A sales follow-up call will get you more concrete results if you approach it with the right mindset and some proven techniques. Here are some of our best tips that will help you convert your sales leads to actual customers.

Know When to Call

It’s human nature to have preferences, especially when it comes to having to deal with sales prospecting calls. Be aware that your calls are likely to get colder responses or none at all at the beginning of the week or towards the weekend. People are generally not at their brightest, happiest, or most productive on Monday and can be most distracted on Friday as they are approaching the weekend. Your best bet is to try contacting prospects during Wednesday and Thursday, right in the middle of the week.

Along the same vein, there are optimal times to call prospects as well. They generally don’t respond well to calls made first thing in the morning or during lunch hours. The best times to do sales prospecting remains around 10:00 am in the morning, or the 4 to 5 pm slot in the afternoon. Lunch-time remains the worst time to get positive responses from sales leads. Also, take into account if your prospects are in a different time zone.

Optimize your lead generation by offering specific days and times that your lead can have a meeting with you. If you seek the lead’s convenience first and foremost and stick to your commitment, that’s already one foot in through the door.

Always respond quickly to sales leads that have come to you through a website and other channels. A good response time is under 10 minutes, while your lead is still fresh and interested. Anything above that and you’re likely to lose their attention.

Know What to Say

Always have a proven sales script in place and fully utilize the first few seconds of the call to grab the prospect’s attention. Focus on the prospect and provide value. Calls that start with the following often convert higher:

1. “The reason I’m calling….”
2. “We spoke last week about…”
3. “How are you doing?”
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   As opposed to:
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4. “I hope I haven’t contacted you at a bad time.”
5. Mispronouncing the name of the company or prospect.
6. Attempting sales before you’ve built rapport.

There isn’t any reason to fear the dreaded monologue if what you say is relevant and engages the prospect.

Volume Counts

The more lead generation and follow-up calling you do, the more prospects you will convert. In addition to lead generation through your usual channels, always ask for referrals. You can attempt to generate referrals for every call that you do. This one tip, which many salespeople neglect to do, can help you increase your sales.

Patience and Persistence

Patience and persistence are important qualities to have, particularly in sales. Giving up half way or not following through will not get you the type of results you are looking for. Have your goal in place, stick to the plan, and follow up with your sales leads with patience and persistence.

A business coach can help you to develop an effective sales strategy and keep you on track.