Adding a toll-free number to your website is a great way to increase leads and conversion. Now, with dynamic number insertion, call trackingcan be used to pinpoint the online source of leads by toll-free number, much like marketers with dedicated toll-free numbers do in a broadcast environment.

Here’s how dynamic number insertion works:

Let’s say a consumer would prefer to talk to a real person versus filling out an online form. It happens far more often than you might imagine and can boost leads by a significant double-digit margin.

So you give the consumer that opportunity by adding a toll-free number to your website. Except here is the wrinkle: depending upon the referring site, that number changes so that you can track the source of each lead. That’s dynamic number insertion.

Using dynamic number insertion, a marketer will know exactly which referring site a lead came from (e.g., Google, Yahoo, etc.), whether the search was organic or paid, as well as campaign information such as ad group and ad text. Each user will automatically see a number to match the source they came in on. Now you’ll know which of your ads, including ad text, and sources are most effectively generating leads.

Additionally, dynamic number insertion enables you to track which keywords the callers originally entered when they were searching for your company.

The flow of information is tracked using the following hierarchy:

1. Which search engine or referring site generated the lead.
2. The keywords that were used to find the site.
3. Whether it was organic or paid.
4. If the lead originated through PPC (Pay Per Click) such as Google Adwords or Microsoft adCenter, the ad group and ad text that brought the lead there is identified.
5. Which ad group, such as Google Adwords, was responsible for originating the lead.

Dynamic number insertion requires dozens of toll-free numbers in some cases so that each of these variables can be tracked to a finite point. Each unique toll-free number is embedded in a referring string that is also unique. Therefore working with a partner who can provide you with the required volume of memorable toll-free numbers, and who can furnish the analytics required to help you optimize is crucial.

But imagine the advantages to a marketer! Now you can determine where your online phone leads are coming from both in terms of ads and keywords and optimize accordingly, increasing your lead flow and revenues.

The recent announcement by the Federal Communications Commission that it will open up a new toll-free prefix, 855, on October 1 has caused some to suggest a land-rush mentality. But if history teaches marketers anything, it is this: they should proceed with caution and not get caught up in the hype. Why? Because the only prefix a direct marketer should be using is 800.  Here's why.

800, the original toll-free prefix, has been around since 1967 and had a 26-year head start on the next toll-free prefixes to be introduced, 888 and 887 in 1996 and 1998, respectively. As a result, the prefix “eight-hundred” has become synonymous to toll-free in the minds of many consumers. The analogy is dot-com. While many other Internet URL extensions have been introduced such as dot-net and dot-tv, the only extension that really counts for marketers interested in capturing the greatest number of consumers is dot-com. The 800 prefix enjoys a similar dominance in the mind of many consumers.

The proof? Within our bank of toll-free numbers, Dial 800 has the 800-version of toll-free numbers that are advertised with other prefixes such as 866 and 877. Thousands of misdials have been tracked where consumers’ go on autopilot when they hear “call toll-free” and dial "eight-hundred". This phenomenon can be explained in part by chunking theory. Chunking theory relates to how consumers recall “chunks” of information. For example, “eight-hundred” is one chunk of information whereas “Eight, Five-Five” is two. Learn more in our previous blog about toll-free number memory theoryand how itrelates to inbound call volume.

Even when non-800 numbers such as 866 or 877 are used online or in print advertising and the number is right in front of the consumer’s eyes, our research shows that the misdials still persist! All of which leads to the conclusion: if you’re going to direct market to consumers, work with a party that can give you access to memorable toll-free numbers that begin with 800. Don’t let the frenzy surrounding the release of the 855 area code derail your plans for success.

Should Local Businesses Use A Local Or A Toll-Free Number?

Is a business better off using a local prefix or a toll-free number? Those who argue in favor of local prefix numbers defend the practice based on the argument that many people want to do business locally. However, the world has changed a great deal from the days when you were on a first name basis with your local merchant, so evaluating the pros and cons of this mindset is a worthwhile exercise for businesses of all stripes and sizes.

Area Code Proliferation

In 1947 there were 86 local area codes with most U.S. states having only one or two codes.

Today there are over 275 and it seems at times as if they are multiplying like rabbits.

New York isn’t just 212 anymore; it’s been cleaved to include 718, 347, 917, 212, 516 and 914. The point is: sometimes it’s difficult to remember what exactly is a local prefix, and what isn’t.

