recording, I assure you it costs.
Simply shop around for quotes. You would have to pay to have your scripts professionally
recorded.
I have to pay someone to set-up your scripts with our Action IVR system which I
would estimate the cost be in the $500 range. They have to take your scripts and
put them onto the computer and get all your codes into the computer and test the
system.
I have to spend considerable time talking with you and emailing and sharing with
you the trade secrets which are really necessary to make this IVR system work for
you in the market place. There's no charge for this.
I know how busy your practice is and how demanding it is of your time to try to
write scripts for the IVR system. We have scripts which you can use but I find that
based on your practice, you will want to change those scripts. No problem. You can
use our scripts or you can create your scripts or you can take our scripts and modify
them. There's no charge for the scripts. We can send you sample scripts of what
is presently being used, so you can cut and paste, if you like.
What you need to see is what your monthly bill would look like with the Action IVR
System. Obviously, this is confidential and I'll certainly share that with you once
you sign our non-disclosure, non-compete agreement and you demonstrate some real
commitment by paying your set-up fee. And the set-up fee is refundable if you don't
elect to implement the IVR system.
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