Appointment setting is an effective sales development strategy that involves well-trained sales representatives calling, after appointments, on behalf of clients who have expressed interest in a particular service or product. The primary goal of B2B appointment setting, however, is for sales representatives to establish appointments for a second rep who can then deliver a more detailed sales proposal and, hopefully, close a sale. Sales rep callers are often impressed by the initial call and have a higher call depth (the number of new or possible sales) than a given salesperson may have. Thus, successful appointment setting can often lead to more calls or, conversely, more rescheduled or canceled appointments. It can also result in the development of a better, more profitable clientele list.
Appointment setting provides a way to assess whether a particular person is right for you and your organization, since it relies on careful evaluation of who a potential client might be. Since it relies on call records, it is often seen as a screening process rather than a direct sales development technique. However, it can be precisely adapted to serve as a direct sales development technique if done correctly. For this to happen, the following tips should be used: the right people called, the right amount of information given, and the right time presented. Following these tips can help ensure that appointment setting helps your sales team close more deals.
First, the right people called. When conducting business development activities, it is important for a sales team to always consider who they are calling on for their advice and guidance. Some representatives may be good at getting themselves to be included in the contact list of other business development professionals and key mentors, while others may prefer to work independently and without being constantly included in other professional networks. Likewise, different sales teams may want to work with certain business development professionals or mentors. In order to establish the right partnership, it is important for a business development professional to get involved and make sure that the clientele list is updated, the names of the individuals included in the partnership are verified, and that the names of the sales team’s other business development partners are included on the clientele list.
Second, the right amount of information given. While appointment setting does involve making calls to prospective clients or prospects, it also involves more than just numbers and dates. Appointment setting should always include a detailed description of the action that will be taken next, including the name of the prospect, what will be discussed during the call, why the prospect is interested in the product or service offered by the company, what the product or service offers to the prospective client or prospect, and what the client or prospect can expect from the product or service. The entire call should include all of those aspects. A good professional will not only use these features and describe them to his or her client or potential client, but will also describe the actions that he or she plans to take during the upcoming appointment.
Finally, a good sales development professional will know the names of several other individuals or groups who might benefit from the services that the client or prospect is offering. Through Appointment Setting, these individuals or groups will likely know how to contact those people and how to get their attention and participation. Appointment setting should never stand in the way of closing a sale, but it can prevent a salesperson from wasting time contacting the wrong leads and leaving that person without an opportunity to hear what that person needs or wants. This is why many salespeople utilize the services of professional booking systems and appointment setting experts.
Appointment setting should be a vital part of any effective sales strategy. The right Appointment Setting appointments should increase the number of new leads that a company receives, create new sales opportunities, provide valuable information to clients or prospects, and provide a mechanism for contacting leads that are already interested in what a company has to offer. It should never be considered a replacement for a qualified Lead or a Qualifying Call. Appointment setting should be used to identify prospects and obtain their interest and approval as a lead. It should not be considered as an all-purpose sales strategy.