When to send a prospecting email?

Imagine…

You spend hours refining a prospecting email. Every word is carefully chosen, every sentence hits the mark. 

You send it, full of hope… and radio silence. 

No response. 

For what ? Maybe you shot at the wrong time! 

Yes, if prospecting is king, timing is king. Sending an email at 7 a.m. is like knocking on the door of an office that’s still closed. Conversely, an email sent late in the evening risks getting lost in an avalanche of newsletters. 

So, what time (and day) should you use your message to get answers? 

Spoiler: there are specific times to capture the attention of your prospects and avoid being spammed by readers. 

In this article, we decipher everything so that your emails are read at the right time, and with a smile!

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The best times to send a prospecting email

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The importance of timing when sending a prospecting email

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Timing is crucial in prospecting. A well-timed email can make all the difference between a response and complete silence. 

Your message may go unnoticed if it arrives at an inappropriate time. Too soon, he is drowned in morning emails. Too late, it risks being ignored. Finding the right time means optimizing the visibility and impact of your email.

So, what are the best times to capture your prospects’ attention and click “send”?

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The most effective days of the week for sending a prospecting email

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On Monday, 50% of the world is in meetings: reading emails is not a priority. 

On Friday, your prospects don't have the energy to read important emails.

Here is what I recommend: 

• Tuesday and Thursday : the kings of efficiency. Recipients are more receptive, neither overwhelmed by Monday emergencies nor absorbed by the approaching weekend;

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• Wednesday : This is a time when prospects are generally focused and available to make decisions.

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Avoid Mondays, which are often busy with emergencies at the start of the week, and Fridays, where attention wanes as the weekend approaches. The idea is to choose a day in the middle of the week. 

The best times of day for sending a prospecting email

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The morning enters 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., is an ideal time: prospects start their day, and their inbox more accessible.

The idea of ​​sending early in the morning, at the time your prospect starts their work day, is to be the first email in their inbox. 

In the afternoon, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., is also a good time, after post-meal fatigue and before end-of-day fatigue. 

Sends in the evening or very early in the morning are risky, unless your audience is particularly active at these times. 

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The impact of the time zone on the time of sending the prospecting email

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For international campaigns, consider adjusting your prospecting email sendings according to your prospects' time zone. 

An email sent at 9 a.m. in Europe can arrive late in the afternoon in Asia or in the middle of the night in the United States. In this case, certain tools like Hubspot allow sending when it is 9 hours in each destination. 

Choosing the right time means optimizing your chances of transforming a simple email into an opportunity. It only takes a few adjustments to make a big difference.

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How to determine the best time to send a prospecting email?

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Finding the perfect time to send a prospecting email is a bit like choosing the perfect time to invite someone for coffee: You have to know the person and their schedule well. 

How can you be sure to send your email at the right time?

The importance of knowing your target audience

The key to choosing the right timing is knowing your prospects. A business manager has very different schedules from those of a marketing manager or a sales director. Take the time to understand the habits and constraints of your targets:

• The leaders may be more reactive early in the morning or late in the day.
• Marketing managers are often available during regular office hours. 

The more you know the behaviors of your audience, the more you will be able to target the moments when they are most receptive to your prospecting emails.

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Using analytics tools to determine the best sending time

Thanks to analysis tools and emailing platforms, you can track the behavior of your prospects: which days and times generate the best opening and click rates? 

This data is like a compass that guides you to the optimal time for each segment of your audience. 

For example, Mailchimp, Hubspot or Salesforce offer you information on email opening hours based on the prospect’s profile

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The need to test different sending times to optimize results

There is no silver bullet for knowing exactly when to send your email. The best approach remains that of test A/B. Test different send times to see what works best with your audience.

• Test sending at different times of the day.
• Try multiple days of the week and compare results

The important thing is not to rely solely on assumptions. Experience and testing will allow you to refine your strategy and find what really works. Also, it is possible that your email is most opened at 8 a.m. but that changes 6 months later.

