Category Manager Phone Numbers for Retail + Supply Chain Sales

What phone call response rates should I expect from recruiting prospects?

When targeting recruiters, you'll see response rates of 8-12% for initial conversations — significantly higher than the general B2B average of 2.3%, according to RecruitCRM's 2024 analysis of recruitment cold calling patterns. This elevated engagement happens because recruiters value personal connections and real-time conversations, with pre-qualified prospects pushing response rates to 18% based on RecruitCRM's industry benchmarking data. Remember, executive-level recruiters show even stronger phone preferences — according to Cognism's 2025 cold calling research, 57% of C-level executives and VPs prefer phone calls over other channels.

• Plan for three call attempts as your baseline — Cognism's 2025 data shows 42% of top performers need two to three touches to connect with prospects
• Focus on Tuesday through Wednesday between 4-5 PM when decision-maker engagement peaks, maximizing your chances of meaningful conversations
• Integrate phone outreach with LinkedIn and email touches — Martal Group's 2025 research shows multi-channel approaches deliver 28% higher conversion rates
• Invest heavily in data quality and personalization by referencing specific recruiting challenges, recent hiring announcements, or talent shortages to demonstrate genuine research

How do you optimize calling times for maximum recruiter engagement?

Tuesday through Thursday represent your golden window for recruiter engagement, with Wednesday delivering connection rates up to 33% compared to just 15.7% on Mondays, according to CloudTalk's 2025 B2B calling analysis. The sweet spots are mid-morning (10 AM - 12 PM) and late afternoon (4 PM - 5 PM), when recruiters have settled into their workday but aren't overwhelmed with scheduled interviews or end-of-day tasks. Understanding recruiter workflows reveals they typically schedule their own outbound calls during late morning and early afternoon, making these periods less optimal for inbound sales calls.

• Schedule your highest-priority recruiter targets during the 4-5 PM window when Revenue.io's 2025 data shows decision-maker engagement peaks
• Avoid calling during peak disruption periods — Monday mornings when prospects catch up from weekends and Friday afternoons when they're preparing for weekend plans
• Recognize that Q1 represents the busiest recruiting period due to new budgets and reduced holiday time-off, according to Monster's recruitment cycle analysis
• Implement systematic follow-up sequences — The FindYmail research shows contact rates increase by 70% with repeat attempts, but limit yourself to six total attempts

What cold calling scripts generate highest client conversion rates for recruiting firms?

Small script optimizations deliver massive results — RecruiterFlow's research shows simply asking "How are you?" increases your likelihood of booking a meeting by 3.4X when calling recruiting firms. The most effective scripts focus on relationship-building over transactions, as Harvard Business Review research indicates candidates who feel genuinely heard during initial conversations are 62% more likely to proceed to formal discussions. Systematic script testing and refinement drives measurable improvements, with recruiters who regularly analyze call data improving conversion rates by an average of 27% within three months according to Callin's 2025 industry analysis.

• Test industry-specific personalization — Pipedrive's 2025 research confirms each sector needs unique approaches to build trust and spark interest with recruiting decision makers
• Leverage social proof strategically by referencing specific successes your solution has achieved with similar recruiting firms to build immediate credibility
• Track multi-touch sequences since Trellus.ai data shows it takes 8 or more attempts to get responses, with 5+ attempts raising conversion chances by 70%
• Implement A/B testing for different script variations, systematically comparing performance to identify optimal approaches for different recruiting segments

How do you overcome objections when cold calling recruiting decision makers?

Dismissive objections represent 49.5% of all cold call objections according to Gong's analysis of 300 million calls, requiring you to transform these knee-jerk reactions into discovery opportunities. When recruiting decision makers say they're "not interested," probe deeper with questions like "Is that because you don't experience these issues, or they're just not a priority to fix right now?" This approach acknowledges their pushback while uncovering real concerns. Remember that B2B buying groups have grown from 6 to 12 stakeholders according to Cognism's 2025 research, making it crucial to identify and engage multiple stakeholders within recruiting organizations rather than accepting single points of contact.

• Use the pause-acknowledge-question framework — pause 2-3 seconds before responding to reduce tension and give yourself time to craft thoughtful responses
• When told they already have a solution, ask them to rate it 1-10 — Kaspr's objection handling research shows this consultative approach uncovers gaps without triggering defensiveness
• Focus on building long-term relationships even without immediate sales — RecruiterFlow data shows relationship-focused calls generate valuable referrals within recruiters' networks
• Navigate complex HR structures by using referral language like "I spoke with [name] earlier and they said you'd be the best person to discuss this" to increase openness

What time of day generates highest voicemail callback rates from recruiters?

The 10-11 AM window delivers the highest callback rates from recruiters, with candidates being more than twice as likely to answer calls during this time according to Work.Chron's interview timing analysis. This morning peak aligns with PhoneBurner's study of 11 million calls showing 15.53% of 10 AM calls result in business conversations. However, voicemail strategy requires a multi-channel approach — Gong's data reveals that leaving voicemails while following up with email more than doubles reply rates from 2.73% to 5.87%.

• Target the 10-11 AM window on Tuesday through Thursday for optimal callback rates, avoiding the chaos of Monday mornings and Friday wind-downs
• Keep voicemails under 30 seconds and lead with context rather than pitch — Gong research shows 15-second context-only messages perform best
• Leverage the afternoon secondary window (2-4 PM) when recruiters wrap up tasks, with NextJobPro data showing employers often extend offers during this time
• Follow every voicemail with an immediate email since RecruitCRM research shows about 70% of recruiters struggle to capture details from voicemails alone