Area code confusion
In addition to adding new prefixes, consumer confusion is further exacerbated by the way area codes are added. There are two ways this occurs:

1. Area code splits, where the cities are divided along seemingly arbitrary lines that only the phone company understands the logic of and

2. Area Code Overlays, where BOTH area codes share the same geographic area, but now, instead of one area code there are two. In Los Angeles both 310 and 424 share the exact same geography, as does 718, 347 and 917 in New York.

Appearance Counts
This phenomenon isn’t the only thing that has changed in recent years. With the advent of toll-free and now the Internet, local businesses – even those of the mom and pop variety – are operating beyond what were previous local borders. The flip side of appearing “local” is that a business that uses a local prefix can also appear to be small or, worse, fly-by-night. Furthermore, the Internet’s impact on commerce has conditioned consumers to be used to dealing with businesses far and wide, not just those that are local.  If a local business only conducts walk-in business – say a dry cleaner, for example – then a local prefix may make sense. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of businesses would actually benefit from a toll-free number. If a local feel is important, the business should simply state they are local and identify a landmark they are near in their advertising. For instance, an advertiser might say, “Call 1-800-277-5800 or visit us at the corner of Pico and Rexford, across from the Hillcrest Country Club.”

Can’t Block Caller ID to a Toll-Free Number
Furthermore, for marketers interested in data mining, there are other significant disadvantages to using a local number versus a toll-free one. Consumers can easily block their local number, making it impossible to monitor your inbound leads. Hence a local marketer may not be able to determine the demographics of their inbound leads or remarket to such callers unless they capture all of their contact information over the phone.

In contrast, toll-free numbers reveal almost 100% of all callers numbers (even if they have caller ID blocked). With a toll-free number the marketer can see the data on every caller by appending their inbound home telephone number and cross-referencing it against available consumer data such as home ownership, age, gender and income data, etc. On the other hand, such data is limited for inbound calls from cell phones, though that is changing. But, once a marketer does have the inbound lead’s contact information, even if the caller doesn't buy, the marketer can strike while the iron is hot and direct mail such consumers an offer, knowing that, unlike random direct mail, the consumer has expressed an interest in their product.

More Calls More Sales
Finally, toll-free numbers that are exceptionally memorable are available to marketers. In contrast, it is difficult to get enough memorable local numbers to effectively track advertising.

Research shows that 800-prefix numbers that have easy-to-recall sequences such as “one-thousand” or repeat digits such as “5555” can generate 20 to 60 percent more inbound leads. Even web-based marketers can benefit from including a toll-free number as many consumers are simply more comfortable speaking with a live human being as opposed to conducting business virtually.

Add it up and it’s clear that, save for the local business relying on its location to generate walk-in business, the number to dial in to create the greatest volume of business isn’t a local one: it’s toll-free.

If you’re a business owner, you’ve no doubt considered whether a toll-free number would benefit your business. And you may have heard that all of the 800-prefix toll-free numbers are spoken for or that you have to pay an exorbitant amount for a good one. The key is to know which toll-free numbers will serve your needs best and how you can gain access to them at a cost that makes sound business sense. The following article will address some common concerns and give you the facts.

The Service Management System, commonly known as SMS/800, provides the oversight of all toll-free numbers in North America. Companies that have access to SMS/800 are known as RespOrgs, a portmanteau of “Responsible + Organization”. SMS/800 was created as a result of a 1991 FCC ruling that allows companies to port their toll-free numbers from one RespOrg to another starting in 1993, much like you can now move your cellular telephone number from one carrier to another. According to Wikipedia: “Every individual ten-digit toll-free telephone number is managed by a RespOrg. A RespOrg can be a long distance company, reseller, end user or an independent that offers an outsourced service. There are approximately 350 RespOrg service providers, and range in size from huge to companies that control only a few numbers.”

While it is true that all of the 800-prefix toll-free numbers are taken, there are numbers available with the prefixes that were introduced later, including a limited amount of 866, 877 and 888 as evidenced by the statistics below:

Source: SMS/800â: Bulletin Number NUM-10-26 dated June 28, 2010.

The problem for direct marketers, however, is that 800-prefix numbers deliver significantly higher numbers of inbound leads, even when compared to the other prefixes, not just on TV and radio, but in print and on the Internet. Studies have shown that the difference can be 20, 30, even 40 percent or more. There are several factors that may contribute to this phenomenon that include:

· The fact that the 800-prefix, introduced in 1967, had a 26-year head start on the next prefix, 888, which was introduced in 1993.

