When is the best time to call your clients?
A huge amount of research goes into timing. It helps answer questions like: “When are prospects most likely to pick up the phone for a sales call?” or “When do people most frequently read outbound marketing emails?”
I’ve even researched the best time to publish a blog article along with my own trial and improvement over time.
The issue with all this research is that is it based on averages, assumptions and guesswork. It doesn’t help me contact my specific stakeholder who always happens to be in a meeting when I pick up the phone to them.
One method might be to keep trying until I get lucky. But this doesn’t always deliver results. Even some of my colleagues always seem to be in back-to-back meetings just when I want to speak to them.
The alternative is to use technology that will give you a real-time notification at the perfect time to call your stakeholder.
Real-Time Notifications
I recently implemented a tool within my Sales and Presales organisation that does exactly that. It allows Account Executives to send out personalised videos to their stakeholders. These could be in the form of early-stage, top-of-the-funnel type videos which explain the value drivers of our organisation, or they could be functional demonstrations compiled by Solutions Consultants to demonstrate specific features.
It is nearly impossible to get the timing right when sending an email and it may be a while until it gets read.
However, once a stakeholder views the video, or even shares it with one of their colleagues, a real-time notification is sent to the person who sent it – usually the Account Executive or the Solutions Consultant. At this point, you know that your stakeholder is actively thinking about your solution and it is likely the perfect time to pick up the phone.
A Real-Life Example of Why Timing is Everything
Earlier this year, we had a sales opportunity with a new client that was going well. During the sales cycle we had mapped out their requirements, perform product demonstrations and they had declared us as their vendor of choice.
As we were going through the contracting phase, however, we suddenly received notifications that our key stakeholder had opened our 2-month old emails and was re-watching some product demonstration videos.
My Account Executive was quick to pick up the phone and caught our stakeholder at just the right time. It turned out there was a blocker which they were trying to work out for themselves from re-watching demo videos. We were able to clarify their needs and handle their objection. It is unlikely that they would have contacted us, and the deal could have been plunged into jeopardy.
As a result, we closed the deal which could have otherwise slipped into the next quarter or worse, not have closed at all.
Final Thoughts
Based on this example, It is clear that timing is everything. We can no longer base assumptions on industry averages and overall trends. We need to know the exact 10-minute gap to pick up the phone to a specific stakeholder to help close a deal. This is where technology can help.
Did we miss anything? How do you contact your stakeholders at just the right time? I’d love to hear about any best practices or technology solutions you are using. Join the conversation in the comments below. You can also sign up to our mailing list to get the latest articles straight to your email inbox.