> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brilo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add a call step

> Add a phone call step to a Brilo campaign, pick the agent that makes the calls, and write an outbound opening that does not sound like an inbound agent taken by surprise.

A call step is your agent ringing a contact. It is the step every campaign starts with, and almost all of
the quality comes from one decision: which agent makes the call, and whether that agent's instructions
were written for outbound.

## Before you start

* A campaign. See [Start a calling campaign](/campaigns/start-a-calling-campaign).
* An agent with a phone number attached, which is the number your calls come from. See
  [Assign a number to an agent](/phone-numbers/assign-a-number-to-an-agent).
* Ten minutes, most of it on the agent rather than the step.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add the step">
    Open the campaign, go to **Overview**, add a step, and choose **Phone call**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the agent">
    Use **Select Agent** to pick which agent places the calls. This decides everything the caller hears:
    the voice, the language, the knowledge, and what it can do on the call.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the timing and condition">
    For a first step, immediately after the contact is added. For a later call attempt, a delay of one to
    three days and a condition of **Couldn't be connected**. See
    [Choose when each step runs](/campaigns/choose-when-each-step-runs).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the agent opens like an outbound caller">
    This is the step people skip. Call the agent yourself and listen to how it opens. If it says "how can
    I help?", it thinks somebody rang it, and every contact will be confused.

    An outbound opening does three things in one sentence: names your business, says why you are calling,
    and asks whether now is a good moment. See [Example instructions](/agents/example-prompts).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test on five contacts and listen to all five">
    See [Test your agent yourself](/go-live/test-your-agent-yourself).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## You will know it worked when

You answer a test call and know who is calling and why before you have to ask, and your agent checks
whether it is a good time before launching into anything.

## Should you use a separate agent for outbound?

Usually yes. The knowledge and the actions can be shared, but the instructions cannot, because the two
calls are different conversations.

|                  | Inbound agent            | Outbound agent                       |
| ---------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------ |
| Opens with       | An offer to help         | Who is calling and why               |
| Caller expects   | To be answered           | Nothing, and may be busy             |
| First job        | Find out what they want  | Check this is a good moment          |
| If they are busy | They would not have rung | Offer to call back, and end the call |

Running one agent for both means one of the two is wrong. Copy the agent, rewrite the opening, and point
the campaign at the copy.

## What your outbound agent must handle

Write these explicitly, because they come up on real campaign calls and an agent that has not been told
handles them badly:

* **"Now is not a good time."** Offer to call back, and end the call. Do not push.
* **"Who is this? How did you get my number?"** Say the business name and the reason plainly.
* **"Take me off your list."** Confirm you will, and end the call. Then make sure the campaign honours it.
  See [Let people unsubscribe](/campaigns/let-people-unsubscribe).
* **"I'm driving."** Offer to call back. Do not continue.
* **Voicemail.** Decide whether to leave a message or hang up. See [Voicemail](/calls/voicemail).
* **A screened mobile.** Newer handsets ask who is calling before they ring. See
  [Get past call screening on mobiles](/calls/mobile-call-screening).

## What else you can do here

* Let your agent book, transfer, or send something during the call, same as inbound. See
  [What are actions](/actions/what-are-actions).
* Personalise the call with details from the contact record. See
  [Add your own contact fields](/contacts/add-your-own-contact-fields).
* Cap how long a campaign call can run. See
  [Limit how long a call runs](/calls/limit-how-long-a-call-runs).
* Send a text with a link straight after a successful call, which is the highest converting follow up
  there is. See [Add a text message step](/campaigns/text-message-step).

## If it did not work

**No calls are placed.** The agent has no phone number attached, the plan does not allow outbound, or
pacing and hours are holding them. See [My campaign did not call](/campaigns/my-campaign-didnt-call).

**Your agent opens as if it were answering.** Its instructions are inbound instructions. Rewrite the
opening. This is the single most common campaign fault.

**People hang up in the first few seconds.** Either the number is unfamiliar or the opening buries the
business name. Lead with the name and use a local number.

**Calls reach voicemail every time.** Try a different time of day before you change anything else, then
check whether the handsets are screening you.

**The agent keeps talking after somebody says it is a bad time.** Nobody told it to stop. Add that rule
explicitly.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I make my AI agent call a list of contacts?">
    Add a **Phone call** step to a campaign, select the agent that should make the calls, and add
    contacts. The agent dials each contact in turn, inside your calling hours and daily cap.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need a separate agent for outbound calls?">
    Usually yes, because an outbound call has to open by saying who is calling and check it is a good
    moment. Copy your inbound agent, rewrite the opening, and point the campaign at the copy. Knowledge
    and actions can be shared.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What number do campaign calls come from?">
    The number attached to the agent making the calls. A local number for the area you are calling is
    answered noticeably more often than a distant one.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a campaign call book an appointment or transfer to a person?">
    Yes. A campaign call is an ordinary call, so every action your agent has is available on it, including
    booking and transferring. See [What are actions](/actions/what-are-actions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens when a campaign call reaches voicemail?">
    Whatever the agent's **Voicemail Behavior** says: hang up, or leave a message you have written. The
    call still uses minutes because the line answered. See [Voicemail](/calls/voicemail).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I call the same contact more than once?">
    Yes, with a second call step on a delay and a condition of **Couldn't be connected**. Call at a
    different time of day, and cap the total with **Max call attempts**. See
    [Stop calling a contact](/campaigns/stop-calling-a-contact).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Example instructions](/agents/example-prompts) for an outbound prompt to copy
* [Choose when each step runs](/campaigns/choose-when-each-step-runs) for timing and conditions
* [Add a text message step](/campaigns/text-message-step) for the follow up after the call
* [Get past call screening on mobiles](/calls/mobile-call-screening) for handsets that filter you
* [Voicemail](/calls/voicemail) for what happens when a machine answers