A very important aspect of running a business is keeping your clients up to date regarding your product or service. This can be done in several ways, all of whom fall under the umbrella of marketing. However, the strategy that you choose to market your brand needs to be in sync with your aim in order for it to have the desired effect. Also, there are various tools now that can help you decide on the right path that will lead you towards success in the market.
Amongst others, the old way of calling potential clients using telephone lines is still used widely today. This is because there is nothing that can beat one-on-one communication, and despite the strategy not being new, it holds a special place amongst marketers all over the world. As a result, companies that can afford to run call centers invest in one, which helps them give a boost to their business in an easy manner. Also, telemarketing does wonders for small-scale businesses, and should be considered by every entrepreneur in order to get good leads.
Despite its many advantages, running and maintaining a call center is not as easy as it sounds. This is because it requires many strategic decisions to be made, such as the number of agents to be hired, and the equipment to be used. Also, ever since the evolution of technology, business owners are now faced with the question of buying some competent software to make their call center operations more efficient. But amongst all of these questions, the most important is finding out the best time to make a sales call.
This is, in fact, a matter of serious concern, as you cannot have your agents waste time by making uncalculated moves. However, when it comes to this aspect of running a call center, experts have mixed opinions, and we would like to discuss both of them in detail before making a conclusion.
One side of the coin is that you should have an idea of the times when your call is most likely to be answered, and use it to contact your potential clients. Proponents of this claim have the following points to back up their side of the argument.
The best day to make a call is either Wednesday or Thursday
Many studies have shown that the best days to make a sales call during any given week are Wednesdays and Thursdays. There are many reasons for this, the most important of which is the work pattern of people.
Usually, most people come back from their weekends, and need time to settle in. This consumes most of Mondays and Tuesdays. Similarly, Fridays are not very suitable for making a sales call, since people are looking forward to the weekend, and their attention is divided amongst various things. Also, a lot of work needs to be wrapped up by the end of the week, which means that Friday is generally very busy.
As a result, Wednesdays and Thursdays are most suitable for making a sales call. This is because people have settled in to their work mode, and will be more willing to listen to what you have to say without feeling interrupted during work hours. Hence, advising your call agents to call prospective clients during these days will help you in getting potential leads more easily.
Late morning time (11 am to 12 pm) is the best time to make sales call
This has also been shown through studies. Normally, on any given day, employees of a firm have to-do lists that they need to get done with before heading home in the evening. Hence, it is better to call them before they have started doing their assigned tasks, i.e., just after they enter office, or morning time. This way, you will be able to communicate your message to them in an uninterrupted manner, and they will listen to you with unwavering attention.
According to another study, the best time to make sales calls is between 4 pm to 5 pm. This is because around this time, most working people are done with their to-do lists, and have some free time on their hands. As a result, you can talk to them freely, and have their time in a productive manner.
Generally speaking, both of these time slots are considered to be good for calling your potential clients, and you can plan your telemarketing schedule accordingly to gain maximum leads.
Early morning is the worst time to make a sales call
Studies show that most offices open between 8 am and 9 am. This is the time when people are walking in, and getting into the work mode. Some people also walk in a bit earlier, around 7 am, if they have to get specific tasks done. This is the time when they need to work without any interruptions. As a result, you must not make sales calls between 7 am and 10 am. This is because if you do so, then you will mostly be answered by grumpy workers who you have clearly disturbed with your call. In fact, you will be lucky if someone picks up your call during that time.
Best time to get a response
You make sales calls in order to convert potential leads into clients. This is the reason why you must contact your clients at a time that will get you an increased number of sales. So when exactly is that? After you have made the call.
That’s right! Studies have shown that as soon as you have put the phone down, you must follow up within an hour to increase response rate. This is because most people are absorbed with work, and tend to forget about the conversation that they just had. If you will call them again, and remind them of their product or service, then you are more likely to gain clients.
Also, in order to get a response, you must be persistent and keep making calls. This is because studies have shown that call agents are more likely to receive a response after the third or fourth call. In addition to this, to speed up the process, you must make use of a quick dialing system, such as the power dialer, that will help you make more calls on an average day. This way, you will able to reach a larger number of people than by using manual dialing.
This is what the proponents of the idea of making sales calls at calculated times believe in, and practice. Lets have a look at the other side of the coin now, where people believe that you should not be limited by time to contact your potential client. They use the following points to back up their claim.
Calculating the time to make sales calls limits you from gaining potential clients
Telemarketing should not be limiting by ideas such as utilizing the right day and time to make a sales call. This is because in doing so, business owners unknowingly adopt a laid back attitude towards targeting their potential clients. Hence, if you are looking to give your business the boost that it needs, pick up that phone, and dial away.
Many sales reps argue that since it’s a particular time of the day or week, their calls won’t be answered. But this is a mere assumption, and there is no harm in trying, right? And what is the worst that could happen? You won’t receive an answer? This is far better than not calling at all.
Making a sufficient number of calls eventually gets you the clients that you are targeting
This is absolutely true! While it may be so that your calls might not be answered around the holiday season or any particular time of the say, it can be due to the fact that you aren’t contacting your clients enough. In fact, studies have shown that persistent calling has resulted in a response during the busiest times of the year, such as New Year’s Eve, or Christmas. It all depends on your business, and the type of people that you are targeting for your product or service.
Off times conceal a greater number of opportunities
Off times, such as lunch time during a regular office day, or holiday season, can in fact be used to get more clients. This is because, during off times, some people are more available to answer your calls. Also, since they have some extra time available, they might as well pay more heed to what you’re saying.
Conclusion
These are the two sides of the coin. Both of them have interesting approaches and beliefs. However, we believe that trial and error is the way to go for business owners. This is because everyone firm has its own specific clientele, and they need to be handled in a particular manner. This is the reason why we cannot generalize the best time to make a sales call, as everything depends on the circumstances of the business in question. Hence, our suggestion to you would be to experiment, find out what works the best for your company, and then stick to it.