Sales is a numbers game. But which numbers?

“Sales is a numbers game.” It is easy to say. What does it actually mean?

For me, it means enough sustained effort, directed at the right people, at the right time. You have to give yourself a realistic chance of having a useful conversation, then follow through on it.

The number of calls matters. So does what you learn from making them. If you keep calling the same person at the same time and getting the same result, there is a fairly obvious question: what are you going to change?

Give timing some thought

An unanswered call tells you that you did not reach someone. It tells you very little about whether they need what you sell.

They may be with a customer, on site or dealing with something that takes priority. Try a different time on another day. Morning might work better than afternoon. For some businesses, early evening falls within normal working hours, but take your lead from the customer’s working day and stated preferences.

Get to understand the industry you are selling into. When are people busiest? When are they likely to be at their desk? Who can tell you when it is sensible to call?

Suppose you discover that a particular restaurant manager is usually available on Monday mornings to deal with suppliers. Record that and use it. Another restaurant may operate completely differently. The value lies in learning the pattern for that customer, rather than deciding that every restaurant manager is free on a Monday.

Expect to do some follow through

I would not build a sales plan around closing every deal on the first telephone call. There are exceptions, of course. Some customers have an immediate need and can decide quickly. Others need another conversation, a visit, a demonstration or input from a colleague.

That makes the next step important. Before ending a useful conversation, establish what needs to happen next, who will do it and when. If you promise information, send it. If you agree to call on Thursday, call on Thursday.

Give the customer a reason to take that next call. You might be answering a question, explaining an option or bringing back information they asked for. “Just checking in” gives them very little to work with.

Use judgement about when to stop. A clear no or an opt-out must be respected. Repeated unanswered calls also call for a review of the account and your approach. Persistence needs a sensible limit.

Look beyond the activity total

Imagine two hypothetical weeks. In the first, a salesperson makes 100 calls and has five meaningful conversations. In the second, they make 70 better-targeted calls at more suitable times and have ten meaningful conversations.

The second week looks more promising, but I would still ask what happened in those conversations. Did they reveal a genuine need? Was a next step agreed? Did anything move forward?

I would track calls made and the proportion that reach the intended person. Then I would look at meaningful conversations, agreed next steps, meetings actually attended, opportunities progressing and conversion into sales. Those numbers help you locate the problem.

Few connections? Review the contact details and timing. Plenty of conversations but few next steps? Listen to the opening, the questions and the relevance of the offer. Meetings booked but poorly attended? Review how they were agreed and confirmed.

For sales leaders, this is where coaching matters. Set a clear expectation for activity, then help people improve the quality of that activity. A higher dial target alone cannot answer every performance problem.

Make the next attempt better informed

Keep useful notes: the best time to reach someone, their preferred channel, what matters to them and the next action you agreed. Use that information when planning the next day’s work.

There is no magic number of calls that guarantees a sale. There is a discipline: stay focused on relevant prospects, make enough well-timed attempts to learn, and follow through properly when a conversation starts.

That is what I mean by a numbers game. Sustained effort, with enough attention to make the next effort count.

If your sales team is busy but you want a clearer view of what is working, let’s talk about sales leadership and training. Book a conversation with Grant Tinney.