Phone Number Settings Explained
Are you unsure about the intricacies of phone number settings within Mastermind? Don't worry, mastering these settings isn't as daunting as it may seem. In this guide, we'll explore the various phone number configurations available within Mastermind, ensuring you have complete control over your communication channels.
To view the phone number settings, navigate to Settings > Phone Numbers and click on the pencil icon.
Number Name
The Number Name serves as the internal identifier for the phone number. It could be something like a ‘main marketing number’ or the name of the employee assigned to the number.
Forwarding Number
This is the phone number to which inbound calls to this new number should route. When someone calls the new number, the call will be redirected to the number you save here.
Pass Called Number As Caller ID
By default, the caller's number is displayed in Caller ID. Checking this box passes the purchased number as the Caller ID, ensuring clear identification.
Use Your Verified Number as Caller ID for Outbound Calls: This feature allows you to show your verified phone number as the Caller ID when making outbound calls.
Enable Call Connect
If this box is not checked, incoming calls will function as normal so that the call immediately connects when you answer. If we check this box, however, you’ll hear a whisper message prompting you to push a button on your phone to accept the incoming call. This helps prevent confusion between connected calls and voicemail recordings.
Why activate this feature?
This setting enables powerful automation, such as the Missed-Call Text-Back feature, ensuring accurate call status recognition.
To execute automation like that, the system needs to know if a call is connected, and often it can get confused by thinking that a voicemail recording is a person. When that happens, the call is categorized as connected even though it didn’t connect to a human.
We can eliminate the possibility of confusion by checking the checkbox. By checking the box, the receiver of the inbound call must press a key to connect. That way, the system always knows whether or not a call was answered by a human, which is why we recommend turning this on.
Whisper Message
The Whisper Message is played to the person answering the call when Call Connect features are enabled. It informs the receiver about the call source and prompts them to press a key to connect. So we would put something like “Mastermind call” or “Call from your account name, press a key” so that you know you’re about to hop on a call from the system and that you need to press a key to connect.
NOTE: You can utilize Custom Values in your Whisper Message. You can add things like {{contact.full_name}} to hear the name of the lead you will be connected with.
Call Recording
Enabling call recording not only records calls but also publishes the recordings into the conversation stream of each contact. Be sure to enter a whisper message, such as “this call will be recorded for quality purposes,” to inform callers.
You can enable or disable the recording message as you wish. Please take into account your local regulations when deciding whether to include the call-recording message.
Call Timeouts:
Inbound timeout:
This setting determines the time (in seconds) the system allows inbound calls to ring before being dropped or forwarded to a voicemail (personal voicemail or pre-recorded voicemail within the CRM). Adjust this based on your preferences.
- If you want the lead to reach your cell phone voicemail, leave this field blank or add 60 seconds.
- For a pre-recorded voicemail within Mastermind, set the timeout to 1-4 seconds. Ensure you've uploaded a voicemail (MP3/WAV file) within the Business Info tab or the assigned user's profile settings.
- If you want the line to ring and the lead to reach a pre-recorded voicemail set within Mastermind, add the inbound call timeout to around 20+/- seconds. Setting a short timeout will ensure the line doesn't ring long enough to reach your personal voicemail recording.
Outbound timeout:
This setting determines the time (in seconds) the system lets outbound calls ring before dropping the call. Set a shorter outbound timeout (around 30 seconds) for voicemail drop campaigns or when agents want to speak only to readily available leads. This is ideal if you run voicemail drop campaigns or your agents have large lists and only want to speak to readily available leads.
Ring incoming calls to users:
This setting allows you to designate one or more users to receive incoming calls. The calls will be forwarded to the selected users.
Note: The calls will ring on the specified channel of the user. If both the Mobile App and the Web App are available, the call will ring on the Web App.
Advanced Settings:
The SMS Restriction History
The SMS Restriction History feature aims to help users monitor and track any adverse actions related to their SMS sending activities, such as daily or weekly limit violations, warning emails, and temporary restrictions based on specific criteria like opt-out rates.
To utilize this feature, navigate to the settings tab on the left and click on phone numbers within the settings menu bar, locate the advanced settings tab, and go to restriction history from there. Review any recorded actions.
Note that users must have appropriate permissions to access and use this feature.
Messaging Ramp Progress Card
The Messaging Ramp Progress Card helps users track and improve SMS messaging capabilities with clear insights and step-by-step guidance. It provides a detailed view of current messaging levels, future progression opportunities, and instructions to unlock higher limits, empowering users to manage their messaging limits confidently.
Users can access this feature under Settings > Phone Numbers > Advanced Settings > Messaging Limit, ensuring compliance with all messaging requirements.
For more advanced settings and personalized configurations, feel free to explore further within the Phone Numbers section under Settings. If you have any questions or need assistance, our support team is here to help.
FAQS
Q1: Why should I activate the Call Connect feature?
A: Activating Call Connect ensures accurate recognition of call status by requiring the receiver to press a key to connect. This prevents the system from mistaking voicemail recordings for actual human connections, which is essential for enabling automations like the Missed-Call Text-Back feature.
Q2: What happens if I don't activate Call Connect?
A: If Call Connect is not activated, the system may mistakenly categorize calls as "connected" even if they only reached voicemail. This can disrupt call-based automation such as follow-ups or missed-call text-back sequences.
Q3: What is a Whisper Message, and why is it important?
A: A Whisper Message is played when Call Connect is activated, informing the call receiver about the call source and prompting them to press a key to connect. It’s useful to identify the caller or the account that initiated the call, helping you prepare before answering.
Q4: Can I customize the Whisper Message?
A: Yes, you can customize the Whisper Message using custom values such as {{contact.full_name}} to include details about the lead, ensuring you know who you’ll be speaking with before connecting.
Q5: How does Call Recording work, and is it legal?
A: When enabled, Call Recording logs calls and saves the recordings in the conversation stream of the contact for future reference. To comply with legal requirements, you must include a Whisper Message that informs the caller, such as "This call will be recorded for quality purposes."
Q6: How should I set the Inbound Timeout?
A: The Inbound Timeout controls how long the system allows an incoming call to ring before routing it to voicemail. For personal voicemail, leave it blank or set it to 60 seconds. For pre-recorded voicemail within Mastermind, set it to 1-4 seconds, and for a mix, set it around 20 seconds.
Q7: What is the Outbound Timeout, and why should I set it?
A: The Outbound Timeout limits how long the system lets outbound calls ring before dropping. Setting a shorter timeout (about 30 seconds) is ideal for campaigns where you only want to reach leads who can answer immediately, like voicemail drop campaigns.
Q8: How does the "Ring Incoming Calls to Users" feature work?
A: This feature allows you to forward incoming calls to one or more users. The selected users' phones will ring on their Web App or Mobile App until one picks up, improving the chances of calls being answered.
Q9: How can I set up the Missed-Call Text-Back automation?
A: To set up the Missed-Call Text-Back automation, activate Call Connect to ensure the system accurately tracks whether a call is connected to a human. Once this is in place, you can automate text messages for missed calls using the workflow builder.
Q10: What is the default Inbound/Outbound timeout if no value is specified?
A: If no value is entered for the Inbound or Outbound timeout, the system defaults to 60 seconds for both.