Optimal Timing: When Should You Make Your Cold Calls?

You are a salesperson for a software firm that offers business solutions. 

You have a list of potential customers you must contact, but you are still determining the ideal time to cold-call them. 

So, should you call individuals first thing in the morning while they are just starting their day or later when they may have more time? 

Maybe even in the evening after they finish their work for the day and are winding down? 

In this situation, picking the right time for cold calling is crucial to increase your chances of interacting with potential customers and closing agreements. 

So when is the ideal moment to make a cold call? 

Let's explore the various variables that may impact this!

Why You Should Consider Time To Cold Call 

Calling at the right moment increases your answer rate. In fact, cold calls are the preferred first point of contact for 49% of consumers.

Answer rates boost sales interactions and possibilities.

More connections mean more sales-qualified leads (SQLs) and closures.

A cold call in the morning may wake up or send your contact to work. Even if your prospects are at work, they'll spend the first-hour prioritizing things and answering emails. 

Weekend cold calls may go unanswered. 

Their concentration is on personal matters. 

They may prioritize their spouse and family. 

Most individuals go to the grocery shop, cook supper, and get out with friends after work.

Remember to tell prospects how your service can address their issues. 

Getting your brand on a lead's radar is an investment; even for utterly cold leads, make your timing right. 

Cold calling directs prospects to the following pipeline stage, and you don't want to make a mistake the first time. 

When making a cold call, put more effort into getting the customer comfortable than closing the deal.

Best Times For Cold Calls

When choosing the best time to make cold calls, it's crucial to consider the optimum time and day of the week.

Below are the best days of the week and times of day for cold calling and the worst time of day to conduct a sales call.

Best Day To Make Cold Calls

Based on all the available data, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days of the week for cold calling.

Get the evidence. 

A 30-week research was done by CallHippo using 15,800 call attempts from 1,200+ customers in over 15 different countries. 

It examined the best days of the week for talks at work. Listed below are the results that determined the greatest and worst days.

Another research by Yesware examined over 25,000 calls and discovered that Tuesday and Thursday had the most phone calls lasting more than five minutes. 

To find the ideal moment to make a cold call, InsightSquared also monitored thousands of calls. 

Their findings show Tuesday had the highest connect rate at 10%.

This means: 

Cold call on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Steer clear of Saturdays and Sundays. Most prospects and leads are busy on weekends.

Avoid Mondays and Fridays. Emails, meetings, and urgent duties dominate the first workday. 

Prospects emphasize processes and deliverables.

After a tough week, many workers mentally "check out" and plan their weekends. 

Best Time of Day to Make Cold Calls

So, you are ready with your cold calling your script and are itching to make that call. 

What you should understand first is the best time to cold call businesses.

According to existing research, there are two prime times for cold calling:

10 to 12 in the morning

The CallHippo study described above also identified the ideal time to make cold calls as late afternoon (2 pm to 5 pm). The following was the conclusion:

The best hour is 4 to 5 pm.

11 am to 12 pm is the second-best hour

The study conducted by InsightSquared reached a similar conclusion. It discovered that the peak connects rate occurred between 10 and 11 am and remained constant until 4 pm. 

InsideSales examined the optimum time of day to reach someone in a three-year, 100,000-call attempt study. They discovered that the optimum time to cold call prospects was between 4 and 5 pm, with 8 am coming in second.

Revenue.io also researched the subject. The organization's executive director of DevOps examined connect rates over 90 days. 

They found that 3 pm to 4 pm, 5 pm to 6 pm, and 4 pm to 5 pm produced the best effects.

Averaging these four investigations yields a pattern:

CallHippo: 4–5 pm

InsightSquared: 10–11 pm

InsideSales: 4–5 pm

Revenue.io: 4–5 pm

Most studies show the best connect rates in late afternoons.

Late mornings are lovely for cold calling. 

Your company's performance relies on its industry and kind. Track your outcomes to change your company's approach.