· Consumers show evidence of equating the term “toll-free” with “1-800-“ and misdial the other prefixes with alarming frequency.

· Based upon the principle of memory theory known as “chunking”, the term “Eight-hundred”, represents a single block of information, whereas the other toll-free prefixes such as “Eight-seven-seven” are longer and may require more than one chunk of memory.

Businesses can still take advantage of 800-prefix toll-free numbers by working with a RespOrg such as Dial 800 that provide toll-free numbers with the 800-prefix. The cost of such a service, of course, only makes sense if the incremental lead count and commensurate sales are significant enough to warrant the expense. However, more memorable toll-free numbers, when combined with intelligent call routing and other optimization tools that today’s savvy direct marketer can avail themselves of are changing the way that toll-free numbers are being employed to gain marketplace advantage.

1)    Plenty of Toll-Free Numbers for tracking purposes

2)    An easy to use toll-free call tracking system. Tracking your calls will show you the effectiveness of your campaign

3)    Detailed call filters to separate the buyers.  Two such filter that few companies have you should ask about are

a.     A "New Calls" filter – This will remove anyone that has called you in the past so you don't send out the same card to existing customers.

b.     A "Unique Callers" filter – This filter will remove a repeat caller and ensure they only gets one postcard, instead of ten if they called ten times.

4)    A system that allows you to reverse append the caller's phone number and identify their full address to mail them a card.

5)    Real people that can help you design the offer and the creative as well as setting up a/b splits to test different offers and creative approaches.

6)    An integrated system with an on-demand printing company that sends the appended address information with your creative and prints everyday.

1)    Speed – The consumer must get the postcard fast, usually within three to four days of calling.

2)  Special Offer – You have to have a special enticement to motivate the consumer to respond to the postcard offer..

3)    Test – Changing the offer and creative can have a big effect on ASSP, as it does with all advertising.   

Advertisers who rely on the Internet to process transactions virtually may not think they also need a toll-free number (TFN), but one recent story illustrates how such bias may be a liability.

In this instance, a company that specializes in payday loans, which are short-term loans or cash advances, was steadfast in their belief that they did not need a toll-free number.  However, they agreed to test a TFN that ended in the word CASH.  The result?  They are now receiving literally thousands of calls per week, leads they might not have received otherwise. 

When combined with enhanced call routing, the inbound leads are sent to multiple locations based upon their capacity, where capable loan consultants can evaluate the individual needs of each consumer and prescribe a solution. 

It just goes to prove that some product or service categories can benefit from a higher touch approach that cannot be replicated with a web-only interface.  And even though this particular advertiser relies on a familiar and credible celebrity endorser to engender trust with the consumer, it is the ability to pick up the phone and talk to a real person that is allowing this financial marketer to cash in on an entirely new stream of revenue.

Memorable Toll-Free Numbers Deliver 25 to 69% Better Response for Direct Marketers

Three independent tests conducted by leading direct response advertising agencies prove that memorable toll-free numbers generate substantially more inbound leads and revenue for direct marketers.

The resulting case study, unveiled at the recent Response Expo, is the first known to examine the impact of such numbers. Its findings created a buzz among Expo attendees.

The tests were conducted between Q4 of 2009 through Q2 of 2010 and used 800-prefix numbers with memorable digit patterns that are easy for consumers to recall.

"Most advertisers and agencies would be delighted with a 10 or 20% increase in response," commented Dial800 CEO Scott Richards, "but this data shows that memorable toll-free numbers are an effortless way for marketers to achieve enormous gains by making it easier for buyers to reach them."

View the full test on toll free numbers.

As the Great Recession plods on, with occasional signs of recovery, many businesses have had to make difficult cuts in their expenses to survive and even mildly prosper.  The challenge is that for many advertisers, even in the age of so-called Internet accountability, they may be scratching their head as they echo the oft-quoted comment of John Wanamaker, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."  That's why marketers need the right tools to help them discern what advertising is actually working, so that they're cutting waste out, instead of the right arm that provides new leads and sales off.

