What is conversations per hour?
Conversations per hour counts the live conversations a rep has with real people in an hour of calling, leaving out voicemails and unanswered calls.
Why it matters for sales teams
Meetings come from conversations, not from dials. Conversations per hour links activity to results: it reflects the dialing method, the quality of the call list, pickup rate and time of day all at once.
It is also a fair way to compare dialers. A tool that doubles dials but not conversations has not changed much for the team.
Defining a conversation
Teams need one definition, applied the same way every time. Common choices:
- Any call where a person answered and spoke with the rep.
- A call with the intended person, not a gatekeeper or a wrong number (right-party contact).
- A call that lasted past a minimum length the team agrees on.
Whatever the choice, build it into the call outcomes reps pick, so reports count the same thing week after week.
Example
A rep logs an hour on a cold list. Many attempts ring out or reach voicemail, a few reach the wrong person, and several reach the intended contact. Those conversations, not the attempts, are the number the manager compares from week to week.