800 Numbers

Much has been written about the value of 800 numbers. Basically,
an 800 number is like calling someone collect, since they pay for
the call instead of you. Does an 800 number increase the chances
of making a sale? Let's explore this a bit.

Suppose you read an advertisement, or visit a web site that lists
an 800 number where you can get more information. Many times you
get a "canned" spiel which, if you bother to listen to the whole
thing, asks for your number so they can return your call. At
that point, many people simply hang up as they don't want to give
out their private number. The last thing they want is to be put
on another telemarketing list. This tactic is used extensively in
network marketing. Does it work? The jury is still out on this
one.

Some make you fight your way through a maze of options - press 1
for this, 2 for that, and so on. Some don't even give the option
of talking with a live person. If you don't select one it simply
starts the option selection process again. - The jury is in on
this one. The owner of this 800 number will pay for a lot of
calls, that simply frustrate the caller and will never result in
a sale. What a waste!

If you're lucky, you get a real person who answers the phone, and
who can help. Now let's switch the focus here a bit, and make
believe you are the person who answers. Is the caller a serious
prospect, a bored teenager with nothing better to do, or what
they refer to in the automotive trade as a "tire kicker?

Trying to determine if they are a serious prospect is a
challenge. If they are, you might make the sale. If they aren't
however, how do you gracefully end the conversation? Many small
businesses are a "one horse" shop, without the staff, and
equipment necessary to handle multiple calls. Every minute you
are on the phone, with someone who is not a serious prospect, is
not only wasting your time, but may cost you another customer,
who can't get through because the line is busy.

Some people, who may have a slight interest, think that because
it is a toll free number they don't have anything to lose,
so they make the call. It doesn't cost them anything, so why not.
These are your "tire kickers", are usually not serious prospects,
and are wasting your resources.

How do you avoid these types of problems? Simple, don't have an
800 number. If a person has to spend their "nickel" for the call,
they have already pre-qualified themselves as a serious prospect.
You know that time spent with them will be productive. Now the
small entrepreneur must have a separate phone line for this. If
you are involved in several businesses, you should have a line
for each one. That way, when the phone rings, depending on the
number called, you can answer the phone in a businesslike manner.

We used 800 numbers with our businesses. As an experiment, we
took the 800 number off our website, and put in a non-toll free
number. Two things happened and they were both good. First, the
number of calls received decreased by almost 80 percent. This of
course concerned us at first. Secondly however, we saw our sales
dramatically increase. Why? Because the prospects were
pre-qualifying themselves, and we were not wasting our time, or
losing calls due to lines being busy.

Do 800 numbers have a place in your business plan? Sure! If you
are product oriented, a toll free order line is essential.
People may hesitate to pay a toll for a product they wish to
order. If you are service oriented, it is a must for technical
support. With long waiting times for help, it would be a real
turn off if one wasn't available.