Key Takeaways
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Target early mornings and late afternoons, specifically between 8:00 to 9:00 and 16:00 to 17:00, to reach C-suite prospects when they are most receptive.
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Concentrate on mid-week days like Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when you’re most likely to reach an executive in North America or the EU.
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Avoid calling during lunch hours from 12:00 to 15:00. Rather, save this time for preparation or other outreach like e-mail.
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Tailor tactics to regional and cultural variations by examining call data and dialing in your approach to local business norms.
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Utilize technology like predictive dialers and AI voice bots to increase call efficiency and engagement.
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Stay focused — executives can smell wasted time a mile away and don’t like it.
Best times to call C-suite prospects in North America and the EU fall between 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning and 4:00 to 6:00 in the evening, local time. These windows align with typical work patterns and assist in eliciting additional response.
Workweeks in both regions are Monday through Friday and holidays differ. Awareness of these hours, therefore, assists teams in connecting with busy C-level contacts with less chance of missed calls.
The following section drills down by region.
The Core Timings
Knowing when to call C-suite prospects can make or break your outreach results. The right timing increases your odds of breaking through, sparking an actual conversation, and possibly even securing a meeting. It’s not about just answering the phone – it’s about collaborating with the way executives schedule their days.
1. Early Mornings
Mornings, particularly 8 AM, provide an opportunity to grab harried executives before their day is filled with appointments. At this time, entrepreneurs or executive-level folks might be clearing their inbox or planning their day. This window tends to be quiet—no meetings yet, less team noise.
Calls during this timing work best when you keep your pitch short and clear. Most leaders are busy and want to get to the core point quickly. You don’t have long, so say what’s important and get the fluff.
For instance, a Tech/SaaS company might lead with a quick value statement that corresponds to the executive’s need, such as cost reduction or productivity. You don’t want to go through time-consuming intros.
Your script needs to be tight, direct and tailored. That’s when your prep pays off–a sharp, natural opening helps you pop above the noise of the morning stampede.
2. Mid-Mornings
Mid-mornings, between 10 AM and noon, provide you another good opportunity. This is when the majority of leaders are established and plowing through work, but not yet exhausted. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are the optimal days for this slot.
Research proves these middle of the week days translate to greater pick-up and more authentic discussions. Prospects are more open to calls because they’re not mired in weekly planning or already checked out for the weekend.
When you call at this time, use a message that plays into what the person needs. For example, if you’re calling a CFO, speak directly to efficiency or risk, not just trends. It’s clever to monitor your own call data, as well.
Log which days and times generate the most return calls. If you see more success on Thursday late morning, lean into that. Reacting as you blank blank keeps you ahead.
3. Lunch Windows
Lunch hours—between 12 noon and 3 PM—are not good for cold calls. Executives are off their desk, lunch or changing gears. Instead, reserve this window for cold emails.
Open rates from 1 PM to 3 PM on Tuesday or Thursday can rise as high as 30 percent. While you’re waiting out lunch, you can get ready for calls later in the day. Review your notes, refine your script, or scout new leads.
Your historical call data can reveal if lunch hours are a dead zone for your team. If so, double down on email and prep.
4. Late Afternoons
Late afternoons, particularly 4 to 5 PM, are a call sweet spot. Executives are wrapping up, reflecting on the day, and might be more receptive to a brief conversation. It’s a natural time to check in, with high-priority work finished and inboxes emptier.
Calls in this window must be fluid. If your contact just hit the sack after a jammed day, be a listener and be helpful. It’s a great opportunity to establish trust and initiate authentic conversation—not just sales.
You can reserve late afternoons to respond to earlier emails or initiate a thread for next week. A few teams employ this as a rapid-fire, friendly check-in—no hard sell, just keeping it moving.
Regional Nuances
Knowing when to contact C-suite prospects requires more than just examining time zones. Work rhythms, cultural traditions and communication habits influence when and how C-level executives in the US and EU answer the phone. Performance and cultural cues are both a big part of your results.
