Whether you are selling a property, an insurance plan, or any kind of service, it’s important to implement the best appointment setting tactics in order to book more appointments.
Sales Enablement: Helping Customers Discover Your Product
So now you ask yourself, how do I become a successful appointment setter if I don’t have the time and patience in setting appointments? Well, let’s get on with these best nine appointment-setting tactics
Find the main benefit to your listener.
What is an appointment setting? It’s all about convincing your prospects that your business has something that is valuable to them. Before you even make the call, you should know already what’s in it for the client/customer and practice your elevator pitch.
Stick to the Who, What, and Why principle.
Those looking for appointment setter jobs should know the basic principle to follow after the initial “hello” greeting. This is the practice of saying WHO we are, WHAT we do, and WHY we’re calling.
The “What” should be concise. Present two or three of the main benefits rather than going on and on about how good the product or service is.
And finally, tell the receiver “Why” the appointment is needed and promote it just as much as the product.
Qualify the leads before reaching out.
One of the best-proven appointment-setting tactics that can actually save you time and energy is to focus on individuals who best fit your product or service. Do research or analysis to determine who your ideal customer is to achieve this step.
Develop a good script structure.
Being knowledgeable and equipped with all the information necessary is one of the secrets to appointment setting. From this, you can develop a compelling script to present the product/service to the best of your ability.
When you’re done with the framework, do some trial calls to see how it is being received. Continue refining the script and make some final changes before roll-out.
Hire the right appointment setter
The back-and-forth of scheduling and managing appointments can consume valuable amounts of your day.
- Use helpful call-to-action (CTA) everywhere. Spark your leads’ curiosity all the time. Every post, advertisement, blog article, brochure, or event needs to focus on a follow-up CTA, e.g. “Download our FREE Buyer’s Guide!”
Here are the benefits of outsourcing appointment setting tasks:
- Reach out during “off hours.” The virtual assistant can contact your leads before or after office hours to help increase the chances of them responding to your request.
- Confirm the details and schedule reminders. Make time to initiate contact a day beforehand to avoid disappointment.
- Set appointments via different communication channels. Some people prefer voicemail, social media, email, or navigating a website.
- Engage with leads that have already interacted with you. The chances of success are much greater with a customer that you have a history with.
- Make sure the right people are scheduled for any follow-up meetings. This can speed up the decision-making process and avoid unnecessary additional meetings.
- Social selling. The VA can spend a few hours per day on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to call, email, or connect with your audience to schedule an appointment
- Create and set automated messages to be sent at the preferred time.
- Publish content on your website. People will almost certainly look you up online. You can have case studies, projects, or blogs on your website.
- Use helpful call-to-action (CTA) everywhere. Spark your leads’ curiosity all the time. Every post, advertisement, blog article, brochure, or event needs to focus on a follow-up CTA, e.g. “Download our FREE Buyer’s Guide!”
Related Article: Top 12 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Appointment Setting Task
Focus on asking for the decision maker.
Learning how to talk directly to the decision maker of your target business or company is the key how to getting appointments in sales. You are better off spending your time looking for ways of getting through the gatekeeper than pitching to the wrong person.
Remember though, don’t be rude or pushy with receptionists and do not lie, but also, do not pitch to them either. Encourage the VA to build rapport with the gatekeepers and use statement questions to gain access, agreement, and direction.
Role-play, practice, refine.
An appointment setter training involves role-playing to help build confidence and master the flow of the call. Often times call-flows sound great when you are only reading them, but are very different when spoken out loud.
Acknowledge concerns and do your best to deal with objections.
Sometimes a customer will simply decline to say that they are too busy, or that they are all set, showing no interest in developing the conversation.
To attempt to bridge objections when trying to set an appointment, you must first recognize the end user’s concerns. Let them say why they are not interested, before using empathetic words, e.g. “I completely understand that you are busy…”
The objective here is to go from acknowledging objections to asking for the appointment again by demonstrating how the appointment can help them nonetheless.
Finally, train your appointment setters on how to “back out” gracefully and leave the call on a positive note for future contact when the time is right.
Don’t pitch the script word for word.
Always go straight to the point and only ask relevant questions. Feel the tone and the pace of the prospect. Ask for a commitment and close quickly so you don’t waste each other’s time. Once you fully understand the product you are selling, you will find it easier to adjust to any scenario that may come up.
Are you looking forward to closing more deals? Hire a virtual appointment setter who is knowledgeable with the best appointment setting tactics. Virtual Assistant Talent is one of the trusted virtual assistant companies in California that you can turn to. Call 1-866-596-9041 for a FREE consultation.
Since 2009, Virtual Assistant Talent has been helping professionals from different industries such as real estate, insurance, small business, coaching/consulting, and executive leadership.