One of the keys to understanding how to optimize advertising is to profile what the consumer who is buying looks like and one of the easiest ways to do this is with accurate call tracking, call recording and caller demographics.  With state of the art call tracking, a marketer can drill down and determine how many unique inbound calls they are receiving and then separate buyers from inquiries that lasted long enough to be genuine prospects.  Then, with the right software, a marketer can literally listen to each and every call -- from buyers as well as non-buyers -- to figure out vital information which includes the most common objections that non-buyers have for not buying.  Is there something about the product that is not clearly understood that could perhaps be easily addressed by fixing the creative messaging?  Is there a disconnect between price and value?  Is the consumer looking to buy the product at bricks and mortar retail?  Unlike focus group research, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, such call recording can provide powerful qualitative and quantitative insight for a fraction of the cost.  Lastly, the right call tracking software can even do a reverse append against the caller's phone number and basic household demographic information such as household make-up, income, home ownership and the like can be obtained to give a marketer a sense of who their primary buyer is.  This data can be vital for media planning purposes so that future advertising is targeted toward similar groups of prospects.

Leveraging such marketing optimization tools can help marketers save money on less effective advertising, and increase leads and sales.  But gaining such insight requires not only the right tools, but a commitment to utilizing them.  Fortunately, the best software available today is intuitive and only requires the briefest of learning curve.  The rewards to be reaped by the right call tracking and call recording tools are another matter; however, for they can provide benefits that are ever-lasting.

If you're in the market for call tracking, make sure you understand exactly what it is you are buying. Many service providers will lure you in with cheap pricing, but there's a hitch, sometimes several. These marketers will use the Internet and the seemingly "easy" sign up for an account process to pull a classic bait and switch.

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Before you choose a call tracking provider, there are four critical areas you should evaluate.

1.   Reliability.  One of the fundamental mistakes that many marketers make when looking for call tracking is that they look at features versus the integrity of the company actually providing those features.  It is vital that you understand what sort of redundancies your call tracking and call routing carrier maintains in terms of power grid and data centers in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.  For example, it is alleged that one of the leading telemarketers that services the direct marketing industry recently lost power due to a plane crash taking out the power grid in their area.  Their redundancies failed and marketers were left with their calls going… nowhere.  This caused precious leads and sales to be lost, perhaps forever.  Voice Over Internet Protocol or VOIP is typically not as reliable as landlines, so be aware of exactly what it is you are buying!

2.   Value Add.  Does your call tracking service provider simply track calls or do they also help you attain more customers?  One key in answering this question is to understand how long they’ve been in business.  Do they possess the depth of knowledge that can only be attained from years of experience?  A good call tracking service provider will act proactively and consultatively, giving you, for example, better toll-free numbers that will generate a higher volume of inbound leads that then translate into sales.  Your call tracking supplier should also be ready to provide you with value add in the form of programs such as save the sale direct mail and other solutions that have evolved from years in the trenches.

3.  Are You In Good Company?  Review the customer list of any prospective call tracking service provider to see if you recognize their clients.  Successful marquee clients are a great indicator of how effective the services being provided are.  Feel free to ask for references and do your due diligence.

4. What Happens After You Buy?  When calling references, ask about customer service.  While there is a tendency to automate many processes in the era of the Internet, there is no substitute for person-to-person interaction to identify needs and prescribe solutions.  Your call tracking vendor should make access to your account representative easy and swift.

When a true emergency arises, having a memorable number can be critical to saving lives.  So when Hatzolah, an all-volunteer emergency medical services organization staffed by Jewish Orthodox Emergency medical technicians, needed help with their Los Angeles chapter, Dial 800 was happy to assist.  The Dial 800 team researched and came up with the number 800-613-1-911, with the intention of replacing a local number with a much more memorable number.  For the Jewish community using this service, all of these digits are significant.  The number 613 is the number of commandments in the Torah, 1 represents one higher power or the one to call, and 911 obviously equals “emergency.”

However, a new challenge developed for Hatzolah: the local telephone carrier had a delay in forwarding the numbers to the dispatcher.  As soon as the Dial 800 team became aware of the problem, they undertook a deep investigation over the weekend and determined that the issues originated with the local telephone company and their forwarding capabilities.  Dial 800 was able to remedy the problems by rerouting the calls, and expediting them so that several seconds were saved as well as at least one ring on inbound calls.  According to volunteer Ari Friedman, “These few seconds make a critical difference, so Dial 800’s help is really appreciated.  As an example, just this Saturday morning we received a call for a child not breathing, a scenario where obviously every moment is vital.”

