As with anything in sales, the well calculated timing of your sales call is absolutely crucial. It can often make or break your pitch and a successful sale. Lets look at the different factors here:
1. If you get someone while they are in the middle of a project or a chore, or an enjoyable TV show, they are less likely to focus and want to pay attention. I know, I know, you are such a good salesperson that you can get anyone’s attention even in the middle of the Sopranos finale (or whatever show is hot right now). The reality however, is that there is something I call Reflex Response and if you don’t know how to overcome it, you are TOAST. More on this later in the post.
2. Wrong timing = lot’s of wasted time. If you try and contact prospects when they are generally not available, you can spend your whole day reaching just a few people and having a real bad contact ratio. In phone sales reaching people is hard. It is what you do when you reach them that matters. Of course, the more prospects you reach on a given day, the better your odds for a sale are. Pay attention, and I will show you how to improve your contact ratio by 5x at least.
So what is the best time to make phone sales? Well, it depends. If you are selling B2B you have to look at the all the possibilities. Most businesses operate from the standard 9-5. So you pick up the phone and call from 9-5? Sure you can do that, but there is an easier way. See, when people get in the office, they generally start they will generally waste the first 30 min in getting ready, getting coffee and doing a few meaningless tasks before getting to their work. Most will get in 15-30 min early. What you want to do is call at 8:30-9:30. This is when your prospects are the least busy and distracted with their work. Getting a call so early also means that it is usually not a work related call. People will be more prone to pick up. Expect to make your presentation in 15 min tops depending on when you get the person. If you get them more towards the 9:30 mark, expect that they will be pressured to start working and being productive. The earlier you get them the better.
Another caveat of contacting prospects early is the that you avoid the gate keepers. Secretaries and receptionists are usually low paid and they will religiously stick to getting to work right on the mark or even late. No one wants to be at work early, when they are paid $9/hr and have a whole day of playing Solitaire and answering pestering calls. However, the execs that you want to get in touch are usually hard working and successful people, who pride themselves in getting in early and leaving late. Make your calls early on. If you are engaging enough, sales will pour from the sky for you. Remember, you need to have high energy when it is so early. Most people feel sluggish in the mornings and if you contribute to putting them to sleep, you can bet that they will lose interest.
The other best time for B2B sales is after lunch time (1-2PM) and then right before and after 5PM. Since 5PM is the end of most business days, mostly everyone will be winding down, they will be more receptive to taking a phone call that can make the last 30 min of their day go faster. With your hard working exec, contacting them after 5 will also avoid the gatekeepers, as they would be heading home at that time.
If you decide to call right before 5, expect that some prospects will rush you off the phone as they eagerly await to get out of the office. You have to play it by ear. Take notes if that happens and contact them an hour before you know they are getting out of the office. The 30 min after lunch are also a good time, since most people will be in a more relaxed mood and talkative and anything that keeps them away from work for another 15 to 30 min is more than welcome.
Now, if you sell primarily to private citizen, the best times to call are undoubtedly between 5-9. Most people will be heading home at around 5 and the rest of the evening is usually spend winding down, having dinner and watching something boring on TV. As a matter of fact one of the most productive times to make sales is actually from 8-9 and later if your state allows such late sales calls. In this time frame you can expect mostly everyone to have finished dinner and a glass of wine, to be in a better mood after fuming at their spouse about their lousy day at work earlier in the evening and receptive to phone calls about things that interest them. I usually recommend that you start calling around 5 so you can warm up and catch the few prospects that might have earlier hours, housewives or people who are retired and generally feel bored most of the time. Good note taking is crucial here in order to optimize your phone making time.
Now on to the really interesting stuff. The REFLEX RESPONSE. I mentioned this earlier. The reflex response is nothing more than the first thing that comes to mind to a prospect when they get a sales call. Usually it is to say they are busy and hang up, or start finding excuses as to why they can’t be on the phone with you. We have all been there. Now here are some suggestions as to how to over come this. Mind you, this is an extensive topic and I will cover more of it in a later post, especially if you write me COMMENT and are INTERESTED to hear more.
1. Put a time limit on your call right off the bat. That’s right. Most people will say that they are busy, they have to get started on something, etc, etc. Put a specific time limit on your call such as “Mr Jones, I’m glad I got you on the phone. Let me tell you in 30 seconds or less about the offer I am calling with, blah blah blah”. Wow, do you think that you can make a solid presentation in 30 seconds or less? Usually not. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you have put your prospect’s mind at ease. “Ok, that pestering salesman is not going to keep me on the phone for half an hour with meaningless blabber” is what goes on in the prospect’s mind. Now, what you do is absolutely crucial. In the 30 seconds that you have given yourself (don’t ask for permission by the way, give permission to yourself), make a sales pitch that will intrigue your prospect and most importantly it will pique their interest and curiosity. That’s right. All you need to do is pique their interest and curiosity with a straight to the point pitch. Don’t expect to sell within 30 seconds. However, do expect the 30 seconds to become 30 minutes if you pull this off. Again, the whole point of giving a verbalized a time limit on the phone call is to put your prospect’s mind at ease that this won’t be a long winded boring telemarketing presentation.
2. Acknowledge your prospect’s concerns. These can be various, such as I have to start working soon, or I have been looking at the clock for past half an hour and can;t wait to get out of here, I am about to start cooking or eating dinner, I am about to crash on the couch and watch my favorite show, etc, etc. This can be as simple as saying “Mr Jones, I know you are eager to start your day at work, but I want to to make you an offer you can’t refuse in 30 seconds or less. Are you ready!”. That is it. Acknowledging your prospect’s concerns plays the same role as giving a time limit. It makes them feel easier about taking the phone call, they know they won’t have their time wasted and they see that you are actually sensitive about what their concerns are. After all, the prospect is doing you a favor by picking up the phone and giving you their precious time. Appreciate that and acknowledge it and most importantly RESPECT it.
Until next time, Happy calling.
