Telemarketing Software Featured Article

There are so many metaphors and similes when it comes to waxing philosophic about sales, that yes, even football has some good lessons to teach about selling. From first contact to playing all four quarters, it is a contact sport that works well here. Interestingly enough, the Super Bowl has been said to have an effect on contact rates, and InsideSales.com (News - Alert) set out to prove this very notion.

Ken Krogue’s story on Forbes breaks down the data, and it’s like having an “a-ha!” moment just looking at the percentages. In what might seem a bit obvious, Krogue says that “contact rates drop just after playoff season, and descend even further after the Super Bowl.” Given how much emphasis is put on Super Bowl Sunday as an American pastime, it’s kind of makes just as much sense as the post-holiday or summer vacation lull.

What’s even more interesting is the comparison between the winners and losers: 25 percent of the losing region is less likely to accept sales calls, whereas winning regions are 32 percent likely to accept sales calls. As for the actual champions, enjoy the contact rates there, because the “eventual win” will see a sudden increase in contact rates.

So what does this mean for you as a sales professional? Start early. That’s right, plan for playoff time.

“This is an optimal time to contact Americans nationwide for a sales pitch (contact rates increase by 15 percent),” writes Krogue.

For all other times of the year and days of the week, there is some helpful data that is good for prospecting, especially for the non-football fan.

According to a three-year study of six companies conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Monday ranks as the second-worst day for cold calls, after only “Terrible Tuesday.”

Wednesday and Thursday are the best days of the week to make cold calls – almost 50 percent better in terms of results than Tuesday. Thursday is the one when a cold call is most likely to turn into business. It ranks more than 19 percent better than Friday.

Combine the aforementioned data during NFL playoff time, hit up the areas whose teams are in the game, and see how well you do. Is this all a matter of correlation, not causation, or are the numbers and stats on the mark?