Appointment setting is crucial for growing your business, expanding your customer base and increasing sales.
But it’s far more than just cold calling, or a purely administrative process. Appointment setters need to be persuasive, great listeners and have a real understanding of the needs and pain points of the companies they call. On top of all that, it’s crucial to be super organised, keep meticulous records and know all the tips and tricks for piquing a prospect’s interest.
It sounds like a big ask, which is why many time-poor businesses choose to outsource appointment setting to experienced professionals like IT Focus. But if you want to see better results for your in-house appointment setting team, here are some expert tips to remember:
- Don’t be distracted from your main objective – fixing the appointment
It’s tempting to launch into the full sales pitch when speaking to a prospect. This of course is the ultimate goal, but your objective right now – on this particular call – is to fix a solid date and time for a follow-up with your sales team. Focus all your efforts on achieving the immediate goal and you’re more likely to see better results.
- Speak to the right person
For appointment setters, time is money. You’ve got lots of people to call, and targets to meet. Make sure you use your time effectively by ensuring you’re speaking to the decision maker within the business. Develop methods for getting past the gate-keeper and establishing who the key movers and shakers are within the business.
- Use the right tools to stay organised
Manage your time well, schedule calls and keep track of every detail of every prospect using customer relationship management (CRM) systems and calendar tools. CRM is one of the most crucial, as it helps you keep track of the decision-makers within each business along with your history with them. This means you can pick up at just the right point, armed with prior knowledge about the prospect and avoiding asking the same questions twice.
- Practise active listening and ask insightful questions
Many people are very guarded when they think a salesperson is calling. You can overcome this by shelving the aggressive sales pitch and encouraging a meaningful two-way dialogue instead. Really listen to what the prospect is telling you about what they need, and ask probing questions to tease out more information. If you can present what you’re selling as the solution to a long-held problem, you’ll have them hooked and ready to agree to a follow-up.
- Be ready for objections
Just like sales, appointment setting is all about responding to objections and rejection. You need to be ready with a helpful, positive and persuasive response to anything a prospect can throw your way.
Appointment setting requires a great deal of skill, time and management. If your business has more pressing things to focus on, rely on lead generation experts such as IT Focus to handle it for you. We’ll deliver highly qualified leads right to your sales team – get in touch to find out more.
