Which Inside Sales Activity Metrics Matter?

“Do you have any general figures on the number of attempts vs actual conversation just so I can grasp a baseline? Are 50 cold call attempts to talk to 3 to have 1 good conversation low or high or average?”

I feel like you are looking for a perfect formula for stats to be successful in sales, but one doesn’t exist, exactly.
You have to factor in your ability to prospect and build a lead list (think of the gold-miners… A gold-miner can swing his ax 50 times a day but if he isn’t where the gold is buried, it won’t matter how well, or how many times he swings his ax)
Then it comes down to message, tone and the salespersons ability to read and react to each sales call and the prospects responses.
So, “sales” isn’t rocket science, but there is an ART and SCIENCE to it. I feel you need to add a little ART to your sales process (based on your line of questions)
To help with that, think of it this way….
You have 20 working (selling) days in a month on average.
If you are going to call prospects 3 times each (not including voicemails, emails, LinkedIn requests) if you call 20 on Monday and no one called you back, on Tuesday you would have to call 20 new prospects, plus the 20 from Monday. Now you are up to 40 dials for the day.
Now let’s say Wednesday, you have your new 20, plus 20 from Tuesday, and you are going to try all the leads from Monday that did not call you back.
That means you are now up to 60 dials on Wednesday. Your plate is now full! Again, this “sales math” is based on the assumption (for this example) that no one has called you back yet.
I would focus on:

1. Making sure you have a solid lead list (pre-qualified suspects)
2. The right messaging and
3. The right mindset of coming in and focusing on how to help your prospects and NOT on the sales metrics.

Set your goal of how many dials per day (60) and even break down the times of the day you will call (I call all of my first-time calls from 9am to 10:30am, as an example, and my 2^nd attempts from 1pm to 2:30pm) and make sales calls with a focus on how you can help your prospects be successful, and you will feel less pressure and you will sound more genuine over the phone.
And when prospects “hear” that sincerity of help – you won’t need to think about sales metrics – you’ll be too busy writing deals.
– Michael Pedone
Michael Pedone teaches inside sales teams how to pick up the phone and close business. He is the CEO/FOUNDER of SalesBuzz.com – An online sales training company.

HOW TO STRUCTURE WINNING SALES CALLS – WEBINAR SERIES

Is your sales team struggling to make quota? Or struggling just to feel confident in their ability to sell by phone?
REGISTER NOW!
Register Your Team Now for Our Next 8-Week Phone Skills Improvement Program!

• Eliminate “No, Thanks”, “Not Interested” & “We’re All Set” Responses
• Learn a step-by-step process for Cold Calling and Warm Calling
• Neutralize Gatekeepers & Get Voicemails Returned
• Ask Engaging Questions Instead of Probing
• Improve your Qualifying Skills
• Learn more effective Sales Questions to ask (and ones to avoid)
• Give Stellar Presentations & Handle Objections
• Close Follow-up Calls and Get Targeted Referrals
• How to Set & Achieve Your Toughest Sales Goals
• Improve Your Time Management Skills

Duration: 1 hour per week for 8 weeks
Where: Online (No travel costs or time away from work)
Presenters: Michael Pedone
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ELIMINATE CALL RELUCTANCE