As a sales leader, I get this question frequently. When is the best time to call or email a prospect? The easiest answer to this question is, when do they want to be contacted?
It is doubtful you will know what the best time is for every single one of your prospects, so what do you do now? I tell sales reps to mix it up. Try calling at 8 am or 6 pm and see what happens. Do not just make calls from 10-4 pm. Be aware of what time zone your prospect is located in.
When sending out marketing emails, do not get trapped into thinking a certain day of the week works best. Sure, statistically speaking, there is always going to be the best day of the week, but that may only tell part of the story. If you have an open rate of 20% on Tuesdays, is it the same 20% that open your emails on that day? What about the other 80%. Also, what do your click numbers look like? I have seen emails with low open rates on Fridays but have higher click rates. Your message may reach fewer people, but if your goal is replies and meetings set, then engagement (clicks) is more important.
Personal emails can follow a similar pattern to phone calls. You may find great success reaching out to prospects early in the morning or in the evening. Try scheduling your emails to go out in “off” hours and see what happens. It is all about trial and error to find those best times to connect with your prospects.
Happy Selling!
Mike Thomas is The Moery Company’s Senior Vice President of Sales. Connect with him at mike@moerycompany.com if you have any questions or comments!