The Best and Worst Time to Make Sales Calls

by Ann Barr
 

Marketing experts say there are specific times during the day when sales calls are most effective. And some sales people will tell you there are times when you should not make sales calls.

But there is something that matters more than the time calls are made, and I saw proof of this when I worked with Louise Jones. During the seven years we worked together, I watched her become more and more successful at selling office equipment supplies by telephone.

Some of her methods (including the time of day she made sales calls) surprised me, but Louise always made the President’s Club and won the contest trips.

Why was she so successful?

1. She had the most consistently positive attitude I have ever seen. Her prospects and customers could hear the enthusiasm in her voice.

2. She never gave up. When a prospect said they "didn’t need anything," Louise asked, "When will you need to order again?"

3. She was organized. She kept meticulous records of each prospect and customer. When a prospect told her s/he would need to order again in three months, Louise called the prospect back in exactly three months.

Note: Marketing research has found that most sales people give up after calling a prospect five times without getting an order. Louise never gave up. Because she was selling consumable products, she knew that sooner or later she would call at exactly the time the prospect needed to order.

4. She asked permission to send monthly sale flyers to prospects and customers. This constant method of staying in touch, along with telephone calls, was another reason for her success.

5. She sent birthday cards to all her customers. We had a "Birthday Discount" program and Louise would take her list of customers who had upcoming birthdays home on weekends and hand-write each envelope and card with a personal note. She mailed the card a few days ahead of the birthday.

6. She called her customers on their birthdays, wishing them a cheerful "Happy Birthday" and letting them know they were eligible for the "Birthday Discount." Her customers nearly always stocked up with imaging supplies on their birthday.

Monday Mornings and Friday Afternoons?

And this is where her unorthodox methods came in. When everyone else said they would never make a sales call at 9:30 a.m. on a Monday morning or 4:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, Louise made calls. And she made sales.

So, does it matter what time of day you make sales calls? What matters more is attitude.

Think about this quote:
 

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude."

—William James (1842-1910)

Never Give Up

The fact that Louise is healthy today despite being a two-time cancer survivor is due not only to excellent medical care but also because of her consistently positive attitude. Just as she never gave up believing that prospects would buy from her, Louise never gave up believing she would get well.

If you would like to read more about Louise Jones and why she was—and is—successful, visit www.sellingsupplies.com/louise.htm.

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Ann Barr is a consultant and sales trainer who has

written eight books on sales and marketing
available on her web site www.sellingsupplies.com