You’ve probably heard, “Call us at 1-800-XXX-XXXX Toll Free!” in television commercials before. But what exactly is a toll free number? See, the American consumer is trained to think positively when he or she hears “free;” it means there is no cost to the buyer. Therefore, if something is free, it is good; if you are advertising something free, then people will want to use it. As their name suggests, toll free numbers allow people to call a business without being charged; rather, the called party (the business) is billed for the call. So while it’s all well and good that Your Company Inc. will be billed for a call instead of a consumer, how does that help you market your business?
It’s simple: If people know what toll free numbers are, then they will see the obvious advantage to calling your business as opposed to one of your competitors. If I’m looking to buy flowers for my wife’s birthday, do I want to spend money on the actual phone call while I am making the order? I love my wife, but I’d rather not spend money on a phone call in addition to the money I’m spending on the order. Therefore, toll free numbers are advantageous because they are the cheaper, easier way to lure the consumer in to calling your business and, eventually, purchasing your product.
But wait: Isn’t the called party, such as your business, the one billed for the call? Doesn’t that mean that you’ll have to pay for the call, even if it doesn’t result in a sale? The answer to both of these questions is “yes,” but this doesn’t mean that a toll free number is a negative for a new business. On the contrary, if you’re advertisement budget is slim to none, then you’ll want to use a toll free number because the number of successful customers you get from the promise of a toll free number outweighs the amount of money you’ll need to spend on these toll free calls. So, if you don’t have much money to put towards advertising, then save your money and focus on advertising the toll free number; it’s simple, easy, and will probably result in more business for you!
That’s the best thing I like most about toll free numbers. These numbers are so economic that any business can afford them.
I’m liking this thread. It’s true that people will be attracted to calling your business because it’s “free” and also that they’ll just feel happy working with a company that sells something that offers the all-important “free” in its marketing. I agree with Tonya that my customers see my business as trust-worthy thanks, in part, to my 877 number. In my personal life, I’m more likely to call a company to ask about products or shipping times if the number is *free*.
It makes me trust a company much more when they have a toll free number. I tend to think that scammers wouldn’t have access to them easily.
The most difficult thing about marketing products or businesses is having a shoestring budget. With a minimal investment, it is important to make the most out of what you have. Using toll-free numbers is one of the ways you can market on a shoestring budget.
For anyone on a shoestring budget they have to get the best deal possible on everything or else it could mean failing miserably at any time. Having a toll free number is a crucial investment however and can really pay off with new clients and happier current clients. It’s something that is a must for many
I’ve never really thought about the concept of toll free numbers until I read your article. And now I realize how many times I did think to myself that the fact that the offer had a “toll free” number it made me feel as if I was getting something for free… hmmm
Hey I like this article when many people see the word free then a lot of them are attracted to the aspect of FREE. It also shows that it’s a great company offering the call to be free. Not everyone who calls might sign up but later in time they may come back as a lead.