The table below displays how calling preferences and outcomes often differ by region:
|
Region |
Best Days |
Avoid Days |
Top Hours (Local) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
North America |
Tues, Wed |
Mon, Fri |
10:00–11:30, 14:00–16:00 |
Mid-week is most productive for decision makers |
|
EU (General) |
Tues, Thurs |
Mon, Fri |
09:30–11:30, 15:00–17:00 |
Country-specific differences apply |
North America
Senior North American executives react best to calls on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. These mid-week days are when decision makers are the least distracted – either by weekend fallout or end-of-week deadlines. Looking at call metrics from SaaS and financial companies, we find that engagement rates on these days frequently top 30%, with Mondays and Fridays falling below 15%.
Steer clear of Mondays and Fridays, that’s the secret–outreach on those days seldom leads to thoughtful engagement. Most C-suite leaders reserve Mondays for internal catch-ups. Fridays, on the other hand, are frequently for tying up loose ends or for travel. This trend is true for the majority of industries, with only healthcare leaning towards Wednesday mornings.
Examining demographic data hones your timing. For example, tech execs in New York and Toronto are likely to pick up the phone later in the morning, once they’ve gotten through early emails. Manufacturing executives in smaller markets may accept calls as late as lunch hours. Monitoring these regional nuances allows you to align your outreach with industry-specific beats.
Keep track of your call results. Run frequent reports to compare pick-up rates by day and hour. Fine-tune your strategy based on what’s effective. Results vary as remote work and hybrid schedules disrupt habits.
European Union
Call timings differ across the EU. German executives are more likely to be picking up in the early morning, whereas Dutch and Belgian leaders are receptive to later afternoon calls. Southern European nations, such as Spain and Italy, typically experience a midday slump because of their long lunches. By aiming for business hours that correspond to each country’s schedule, they experience better answer rates.
Cultural context defines achievement. In most EU countries, face cold calls are considered invasive. A short, courteous salutation and direct intent establish the appropriate formality. In France and Spain, a local language opener establishes trust. Short, polite calls work best for the Nordics.
|
Country |
Best Days |
Preferred Hours (Local) |
Success Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Germany |
Tues, Thurs |
09:30–11:00 |
28 |
|
France |
Tues, Wed |
10:00–12:00 |
25 |
|
Netherlands |
Tues, Thurs |
15:00–17:00 |
27 |
|
Spain |
Wed, Thurs |
11:00–13:00 |
24 |
Call connection rates vary, so continue to monitor the statistics. If your connection rates go up on Thursday afternoons in Germany but are down in France, modify your strategy. Testing time slots by outcome will expose the sweet spots for each country.
The Remote Work Shift
Remote work has transformed the playing field for accessing C-suite prospects throughout North America and the EU. With more executives now in home offices, the old rules for when and how to call may no longer apply. With 80% of B2B sales meetings taking place virtually, the transition to remote meetings has forced sales organizations to reinvent their outreach.
The proliferation of virtual work has made calendars busier—executives are on video calls more and sitting at desks less, so reaching them by phone is trickier. The remote work shift schedules look different now. A lot of executives schedule their day with consecutive virtual meetings. It’s hard to find spare moments.
Calls that used to work in the early morning or late afternoon may now ring through as folks spend those hours catching up on emails or simply taking breaks. As you can see from my data, mid-week, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday is your best bet for when to reach out. These days, they’re settled into the workweek and less distracted by the beginning or end of it.
The hours between 10:00 and 14:00 are often called the “Goldilocks” zone since executives are less likely to be in meetings or deep work, making them more open to a quick call or email. To adjust to this transformation so you’re no longer relying on antique cold-calling playbooks. Today, sales teams employ more hybrid tactics—mixing phone calls with emails and social media.
Even though most buyers (80%) like email for first contact, more than half (57%) of C-suite buyers still want to talk on the phone at some point. Tenacity matters more now as well—most sales (80%) require at least five follow-ups, while just 2% close on the initial attempt. Which is to say, one call is almost never sufficient.
A combination of emails and calls, distributed throughout the mid-week midday time period, keeps your outreach on their radar without being aggressive. Technology is a lifeline. Inside sales positions have expanded rapidly, accounting for roughly 40% of scale-up teams in 2023, compared to just 10% in 2017.
Sales reps now deploy scheduling tools, video calls, and CRM to track outreach and follow-ups. With 88% of B2B buyers researching online pre-buy, your digital presence — LinkedIn, company website or thought leadership — matters just as much as your timing.