If it were easy, we would all already be kings of timing in prospecting...😅

The best time to send a prospecting email is not an exact science. 

But with a little research, analysis tools and a few tests, you can increase your chances of capturing the attention of your prospects when they are most receptive.

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Factors to take into account when sending a prospecting email

Timing is important but it is not the only important factor in getting your email opened: 

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The role of email content in determining when it is sent

The content of your email plays an important role in determining when it is sent. If you're sending a special offer or limited promotion, it's best to target times when your prospect is receptive. 

A message that is too detailed or a complex subject will require more thinking time, so sending it early in the day, when the mind is clearer, could be more effective.

• Rush offers or promotions: favor the morning to capture attention quickly;
• More informative or educational content: send them in the early afternoon, when prospects are more relaxed and ready to explore a topic 

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What target are you addressing?

The geographic location of your prospects has an obvious influence on timing. Working habits and hours vary from country to country, so adapt your strategy accordingly. 

For example, if you are targeting professionals in Asia, their day starts much earlier than Europeans or Americans. 

A few things to keep in mind:

• Europe : shipments between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. generally work well
• Asia : remember to send your emails earlier, even the day before, to reach your prospects in the morning

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The influence of industry and target market on sending timing

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The sector of activity of your prospects also plays a role. For example, in the tech sector, professionals are often very connected and very responsive even in the evening. On the other hand, in more traditional sectors, traditional office hours will be more efficient. 

• Creative and tech sectors : a little more flexibility on schedules, including evenings
• Financial and legal sectors : respect standard working hours so as not to be perceived as intrusive

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Yes, each sector, country, audience is important…humans are complicated, aren’t they?

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Taking into account the behavior of the target audience

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Finally, observe the behavior of your audience (you can do this using tools to track email performance). 

If your analyzes show that your emails are more opened in the evening, adjust your sending accordingly. The behavior of your audience must guide your decisions to optimize sending timing.

To succeed in your email prospecting, don't just rely on the time but also take into account: 

• the content of your message, 
• the geographical position of your prospects, 
• their industry 
• their behaviors

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Rely on purchasing signals to send your email at the right time

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How can we have effective prospecting if we don’t rely on purchasing signals? 

Without these signals, you look for the needle in a haystack, or throw a dart in the dark - whatever you want. 

In any case, good luck getting a relevant result. 😅

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Definition of a buy signal

A buying signal is a behavior or event that indicates that a prospect might be ready to take action. This could be an active search for information, a strong interest in a product or even a simple click on your site. 

It’s a green light that tells you: “Now is the time to go!”

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Examples of buying signals

Some buying signals are obvious, others more subtle. Here are some examples that should alert you:

• Viewing your product page or case study

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• Repeated opening and clicking on your previous emails
  
  
• Download a white paper or register for a webinar
  
  
• Posts or comments on social media showing a specific need

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These clues show that your prospect is engaged in active thought or research. 

This is the perfect time to send your email and capture their attention

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Why Humanlinker is a game changer

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With Humanlinker, no need to play detective to spot these signals. Thanks to its dedicated functionality, you can easily identify prospects ready to be contacted. 

The tool alerts you at appropriate times, based on an analysis of behavior and interactions. 

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To learn more about this feature, visit here ! 

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By exploiting purchasing signals, you move from random sending to ultra-targeted prospecting. And that’s what makes all the difference, for you and your prospects. 

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How to assess whether your sending date and time are relevant

It's good to choose the right time to send an email, but you still need to check if it really works. Fortunately, there are a few simple indicators to know if your mailings are at the right time for your prospect. 

Check your open rate 

Your open rate is a bit like the weather after a weekend at the beach: either it confirms that everything went well, or it makes you regret your choices. 

