A 7-day calling plan for your B2B contact list

Before you start: pick a small, clear target

One industry in one city is enough for a week. Fifty well-chosen calls a day do more than five hundred random ones. Download the free sample first, so you know what each column holds before you plan.

For example, the Dentists & Dental Clinics in Jaipur list has 1,037 contacts, 95% of them with a mobile number: a good size for one person's week.

The plan

Day 1: sort and trim the sheet

• Filter to the rows that have a mobile number.
• Sort by locality or PIN code, so you work one area at a time.
• Remove businesses you already deal with.
• Add four columns: Called on, Outcome, Next step and Notes.

Day 1: write a 20-second opener

Say who you are, why you're calling this business in particular, and ask one question. For example: "Hello, I'm Priya from Sharma Dental Supplies. We deliver dental consumables to clinics in Jaipur within a day. Who orders supplies at your clinic?"

Then stop and listen. If they're busy, ask when to call back and write it down.

Days 2 to 5: call in two blocks a day

• Call in two fixed blocks, for example late morning and mid-afternoon. Avoid opening time and lunch.
• Log every call before you dial the next one.
• Call back numbers that didn't answer at a different time of day.
• When someone is interested, send what they asked for within the hour, while they still remember the call.

Day 6: follow up

• Email or WhatsApp the people who asked for details, and only them (see the rules below).
• Call back everyone who asked you to, at the time they gave.

Day 7: look at the numbers

Count how many calls connected, how many became a real conversation, and how many ended with a next step. Compare localities and categories. Next week, spend more of your time where people responded, or build a list that keeps only the industries and places that worked.

The rules to follow

• Do Not Disturb (DND). Under TRAI's rules, people can block promotional calls and SMS by registering on the National Customer Preference Register (NCPR), by calling or texting 1909 or through the TRAI DND app. Check numbers against it before any promotional call or SMS.
• Bulk SMS. Sending SMS in bulk needs registration on your telecom provider's DLT platform, with an approved sender ID and message templates.
• WhatsApp. WhatsApp's business rules allow messages only to people who have agreed to hear from you. Ask on the call before you send anything there.
• Email. Say who you are and why you're writing, and tell people how to stop further emails. Honour every request.
• Be clear and stop when asked. Give your name and company on every call, and take anyone who asks you to stop off your sheet straight away.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. The rules change from time to time, so check TRAI's website for the current regulations.