Local Vs Toll Free Phone Number – Which is better?

There is no doubt that virtual phone numbers have bolstered global communication and made it easier for businesses to connect with clients anywhere in the world.

Its excellent flexibility and a wide spectrum of benefits have captured the attention of several entrepreneurs. However, the major dilemma that most of the businesses face while choosing a virtual phone number is whether to get local numbers or toll-free phone numbers.

So, how do you find out which one is better for your business?

To make your decision easier, I have stated the pros and cons of local and toll-free phone numbers.

Local phone number

A local phone number is an ideal choice for businesses that want to target local customers of any particular country. It increases the convenience for your customers; they can easily reach out to you by making local calls.

Using local phone numbers, you can manage the business from anywhere without having to build brick and mortar offices.

Pros of using a local phone number

1. Build a local presence

Customers prefer working with local businesses. By reaching out to your customers through local phone number, you can win their trust and appear local to your customers even if you are physically not present there.

Whether you reside in Manchester or Melbourne, you can still appear like a company operating in New York City by getting its local phone number.

Customers feel more comfortable receiving a call with recognizable area code. With a local phone number, build credibility and present a better image of your business.

• 86% of consumers consider local businesses a better alternative to national/international companies in terms of quality.
• 72% of consumers don’t mind paying more to local companies if they provide better quality.
• 79% of people believe that local businesses are more reliable.

Information Source: SinglePlatform

2. Power your advertising

Attract more customers by incorporating local phone number in your advertising plans and email campaigns. For instance, a professional email signature appears more appealing to the target audience of a specific country when a local phone number is added. Using a local phone number, you can expand your reach and generate more leads for your business.

3. Have multiple numbers

Based on your business size and requirements, you might need more than one local phone number. You can easily get multiple local phone numbers of different countries with specific area codes and effortlessly manage your international business. Target the area codes from where most of your business come and get connected to new opportunities.

Get local phone numbers starting @ just $1.10

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Cons of using a local phone number

1. Sharing cost with customers

Customers generally wouldn’t prefer spending their money on sorting out a query. Instead, they would expect the company to offer toll-free numbers to make free calls.

Unfortunately, you can’t do it with local phone numbers. The local call rates will be charged by the service provider, which will deter some customers from calling you.

2. Difficult to end work

Round-the-clock availability makes it difficult to focus on specific tasks and detach yourself from actual sales work. You wouldn’t want to miss an excellent opportunity by not answering a client’s call, but you cannot even avoid an important meeting.

Well, need not worry, you can avoid the above scenario by using a virtual local phone number within a CRM that provides call forwarding and call distribution functionalities. So, during your busy hours, your teammate can receive the call and assist the client.

Toll-free number

Building healthy customer relationships is pivotal for a growing business. The best way to leave a lasting impact on a customer is by providing the utmost customer satisfaction.

You can create a positive impression in front of your customers by addressing their problems in real-time, and a toll-free number can help you with that. With a toll-free number, customers can call you freely without worrying about the calling charges.

• 90% of Americans use toll-free numbers on a regular basis.
• Customers respond 30% more to an advertisement with a toll-free virtual phone number.

Pros of using a toll-free virtual phone number

1. Easy to remember

Customers don’t need to put any effort into remembering a toll-free number; it can be easily memorized. So, toll-free numbers have a better inbound calling rate and are often displayed on billboards and company websites.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoe and think wouldn’t 1800-444-1313 be easy to remember rather than a difficult phone number? Use such easy-to-remember numbers for getting more calls from your valuable customers.

2. Convey a bigger presence

Look more established and professional with a toll-free number. It is great for businesses that aim to target a wider audience.

With a toll-free number, you can present a unified image of your company even if your team members are spread out in different countries around the world. By using a single number with multiple extensions, you can easily present yourself as one big organization.

3. Better portability

Portability is one of the most significant plus points of a toll-free number. Choose a toll-free number of your choice and take it wherever you go. You can seamlessly change the service provider yet stick to the same number in case of relocation.

Customers won’t have to face any inconvenience due to your relocation; they can call you and continue using the services without any disruption.

Get toll-free phone numbers starting @ just $2.20

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Cons of using a toll-free number

1. Increased unnecessary calls

The free provision of calls is most of the time misused resulting in a higher number of unnecessary calls. Some people even call you and ask irrelevant questions that consume your precious sales time.

There are chances that someone from your competitors might also call pretending as a potential customer to find out your selling techniques.

2. Not a standalone medium

Unfortunately, a toll-free number can’t be used as a sole medium for increasing sales. Yes, a toll-free number will aid in sales; still, you cannot depend on it for a steady return. It is beneficial for providing better customer support to your esteemed customers.

Taking a decision

While debating toll-free vs local phone number, you must consider the pros and cons of using them. Decide which one suits your organizational requirements and then make a decision.

Whether you choose a local phone number or a toll-free virtual phone number for your business, both work well with a CRM software. Sales CRM like Salesmate come with a built-in virtual phone system. So, you can get your preferred local phone number or toll-free phone number and start your calling activities directly from the CRM. You can also use Salesmate as CRM with text messaging to send and receive text messages on your toll-free and local numbers. You can even automate or schedule text messages to reach your prospects and customers

By using local or toll-free virtual phone numbers within Salesmate, you can-

• Automatically log calls
• Create insightful calling reports
• Track sales calls
• Record calls for coaching team and understand client needs
• Send and receive text messages
• Collaborate with remote sales teams

With Salesmate CRM, you can even streamline your sales process, manage your deals, forecast sales, automate your daily activities, track your emails and integrate all your favorite apps.

Try Salesmate absolutely free for 15 days to explore every single feature.