What are the best and worst time to cold call a prospect? Find the answers. We also included the best days to cold call.
Beep, beep, beep.
“I'm sorry I couldn't take your call at this time. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.”
If you can hear the voice behind the message while reading it, then you’re in the right place. We are glad you found your way here.
As an SDR, you studied your prospect with the details you probably got from a B2B sales leads database, prepared the cold call script and were ready to close some deals. But all you got is a redirection to voicemail.
Why does that happen? What are you doing wrong?
People answering your call ultimately depend on the timing. You need to get it right. Calling a prospect at 7 am, thinking they’ll be “free” will only get you beeps along with some bad reputation. Then, what is the right time to cold call your prospects in B2B sales? That’s what we’ll be addressing today.
Remember it highly depends on your industry and target market, but with a wide range of data, we can make some specific conclusions. According to PhoneBurner, the most ideal time to cold call is between 9 am to 4 pm while everyone is at work. Within that peak response rates are identified between 10 am to 2 pm.
I mean it’s fair that potential buyers are more likely to answer calls during work hours and reserve their evenings for personal time. Various online tools are available to help you track the business hours even if you’re in a different time zone.
Mornings before lunch and late afternoons, like from 10 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 5 pm, are good times to call. During these times, decision-makers usually finish tasks before lunch or winding down for the day, making them more open to conversations.
When you call at these times, your prospects will most likely be ready to talk.
Now you know at what time to make a call? But what about which day? Is Friday an ideal day to pitch your product amidst the weekend vibes? A big no.
Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to make cold calls, according to Gong's study. These days are good because most buyers are settled into their work routines and are more likely to be open to talking about business.
When there is a best, there is always gonna be some worst. Like cold calling at night or on a holiday. Interrupting someone during their personal time, like on weekends or after work hours, can leave a negative impression and damage your reputation.
It also applies to calling too early in the morning. Even if you know a prospect wakes up early, bothering them before 10 am might not be appreciated as they're likely getting ready for the day.
In summary, the worst times to cold call are:
To find the worst days to cold call, consider your prospect's typical work week. Mondays and Tuesdays are often busy days, with people catching up on tasks from the previous week and dealing with new ones. Similarly, Fridays are often exciting times to look forward to the weekend, making it difficult to hold their attention. Avoiding Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays is a good rule of thumb for cold calling.
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