Successful Business Development Representatives are highly sought after by reputable managed appointment setting companies. To be an excellent appointment setter, you must master these four attributes – Planning, Preparation, Practice, and Perseverance.
1. Planning
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,’ said Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Time management is crucial for BDRs. By honing this skill, you become more efficient. Based on the targets and deadlines set for you by your management, break it down into daily and hourly goals. This micro plan helps you function more effectively. Make a roadmap of how you will make the calls every day so that you achieve results quickly.
2. Preparation is Key
Remember the adage, ‘The first impression is the last impression.’ Learn everything you can about the company you are representing, its products, and its services. Getting to know your prospects, their processes, applications, and challenges. Awareness of competitors’ products and services is also crucial.
Developing a good script to use while setting appointments is also part of the preparation process. Customize one according to the needs of the organization you are representing. When cold calling potential customers to make appointments, it acts as a guide for you to have a seamless conversation.
3. Practice Makes an Appointment Setter Perfect
To be the best, you have to pay attention to your approach and make adjustments. Attend training sessions within and outside your company and apply what you learn. Rehearsing will help you identify your areas of improvement. Find a mentor to work on those areas. Initially, while setting appointments, it’s good to take guidance from a seasoned Business Development Representative. When you are on your own, make a note of how your calls progress. Break down the conversations and analyze different outcomes. Discuss it with experts and learn from your mistakes. Go back to the drawing board and develop a new strategy based on what you have learned.
4. Persevere Until You Accomplish
Patience is a virtue needed for a Business Development Representative. You will rarely convert a prospect into a qualified lead instantly. One has to persevere in clinching that appointment.
An appointment setter’s job begins with accessing their database, followed by cold-calling, analyzing and qualifying leads, finding the right decision-makers or influencers, and finally securing appointments.
Despite diligently following these procedures, you may not achieve success immediately. Do not give up. Instead, learn from your mistakes and failures, and you will bounce back.
If you make these skills second nature, you can rest assured that you will be an excellent appointment setter.