The Best Time to Call Prospects
Cold calling is a tried and tested method to generate leads. Even in today’s digital age, cold calling has not fallen out of favor. When it comes to cold calling, the importance of using a good cold call script that addresses the prospect’s pain points cannot be emphasized enough. Using an effective script, however, won’t make any difference if you call your prospects at the wrong time.
You need to understand that your prospects are busy in their lives. If you call them at the wrong time, they might turn down your offer without even listening to what you have to say. Additionally, calling at the wrong time makes you look unprofessional, pushy, and desperate, which can impact your brand’s reputation. You don’t want this to happen, which is precisely the reason why you need to call your prospects at the right time of the day. To help you avoid annoying your prospects, we, in this post, provide some suggestions for when to call them.
The best day to call prospects
Many marketers wrongly believe Monday to be the best day of the week to call prospects; in fact, the reverse is true. Various studies show that Monday is the second-worst day of the week to make a cold call, only after Tuesday. On Monday, people are usually burdened with work and are busy planning their week.
According to studies, the two best days of the week to call prospects are Wednesday and Thursday. And it’s not difficult to figure out why. On these two days, people are in a good mood because of the approaching weekend. By the middle of the week, people have had enough time to settle in and are in the right frame of mind to take calls. If you call on these two days, there are less chances of your call feeling like an interruption.
The best time during the morning to make sales calls
Calling your prospects during the morning can help you connect with them before they get too busy. Avoid calling too early. A study shows that the best time to cold call prospects in the morning is between 11 AM and 12 PM.
The finding makes sense given the fact that most people are preparing to break for lunch and are wrapping up old tasks between 11 AM and 12 PM. During these hours, people are hesitant to take up new tasks, which makes it the best time to schedule a sales call. The same study revealed that the best time to call prospects in the afternoon is between 4 PM and 5 PM.
The worst time to make sales call
A study by CallHippo shows that the worst time to call businesses is between 7 AM and 10 AM. Most offices open between 8 AM and 9 AM. If you call between 8 AM and 9 AM, the chances are that your call will go unanswered. After reaching office, most people usually spend the first couple of hours organizing their to-do list for the day or responding to urgent requests.
It is also advisable that you avoid calling offices between 1 PM and 3 PM, as most people take lunch during these hours. Studies also suggest that people lose efficiency during these hours. Any efforts to connect with them during these hours can backfire.
The best response time
Once a lead becomes qualified, do not waste time in following up. A study by CallHippo shows a 450 percent difference in response time of leads who receive a follow-up call within an hour of becoming qualified and those who don’t.
Be persistent
Many sales professionals stop pursuing a lead after their second or third voicemail does not elicit a response. A study shows that around 30 percent of leads do not get a follow-up call after the initial contact. The same study found that the chances of making contact with the prospect go up to 90 percent on the sixth call. The moral of the story? Don’t give up without trying.
Tips for making effective sales calls
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Begin the conversation on a positive note.
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Avoid bad-mouthing your competitor.
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Assign a positive label/trait to prospects.
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Your inability to answer prospect questions will make you look unprofessional. Before making calls, learn everything there is to know about your product/service.
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Use different methods to clarify your product’s value.
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Avoid sounding too pushy. Empower your customers by giving them enough space, power, and freedom to make purchase decisions.
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Before calling a prospect, dig up information about them from your database. Use this information for identifying their pain points and suggesting solutions.
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Avoid confusing your prospect by giving them too many options.