Bad Day To Make A Cold Call

Cold calling is worse on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Employees relax during weekends.

Mondays are the busiest since they start the workweek. Your prospects and leads will handle emails, meetings, and pressing duties. 

So don't even think about it.

Friday is too close to the weekend to cold call. After a long week, prospects and leads will think about the weekend.

Don't ruin your chances of success by 'gatecrashing.'

Avoid weekends, Mondays, and Fridays.

The Worst Time To Make A Cold Call

Which are the worst times to cold call?

Morning, lunch, and after-work sales calls will be ill-advised.

Your leads will be too busy with personal and professional matters to answer the phone.

Most decision-makers leave for the day or plan to leave after 5:00 pm.

Weasel out of the worst times to cold-call your prospects. Get them when they are more willing to entertain you.

The cold-calling tips above will make a huge difference in prospecting.

Other Timing Factors To Consider When Cold Calling 

Timing is everything when making cold calls.

In addition to the time of day, several other factors should be considered that could affect the success rate of your outreach to potential customers. 

When cold calling, keep the following additional temporal considerations in mind:

Time Zones

Knowing the time difference when calling prospects in different time zones and modifying your schedule is vital.

This way, you will become aware of the cold calling times allowed for your prospects, regardless of where they are.

To keep track of time zones, use a tool like timeanddate.com. This can help you plan your call schedule and prevent unintentional phoning of people after work hours. 

For instance, start with prospects in Eastern Daylight Time(EDT), then go on to Central Daylight Time(CDT), Mountain Daylight Time(MDT), and Pacific Daylight Time(PDT)  if you aim for the 4 to 5 pm timeframe.

Busy Seasons

Sector-specific busy times exist. For instance, retailers are incredibly busy from late November to early January. 

They are unlikely to desire to begin a new relationship with a salesperson during that time.

Holidays And Conferences

It's critical to get informed of any holidays or noteworthy occasions that can affect the availability of your prospects. 

For instance, there are better uses of your time than calling on a Friday before a long weekend.  

Plan your call volume to coincide with popular holiday and vacation times, and know when the conference season is for your sector.

The Fiscal Year

It can be wise to approach a prospect around the end of the fiscal year because: 

1) They may have completed significant projects. 

2) They may be in the budget planning stage. 

3) They may have more money to spend. 

Remember that the fiscal year dates can change.  

Tips for Making Effective Cold Calls 

According to 55% of fast-growing businesses, cold calling is popular. You have to get your hands greased for the best performance.

Why? Let’s find out.

Research Is Key

Gaining greater insight into prospects helps speed up building stronger connections. 

Do extensive study on the potential client and their company to come off as more friendly and 

interested when speaking with them.

A long-lasting sales relationship is built on a solid initial connection. 

While you wait for the best calling times later in the day, spend your mornings conducting your research.

Respond Fast

Lead qualification assesses and ranks potential customers according to how well they fit and are interested in your offer. 

Classifying your leads can help you prioritize your cold-calling efforts, concentrate on the most promising opportunities, raise conversion rates, and increase your sales efficiency and effectiveness.

The sooner you contact a potential customer once they show interest in your company, the more likely you will succeed in making a sale.

Start your research as soon as you have a lead. 

Please get to know the prospect and the problems they are trying to solve, then contact them to explain how your product may help.

Come Up With A Script

Writing a cold calling script with general talking points helps explain your primary issues when establishing contact. 

Cold-calling scripts help keep your pitch simple, which helps the prospect understand the benefits of your offering. 

Incorporate the information you have learned about the consumer to help you remember the specifics and maintain the customer's attention.

Call For Action

Don't pass up the chance to boost your sales efforts by utilizing the proper timing for appropriate appointment setting and closing agreements. 

For various reasons, a solid call to action (CTA) is essential when cold calling;

• It creates a sense of urgency
• Qualifies leads
• Sets standards
• Evaluates performance

Your CTAs must be direct, convincing, and tailored to the prospect's needs and interests.Enquire about the client's preferences. Try your product, or schedule a time to discuss contract specifics as you close your script.

