DATA

Data is an amazing thing. When we look at it we can see trends and insights that can help us be better at what we do. For example, imagine knowing that is takes, on average, 3.68 calls to reach a prospect. That knowledge would hopefully encourage you to make at LEAST 4 attempts to reach your prospects.

As we enter into a new year and some still are holding onto their New Year Resolutions here are some data driven insights for you. No commentary or “Brent Insights” to follow the list. If you cannot see the light on your own, reach out and we can have a chat… but this should be pretty straight forward. Here are 19 pieces of insight for you. Welcome to 2026!

1. Studies show that asking between 11–14 questions during the course of a lead call will translate to 74 percent greater potential success. (Source – Gong.io)
2. Customers are 4x more likely to buy when referred by a friend. (Source – Neilsen)
3. 80% of sales require five follow-up phone calls after the meeting. (Source – Marketing Donut)
4. 75% of 1,000 executives polled were prompted to attend an event or take an appointment as a result of a cold call or email. (Source – DiscoverOrg)
5. 43% of consumers are more likely to buy a new product when learning about it from friends on social media. (Source – Neilsen)
6. About 47% of top performers ask for referrals consistently, versus only 26% of non-top performers. (Source – HubSpot)
7. In 2007, it took 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect. Today it takes eight attempts. (Source – Spotio)
8. 79% of all marketing leads are never converted to sales. (Source – Salesforce)
9. The biggest challenges today’s salespeople face: Establishing urgency (42%), Getting in touch with prospects (37%) and Overcoming price objections (35%) (Source – HubSpot)
10. 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up. (Source – Scripted)
11. 40% of emails are opened on mobile first, and the average mobile screen can only fit four to seven words max in the subject line. (Source – ContactMonkey)
12. Subject lines with three to four words get more responses than shorter and longer ones. (Source – HubSpot)
13. 73% of executives prefer to work with sales professionals referred by someone they know. (Source – IDC)
14. The most successful reps use terms that inspire confidence, such as “certainly,” “definitely,” and “absolutely,” five times more often than low performers. (Source – Gong.io)
15. Adding the word “New” to your subject line can increase open rates by 23%. (Source – Adestra)
16. Only 7% respond to leads in the first five minutes after a form submission. More than half don’t respond within five business days. (Source – Drift)
17. Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads. (Source – The Annuitas Group)
18. High-performing sales organizations are twice as likely to provide ongoing training as low-performing ones. (Source – HubSpot)
19. 32% of buyers post a review on social media. (Source – Avande)

If you want to learn more about sponsorship from great thought leaders and industry leaders from brands, agencies and sponsorship properties and learn how to apply this data above, join me at the Western Sponsorship Congress® – Saskatchewan Forum. Register today for a great discount offer.

© 2026 All rights reserved.