So here’s the question: When is the best time of the day and week to prospect?
Well, quite simply, if you’re really serious about growth, then the answer is…every day! To be successful, BDMs should be searching for new leads and working on their database every day of the week. However, there is a logic to when you should be reaching out to different clients.
Part of this will depend on the source you’re going to be prospecting. For example, buyer follow-up and OFI prospecting are best left for the end of the week. Typically, Mondays and Tuesdays are reserved for the sales team to follow up after their weekend open houses, and it’s not a good idea to overload clients with lots of phone calls all at once, as this can damage your relationship and hurt the image they have of you.
Mondays tend to be a good day for database calls and current client prospecting. The beginning of the week is usually much busier for people, so it’s a good idea to start with people who already know you and will have the time to talk, as this will help keep your connection rate high.
As for the time of the day, there’s a few things to consider. It’s obviously always better to to get finished up earlier in the day. Plus, if you prospect in the morning, then you have all your calls over with without having to worry about other responsibilities messing you up. The afternoon and evening have their benefits, though. They tend to give you higher connection rates, making them a great time for second round callbacks.
The best approach is to schedule morning sessions first, identifying which sources will be your focus. This blocks out your calendar and makes it easier for you to figure out how to use your afternoons.
However, none of this is entirely set in stone. Different things will work for different people. As such, it’s important to track your progress in your market, investor profile and personal energy. Once you start to do this, you’ll be able to pick out patterns. Perhaps you have the most success in the afternoon because you’re in your best frame of mind after lunch. Or, perhaps your clients tend to be busy towards the end of the week, meaning it’s better to wait until Thursday or Friday.
Keeping track of this information will make it much easier for you to devise a plan that works for your and brings the best results.