Probability and outbound sales call success

Factors need to align in a positive conjunction

If you know where and when to look, sometimes it’s possible to see several planets in the night sky at the same time in a positive conjunction. This is a bit like how the chance of making a successful outbound call relies on a series of factors aligning all at once.

The probability of outbound sales call success is determined by a combination of several factors, that need to favourably line up, including:

• Calls being answered: The first step of any successful sales call is getting the potential customer to answer the phone. The higher the answer rate, the greater the chances of making a sale.
• Getting through to a decision maker: Once the call is answered, the next step is to get through to a decision maker. If the agent is only able to reach non-decision makers, such as receptionists or assistants, or in a B2C scenario, younger members of a household, the probability of success will be lower.
• Decision-maker interest: Even if the agent reaches the decision-maker, success is not guaranteed. The decision maker may not be interested in the product or service on offer, in which case the agent will need to work to build interest.
• The buying cycle: The buying cycle refers to the length of time it takes for a potential customer to move from being interested in a product or service to making a purchase. The buying cycle can be influenced by factors such as budget constraints, internal decision-making processes, and competition from other vendors.

It’s a time of day thing…

If we focus on calls being answered, one idea is that the time of day is highly influential. For B2C, out-of-working hours in the early evening and before 9:00 p.m. is most likely the sweet spot. For B2B, generally, you want to call during office hours, and preferably not too late in the day.

If we zero in a little here, we could ask the question, “What is the probability of a call made at 9:00 a.m. being picked up, compared to one to the same number made at 9:01 a.m.?”

It’s difficult to provide an accurate probability for a call made at 9:00 a.m. being picked up compared to one made at 9:01 a.m. as it is dependent on many factors, including the specific industry, the day of the week, and even the location of the person being called.

We might reason that calling at the opening time of a business may be better because it’s first thing in the morning, people are more alert and ready to go. Or it might be that they are still in the midst of making the morning cuppa and griping about their frustrating commute.

In short, it’s somewhat subjective. Rather than trying to zero in on a precise time to call, we might just say that it’s better to try calling mid-morning, say around 10.30 a.m.

CLI and the recognition of local numbers

Another aspect that hugely influences call pick up is a caller’s identification number, or CLI, the number from which an incoming call originates. Research has shown that this is because people are more likely to answer calls from numbers they recognize, particularly if they have a local area code.

A local CLI number can also help to establish trust with potential customers, as it suggests that the caller is a local business or individual rather than a distant contact centre or telemarketing caller. This can help make the sales pitch more effective, as the person on the other end of the line may be more receptive to hearing about local products or services.

Quvu exploits local number recognition by providing a Geo Dialling feature. When you use Quvu as your contact centre platform, this feature looks at the area code number being dialled and then dynamically assigns a CLI number local for that area. The number you are ringing sees your call as originating from nearby.

Boost the chance of pickup of outbound calls up to 5X with Quvu

By identifying your calls as originating from local area numbers, Geo Dialling with Quvu boosts the chances of pick-up by up to 5 times. Quvu’s Geo Dialling uses valid and reliable local CLIs that are appropriate and routable.

Isn’t it time you started doing a better job of improving the chances of outbound call success with Quvu? Book a personalised demo to see what Quvu can do for your contact centre.

Simply call us on 01 556 3222 or email support@quvu.ie