Use Skype and PrettyMay for Automated Phone Messages
Have you ever needed to make several phone calls, saying the same thing during each call? Perhaps you needed to repeat your 15 second pitch while making networking contacts. Maybe you were calling a list of people to cancel a meeting or conference. Regardless of the reason, Skype and PrettyMay will help.
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What’s Skype?
Skype is a way to make phone calls using your computer. You can learn a ton about it by going to official website or by checking out Wikipedia.
You can call any other Skype user in the world for free. You can also make calls to regular phones. Until 2007, this feature is FREE for calls from U.S. users to U.S. phones. Now’s the time to jump on board!
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Automation time!
One cool feature of Skype is that there are many plugins available for download (some free, others not). PrettyMay is one of these plugins. It’s got a FREE trial version, which lets you use almost all the features. Download and install it, then you’re ready for automating your phone calls.
First, you just have to record your message. In Windows, you can do this with the “Sound Recorder,” which is accessible via the “Accessories” menu. Simply click “record” and speak your message into your headset or microphone. Then save the file where you can find it later. You might need to tweak the volume, to make sure the other person on the phone hears it properly.
Second, import your message into PrettyMay. On the “Share Music” tab, right click and select “Add Files.” Select your desired message file (wav or mp3 format) and click “Open.”
Third, call the person using Skype. Just make sure Skype and PrettyMay are running, then initiate a phone conversation with your targeted person.
Finally, play the message at the right time. When you want to play your recorded message, click “Share Music” in PrettyMay. Select the desired message file, click the play icon at the bottom of the screen, and check “Play Sound effect in a conversation.” Your audio file will now play, and the other person on the phone call will hear it.
Why do this?
If you’ve read this far, you must be interested in this concept. Perhaps you have an application in mind. Perhaps you don’t. Regardless, I’m sure many applications will come to mind now that you have the power of automated phone calls.
As a busy lawyer, how many times have you left the same exact voicemail for several different people? Instead of wasting your breath, record the voicemail to your computer, call each person, and simply replay the voicemail to each person’s voicemail box.
What uses do you have for this technique? Please post a comment or drop me a line.
[tags]legal andrew, skype, prettymay, broadcast audio, skypecast[/tags]
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4 Responses to “Use Skype and PrettyMay for Automated Phone Messages”
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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January 30th, 2007
great idea and I agree with you.
January 30th, 2007
I’m glad you liked the post. Thanks for commenting.
Andrew
March 24th, 2008
I’m going to use this technique to prank my boss and leave 600 messages on his voicemail for april fools.
October 1st, 2009
Ok, I can’t use this directly, because you have to play the audio message at every call, so you have to “be there” at every call.
I want a program where you can insert a list of numbers and then apply the same message after an answering machine picks up for each number.
This would be great for finding a job. If you want a painting job, simply cut and paste all the painting company numbers from the phone book, then wait till 11 at night to give your long eloquent sales pitch about yourself with contact information to all 100 companies.
Talk about a way of reducing your work load.