# of Calls vs. Talk Time

One of my former sales reps asked me to provide my perspective on this.

Here it is -

When measuring the effort/activity of reps in phone sales, the 2 most common metrics are total calls made and total time talked on the phone.

(Demos, meetings, deals etc. are obviously all results of the activity/effort)

With our work from home environment,
sales leaders are trying to find all the ways to maintain accountability for their team. Salespeople are trying to find all the ways to continue proving they’re putting in the work.

That’s where these effort metrics come in.

So, which should I focus on?

Both are helpful,
but...
always focus on TALK TIME.

Why?

Talk time is a representation of quality conversations. It requires a lot more skill and finesse. The higher quality the convo, the more likely you are to push that prospect to the finish line.

Total calls takes a back seat mostly because anyone can do it and it doesn’t necessarily incentivize the right behavior. When reps focus on only this, their behavior settles to “going through the motions”. You start playing the numbers game and lose sight of the real task at hand: selling!

Top salespeople don’t just have the most sales...they have the highest talk times as well..