Outbound sales is a bit of a gauntlet at times—you are making call after call, and your dialer is ringing, you hope your prospects answer.
If you are reading this, you probably are not a stranger to the frustration of low connect rates and high hang-ups. Here’s the good news: there are some practical, actionable strategies to significantly boost connect rates in your outbound sales efforts.
From right timing of calls to taking advantage of personalization, this article explores actionable tips for outbound sales that will enable you to connect with more prospects, reduce your call drop-offs, and, ultimately, boost the success of your sales prospecting.
Why Connect Rates Matter More Than Ever
Your connect rate is a percentage of calls where you have successfully spoken to a prospect live. Improving the connect rate effectively increases the pool of potential customers you can reach.
Think of it in this way: more live conversations mean more chances to build relationships, gather insights, and move prospects along your sales funnel.
It’s no secret that sales have become more challenging in recent times. According to research from Sales Insights Lab, more than 60 percent of salespeople think it has gotten harder to sell over the last few years.
With decision-makers growing busier and pickier about who they speak to, making sure you can actually reach them in the first place has grown very important.
1. Timing Is Everything
The time of your calls is an often-overlooked component of outbound sales tips, but strategic timing can create massive dividends for salespeople. Sales reps often have extremely tight schedules and just dial when possible, but strategic timing often makes all the difference.
Know When to Call
Best Days: According to CallHippo, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days to call prospects: contact rates are up as much as 48% on these midweek days compared to Mondays or Fridays.
Best Times: The same study indicates that the best times to call are 8 a.m.–10 a.m. and 4 p.m.–6 p.m. Try calling the decision-maker early in the morning when they can avoid tons of emails and meetings. On the other hand, contact them at the tail-end of the workday and they would likely respond much better when on phone calls.
By targeting specific windows of time, you can improve connection rates because you’re reaching out at a time when your prospects are actually available and ready to chat.
2. Personalize Your Outreach
If you aim for increased connect rates, a general script should not define your call approach. What people find important is to get called or contacted directly instead of some mass message broadcast to another thousand people.
LinkedIn Research: Before you make that call, take a moment to review the prospect’s LinkedIn profile. Are they posting regularly? Are they discussing recent projects or high points? Including a relevant point of information—such as their most recent blog post or award—can often increase the chances of getting a real conversation.
Company News: Keep yourself updated on company news or releases from your prospect’s company. For example, a simple statement like, “I read that you recently expanded to a new region—Congratulations!” is a great lead-in to a conversation.
Use a Natural Tone
No one likes to be talked to by a robot. Even if you have a long list of leads, take a minute to personalize your opening line. Instead of spouting some generic greeting, say something that suggests you know who they are and why you’re calling.
3. Craft a Strong, Clear Introduction
Outbound sales tips focus so much on the “pitch” that sometimes an introduction is overlooked. These first few seconds can really set the tone and help or break your connect rate.
Identify Yourself Right Away
When the person on the other end answers, don’t beat around the bush. Clearly state your name, your company, and why you’re calling. This doesn’t have to be stiff or boring—just be honest and direct. For example:
“Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I’m reaching out because I noticed your team has been expanding into phone sales, and I have a quick question for you…”
Highlight the Benefit Immediately
A short, benefit-focused statement right up front can hook the prospect’s attention.
For example, maybe you’ve helped businesses like theirs increase close rates by 20% in three months (in which you would use an internal case study from your company).
Let them know that benefit early, so they have a reason to keep listening.
4. Master the Art of Voicemail
Voicemails are a critical part of modern sales prospecting. Most sales reps either leave a generic voicemail or none at all, missing out on a golden chance to stand out.
Keep It Short and Intriguing
Your voicemail should be 20–30 seconds, max. Say your name, reference something relevant to them, and tantalize them with why returning the call will benefit them. For example:
“Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] at [Company]. I came across your recent post on optimizing sales processes and I have a quick thought that could help you get connected a little more efficiently. I’ll follow up in an email, or just call me back at [phone number]. Hope to talk to you soon.”
Call-to-Action
Finish your voicemail with a call-to-action. Maybe ask them to call you back, or maybe ask them to take a look at something you’ve attached. Your prospects will act more likely when they know exactly what you want them to do.
5. Refine Your Call Scripts (But Don’t Sound Scripted)
Scripts are wonderful guides but can work against you if they sound stilted. The problem? Creating the natural flow of a conversation and structured messaging simultaneously.
Bullet-Point Your Key Takeaways
Instead of memorizing a locked-in script, know your bullet points and questions. The structure will keep you moving in the right direction and allow for flexibility to engage with the flow of a conversation.
Practice Active Listening
Active listening goes much further in helping improve the connect rates. When that prospect starts talking, begin to listen to what’s being said—don’t wait for your turn.
Acknowledge their concerns or objections, ask clarifying questions, and tie those solutions back to their problems.