A good open rate around 24% on average. If you are below, don't panic, but it may be time to review your sending times:

• Beyond 25% : congratulations, you have found a niche that appeals to your prospects
• Between 10 and 20% : all is not lost, but some adjustments should be considered
• Less than 10% : your timing (or your contact base) needs a serious boost

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Check its deliverability

If your emails end up directly in spam, something in your strategy is flawed. To avoid this scenario, check your deliverability rates regularly. A good score is around 95% or more. Below you have to dig:

• Are your email addresses up to date?
• Does your content contain too many spam trigger words (“free”, “promotion”, “offer” for example)?

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Negative feedback/feedback

Finally, pay attention to negative feedback. If your prospects ask you to solicit them less or unsubscribe massively, this may indicate that you have not chosen the right time... or that you are a little too insistent. 

A churn rate above 5% is not good. In this case, you will need to review your sending frequency or your content. 

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Mistakes to avoid when sending a prospecting email

Sending prospecting emails at inappropriate times

Sending an email at 11pm on a Sunday? Suffice it to say that your message risks disappearing into nothingness. 

Your prospects, just like you, have life schedules. Inappropriate moments mean emails are forgotten or deleted before they are even read. Focusing on classic office hours (between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., weekdays) remains a safe bet. But why not try different time slots? you might be surprised.

Sometimes sending an email at a surprising time can have that “curious” side. Once again, don’t hesitate to test ☺️

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Lack of personalization of prospecting emails

Receive an email that begins with “Dear Customer” or worse, a typo in the first name? This is the assurance of a move to the trash. 

Today, personalization is no longer an option, but an obligation. Prospects want to feel understood and valued. Some tips for effective personalization:

• Mention the name of the company or their sector of activity
• Highlight a specific problem they are facing
• Propose a clear solution adapted to their situation

These details show that you have done your homework and are not selling randomly. 

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Forgetting the importance of follow-up after sending the prospecting email

You have an 80% chance of getting a response after several prospecting emails, and not the first. 

Prospects receive dozens of messages per day. A little caring reminder can make all the difference, as long as you keep it subtle. 

Raise: yes, harass: no.

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Optimize the effectiveness of your prospecting emails with the right timing

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If you send a prospecting email at the wrong time, no one will read it. Timing is one of the key factors in capturing your prospects’ attention and getting a response.

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The impact of good timing on the opening and response rate of prospecting emails

Imagine receiving an email at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning, when your inbox is already overflowing with messages from the weekend. Result: it goes unnoticed. Now, imagine this same email, but sent on a Tuesday at 10 a.m., right when your prospect will start processing their emails. That's a whole different story.

Studies show that emails sent mid-week, particularly on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, have significantly higher open rates (up to 20% better!). 

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The importance of regularity in sending prospecting emailsn

In content, regularity is key! This also applies to your prospecting emails. 

A controlled cadence keeps your name in the minds of your prospects without overwhelming them. 

Regularity is implemented via several systems:

• by defining a realistic frequency (for example, an email every two weeks)
• by varying your content: proposal, reminder, sharing of useful information

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The effectiveness of sending prospecting emails at strategic times to maximize results.

It's all a question of observation. Some signals can tell you when to act:

• Peaks of activity on social networks : they often betray moments when your prospects are connected;
• Key periods in your sector : for example, the approach of the end of the term or professional events

Also take the time to analyze your data : When are your emails most opened? 

With well-thought-out timing, regular sending and a strategy based on key moments, your prospecting friends will have every chance of finding their target. And that’s already a big victory, right?

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Timing is one of the secret ingredients of your prospecting emails. But be careful, it's not enough to send at any time: regular analysis of your data and a good dose of regularity are essential to maintain engagement. 

Also don't forget to personalize your emails and follow-up. Well-controlled timing, adapted content and a personal touch: this is the recipe for emails that are read and responded to.

To finish, test, adjust and observe is the key. Because basically, a well-sent email at the right time is like an opportunity knocking at the door. Just welcome it!

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To help you write your messages, personalize them and automate their sending, there is Humanlinker ! Test here, it's free 👇

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