Some sales organizations put a premium on call volume. They assume that a high number of calls means a sales rep, especially an inside sales rep, is working hard and doing the right work to build their pipeline.
There’s no question that a high volume of activity can help generate more opportunities and a larger pipeline of potential business.
But in most cases, high call volume is a sign of a lazy salesperson.
Why? It’s easy to pick up the phone and make a bunch of dials. Anyone with a finger can push 1000 buttons a day. And leave a bunch of voicemails (or not). And talk to a handful of people who actually pick up (or not).
But who exactly are you calling? Why are you calling them? What are you offering them?
Or are you just pitching your product? Reading from a script? Calling without value or context or a plan at all?
Most people I know who are making 100+ calls a day are actually doing more harm to their company’s reputation and brand (let alone sales pipeline) vs. creating value.
If you combine a high call volume with a plan – calling with context, some value, an offer – then you might be getting somewhere.
Developing and executing on a plan like that can take more work. It’s harder. But it’s the only way that’s really worth it.
Volume for volume’s sake is wasting everyone’s time, most of the time.
