Deciding that can be difficult. If a major part of your mail is outside your local calling area, having a toll free response line may increase responses. The question is, will the increased responses result in enough more sales to justify the expense?

There is a company I recently became acquainted with, RingCentral, who provides a wide range of services that might fit.

I have the link on my website at www.abusinessmentor.com

A toll-free number has traditionally been part of the direct marketer's arsenal of response devices. That said, in today's world of unlimited calling, where many people don't even have land lines anymore, I would say the need for a toll-free number may depend on your target market.

If your target market is young and wired, they are likely to call you on their cell phones and have lots of minutes with little concern for long distance fees. Or they will contact you via VoIP where long distance has no cost. Or they won't call you at all -- they will respond by Internet.

If your target market is older (say, over 40 or 50) they are used to having a toll-free number and may still be concerned about long-distance charges. In that case, having a toll-free number will be beneficial in moving them toward a response.