6. Use Data and Tracking to Improve Over Time
You won’t know what you’re doing right if you’re not tracking it. Measuring your performance and making the necessary adjustments is a huge must.
Track Connect Rates by Segment
Industries and Titles: Track that connect rate by industry, or job title. Connect rates are often significantly more successful in one sector—this is a clue that you should focus on that spot.
Call Times: Find out when you get the most connects. Double down on what’s working and think about dropping or restructuring the times that are consistently low.
Use CRM and Analytics Tools
You can track call outcomes in detail using tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Outreach. You can look at your call logs and see how many dials turned into actual conversations and patterns that led to successes.
7. Defeat Hang-Ups with Empathy and Engagement
Hang-ups are frustrating, but if you approach your prospects with real empathy and a desire to add value, you will see fewer abrupt endings.
Respect Their Time
A simple “I know your time is valuable, so I’ll be brief” acknowledges that they’re busy. Make it clear you understand their position and won’t dominate the call.
Offer Real Value
If your opening sounds like every other sales pitch, you’re going to get a hang-up. Instead, lead with something that matters to them—whether it’s a relevant stat, a quick tip, or a unique perspective. If they see immediate value, they’re more likely to stay on the line.
8. Practice Consistency and Persistence
Improving connect rates is part art, part science, and part good old-fashioned consistency. A single phone call might not seal the deal—but four or five might. It’s about developing a rhythm and a reliable process.
Follow a Sequence
Develop a “contact cadence”—for example:
Day 1: Call, leave voicemail, follow with an email.
Day 3: Call at a different time.
Day 5: Send LinkedIn message referencing relevant news.
Day 7: Call and email again, referencing your previous outreach.
This structured approach ensures you’re not overloading prospects with calls but still showing enough persistence to be remembered.
Be Authentic and Polite
Persisting doesn’t mean pestering. Respect any requests not to call again, and always keep a positive, professional tone. Over time, consistency plus authenticity usually leads to higher connection rates.
9. Leverage Automation Wisely
Automation will help you scale your efforts without losing personalization—when used correctly of course.
Just be careful: too much automation makes outreach sound so robotic, and it turns people off.
In addition to call automation, you can also craft a few email templates that can be customized fast.
For example, use merge tags to insert the prospect’s name or company. Add one or two lines of personal context, and voilà! You’ve got a high-touch email without wasting 10 minutes on each.
10. Keep Learning and Adapting
You never really “arrive” at the perfect outbound sales process. The sales landscape changes, prospects change, and new technologies appear.
Stay Educated: Follow industry blogs, attend webinars, and keep an eye on changing buyer behaviors.
Seek Feedback: Talk to your current customers—ask them what worked, what caught their attention, and what made them pick up the phone.
Experiment: Don’t be afraid to A/B test your scripts, email subject lines, or calling times. Measure the outcomes, rinse, and repeat.
According to Gartner, companies that regularly experiment with new approaches are nearly 15% more likely to exceed their annual revenue goals.
Improve Your Outbound Sales
When you’re on the front lines of outbound sales, the key to success is constantly finding ways to improve connect rates.
By focusing on proper timing, personalizing each interaction, using a strong introduction, and leveraging multiple channels, you’ll see your live conversations climb. Remember to track what works, adapt to changes, and maintain empathy in every call.
Now, if you’re serious about taking your outbound sales to the next level, it’s worth exploring solutions that streamline the process and remove friction. That’s exactly what Tendril offers.
Our software solution that will naturally integrate with your CRM, also allows you to get a higher rate of connections through phone pass-throughs.
With Tendril Connect you get 8 to 12 conversations with a decision maker per hour!
Not only that, but with Connect, you can also pinpoint the optimal call times and days by analyzing our transfer metrics, helping your team focus on connecting with prospects exactly when they’re most likely to pick up.
One of the key ways we’ve helped clients overcome low dial-to-connect challenges is through our Fuego Leads option. When our SDRs comb through a contact list and confirm that a phone number is truly valid (by navigating phone trees, reaching a prospect’s voicemail, or otherwise verifying it) we mark that contact as a “Fuego Lead”🔥.
That way, next time you run a calling session with our system, you can filter for only these Fuego Leads, dramatically increasing your odds of connecting with real prospects who are more likely to pick up the phone.
In other words, SDRs do a lot of the heavy lifting: making the dials, taking the initial greeting, and then handing over the call to your salesperson only when there’s a live conversation. That way, you get your team as efficient as possible, getting your reps away from hearing endless rings and onto actual conversations with actual prospects.
(But if you need a completely hands-off solution, Tendril also offers full-outsourced phone sales.)
Ready to take your outbound to the next level? Contact us to see how our software integrations and sales solutions can help you increase connection rates, reduce wasted time, and let your team do what they do best: close deals.
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