These numbers, in addition to our many other Custom 800® numbers,
can help your medical and health care related clients improve their
advertising response rates, increase incoming calls, and start booking
more appointments for new patients.
Watch ads featuring vanity 800 numbers. These will give you a good idea of the best ways to feature an unforgettable vanity in your spots, or your clients' spots.
And, learn more about 800response and the services we provide - watch the one-minute (and eleven seconds, but who's really counting?) video.
by John Moore
TalkTrack Conversationalist
8-16-2010
As a way of background, the stats
shared below have been culled from recent Keller Fay research data.
These stats are priceless research information that can benefit any
marketer in any industry.
1. The average American consumer mentions specific brand names 60 times per week in conversations.
2. 50% of all consumer conversations about brands refer to a company's marketing activities.
3. 65% of all WOM conversations are "mostly positive."
4. Less than 10% of word of mouth conversations happen online.
As the current stock of toll-free 800, 866, 877 and 888 numbers is depleting, the FCC is on track to release the new 855 toll-free code on October 2, 2010.
With a new bank of toll-free numbers coming on line soon, companies and individuals can acquire 855 numbers for their businesses or for personal use.
It has been proven that American consumers recognize toll-free numbers in advertising and equate them with established, credible businesses.
To learn more about the FCC's release of the toll-free 855 numbers, and how you can put in a request to order an 855 number, visit here.
The FCC is releasing the 855 toll-free area code at the beginning of October. You can put in a request for specific 855 numbers here. By pre-reserving 855 numbers, you're one step closer to getting the better toll free 855 numbers that will be available soon.
Regularly reviewing your call-handling process is just smart business
management. Below are a couple of ways your admissions department may
improve call handling and avoid losing potential students.
Listen to the caller
Is your admissions team trained to listen
to what the caller is asking for first? And then to look past that and
find out what they need to succeed as a student? Teach the team to:
Listen to the speed that the caller speaks and try to match that pattern.
Listen closely to intonations.
Know that emphasis on certain words may provide a hint as to what questions to ask to move the enrollment process along.
Ask questions to identify their needs and work hard to fulfill them.
Then, the key to identifying holes in
your staff's call-handling process is to use a lead-tracking system
with a recording feature. A call recording system will let you play
conversations back at a later date, so you can monitor admission reps,
spot any problems with the call-handling process, and fine-tune those
holes to turn more callers into enrollees.
Stay on topic
Some admissions reps may overdo the need
for a "relationship" by compensating with excessive chatter. Others may
spend an unwarranted amount of time on irrelevant information, delaying
enrollment and distracting the caller. While you do want to build a
relationship and make your callers comfortable, the goal is to schedule
appointments and take the caller one step closer to enrollment. If
financing is the topic, don't coast too far off on tangents like the
local facilities or extracurricular events. Save that relationship
chatter for later, like when they are in the orientation process!
Follow up on leads
Just because someone does not enroll
immediately doesn't mean he won't be interested later. Follow-up is a
critical aspect of admissions that is often neglected. The key to
making the most of every incoming phone lead is to employ a
lead-tracking system that provides caller information like name,
address, and phone number. This will help you capture that essential
information and allow you to keep that prospect on your radar for future
follow-up and pro-active marketing campaigns.
A thorough analysis of your callers'
experiences as they are introduced to your school will speak volumes on
where your admissions team excels and more importantly, where there is
room for improvement. If you don't already have a lead-tracking system
with call recording, find one today and get started. You'll undoubtedly
identify areas and specialists that need training. Improve their
call-handling skills and you will see your enrollment rates rise.
Laura Noonan has 16 years of
experience in the vanity 800 numbers and telecommunications industry.
She coaches hundreds of clients each year on using toll-free vanity 800
phone numbers as direct marketing tools to increase advertising response
rates. Laura can be reached at lnoonan@800response.com or 1-800-NEW-SALES.
It is often
said that successful advertising campaigns are born from well-conceived plans;
we say yes and no. The beauty of advertising is that it is not set in stone.
You may have a solid plan that includes agreements with advertising outlets,
but you usually have the flexibility to change your creative direction and turn
a lackluster campaign into a success.
There are
some simple components to address when developing your advertising's creative
content that will help create a successful advertising campaign.