No matter what the nature of your calls, Dial 800’s optimization tools, systems and toll-free numbers can help expedite inbound traffic.  And when a problem arises, Dial 800 is ready 24/7 to resolve it.  Since a business or service can never really predict the sense of urgency attached to an inbound inquiry, having the edge provided by Dial 800’s tool suite can save decisive seconds.  In the case of the essential work that Hatzolah is performing, it might even help save a life.

Many advertisers may look at per inquiry or cost-per-action (CPA) advertising as a marginal opportunity.  However, its power should not be underestimated.  Since advertisers pay a fixed cost for each inbound inquiry or sale, CPA advertising is essentially risk-free to the advertiser.  However, there is tremendous competition for such unsold inventory, so advertisers who want to make the most of it need to give themselves every possible advantage.  Simply put, the stations and networks who have unsold inventory and are willing to run ads on a CPA basis – and there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of them – are going to run the programs that have the best chance of making them real money.

One of the most basic things an advertiser can do is to ensure they have a memorable toll-free number (TFN).  The reason is fundamental: an easy-to-recall number will generate more inquiries and hence more sales.  First, the advertiser needs to employ an 800-prefix TFN because consumers are pre-conditioned to call 8-0-0 when they hear the term “toll-free.”  The proof?  A survey of Dial800’s bank of toll-free numbers, RapidRecall, shows as many as 12,000 misdials a month to the 800-prefix version of a TFN when the 888- 887- or 866-prefix version of that TFN is advertised!

The second key for success is to ensure that the TFN is easy to recall.  Some examples include repeater digits (e.g., 5555) or a one thousand series (e.g., 1000).  Native English speakers can recall a numerical sequence of about two seconds reports Professor Stainslas Dehaene, a research scientist who specializes in numerical cognition in his book “The Number Sense.”  In fact research shows that direct marketers can generate 20 to 70 percent more inbound inquiries from a numerically sequenced memorable number than a random one.

For cost per action advertisers what could be more critical?  It stands to reason: if you generate more quality inbound inquiries at a fixed cost, you’re going to produce more profitable sales.  And that means you'll obtain more clearance than your competition for cost per action airtime because you are making your station or network partner more money.

As Joseph Gray, the Chairman and Founder of CPA advertising giant REVShare comments, “In the competitive landscape which faces all CPA advertisers, optimization in all categories is critical -- from tracking airings in order to optimize CPA placements to use of only bona fide 800 numbers.   Repeating digits and a memorable website address are all ways of increasing response rates which on a CPA basis translates into better performance for the media and more volume for the advertiser.”

Many direct marketers believe that they’re safe using a non-800 toll free number prefix on their websites and in print ads or direct mail pieces.  Hence many employ newer prefixes such as 888, 877, or 866, because, after all, since the number is right in front of the consumer, how could they possibly get it wrong?  But here’s more evidence that proves that even when such toll free numbers are right under the nose of a prospect, they can indeed get it wrong.

“We started out using 888 numbers because they were easier to get and cheaper,” remarks the president and CEO of a major direct mail powerhouse who wishes to remain anonymous.  When the owners of the 800 versions of toll free numbers he was using in his campaigns began to complain of misdials, the adman had an epiphany, “Many people saw ‘toll free’ and they automatically dialed the 8-0-0 version of our numbers.  We were losing out on invaluable leads and realized we needed to go exclusively to 800-prefix toll free numbers.”

Dial 800’s bank of 800-prefix toll free numbers, RapidRecall, was the answer.  The agency leader remarks, “We love Dial 800 because we discovered it didn’t cost that much more for us to be able to use 800-prefix numbers exclusively.  The increase in response makes it most definitely worth it.”

Perhaps it’s the 20-year lead that the 800 prefix had on the others that came much later, but this is yet another example of consumers’ automated predilection for dialing 8-0-0.  In a marketplace as competitive as the current one, having the edge of three simple, easy-to-recall digits is an advantage no direct marketer can afford to be without.

Dial 800 puts an extraordinary emphasis on customer relationships.  In a recent conversation with the company’s Director of Concierge, Sandy Roessler, and her team, we asked some questions to get a sense of what makes Dial 800’s customer service group different.

Q:  Most organizations have client services groups.  How is Dial 800's Concierge team different?

A:  We assign one concierge specialist to be the exclusive point of contact for each account.  This structure allows our Concierge specialist to take ownership of their accounts for the entire lifecycle.  They really get to understand the client’s business deeply and to nurture an enduring relationship built upon mutual trust and collaboration. Our goal is to be the human extension of our software as a service, apart from business development, allowing us to focus on optimizing each client’s marketing.

