Recently one PA contacted me and requested if I could write any tips about Appointment setting. So I did a research and found some basic general tips, I hope it helps!
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Appointment setting is simply calling as many people as possible, qualifying them as a prospective customer, and asking them to set an appointment with a salesperson or representative. Professionals and businessmen do not want to waste time or money meeting people who have no intention of buying their product or service. These businesses rely on appointment setters to make sure that time is not wasted. Appointment setting starts by calling people whose names appear on a list of prospects and determining if a meeting is necessary to provide more information, make a sale, or follow up.
Set clear goals for yourself.
Write them down in a place where you will see them often. You can set goals on a daily, weekly or monthly basis or a combination. Determine how many appointments you need to set in a given time period to make your sales goals based on your conversion rate.
Research and familiarize your prospects .
Research or gathering information and familiarising your prospect is very important to know what type of approach you have to apply when talking to them on the phone. A good research allows you to make better judgment making it easy for you to establish good rapport to your customer.
Smile Smile Smile.
When you pick up the phone and through out the conversation.
Listen actively.
Carefully watch out for signs that your prospect is genuinely interested in the product or service that you are selling. The most important sign is when the prospect asks relevant questions. However don’t give all the answers away.
Also, remember not to answer “that can be better explained in person” to all the prospect’s questions.
Use Power Language.
Be clear. Be specific. Be yourself
Decision Makers receive sales calls every day, and they become highly skilled at picking out ‘false’ voices and fake personalities. Being yourself is about injecting your own persona into the conversation. There’s much truth in the saying ‘people buy from people’ and coming over as a genuine person, not a robot-sales telephoning machine, will pay dividends.
Some examples:
- “The solution is.” rather than, “I believe the solution is.”
- Never use the word “appointment” when trying to set one. Instead, use the word “meeting.” “Meeting” sounds more professional and more important. “I would like to meet with you.”
- Use directed words to reach your prospect. When you ask to speak with your prospect, say, “Jane Jones, please”.
- Instead, use the word “meeting.” “Meeting” sounds more professional and more important. “I would like to meet with you.”
- Whether trying to ascertain a good time to call your prospect back or trying to schedule a meeting, it is a good idea to give alternate choices. “Is this morning good, or would tomorrow morning be better?” It is much easier for your prospect to decide “when” rather than “whether.
- “I’m just calling.” Eliminate the word “just” from your vocabulary. That little word “just” is an apology. It says that your call is not important and that what you have to say is not important. Simply tell your prospects and customers why you are calling. That is enough.
- They pay you to actually do it! Tell your prospects or customers what they will achieve or should expect to achieve. “Don’t use Hopefully” (We will hopefully achieve..)
Be clear and to the point. You are telling your story to a person who has never heard it.
Ask the right questions.
In as much as you are recommended to ask direct questions, you also need to give your prospect the opportunity to choose among options. For example, in suggesting the date and time of the appointment, you can ask “Is Monday morning good with you, or is Tuesday afternoon better?”.
Set up an early appointment.
This simply translates to “strike whilst the iron is hot”. Since you’ve already gotten hold of the prospect’s interest and trust, might as well take advantage of it by setting an appointment date closer to the call date
Find the right method for your lead generation and appointment setting campaign.
There are a number of ways to get leads and set business meetings like cold calling, direct mail, mass media, and Internet marketing.
Get a business contact database.
Knocking on doors at random or having no specific target markets for you campaign will ultimately result in you getting the least amount of leads possible. Acquiring a contact list will allow your b2b marketing course to be more targeted.
Get your scripts ready.
Whether it is a form of direct marketing or not, it is important that your spiels and scripts to catch the attention of your target markets at first sight (or first hearing).
Put your plans into action.
You are not going to get any good leads and appointments if you do not start anything that you have planned out.
Offer the benefits vs. features .
Inform your customers what they can get out of the product instead of what the product can do. By focusing on the benefits, you are offering the product from the customer’s perspective basing on their interest.
Highlight more on the benefits.
People want to know what is in it for them if they purchase your product or service. They want to know that their money will be well spent with the purchase.
Try different techniques >Appointment Setting Foundational Technique: Mirroring
One of the most proven methods for success in appointment setting is called mirroring. Mirroring is based on the idea that people like to buy things from people who are like them. Sometimes, this manifests itself culturally, or accidentally. More likely, though, if the salesperson is skilled, mirroring is a deliberate act. Speak slowly to slow speakers, and quickly to rapid speakers. Use words the listener can understand and would use herself. It’s simple, but its proven to work.
Leave your contact information.
Even if they reject your offer the first time around, leave a phone number or any form of information that will lead them back to you. Who knows, your prospects might not be interested now but they may be in the next few days, weeks, or months.
Offer time and date options for appointments.
Pick two or three appointment times that work for you and present them to the other half of your appointment.
Meeting > Minimise travel time.
One of the reasons that appointments eat up so much time in our calendars is the necessity of travel. We have to travel to clients’ offices, coffee shops or wherever we’re meeting. We can minimize that commitment by suggesting that we meet at our own locations, meet halfway, or skip meeting in person altogether. Options like telephone calls or video conferencing can often handle all the requirements of that appointment you were going to drive across town for.
Maintain a positive mental attitude.
Henry Ford said: “whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right either way”. Learn something from every call.
Do you have any appointment setting tip to share with us? Please leave your comment below.
