Does timing of your sales calls matter? Or should you just make more calls?
In order to see the results you want, it’s essential to establish a cold call strategy that outlines the best time during the workday to make calls, alongside the best days to schedule sales calls. This allows salespeople to maximize their response rates and engagement..
A productive sales call that boosts high conversion rates isn’t possible if your prospects aren’t picking up the phone. In this article, we will outline the complete guide for the best time to make cold calls. Keep reading to learn how to enhance your sales team’s outreach and prevent wasting hours talking to the answering machine.
As technology evolves, it’s crucial for sales teams to keep up with updates that benefit the changing sales market. Despite email and social media, phone calls are still a highly sought-after communication source; both by customers and businesses. That being said, the marketplace is not only demanding persuasive conversationalists but also strategic business professionals. Knowledge of buyer psychology gives your business an upper hand.
Every important outbound call should be scheduled for peak performance hours to ensure more pick-ups, engaging conversations, and converted sales. Sales leaders are seeking out live call execution as a necessary skill in new salespeople, so now is the best time to brush up your industry knowledge.
If you want to open new opportunities in the workplace, focus on both your sales skills and your understanding of the best time for sales calls. Thankfully, this article will give you the knowledge you need to execute calls with professionalism and a high-ticket strategy.
According to research and statistics from 2022, the best time of the day to make cold calls is Tuesdays. Monday and Wednesday are tied for second place, so they are also viable options for sales opportunities. The bright side is that every day of the week offers a unique advantage for making sales calls, depending on your available times and desired results.
In previous years, Tuesday was at the bottom of the list of best days to make sales calls, but the numbers show a quick turnaround in these trends. Tuesday is one day after the busy start of the week, while still being earlier enough to catch people before their midweek slump.
While it’s great to have an awareness of which days have the highest pick-up rates (listed in order below), there is still a high likelihood across all days of the week to catch a customer at a convenient time.
We don’t recommend making weekend calls unless it’s a necessity for your business. However, at the end of the day, always keep common courtesy in mind for your clients. Occasionally, weekend calls may make the most sense for your industry over workweek calls. Luckily, there is still a high probability of engagement and response time on the weekend, especially for follow-up calls.
Alongside the best days of the week to make cold calls, it’s just as important to understand the best time of the day to start making calls. The optimal time to make calls on any day of the week is between 10 am-11 am. Research shows that 10 am boasts the highest connection rate across the board, which is great if you want to skyrocket your lead generation or client engagement.
Sales professionals still have a high likelihood of talking to prospects between the peak hours of 10 am-3 pm. This is the best time to plan for a majority of your cold outreach throughout the week, regardless of the day. Many people will take their lunch break during this window, so you can catch them at a great time for conversation.
Keep in mind that calls between the hours of 4 pm - 6 pm still have a likelihood of being answered, but the outcomes aren’t as high as the optimal times listed above. If you need to make calls throughout the entire work day, make sure to be mindful of your customer’s schedule by asking if this is a good time to talk.
On one hand, this helps build company morale while also giving you insight into the preferences of your unique client base. Always remember that calling first thing in the morning or after hours can be seen as a breach of professionalism in the client’s mind. Try to stick to the sweet spot between late morning and early afternoon when you can.
Best Hour to Make Sales Calls: 10 am-11 am
Second Best Time to Call Prospects: 10 am - 3 pm
Follow Up Times for High Connection Rates: 3pm - 6pm
Sales professionals can cold call year-round, however, it’s helpful to understand the peak seasons for lead generation and potential business strategy planning. Data regarding sales calls show seasonal trends that shift with each quarter of the year, often aligning with the changing priorities of corporate employees and businesses.
Connection rates are higher in the first quarter of the year, so statistically speaking, the best time for cold calls is during the months of January, February, March and April. If you are a specialist in B2B sales, quarter one is a great time to focus your attention. At the beginning of the year, individuals and businesses are researching new opportunities, products, and investments.
The second and third quarters show a slight dip in connection rates as businesses continue researching, connecting with sales professionals, and making decisions on budget allocation. By quarter four, connection rates drop as the end-of-the-year budget, on average, reaches its maximum.
Best Time: Quarter 1
Second Best Time: Quarters 2 and 3
Worst Time: Quarter 4
The best days of the month to make sales calls are the first five days of the month. This is primarily when businesses and employees are starting fresh and open to new opportunities. However, the connection rates do not drop significantly throughout the month, so continue calling as needed. Keep in mind that cold-calling strategies will look different for every business, especially if you are conducting B2B sales or B2C sales. The most successful sales calls will depend on your unique industry, but having the data on your side is a significant benefit.
Best Days: The first five days of the month
Second Best Days: The entire month shows significant trends in medium to high connection rates
According to the information we’ve reviewed so far, the worst time of the day for sales reps to make calls is in the first hour of the work day or later in the evening. Call between the peak hours of the workday when people are most active online, and likely open to taking phone calls. Start wrapping up your cold calls in the late afternoon around 3-5 pm.
The worst day of the week for making calls that boast a high conversion rate is on Sunday. The second worst day is Saturday, followed by Friday and Thursday. The middle of the week is prime time for businesses as they are still open to starting new partnerships before the week’s end.
The worst times of the month to make sales call would be towards the end of the year, and the tail ends of each month. Depending on your sales industry, prospecting calls can be successful year-round, with high success rates starting in the first quarter of the year and tapering off by the end of the year.
Avoid making sales calls on the weekends, after-hours, holidays, or corporate days off. If you have warm calls that are approved for scheduling by the client outside of these windows, this is an exception.
Before deciding on the worst time to make sales calls, always look at your unique CRM metrics when it comes to making calls. AutoReach provides this information in an “out of the box” dashboard. Your reps will be empowered to always call at the right time.
Figure out when you see a rise in voicemail automation, and when your sales team has the longest conversations with clients. If you are seeing an increase in call attempts, with little to no outreach success, it might be time to shift your sales call strategy.
Every business should establish what works best for both cold calls and warm calls, as clients may be more likely to answer if they have a pre-existing relationship with a sales professional. Have your sales team start dialing cold calls during peak hours of the day/week to see the best results for your business. The more people you can get on the phone, the higher success you’ll see in your sales process.
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