Be Consistent

Most sales representatives quit calling prospects after the third call, yet data indicates that making five calls raises close rates by 70%.

You must just follow up with customers and be persistent. There is no other way around it.      

According to CallHippo's research, you should call at least six times. With a few extra calls, you can quickly increase your connection rate.

Consistent follow-up can have a significant impact. '

You can reach 95% of all converted leads by the sixth call.

Additional work from your sales team might put your business in front of over half of the competition.

Monitor Your Tone

Your tone can impact the success of your cold-calling efforts. If the tone needs to be corrected, even if you have the ideal cold-calling script, everything might go wrong. 

What your tone can do during a cold call;

Your tone may impact your image: Your tone affects how others see you, your brand, and your message. They may be put off and not want to talk to you if you seem forceful or demanding.

It can develop trust: A warm and polite tone may help the listener feel at ease and receptive to your offer. It also helps you create trust and credibility for a long-term partnership.

How you talk may alter the call's result. If you sound confident and eager, the other may listen and act.

Not only does what you say matter but also how you say it. All sales representatives should prioritize voice modulation.

Get Your Cold Calls Automated

Sales representatives used to personally dial each prospect's and lead's phone number back and sometimes back. 

It took a long time, especially when going through many contact listings. These days, outbound autodialers have displaced this technique.

Automating your cold calls will increase your sales reps' productivity. They can connect more calls and collect more leads, resulting in a more effective campaign.

Even while automated cold calls seem like a good idea, it's crucial to consider all relevant factors before proceeding, including legal requirements, customer experience, accuracy and personalization, scalability, and cost. 

If done correctly, automated sales calls can be powerful tools for reaching new clients and generating leads. However, it is crucial to ensure the system is configured correctly and supports your whole sales plan.

Get Lead Response Time Down

Your conversion rates will increase the quicker you respond to leads. 

The lead response time average is 47 hours; if you respond fast, you can close up to 50% of sales.

Technology, procedures, and a priority on lead follow-up are all necessary for reducing lead response time.

By implementing these tactics, you can ensure that you respond to leads as soon as possible and effectively, improving your chances of turning them into clients.

Move Beyond Time of Day

Cold contacting a prospect at the right moment involves more than simply choosing a time. 

Understanding how your call interrupts their day and affects their reaction is vital. 

Calling between 12 and 1 is likely to catch the prospects on lunch. 

Is that your goal? Will you prevent them from going home at 6 pm if you call? 

These considerations do not inhibit calling. Just be conscious of the context of your call and respond appropriately. 

If you call at 6 pm, the prospect may only have a few minutes. Consider setting up a meeting and making the value prop evident early on. 

When calling prospects, consider their emotions. Monday morning calls may make them irritable, but they may be in a good mood on Friday afternoon, improving your chances. 

Each prospect's mood depends on their employer. It's crucial to check Google for company-related news, good or negative. 

Call if your prospect is in a good mood after a corporate picnic or mid-week getaway. 

However, if their company stock suddenly plummeted or they received terrible coverage, you may want to wait till that cloud passes (unless your firm solves that issue).

While the time of day may influence how well your cold-calling campaigns go, it's crucial to look beyond this narrow perspective and consider other variables. 

Concentrating on value, active listening, and a multi-channel approach can improve your chances of success when cold calling.

How AI bees Can Help With Your Cold Calling

Effective cold-calling techniques can increase your success rate when cold-calling potential consumers who have yet to express interest in your product or service. 

AI bees will take care of you! 

With our cutting-edge technology and professional advice, you can develop efficient cold-calling attempts and generate more leads. 

Do not let another day pass without using this revolutionary tool. We can offer data-driven insights, tailored messaging systems, and automation tools.

AI Bees can also help make your cold calls more productive and efficient. Utilizing these abilities can boost your success rate and close more transactions.

Discover how AI bees can assist you in achieving your sales objectives by requesting a demo today.