Following A Call Plan Is Key For Inside Sales Success
Posted by
Jill Ryan on Wed, Aug 03, 2023 @ 05:15 PM
There are many “tricks of the trade” outside of following a call plan that inside sales reps use to get their interested prospects live on the phone. Then they get: “Yes sounds great we have an active project in 2 months, oh no I spilt my coffee got to go.” They ping this person from a blocked number, their neighbors cube or even their cell phone for weeks on end. Where did they go?! After countless calls they might catch them on their way out of the office on week 2 or might continue to reach out for the month, but odds are, they become that daily nagging task that keeps them off of their call plan.
Although persistence is a much needed tool for inside sales success, structure is your best friend. At AG, we train our staff to use a call plan that carries prospects, and identified contacts through a series of voicemails, calls (no contacts) and emails. The plan is in place to establish a flow of polite persistence and generate quality information around the company’s environment. With this plan, we aim to reach out to 3+ contacts per company with a series of voicemails and emails every two days until the decision maker has been identified, and we have the opportunity to speak with them regarding their environment, and how we may assist with their pains.
Some of the interested accounts may veer off the path and receive more “no contact” calls in the hope to catch them live, but it’s not the “no contacts” that are going to yield the most leads. This system has been built on year’s of teleprospecting success with healthy connect rates.
Some of the strengths I have noticed in the BDR’s on my team that follow the call plan are stronger quality conversations and more identified contacts. When you continue to “no contact” individuals you want to get live with the “Oh I will try them later” mentality, you may go 2 hours with not one contact hearing your story and your message. It is the flow of the voicemail/email combination that allows a prospect to hear your message and then understand what you are looking to accomplish. If they receive this in sequence they are more apt to respond. Falling into a heavy “no contact” habit is like gambling. Chasing people around all day, instead of bringing in new contacts and using the call plan, takes the structure away from the job. Sales is cyclical and being irrational in your efforts leaves your success to chance. Think about the amount of time you spend “no contacting” instead of contacting. Are you maximizing your opportunity to connect?