Q:  Give us some examples of ways that Concierge’s proactive efforts have resulted in wins for clients.

A:  When clients first come to us to use our call routing software, IntelliRoute, we diagnose their specific needs and then strategize the best way to set up their call routing structure to get the most benefit.  However, business is dynamic, so we are constantly striving to ensure we are taking any changes in the client’s business priorities into consideration and amending the call routing programs accordingly.  We also monitor our call tracking software, CallView 360°, and proactively make recommendations for service additions or changes, even if, in some instances, it means less short-term revenue for the company, but is in the best interests of the client.

Let me cite some more specific examples of how Concierge’ proactive actions have helped clients.  We have a debt relief client and 25 percent of their calls were under 30 seconds.  We changed their Intelligent Voice Response (IVR) scripting and revised it to more of an educational message versus a hard sale on the transfer.  The result is that we decreased their short calls by 50 percent!

Another client had a long message with a menu of too many options.  Consequently, their total incompletes was very high.  We changed the menu so that it was based on geography.  The number of options a caller had to go through was significantly reduced and, as a result, the client’s incomplete rate dropped significantly. These are just two examples of how Concierge is continually looking for inefficiencies in routing design and call center setup so that caller wait time can be shortened and the consumer’s experience is improved. 

Q: What sorts of characteristics make a good Concierge?

A: A great Concierge has excellent listening skills, a refined sense of urgency, and possesses a warm professional demeanor, as well as a strong affinity for and enjoyment of analysis, and a buttoned-down ability to follow through.

Q: How do you think this effort dovetails with the Dial 800 culture?

A: The bedrock of Dial 800’s success has been lasting, mutually beneficial relationships versus transactions.  Like many service-based companies, we’ve evolved from an execution-based culture to one rigorously committed to proactive, strategic thinking.  This metamorphosis is a direct response to listening to our clients, divining their needs, and aligning our efforts with our client’s needs.  Our job in Concierge is to anticipate our client’s needs and delight them with exemplary customer service that exceeds their expectations.

In the world of broadcast direct marketing, when a commercial airs, it's imperative that the call center be ready to receive the inbound inquiries. After all, such consumer calls represent a finite opportunity that occurs in real time. If things go awry, those inbound calls can evaporate in the blink of an eye. But disasters occur, natural and otherwise, that can disable a call center. That's why at Dial 800 we strongly advocate that direct marketers consider not putting all of their eggs in one basket, and that they also consider the benefits of call routing services. Effective call routing services allows a marketer to distribute inbound call allocations to multiple destinations and to do it immediately, on the fly, in the event of an emergency or other change in circumstances.


While call centers are suppose to maintain redundancies such as back up energy sources, even these are subject to failure in the wake of a disaster, so it is imperative that the marketer control the ability to route calls to other places that are unaffected. Call routing software such as Dial 800's AccuRoute enables a marketer to route their calls to multiple destinations from their computer using the Internet at anytime and anywhere, and take their destiny -- literally -- into their own hands. When you combine this powerful tool with other components such as call tracking and call recording, the marketer gains enormous advantages that can help optimize a direct marketing campaign. But if the call is lost in the ether due to unexpected circumstances, it is all for nought; hence, call routing should be an imperative part of every direct marketing campaign.

As a service provider that controls tens of thousands of toll free numbers through our RapidRecall service, at Dial 800 we make it our business to understand the important nuances that are going to give direct marketers the very best results.  Well here is the 411 on toll free numbers (TFNs): not all TFNs are created equal!  Even though 888, 877, and 866 prefixes have now been around for years, consumers are still programmed to dial 800 first.

The proof?  Just last week 2,652 people accidentally dialed our number 1-800-XXX-CELL instead of 1-877-XXX-CELL in an attempt to reach a low coast cellular service provider.  And that was just in one week! Imagine how many lost opportunities that represents over the course of a campaign and/or business' life -- literally tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of missed sales!

Many marketers and their agencies are under the misperception that 800 numbers are simply unavailable.  Not true!  Service providers like Dial 800 allow marketers to lease numbers, often at a cost of what adds up to a nominal cost per lead, that can have a marked impact on results.  A good quality 800 TFN may cost a few hundred dollars per month, but let's break down the math.  If the marketer cited above lost 10,000 leads due to misdials and each inbound lead was worth a conservative $5, that's $50,000 worth of leads lost in a single month.  The monthly cost to lease the 800 version of their number and gain the advantages of Dial 800's call tracking, call routing and call recording software?  About 38 cents per lead.  Calculate average closure rates and revenue and the cost versus the ROI is obviously through the roof!

