If you've had a toll free number for a while and would like to change it to another number – for example, if you have decided you want a vanity toll free number (which is a wise choice for many reasons!) – how can you go about making the switch?

First, make sure the number you want is available and secure title to it. You can do this through your toll free number service provider, or the one you intend to switch to using.

The next step is to prepare for the transition. A toll free number isn't just a phone number; it's a marketing tool. That's especially true of a vanity toll free number. So before you make that number active, prepare your marketing materials to reflect the change properly. That means email signatures, letterhead, business cards, web pages, and any and all advertising materials you intend to use after the number goes live. In fact, it's a very good idea to have an advertising blitz leading up to the number going live, so your customers know how to reach you, and to introduce yourself to new customers under your new toll free number.

The final step in the transition is to contact your telephone service provider to cancel your current number and activate your new one. This is slightly more complicated if you're changing providers at the same time as you're changing phone numbers, but even then it's not a great hassle, and because your new toll free number can be activated usually in a matter of minutes, there should be no delay in getting your service up and running.

There are good reasons why you might want to change your toll free number. It's really the core of your marketing effort, or should be, and the best way for customers to reach you in most cases. Even if your business is mostly in person or on line, a toll free number can give you that breadth of reach, ease of discovery, and personal contact that helps your business work. So you want to be sure your toll free number is the right one for your business, easy to remember and easy to identify with who you are and what you have to offer.

It's a good thing, then, that changing your toll free number is so easy and hassle-free.