Cold calling has long been an effective method for businesses to generate leads, drive sales, and build customer relationships. Even in today’s digital era—where chatbots, email, and social media dominate—outbound phone calls provide a personal and powerful way to connect directly with potential customers. To prevent cold calls from being marked as spam, businesses must adopt the right strategies. However, an increasing challenge threatens the success of cold calling: mobile carriers and third-party call filtering apps frequently flag. However, an increasing challenge threatens the success of cold calling: mobile carriers and third-party call filtering apps.
When a prospect sees this label on their phone screen, the chances of them answering the call drop significantly. In fact, the majority of recipients won’t answer a call marked as spam, causing businesses to lose potential leads and revenue. This problem no longer affects only scam callers—many genuine, reputable companies now face unfair flagging due to outdated call practices, overzealous spam filters, and failure to comply with industry protocols.
For businesses operating in regions like the Middle East, Asia, and North America, where call regulations are evolving rapidly, However, an increasing challenge threatens the success of cold calling: mobile carriers and third-party call filtering apps frequently flag numbers as spam” tag is no longer a best practice—it’s a necessity. Your brand builds credibility, earns customer trust, and protects its bottom line by making sure your calls appear trustworthy and professional.
How to Prevent Carriers from Marking Your Cold Calls as “Spam Likely”
This guide walks businesses through a step-by-step process to prevent carriers from marking outbound cold calls as spam, offering practical actions you can implement immediately.Plus, we’ll highlight how FreJun, an AI-powered VoIP platform, can automate compliance, maintain your caller reputation, and dramatically increase your call pickup rates.
Step 1: Register and Authenticate Your Business Numbers
To register and authenticate your business phone number for WhatsApp Business, you need to create the number on a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), receive a verification code, and use it to verify the number, then register it for use with the Cloud or On-Premises API.
The first step to preventing spam labeling is registering and verifying your numbers with mobile carriers and third-party databases.
- Register your business name and numbers in CNAM (Caller Name Delivery) databases. This allows caller IDs to display your company’s name.
- Implement STIR/SHAKEN protocols, a framework that verifies the authenticity of your calls and reduces spoofing. FreJun’s platform provides automated STIR/SHAKEN support.
- Use local virtual numbers when targeting specific regions to build trust and increase answer rates.
Why This Matters
Verified numbers establish legitimacy, and seeing your company’s name on the caller ID boosts the recipient’s trust.
Step 2: Optimize Call Patterns and Volume to Avoid Detection
Call volume is a measure of how many inbound calls are coming into a contact center. You can measure it in various time increments, such as every fifteen minutes, every hour, or each day.
Carriers often flag numbers based on calling behaviors that resemble spam activity.
- Avoid making high volumes of calls from a single number in a short period. FreJun’s dynamic number rotation allows you to spread call volume across multiple lines.
- Vary your call timings to avoid triggering carrier filters. Calling hundreds of people back-to-back without variation can be a red flag.
- Use FreJun’s AI-based call scheduling to automate optimal calling times, ensuring you reach leads when they are most receptive.
Why This Matters
High-frequency calling without a strategy can trigger automatic spam labels. Smart scheduling reduces risk and improves engagement.
Step 3: Respect Do-Not-Call Lists and Maintain List Hygiene
Respecting Do-Not-Call lists and maintaining list hygiene involves regularly removing numbers from your contact list that are registered on national, local, or company-specific DNC lists, and ensuring your email list is clean and engaged.
Complying with regulations and respecting user preferences is a legal and ethical necessity.
- Regularly scrub your contact lists against national Do-Not-Call (DNC) registries.
- Immediately honor opt-out and unsubscribe requests. FreJun automates opt-out tracking, helping you stay compliant.
- Remove inactive numbers and contacts who have reported your number in the past to minimize risk.
Why This Matters
Ignoring DNC rules can lead to fines, lawsuits, and complaints that damage your business reputation and lead to more spam flags.
Step 4: Monitor Caller Reputation and Analyze Call Data
To monitor caller reputation and analyze call data, businesses can utilize call tracking and analytics tools, analyze call recordings, and implement call monitoring practices to improve customer experience and agent performance. Continuous monitoring of your caller reputation ensures you stay proactive rather than reactive.
- Use tools (like FreJun’s AI-powered analytics) to track pickup rates, call durations, and spam complaints.
- Regularly check spam detection services to see if your number is flagged.
- Analyze call data to spot trends in behavior that may contribute to spam tags, then adjust your strategy accordingly.
Why This Matters
Early detection of spam risks allows you to address issues before they escalate and impact campaign performance.
Step 5: Train Your Team and Standardize Scripts for Quality Interactions
Call scripts provide agents with structured prompts and responses that help them navigate conversations with customers more effectively. The aim is to ensure that key information is conveyed accurately, compliance requirements are met, and customers’ needs are addressed efficiently. The human factor in cold calling is just as important as technology.
- Provide training on best practices for introductions, building rapport, and respecting customer time.
- Use AI-guided call scripts available in FreJun to ensure every agent follows compliance protocols and maintains a professional tone.
- Encourage transparency by clearly stating your company name and purpose within the first few seconds of the call.
Why This Matters
Respectful, professional, and transparent calls lead to fewer hang-ups and complaints, which reduces the likelihood of being flagged as spam.
Final Thoughts
Cold calling, when done strategically and respectfully, remains one of the most powerful methods for businesses to connect with prospects, build relationships, and drive revenue. But in today’s world of strict telecom regulations and heightened spam detection, ensuring your calls are perceived as legitimate is critical.
Calls marked as “Spam Likely” result in missed opportunities, damaged trust, and lost revenue. Businesses that fail to adapt to modern call compliance protocols risk being left behind. On the other hand, companies that take proactive measures—registering their numbers, complying with DNC lists, optimizing call schedules, and training their teams—stand out as trusted voices in a noisy market.
By leveraging FreJun’s AI-powered calling platform, your business can simplify this process. FreJun offers advanced tools like STIR/SHAKEN compliance, dynamic number rotation, AI-driven call analytics, DNC management, and automated call scheduling, ensuring you maximize your cold calling efforts without worrying about spam flags.
In short:
- More answered calls
- Higher conversion rates
- Stronger brand trust
Now is the time to future-proof your cold calling strategy. Invest in the right technology, follow proven practices, and partner with FreJun to ensure every call you make builds trust and delivers results.
Ready to revolutionize your calling strategy and prevent spam flags? Talk to FreJun today and take control of your outbound communications!
Further Reading: UAE Phone Number Examples: A Complete Guide with Calling Codes
Subhash is the Founder of FreJun, the global call automation platform. With 8+ years of entrepreneurial experience, FreJun was established to help customers with their voice communication needs. The goal of FreJun is to develop cutting edge technology and solutions to help customers.