The Optimizer is an ongoing informational video series containing tricks and secrets to optimize your marketing. In this segment The Optimizer explains the basics of marketing optimization, and what it involves.

Transcript:

I’m Scott Richards, “the Optimizer”, here to show you how to generate more sales from your direct response radio and television campaign. At Dial 800 we’re in the business of Marketing Optimization – but what is Marketing Optimization? Let’s talk about what it is we do and how it can help your campaign.

First of all, Marketing Optimization involves call tracking – that’s tracking all the inbound calls, all the caller details, at the switch level. It also involves call recording – that is, having all calls – regardless of which call center those calls go to – recorded so you can listen to them. We strongly recommend that you listen to them on a weekly basis. Have your sales team or operators listen to how they’re selling, ensure they’re pronouncing company names and products correctly and examine how effectively they are up-selling and cross-selling. What could be more important!

Marketing Optimization also involves demographics. Call centers have the calls going to them, but what does the quality of the caller look like? How much money do these households make? What kind of occupations do they have? Do they own or rent a home? Our software, CallView 360°, does a deep demographic dive that shows you not only the quantity of calls, but also the quality of the callers. And that information can be critical in letting you know if your advertising is attracting the right people.

Next is Call Routing. Call Routing allows you to send calls to multiple call centers on a percentage allocation basis. You can do that on the fly, from your computer anywhere. Send one call center more or less calls, depending upon how well they’re closing deals for you.

At Dial 800 we also have the largest bank of memorable toll free numbers available anywhere. With memorable toll free numbers – repeater numbers in particular that have lots of digits that repeat over and over again, you can actually increase your sales by as much as 50 percent. We’ve tested this with our clients and if you try it for yourself with an A/B split, which is the best way to test it yourself, you’ll see for first-hand how a memorable, repeater toll free number can help optimize your campaign.

Finally we have what we call Save the Sale. A lot of consumers raise their hand by calling in, but unfortunately a lot of people don’t buy. At Dial 800 we have perfected an automated postcard fulfillment service that appends the caller’s phone number to a name and address so that you can send a postcard in the mail within 24 hours. As a result, people who didn’t buy but were interested in your offer, receive another timely, relevant piece of communication that can help you close more sales.

 It was none other than Jack Welch, the revolutionary GE CEO who suggested the watchwords that comprise our second resolution for direct marketers.  But if you think about it, it is direct marketers such as Beachbody, Guthy-Renker, and Murad who have not only relied on their expert supply chain partners to succeed, but who have also largely assumed responsibility for shaping their own destiny, that have succeeded in the long haul over the past two decades of tumult and change.

 The truth is, trying to figure out how to make a direct marketing campaign work effectively is tough work.  It requires uncommon perseverance and pluck – not to mention financial resources – and a willingness to test again and again.  But to make sound decisions, you need sound data on which to base those decisions and the fact is, the closer a marketer is to controlling that flow of data, the more they are in command of their fate.

 Here’s a simple illustration: if you’re not getting call count information at the switch level, then you most likely do not have a clear picture of your inbound call dispositions.  As a result, basic information such as total calls received that are used to calculate the effectiveness of your call centers, may be skewed by disparate definitions of what comprises an answered, short, incomplete, and no answer call, etc.  This information is fundamental to making decisions about the effectiveness of not only your call center, but of individual media airings.

 One solution to this conundrum is to use toll free numbers where you can get access to switch-level data.  With Dial 800’s RapidRecall bank of memorable toll free numbers, for example, you see all of your data at the switch level.  These telephone numbers can be deployed with any call center and you can move them from place to place.  Since you control the numbers, you also do not have to send out separate dubs to stations and networks if you decide to move from one call center to another.

 This is what we mean by controlling your fate.  If you’d like to read more, check out my article in Direct Avenue’s most recent Direct Connect Quarterly Newsletter, “Control Your Telemarketing Data to Control Your Fate.” At Dial 800 we are committed to giving marketers the tools they need to optimize their campaigns by obtaining insight that reveals the truth – truth that sows the path to success.

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 By Scott “the Optimizer” Richards, CEO, Dial 800