Have a
unique position
A strong,
memorable, credible position is at the heart of every effective creative
advertising strategy. Successful dealers use advertising messages to
distinguish their business from those of their competitors in ways that capture
consumer's hearts as well as their minds...all while asking them to act. Apply
these messages consistently and visibly in all aspects of your operation to
build a unique selling position. One way to ensure a call-to-action is
memorable is to include a branding response tool in your ads--like a toll-free
number that fits your brand. Consumer research has shown that people tend to
believe more in companies that advertise a toll-free number. A vanity 800
number brings in the element of memorability and provides a unique position in
your market.
Expect
accountable performance
Your
advertising may at times be a trial run of messages and sensory components. You
cannot know exactly what is going to work with your target audience, so you
need a way to test and measure your ideas and assumptions. There are a few ways
to measure and analyze advertising to make it accountable, like standard A/B
advertising testing. However, you can also easily refer to response metrics to
identify successful ad messages, or failures. Testing can be time intensive,
while monitoring response rates with real-time metrics is immediate. Armed with
response metrics, you have evidence of what advertising messages are producing
leads, and what ones are underperforming. The beauty of having this knowledge
is the empowerment you now have to make slight creative changes that will have
a major impact. Small changes to your advertising message or call-to-action
will help drive more traffic into your store.
Here is a
scenario--Imagine you've just spent your budget producing television and radio
spots for a new campaign. You test the messaging and believe you have
communicated your image in an understandable, unique, and persuasive manner.
The campaign launches and you expect that you will be getting hundreds of calls
within weeks of the launch, but you are proven wrong. Your messages are
probably not resonating; calls and leads are trickling in, not flooding in.
Your budget is blown and your store is not seeing a return on investment.
What
questions should you ask? Should you have incorporated a different position?
No, you feel your positioning and image are fine--your ads are memorable and
believable. They are relevant and engaging. There is a call-to-action and it's
noteworthy!
Ironically,
often we have found that what is missing is an easy action item for the
consumer. Ask yourself...is my phone number easy for the consumer to recall? What
about my website address? Adding these easy-to-recall elements to the scenario
may turn a poor-performing campaign into a successful one.
If you are
running a campaign that is not producing a significant number of leads compared
to what you've spent, make minor adjustments now that will have tremendous
impact with more leads coming into your store later. We have seen the big
dealerships do this when they needed to refine their image, or add an offer to
boost sales. You can do it too. A small change to your advertising message will
turn a fledgling campaign into one with lower cost-per-lead and improved ROI.
Laura
Noonan has 16 years of experience in the vanity 800 numbers and
telecommunications industry. She coaches automotive clients each year on using
toll-free vanity 800 phone numbers as direct marketing tools to increase
advertising response rates. Laura can be reached at lnoonan@800response.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript
enabled to view it or 800-NEW-SALES.
For companies that are focused on high volume sales through the Internet
or catalog mailings, a toll free number is a must. Toll free numbers
are also highly advisable for businesses whose products require a
significant amount of follow-up or technical assistance. Regardless of
the particular type of business though, if a company is targeting
customers on a nationwide scale then they really need a toll free number
to 'disguise' their locality. The reason
being that people prefer not to buy from companies outside of their
state unless they are an established, national company.Another benefit
of toll free phone numbers is that they are portable, meaning that you
can take the number with you if you move to a new office or rout calls
to a different city if you want someone else to answer them instead of
you or someone in your office. It really can be a number for life. Once
you have it, the only way that you can lose is if you do not pay the
annual subscription fee. Keeping the same phone number for years and
years is a good idea because it increases the likelihood of you getting
repeat orders from past customers, who have written down or saved the
first phone number that they used to call you.Toll free numbers are
available through a number of service providers, who can be found on the
Internet. Major communication providers also provide toll-free number
service, however, as they usually sell to high volume clients, they
usually charge small businesses a higher rate than service providers
that specialize in lower call volumes. Whichever company that you choose
should be able to take care of the whole set-up process for you, and
not just simply sell you the number. They should help you obtain an
available number and direct your toll free calls to the phone of your
choosing.
If you're looking for toll-free numbers to use in your advertising, for your business, you can order them today through www.order855.com. This site takes reservation requests and will submit your requested 855 toll-free numbers to the FCC starting in October when they release the new 855 toll-free area code/prefix.
It's easy to place your request, and you can checkout online with Google Checkout or PayPal.
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