Guide
Your first month with a cold calling team, week by week
Month one is for proving the list and the script, not for judging the whole campaign. Here is what happens each week at Valtiera and which numbers to watch so you know it's working.
In this guide
Days 1–3: scope, choose, train
Scoping call: buy box, markets, exit strategy, CRM. We pull the list to that. You interview the shortlisted callers and approve one. They train on your script, your criteria and your CRM before any live dialing. Live within three business days of agreement.
Week 1: dials and contacts
The first week is about connection, not contracts. Across our campaigns it takes about 8 to 11 dials to get one conversation; that is the benchmark to watch. Needing 20 or more in week one is usually a list or caller-ID issue, both fixable in days. Expect a handful of warm conversations and the first "call me back in a month" notes.
Weeks 2–3: leads and the follow-up gap
Qualified leads start landing in your CRM: owner, situation, motivation, timeline, asking price. This is where most campaigns leak. If nobody owns the callback, leads age out. Either you work them within the day or a lead manager does; decide before week two.
Week 4: the numbers that matter
Dials, contacts, conversations, qualified leads, appointments, offers. By week four you should see a stable contact rate, a lead count you can forecast, and the first offers out. Contracts in month one happen (several clients report them), but the pattern across our accounts is a 60 to 90 day ramp before a consistent stream of about one contract a month per caller. No guarantees; that is the average, and judging month one on pipeline rather than closings is what gets you to month three.
What we change if it's not working
List first (segment, geography, list type), then script (opener, qualifying questions), then caller. In that order, because the list is the variable most often wrong and cheapest to fix.
Questions people ask
How many leads should I expect in month one?
It depends on list type and market, but the benchmarks we run to are 8 to 11 dials per conversation and, after a 60 to 90 day ramp, about one contract a month per caller. We'd rather show you a current client's week-four report than quote a number that becomes a promise.
Can I listen to calls?
Every call is recorded and available to you. Clients who listen to ten calls in week one give better script feedback than any report can.
When should I add a second caller?
When the first caller's leads are being worked within a day and you still have list left. Usually month two or three.
Talk it through with the founders
One 30-minute call. Bring your market and your numbers; leave with a plan.