What drives your prospects to make decisions, and when? Are they driven by certain things that happen in their calendar? Or in their industry?
Here are my tried and true best times to call a prospect. Not practicing these six tips? I challenge you to try them and let me know how it went.
1. Now
The best time to call is right now. Too many salespeople will procrastinate. We put it off, but we are just hurting ourselves. Don’t allow different excuses to come up.
2. During a dedicated prospecting time
Create a power hour, a calling block, a dedicated time to prospect every day, or at least several times a week. The most successful people prospecting are those that have a dedicated time. It’s like going to the gym, it has to become a routine. You build those prospecting muscles through repetition and consistency.
3. Friday afternoons
Are there certain days of the week that work better for your industry? Don’t rely on your own opinions. Base your answer on fact. Friday afternoons are one of the best times to prospect. Friday afternoons is when I get more conversations than any other time of the week, because people are more laid back, and more relaxed. Especially Friday afternoons in the summer! What? Yes!!
4. Monday mornings
Of course, there are some industries in which Monday morning is the best time to call, because business owners are in a panic and they need help–boom, you can call and offer a solution. I can think of other industries & verticals his applies to, such as auto repair, tire shops, computer repair, clothing stores, restaurants etc. n which Monday morning they’re already realizing some big needs.
There are so many other verticals that this tip applies to. The only way for you to find out if Monday mornings or Friday afternoons work for your industry is by actually doing it. That doesn’t mean making 5-6 calls and drawing a conclusion. You need at least a few hundred calls made over several weeks on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon before you can make a determination.
5. Early or late
I can think of many organizations and salespeople who have tremendous success calling after 4:30 or 5:00 p.m., or before 8:00 a.m. If you’re dealing with a lot of gatekeepers, early and late can be the best time of the day!
Look at your history records–when were the times that you were able to get through? (Of course, not every call you make will be after 4:30 p.m.) Instead, create some challenges for yourself. Twice a week, try five calls after 5:00 p.m. Next try eight calls before 8:00 a.m.
6. Holidays
What are the best prospecting weeks of the year? Thanksgiving week, and the last two weeks of the year. Why? So many people are on vacation. Normal schedules are disrupted. Meetings that normally happen just don’t occur, and people are in a much more laid back mode. Holidays are a great time because gatekeepers are gone. For these same reasons, the same applies in summer, too. Of course, you’re going to find a lot of people are in fact on vacation. So this is the one time frame I don’t recommend leaving a voicemail.
Your selling process is indicative of the service that you will provide for them when they decide to do business with you. Reaching out to them during the last two weeks of the year shows commitment.
Happy Selling,
David
Payment Lynx Daily 