New products, new competition, new mailing lists, new government regulations — there are always reasons why you should be updating your direct marketing materials.
One of the best ways to test and compare the effectiveness of new materials is by using toll-free numbers. That way you can tell immediately which offers are getting responses. Plus, response rates can be tabulated automatically through your phone system.
Direct response consultants will tell you that you need to be constantly testing and refining. Here are a few of the ways you can test your materials:
When you sign up for toll-free numbers with Custom Toll Free, you get access to an online management tool that assists you with direct response tracking. There’s even a free campaign analysis tool included; input advertising costs and see your return-on-investment expressed in terms of cost per call.
In the current economy customers are slower to spend. So now, more than even, marketing messages need to include key phrases that make the customer pick up the phone and call now. That’s why it’s important to tell people in your ads what’s new and different about your product or services — and why they should pick up the phone and dial your toll-free number right away:
The two most obvious phrases are:
But there are some other attractive phrases that command attention and inspire action. They include:
Need a distinctive toll-free number that matches your new campaign or product? Get started right away with our Toll Free Number Search. We can also help you get a great customer toll-free number that’s coming available.
Let’s start with a little history: Toll-free numbers first appeared in 1960, introduced by the US Post Office. But they really began to change the shape of business calling in 1967, when they were adopted by the old AT & T. In those days, toll-free service was known by the name of IN-WATS (Inward Wide-Area Telephone Service). You might remember hearing someone refer to a “WATS line.”
It didn’t take long for major companies to see the advantages of using toll free numbers to make it easy for customers to reach them. Not surprisingly, the early adopters included companies in the hotel and car rental industries. They set up call centers serving customers who were away from home and facing long-distance calling from a relative’s phone, an expensive hotel phone, or a cumbersome public pay phone. Customers loved the convenience, and companies found that toll-free numbers generated substantial ROI.
In the 1980s, vanity toll-free numbers (spelling a phoneword like 1-800-COMPANY) appeared on the scene, and companies clamored to get the best numbers. Today some vanity toll-free numbers are valued in the millions.
Custom Toll Free has experience in helping businesses select not only a powerful custom toll-free number, but also the toll-free services that best fit your company’s budget and business model. An entire suite of basic services is yours for free when you activate a toll-free number with us. In additional we provide an extensive choice enhanced services including virtual PBX, hunt groups, call announcement, call recording, and VoIP termination.
We make the entire process of getting a custom toll-free number convenient and fast. Contact us for more information, or get started researching a vanity toll-free number using our Available Tollfree Number Search.
One of the best ways to strengthen the power of your vanity toll free number is to use it in all your marketing materials. That includes putting it in your telephone greetings. Think about it: Clients dial “1-888-PET-CARE” and the greeting they get is “Hi, this is Johnson’s Pet Supplies.” But they could be hearing “Hi, you’ve reached 1-888-PET-CARE, Johnson’s Pet Supplies.”
This is a no-cost way of helping customers recognize and remember your custom toll free number, increasing the likelihood that they’ll call your business again in the future. Here are five ways to use phone greetings to turn those vanity number calls into sales — and increase customer satisfaction.
For years, companies have used toll free numbers to boost sales and streamline customer service. But today an increasing number of firms are getting toll free numbers to manage the costs of calling for their telecommuting workforce.
An estimated 25 percent of the U.S. workforce is involved in full- or part-time telecommuting. Companies have discovered that telecommuting helps them save a bundle on office space, comply with local government “trip reduction” requirements, and attract and retain talented workers who would be reluctant to make a long daily commute.
Toll free numbers are helping these companies manage their telecommuting workforce. Rather than handling complicated reimbursement paperwork for employees trying to use a cell phone for both personal and office work, many corporations are simply setting up toll free numbers for business calling.
Control calling costs for off-site employees
Some companies set up toll-free numbers that allow employees to call into the office switchboard from anywhere they might be. (In a survey of telecommuters reported at CNN.com, 40 percent said that their companies had were providing them with such toll-free numbers for internal calls.)
Many agencies in the U.S. government rely on toll-free numbers for telecommuters and field workers. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s telecommuter guidelines require that employees use the toll free number when calling in from any long-distance location.
Still other companies are employing toll-free numbers as part of the computer network services for telecommuting employees.
Connect customers with your home-based agents
Companies such as Peak Travel have assigned individual toll-free numbers to each of their home-based agents. Calls from customers are routed directed to those travel agents, helping the company manage costs and record keeping.
Find out more
If you are setting up or revamping your telecommuter program, contact Custom Toll Free to find out more about toll-free numbers and how they can help your organization and your bottom line.
