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The Power of Toll Free Numbers
Chapter 4
Getting a toll free number can improve your business.
- People are over 90% more likely to contact you by telephone if you offer this.
- In addition, you will be more likely to attract national or worldwide business if you have one.
- You present a more professional and bigger business image with a toll free number.
- Toll free numbers are available from literally hundreds of different providers.
- No matter who you order your toll free number from, it’s going to forward to an existing phone line. If you decide to buy an entire PBX/Key System, then the toll free number would be directed within this system from your local number. Prices vary from provider to provider. In this case, the toll free number is likely to be fairly inexpensive - but you have the very high cost of the PBX equipment to consider.
- If you decide to order a monthly Virtual Office System/Service from one of the providers who offer that - most of them include a toll free number with the package. So, starting at $9.95 per month plus per minute charges, you can get a toll free number included. The benefit to this is that the Virtual Office System is usually capable to forward to multiple locations AND in sequence to follow you.
- Vanity Numbers - a custom number (i.e. 1-800-myphone)
- If you are advertising via physical or broadcast media (newspaper, tv, radio, etc.) - a vanity number may be helpful so that listeners or viewers can remember your number. However, if you are advertising via internet, you probably don’t really need one.
- Costs to acquire a vanity number are usually a one-time $30 fee in addition to your regular toll free number costs (per minute and monthly costs).
- Which should I choose? 800,888,877,866,855,etc.
- Unless you indicate you want a specific number, you’ll likely get something other than the standard 800 number. This isn’t really a large concern because most people realize that any of the prefixes shown are toll free and if they are interested in talking to you - they won’t care if it isn’t a “good old” 8 0 0 number - as long as it doesn’t cost them anything. If you do advertise with a big budget in magazines and national papers, you might want to consider paying the $30 fee for getting an actual 800 number or vanity number.
- Why not just have a local number?
- We believe that only having a local number is limiting your potential. However, if you only wish to appeal to local customers OR you have such a popular, sought after product or service that people are willing to call you long-distance - then just go with a local number. NOTE: Not all of the Virtual Office System Providers offer a local number. Those that do are usually limited to one or maybe 10 different major cities.
- Why should I pay for people to call ME on a toll free number?
- Some people have a problem with paying for minutes that their customers use to call them with a toll free number. What you have to realize is that if people are calling you at all - then it’s probably worth it. If you don’t have a toll free number, then you’ll never know how many people aren’t calling you because you don’t.
- How are the per minute charges going to add up?
- Most providers charge you for each minute that someone (including you) calls in on your toll free number. These costs range from about 4 cents to 12 cents per minute within the U.S. Most providers have rates for Canada, Mexico and other countries (see their rate plans).
- Let’s use a hypothetical example of 50% of the people calling you at the 4 cent per minute (after hours or to voicemail) and the other 50% calling you at the 12 cents per minute (forwarding and connecting live to you). If you use 500 minutes per month, you’ll pay about $40 per month in minute call charges. Be realistic in what you are expecting. Does the average customer call you for more than 2 minutes? If you have enough info available before they call you - it will shorten up your call lengths. Chances are that most small businesses aren’t going to have high call volumes - thus the minute charges aren’t much of a factor. Later on, when call volumes go up - so are your revenues. So, it still doesn’t matter that much because if revenues are up - they cover call volumes.
- We think that toll free numbers are important and worthwhile. If you have a toll free number, you have an advantage over the business that doesn’t.
Continue to Chapter 5. Office Phone Set Up>>>>>>
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