This article is about one thing, and one thing only. 

People are 4x more likely to answer a call from a local number. 

In fact, this survey by our friends at Software Advice found that out-of-state and toll-free numbers are a whopping, belly-flopping 80% less likely to be answered.

Okay, so that’s two things… but bear with me.

If your sales team is frustrated by low answer rates, blocked numbers, and deals that fall apart before they can even get off the ground, you’re in pretty crowded company these days.

Robo and scam calls are at an all-time high, making it harder than ever for sales teams to get prospects on the phone and hit their quotas. 

It’s a complicated problem, but the solution is actually quite simple: local presence dialing.

WHAT EXACTLY IS AREA CODE MATCHING?

Put simply, area code matching is a sales tactic that matches your outbound phone number to the area code (or closest available area code) to the one you dialed. 

For example, say your office is based in New York, NY. That gives you easy access to 212 or 718 area codes (if you are lucky), but what happens when you try to connect with prospects in Seattle or Dallas? I’ll tell you what happens — they take one look at your caller ID and send you straight to voicemail. 

Sure, you can use a toll-free number with an 800 or 888 prefix and hope your answer rates won’t take too much of a hit. Or you can implement area code matching for your sales team and start every call on the right foot, no matter where your prospects are located. 

Local presence dialing also meshes perfectly with our Returned Call Routing feature — automatically matching return callers with the same person who contacted them previously. Wherever they’re located, all your prospects will have a seamless sales experience that builds credibility and trust.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, isn’t that the same as number spoofing? Which is… you know… illegal?”

It’s a fair question and one that we answer in much more detail here. But for now, I’ll give you the quick version. 

What makes area code matching a legitimate sales tactic is that, instead of simply copy-and-pasting someone else’s local number over yours, we supply you with dedicated local area numbers that your business legally owns. No smoke and mirrors. No long-winded explanation of how it's technically not shady. Area code matching is simply conducting smart business in new markets or underperforming regions. 

There are no complicated settings you need to set up or manage. Just let us know the markets you care about most, and we’ll find the right phone numbers to make sure all of your calls go out looking as friendly and local as a neighbor asking for sugar. 

Still on the fence about how much local presence dialing can help your sales team get their foot in the door? Let’s look at a few of the specifics. 

HOW AREA CODE MATCHING BENEFITS YOUR SALES TEAM

Increase Cold Call Answer Rates

A recent survey found people are 4x more likely to answer a call from a local number. That’s four times more connections with the people you’re calling and four times more opportunities to hit your sales quota.

Establish Local Credibility

By calling from a local number, you let prospects know you already do business in their area and came prepared to meet their unique needs. Virtual phone presence makes sure you start every call on the right foot before they’ve even picked up the phone.

Unify Your Team

Regardless of how many satellite offices or remote employees you have, area code matching gives your sales team a nearby number that’s easy for prospects to remember and reply to.

If your sales strategy changes and you want to start going after new markets, we can easily swap out your local numbers and keep your team locked and loaded with the most relevant area codes.

Interested in area code matching for your sales team?

Let us know! 

Want to increase your connection rate by as much as 400%? Have BURNING questions about area code matching, or anything else? Our Communications Experts are standing by at 303-462-5683 or sales@fluentstream.com.