When a telephone sales team misses its target, call volume is usually the first number examined. If it is low, the team is asked to increase it. If it is high, the question becomes: “Why are we not getting results despite all these calls?”

In both cases, looking only at total calls is misleading. Failing to reach customers and speaking to them without moving the conversation forward are different problems. Managers first need to understand which one they face.

Why are calls not becoming conversations?

A representative may dial many numbers throughout the day without reaching the intended contacts. The call list may be outdated. The right company may have been selected, but the wrong person is being called. Or calls may be made at times when customers are unavailable.

These are not problems every team faces, but possibilities to check when the connection rate is low. Raising the call target without understanding the cause can lead to the same mistakes being repeated on the same list.

Managers can examine these records:

  • Does the number belong to the right person?
  • Are numbers that cannot be reached being updated?
  • How often is the same person called, and at what times?
  • Does the representative know whom to speak to at the target company?

Without regular records, the problem may be attributed to the representative's effort. Yet the first solution may be to review the target list and contact details.

What changes when someone answers?

A different assessment begins when the intended contact picks up. Can the representative explain clearly why they are calling? Can they continue in response to the customer's first answer? Does the conversation end with a next step both sides find meaningful?

Problems at this stage cannot be solved by dialling more numbers. Review the opening, the questions asked, the benefit explained and the responses to objections.

For example, if most customers end the conversation with “This is not on our agenda right now”, managers should look beyond how the representative speaks. They should also consider whether the companies being called are the right targets and whether the reason for calling is convincing.

If the customer is interested but no next step is agreed, the problem may lie in how the conversation closes. Did the representative understand what information the customer needed? Was it clear who would do what after the call?

At what point in the conversation does “no” arrive?

Not every telephone sales conversation leads to a meeting. But the point at which a negative response arrives offers an important clue to where the problem lies.

If a customer says “Thank you, we are not interested” in the first few sentences, they have probably decided before hearing the reason for the call. Look at the opening: can the representative introduce themselves and explain the purpose in a few sentences that mean something to the customer?

If the customer listens for a while and then loses interest midway through, the opening worked, but the benefit described did not fit their situation. Review the questions asked and how the service was explained.

There is also a polite exit familiar to phone conversations: “Send us an email and we will take a look.” Sometimes this reflects real interest; sometimes it is a courteous way to end the call. A representative can ask a brief question to help tell the difference: “Of course. Is there a particular point you would like the email to cover?” The response gives a strong indication of whether follow-up will be meaningful.

Recording negative responses alongside the stage at which they occurred helps managers see whether the problem is in the opening, the explanation or the close. Training can then focus on where the team actually struggles, rather than a single general exercise in handling objections.

How should performance be assessed?

A good performance assessment is not a single number. Call volume shows activity, conversations with intended contacts show reach, and conversation outcomes show how far the communication progressed.

These questions can guide a weekly review:

  • How many calls were made, and how many reached the intended contact?
  • Is there a common problem among contacts who could not be reached?
  • Why did conversations end?
  • Which conversations produced an agreed next step?
  • Where does the representative need training or support?

Answers should come from the team's own data. Rather than adopting another company's rates as targets, it is more useful to track what changes within your own customer base and sales approach.

Coorbiz's Perspective

Coorbiz builds dedicated sales teams for companies and takes responsibility for the full operation, from recruitment and training to team management, performance tracking and reporting.

That joined-up approach matters in telephone sales. Before asking representatives to make more calls, examine whether they are calling the right person, how they prepare and how the conversation ends. Managers can then identify whether the need is updated data, a change in targeting, training or another form of support.

The question to ask is: “Is the problem really the number of calls, or another stage of the call?”