Remote work has transformed decision-making. Executives turn more to online research and team feedback, frequently deciding in smaller, focused groups. In other words, your message needs to be direct, with information that’s easy to locate, so harried executives can make snap decisions.
Beyond The Clock
Getting C-suite prospects is more than choosing the right hour. It’s about aligning your outreach with what’s going on in their world, understanding their business rhythms, and establishing the appropriate mood before you even pick up the phone.
Every bullet point that follows gets you smarter working around decision-makers actual lives and work patterns.
Event Triggers
Executives are generally more receptive to calls if there’s an obvious pertinent justification. A big company announcement – a new product, a merger, a leadership change – can make them more open. Industry events—like conferences, or annual reports—can indicate an ideal window for outreach.
These aren’t just fluff news, they frequently frame executive priorities and provide a conversational inroad. To stay ahead, that is, watching news feeds and trade journals closely. The sooner you’re able to spot a trend, the better your edge.
If a prospect’s industry is being disrupted or growing quickly, that’s an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of their pain. Develop a calendar of important dates – industry awards, quarterly earnings, annual meetings, etc., so your calls always hit at an opportune moment.
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Product launches
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Earnings calls/quarterly reports
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Regulatory deadlines
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Industry conferences or expos
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Mergers and acquisitions
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Leadership changes
Fiscal Calendars
Q1 and Q3 are often ideal for pitching solutions, as companies may be evaluating new vendors or planning changes. The end of Q2 and Q4 can be trickier, as executives may be focused on meeting targets, but it’s also a period when urgent needs arise.
The start of the fiscal year marks planning and budgeting windows, usually the most open to new ideas. Budget planning cycles are great because leaders are seeking opportunities to increase outcomes.
Tailoring your message to these rhythms—such as pitching cost-saving tips during budget crunches—can have a significant impact. Following quarterly results helps you know when a company is likely to reconsider priorities — so you can adjust your pitch for what’s most important at the moment.
Psychological Priming
Priming is staging before you dial. You can always shoot a brief, considered email first, referencing a recent achievement of theirs or pertinent news-article, to increase your chances of getting an inviting reply.
It’s a good technique, as research observes cold outreach is hard—call success rates average around 2%, and email reply rates are at 8.5%. Framing your opener with a compliment and specific reason for the call nails through the noise.
Most professionals get hundreds of emails a week, so timing and tone count. Reviewing your previous calls can reveal what language or subjects generated the most optimal results. For instance, citing a common pain or an urgency for a solution tends to score higher.
Timing Insights
Mid-week, mid-day (Tues–Thurs, 9-11 am or 1-3 pm) works best. Avoid Mondays—planning days; avoid Fridays—wrap-up days. Reply and open rates don’t always correlate, therefore test timing depending on your objectives.
Late mornings and early afternoons are when people are most receptive.
Strategic Execution
Generating outcomes with C-suite prospects requires a deliberate strategy. Timing, tone and message-delivery shape your results when cold calling. Studies show that weekday afternoons—especially between 15:00 and 17:00 on Tuesdays or Thursdays—yield longer, more productive calls.
Early morning emails (6–9 AM) experience roughly 25% higher reply rates, making this window great for pre-call outreach. Scheduling your epic in industry trends and mid-week can help you win, as Mondays and Fridays are kind of dead.
Below is a numbered list of practices for better cold calling execution:
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Schedule calls and outreach during peak engagement windows: mid-week, mid-day, and weekday afternoons.
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Keep your scripts concise to respect executive time constraints.
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Define a precise call objective before you dial, matching each call to your broader plan.
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Use direct, value-driven messaging and avoid unnecessary filler.
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Optimize timing by industry/prospect vertical.
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Monitor engagement information to optimize call and email scheduling.
Brevity
Make every second count with a lean script. Use this checklist for staying brief:
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Pare down your scripts to cover only the key points.
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Time practice runs to keep pitches under one minute.
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Easy to remember- Easy to share.
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Audit previous calls and trim anything that drags without contributing.
Try pitching it in a set time, such as 45 seconds. It compels you to focus on what’s important and lets you rejigger if the possibility is time-crunched. Bullet points on a notepad can keep you on track and make the benefits easy to cite mid-call.
Purpose
Each call needs an objective. Make clear what you are looking to accomplish–follow-up meeting or quick intro. Communicate your value briefly, such as “We assist in automating reports, saving teams as many as 30 hours per month.” Now that gets attention quickly.
