It’s understandable at some companies why employees’ minds might start to wander on a Friday afternoon. After all, it’s hard not to focus on the clock when the arrival of the weekend is just a few hours away.
But if you’re a Business Development Representative making B2B cold calls, Friday is no time to slack off. Because in some cases, it might be your best opportunity to generate leads and schedule appointments with your target prospects.
Wait … Fridays? In the afternoon? Wouldn’t that be the worst time to try to get an important decision-maker on the phone?
Well, sometimes, yes. There have been multiple studies to determine the most productive day to cold call, and typically the answer is somewhere in the middle of the week. The most common response seems to be Wednesday, followed closely by Thursday and Tuesday. Friday is usually near the bottom of the list, perhaps because prospects have already checked out mentally for the week.
But that doesn’t mean you should avoid calling on Fridays, even in the afternoon. If you do, you might be costing yourself valuable appointment-setting opportunities.
Often, the time of day is more important than the day itself, and that can vary widely, based on the type of industry you’re calling. Ideally, you’ve accumulated and analyzed enough data to deduce patterns and determine the optimal days and times for your reps to be most active on the phones.
VSA relies heavily on the data for all our calling campaigns to help maximize productivity. And on at least two recent client programs, the data shows that Fridays are, indeed, the best day to call. Consider:
- One client had a 3.83% overall conversation-to-meeting rate in 2023, but that number jumped to 4.3% on Fridays—highest for any day of the week.
- BDRs calling on that program had the third-most conversations with decision-makers on Fridays compared to the other days of the week, but set more total appointments on that day than any other, meaning the prospects we did reach were more willing to engage. In the words of the VSA Program Manager overseeing the campaign: “We were always on fire on Fridays.”
- Another recent client program has seen a 15.6% conversion rate on Fridays, compared to 9.55% overall. One out of every 6.5 conversations with a decision-maker on Fridays has resulted in an appointment.
Granted, these are just two examples, and if we analyzed the data on other programs, it would surely show other days as the most opportune time to call. But the point is, Fridays can be a much more productive day for lead generation cold calling campaigns than you might think.
Here are four likely reasons for this:
1. Prospects are more available to talk on Fridays
Typically, Fridays are lighter on company meetings than any other day of the week. There are usually fewer demands and distractions (especially by the afternoon), which might give C-level executives and other high-ranking decision-makers more time to answer outside phone calls.
This isn’t to say that executives are sitting around twiddling their thumbs on Fridays waiting for the phone to ring, but it might mean they have more time to talk if you are fortunate enough to catch them.
2. Less competition
According to a year’s worth of data compiled by Redboth, a company specializing in task management and communication, Friday is the least-productive day of the work week. Only 16.7% of people said they completed the most tasks on a Friday, compared to over 20% on Mondays and Tuesdays, 19.3% on Wednesdays and 18.6% on Thursdays. The study further reveals that productivity drops after lunchtime and completely plummets after 4 p.m.
That could mean that many of your B2B competitors are making fewer calls on Fridays—maybe none at all by the afternoon. With less competition vying for your prospect’s attention, it might be the perfect time to make a connection.
3. Prospects are in a better mood on Fridays
Here’s a statistic that will surprise nobody: According to a 2021 YouGov poll of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, Friday is by far people’s favorite day of the work week, with more people selecting Friday (29%) than Monday to Thursday combined (22%). Only Saturday (35%) received more votes than Friday.
If you catch somebody in a good mood, they’re presumably more likely to book a meeting with your sales rep, or at the very least listen to what you have to say. And it works both ways—it’s a safe bet the BDR making the phone call is also happy it’s Friday, so maybe there’s a little added pep in their personality when talking to the prospect.
4. BDRs might be more motivated on Fridays
Obviously, BDRs want to schedule an appointment, generate interest, or achieve some level of success with every call they make. That’s as true on a Monday as it is on a Friday. But on Monday, you still have five whole days to reach your goals for the week; by Friday, you might only have a couple of hours. As the saying goes, it’s “now or never.”
That might be all the incentive a BDR needs to push back a little harder on an objection, or repeat the meeting ask a third or fourth time, or pursue the correct decision-maker more fervently. It’s not like VSA’s BDRs don’t do all these things during calls Monday to Thursday, but it’s natural to be especially determined when you’re running out of time to achieve your goals for the week.
During our research for this article, we discovered several common questions our BDRs and clients ask that we wanted to share below:
Q: What is the best time to cold call a prospect?
A: The best time to call is typically between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and then between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., as prospects are more likely to answer the phone during these times.
Q: Why is Friday considered a better time to make calls?
A: Friday is considered a better time to cold call prospects and make contact because people are more relaxed and open to conversations before the weekend, making them more receptive to sales calls.
Q: What are the worst times for cold calling?
A: The worst times for cold calling are usually during lunch hours (12 p.m. to 1 p.m.) and in the early evening (5 p.m. to 6 p.m.) when people are often busy or winding down for the day.
Q: Why does the day of the week matter for cold calling?
A: The day of the week matters for cold calling because different days have different levels of receptiveness from prospects. For example, Wednesday is considered one of the best days for cold calling.
Q: How does the time of the day impact cold calling success?
A: The time of the day impacts cold calling success as prospects are more likely to answer the phone during certain hours, such as early in the morning or late afternoon, when they are more available and receptive.
Q: What are the best practices for cold calling?
A: Some best practices for cold calling include researching prospects beforehand, using a friendly and confident tone, and being prepared with a script or key talking points to guide the conversation.
Q: What is the significance of response time in cold calling?
A: Response time in cold calling is crucial as contacting leads promptly increases the chances of making a successful connection and engaging prospects while they are still interested and available.
Q: How do late mornings fare for cold calling?
A: Late mornings, around 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., can be a good time for cold calling as prospects may have settled into their workday and be more responsive to incoming calls.
Q: Why is finding the best time for cold calling important in B2B lead generation?
A: Finding the best time for cold calling is important in B2B lead generation as it can significantly impact the success rate of reaching decision-makers and having productive conversations that lead to sales opportunities.
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VSA works closely with all our clients to develop calling schedules that make the most sense for their needs. If the data shows certain days or times are more opportune calling hours, we will always accommodate.
If you’d like to learn how our lead generation, appointment-setting, and other call center services can help you grow your business, give us a call. We’re always happy to talk—even on a Friday.