Is your outside sales team struggling to bring in new business?
Tired of hearing, “No one’s answering,” “Budgets are frozen,” or “I’ll follow up next week”?
You’re not alone. In today’s market, low-hanging fruit is long gone—and salespeople need a smarter, more strategic approach to win. That’s where staffing sales call planning comes in.
This toolkit will show you exactly how to turn vague sales activity into targeted, effective conversations that drive real results.
Why Staffing Sales Call Planning Matters
Taking a little time before you dive in works!
When your team goes into every sales call with a clear objective, a plan of action, and a follow-up strategy, magic happens:
Call quality improves
- Wasted time in the field drops
- More calls get made
- More business gets closed
And yes—it even saves money by improving rep productivity.
You 9-Step Sales Call Planning Toolkit
Let’s break it down. Here’s exactly how to structure each sales call plan to maximize effectiveness. This article references this free form to help with your sales calls. Follow along as you read through these 9 steps.
STEP 1: PLAN WEEKLY FOR EVERY CLIENT OR PROSPECT
Start simple. Each week, reps should fill out a sales call plan for every scheduled meeting.
Consistency matters. When you plan ahead, every touchpoint becomes more intentional—and more productive.
STEP 2: TRACK THE BASICS
Include:
- Rep’s name
- Account name
- Date and time of the call
Why? Managers can use this to assess call frequency, account activity, and pipeline health at a glance.
STEP 3: IDENTIFY THE PLAYERS
Who’s attending from both sides?
- Client Attendees (with titles)
- Staffing Firm Attendees
This helps reps understand buying influences, build deeper relationships, and ensure internal team alignment.
STEP 4: DEFINE YOUR CALL OBJECTIVES (M-P-V STYLE)
This one’s critical. Break call objectives into three tiers:
- Minimum – The must-have outcome for the call to be worth the effort.
- Primary – The main goal (e.g., uncover a hiring need, demo a solution).
- Visionary – A stretch goal (e.g., secure a meeting with the VP of HR).
Every sales call plan should include all three.
STEP 5: ANTICIPATE THE ADVANCE ACTION
How will your rep move the sale forward?
Examples:
- Get introduced to another decision-maker
- Confirm a follow-up meeting
- Secure permission to use the client’s name as a reference
This is your forward momentum—it keeps the relationship progressing.
STEP 6: CLARIFY THE CUSTOMER’S PROBLEM
Here’s where planning gets personal. Reps should list:
- Suspected or known challenges
- Hiring bottlenecks
- Competitor vulnerabilities
The goal? Build urgency by identifying what’s costing the client time, money, or productivity.
STEP 7: PROVE YOUR VALUE
In the “Being Effective for the Customer” section on the form, reps should highlight:
- What makes your firm different
- Specific proof points (e.g., “60+ qualified temps ready to go”)
This is all about credibility. Show—not tell—how you solve their problems better than the competition.
STEP 8: POSITION FOR LONG-TERM WINS
Reps can use this section to:
- Reinforce your firm’s position
- Request or share testimonials
- Introduce new services (like a skills assessment platform)
Follow up on recent placements
Keep reminding clients why they trust your team—and why they should keep coming back.
STEP 9: DOCUMENT ACTION STEPS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CALL
After the meeting, the rep should record what happened:
- What was accomplished?
- Did the call meet its objectives?
- What’s the follow-up?
If results consistently fall short of objectives, that’s a coaching opportunity. Use it!
Implementation Tips for Staffing Leaders
You’ve got the toolkit. Now, how do you make it stick?
- Train reps on setting realistic call objectives.
- Role-play common objections and scenarios.
- Coach regularly using completed plans as teaching tools.
- Reinforce the value: Reps hate paperwork—but they hate missing quota even more.
And remember: You get what you inspect, not what you expect.
Include these in your rollout:
- A completed sample call planning worksheet
- A blank worksheet template
- A list of questioning techniques
- A call role play and critique form
Make it as plug-and-play as possible. The easier it is, the more likely your team will adopt it.
BOOST VISIBILITY BETWEEN CALLS
Staffing sales success isn’t just about the call—it’s about staying top of mind between conversations.
With our email relationship tool HaleyMail, you can:
- Automate email marketing to prospects and clients
- Deliver thought leadership and value-add content consistently
- Keep your firm visible, credible, and relevant
- Give your reps a competitive edge—with smart tools that keep the relationship alive after the call.
Remember, effective staffing sales call planning isn’t just a productivity hack—it’s a business growth strategy.
Teach your team to prep with purpose. Help them uncover problems, offer meaningful solutions, and follow through. And give them the tools to build relationships that last.
Better calls. More conversions. Less waste.
Need help rolling this out—or keeping your firm visible between meetings?
Need a website? Digital marketing? Job spend management? Something else?