Direct the call with pointed questions, for example, “What’s your biggest challenge with your current workflow?” It helps keep the conversation focused and constructive. Ensure that each conversation aligns with your larger cold calling strategy so your outreach is consistently driving you toward your goals.
Respect
Be honorable, cut the small talk and talk to the point. Tell them you appreciate their time immediately. Thank them for accepting your call.
If they’re busy or not interested, be prepared to pivot or hang up. Be sure to always follow up with a short, courteous note thanking them and reiterating your offer.
Technology’s Role
Technology informs when and how cold calls are best, particularly for C-suite prospects in North America and the EU. Tools these days help sales teams get to the right people at the right time and monitor what works and what doesn’t. 81% of sales teams leverage AI to streamline their work. This allows them to accelerate activities and prioritize more authentic conversations with leads.
Predictive dialers are now ubiquitous in call centers. They leverage data to select optimal call times and aid teams in reaching more prospects per hour. These systems save time by bypassing tones that don’t connect, like busy signals or voicemail. The outcome is increased opportunities to connect with busy C-level executives.
For example, if a dialer sees that calls made on Thursday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00 get more meetings booked, it can help teams plan their calls in those slots. Research indicates that Thursday calls yield the best outcomes, yet Fridays are the least productive day for scheduling meetings.
AI voice bots manage the initial contact with leads or conduct basic follow-ups. These bots can ask questions, answer simple queries and even book meetings, allowing sales reps additional time to concentrate on warm leads. AI bots record how long a rep speaks prior to receiving a response.
Our data indicates that successful cold calls have longer talk times—roughly 53 seconds versus 25 seconds for failed calls. The perfect ratio is 55% talk, 45% listen. Enter AI tools that can coach reps to hit this sweet spot.
Email tech is a big part as well. More than 70% of us, even top execs, check email on our phones. Automated email tools allow sales teams to send messages at times demonstrated to have higher open and reply rates. For C-suite prospects, emails sent early in the day—between 6:00 and 9:00—can lead to 25% more replies.
Scheduling emails to arrive mid-week (Tuesday to Thursday) and mid-day (9:00–14:00) can boost open rates up to 30% more than poorly timed sends. Most B2B teams these days schedule email campaigns to impact these times.
Tech trends are your friend. Sales teams using such new tools noticed cold call success rates spike from 2% to 4.8%. Data helps them identify peak times to make calls and send emails, so they continue to drive improved results.
Conclusion
When trying to get c‑suite folks in NA and the EU, timing and habits really count. Early mornings and late afternoons work best, but don’t forget the transition from remote work. In fact, we check our phones at weird times now. Local work habits will influence optimal call timing, so be mindful of holidays and workweek modifications. Data and tech tools will let you pick the right window. Smart moves beat luck every time around these parts. Experiment with various times, measure what clicks, and course correct quickly. For consistent impact, combine keen timing with some patience. Stay tuned to new trends and keep experimenting. Ready to increase your connect rates? Begin optimizing your call schedule now.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best times to call C-suite prospects in North America?
The best times are typically between 08:00 and 09:00 or 16:00 and 17:00 local time. Executives typically answer before or after meetings.
When should I contact C-suite prospects in the European Union?
The optimal times are between 09:00 and 10:00 or 16:00 and 17:00 Central European Time. By the way, stay away from lunch and late evenings.
How has remote work changed the best calling times?
Remote work provides more flexible schedules, but core business hours still count. Try various times and monitor response for optimal results.
Why is it important to consider regional differences when calling?
Cultural and work hours differences. When you adapt to local business practices, you maximize your chances of reaching c‑suite prospects.
What should I do if I cannot reach a C-suite prospect by phone?
Switch channels — email, LinkedIn. A personal note tends to increase your response rate. Persistence and respect for their time is key.
How can technology help schedule calls with C-suite executives?
Leverage scheduling tools and CRM to keep tabs on time zones, preferences, and previous points of contact. Automated reminders assist you in connecting at the perfect time.
Does the day of the week matter when contacting C-suite prospects?
Midweek days—Tuesday to Thursday—tend to be better. Mondays and Fridays are not so good since they have meetings or leave early.