Business-to-business sales appointment setting is an essential part of every organization’s sales and marketing process. Appointment setting service providers offer cold calling, qualifying leads, and finalizing the time of appointment with decision-makers over the phone.
1. Organizing appointment setting campaigns
Each appointment setting campaign should be handled like an individual project. It should have an objective and be designed to achieve the same. The focus should be on setting an appointment with decision-makers and influencers and avoid gatekeepers. Every team member starting from the project manager, team leads, quality analysts to appointment setters, should be aligned with the project’s purpose. The entire project team should be briefed before the commencement of the campaign. It helps every member to work in tandem and stay focused on the goal.
2. Customized and well written appointment setting script
Drafting a convincing script is crucial to the success of an appointment-setting program. The script should be specific to the objective of the project. When you prepare the script, seek advice from the experts on the product, service, or solution you will represent. It helps you in capturing the correct points. The appointment setters will be able to convince your prospects faster. A uniform script would correctly represent your brand.
3. Phone etiquette
As your prospect answers your call, begin by thanking them for responding to your unsolicited call. Follow it up with a courteous greeting. Check with your potential customers if it is the right time to speak and that you are not disturbing their schedule or intruding. It conveys that you value your prospect’s time. In case you have not connected with your potential client at a good time, as a worst-case scenario, you will know the next best time to call them.
4. Engaging conversation
The notion of speaking well is often misunderstood as good conversational skills. Possessing good listening skills is key to making great conversations. By asking the right questions and allowing your prospects to speak more will help you understand them better.
When your prospective clients are talking, acknowledge them with the right gestures. It conveys to your recipient that you are attentive and interested in what they have to share. These courtesies significantly contribute to communicating the right expressions, as the conversations are happening over the phone and not face to face. It helps you overcome the challenge of your potential clients’ inability to read your face.
Objections and rejections are also part of conversations. They can be discouraging. Instead of being bogged down, appointment setters should diplomatically handle such situations. Again, when faced with such cases, try to find out the reasons. You will learn more about the prospective buyer and understand if they would be interested in your solutions in the future. It speaks about their maturity and professionalism.
5. Raise curiosity
After having got the right answers from your prospects, you will have known them better. You would have gained a better understanding of their challenges and have the upper hand to suggest solutions. It is your chance to raise a curiosity in them about your services. Step into the shoes of a consultant and propose solutions. Decision-makers will be interested in knowing how you can solve their problems. When they recognize you as a potential problem-problem solver, they will be keener to listen to you.
6. Benefits of setting an appointment with the sales representative
An appointment setter’s goal is to convince the decision-makers and influencers to set an appointment with the Sales Reps. Appointment setters have to sell the idea of why these decision-makers need to meet with Sales Representatives in person. They should speak with conviction about the benefits of meeting a Sales Rep face to face. By conveying that a Sales Representative visiting them on their premises can offer quick solutions, the success of setting appointment over the phone rises.
7. Use the latest technology
Advancements in communication technology have made sales and marketing activities more efficient. Using cloud communication systems for appointment setting campaigns creates speed to the process. Software applications like Customer Relationship Management software, in short CRM, and sales auto-dialers help identify the best business development process.
8. Outsourced appointment setting services
An excellent alternative to having your own team of appointment setters is to outsource the B2B sales appointment activity to managed appointment setting firms. As appointment setting is the core of these companies, they will have the experience, talents, and technologies to set appointments over the phone.