The business of selling, regardless of industry, entails hard work and dedication. Showcasing a product or service in the best possible way does not always guarantee success, which is why it’s important to enlist the help of professionals, such as salespeople. They are skilled in creating rapport with potential customers, but this should translate well through various communication methods, including cold calling.
This is particularly true when it comes to the process of appointment setting, as only then can these products and services be sold well. Contrary to popular belief, cold calling isn’t dead yet – the biggest business enterprises all over the world rely on the successful process of appointment setting practices, which is the key ingredient behind increasing sales.
All leads or prospects must show interest at the end of the call, but your best bet is to always ensure a successful call – no matter how short the call session may be. While doing so could be a ton of pressure on the end of your team, there are ways to ensure better success rates – all done with proper preparation.
Without further ado, here is part two of our mini-series on getting the appointment setting right:
Tip #5: Learn to be more conversational
To prevent your prospective customers from hanging up, one of the most crucial things you need to do is to build a connection and keep the conversation engaging. One common mistake that salespeople and advisors make when making calls is being overly formal, which can prompt your prospective customers to lose interest before you can even begin to make your pitch.
When making a sales-related call, it is important to start off right and be engaging from the start. For example, greeting your prospective customer with a friendly “Hi” often comes off as more conversational and engaging than starting off with a “Hello, this is… from…”. Greeting your customer in the latter manner can already give your prospect customer the idea that this is a sales-related call that they likely wouldn’t be interested in hearing.
If you want to become more engaging, it pays to learn how to be more conversational; it’s always a good idea to remain calm, friendly, and natural throughout the call. It’s important to not use formal language too much – use “you’re” instead of “you are”, “thanks” instead of “thank you”, and end with “have a great day” instead of a cold “goodbye”. Use language that you’d use with your friends and colleagues – but don’t forget your manners, of course.
Tip #6: Provide the prospect with optional dates for appointments
Your script may lead you to convince the prospect to engage, but keep in mind that your chosen appointment dates may not always work with their schedules. Remember that these people are likely some of the busiest people in the country, so make sure your team knows how to be flexible. Offer a couple of dates to the prospect and specify the date and time, but make sure to only offer enough.
Your alternative option must always play to the advantage of the prospect, as this will help lower their end of the bargain – which is to make an effort. You wouldn’t want to put any burden on their end, apart from asking them to arrive at the scheduled meeting. In the realm of sales, it’s always crucial that they be treated well. Anything less could put an end to the entire conversation.
Tip #7: Get the communication process right
An appointment should benefit all parties involved, and the sales team should understand that it’s important to put an emphasis on listening and not just speaking. Members of the sales team must let advisors know about the importance of open questions and a proper communication process.
Among all parties involved, there should be a good understanding of how your products or services can meet the needs of the business that they are trying to contact. This allows for a stronger agreement between parties and can be useful in ironing out any objections that may arise.
Tip #8: Learn to accept defeat
While it’s important to learn how to handle objections and rejections well, your team members also need to learn how to accept defeat. It’s important to train them to back out graciously, especially when a customer is firm. Such instances must be handled with confidence and patience – even the worst prospects need to be treated well, as anything less tarnishes the brand.
It’s important for your members to leave the calls on a positive note, and instead take rejections as a learning opportunity. What could have caused them to reject the offer? Are the products or services not enticing, or is the timing simply off? Have they truly qualified leads or should we research some more? Everything is a learning experience.
Tip #9: Target the company’s decision-maker
When making calls to businesses, odds are likely that the sales team will be speaking to receptionists instead of the business owners themselves. When this happens, it’s important to note that the receptionists aren’t the ones that make decisions for the business. Therefore, it’s crucial to avoid placing all of your efforts in pitching to them.
Many people waste their time and effort trying to pitch their products and services to receptionists in the hopes that they will relay the information to the business’s decision-makers. The odds of that actually happening, however, is slim to none because the receptionists do not have the same passion and understanding of the products and services as the sales team does. Thus, pitching to them may just end up with your message falling on deaf ears.
On the other hand, it’s also important to not be pushy and demand to talk to the business’s decision-makers. Being rude and unwelcoming to receptionists can leave a bad impression and can harm your chances of making an agreement with the decision-makers. It’s important to establish proper rapport with anyone that the sales team speaks with.
Other Tips: What Else Should You Take Into Consideration?
When it comes down to it, the people you choose to work with will bring you success. The tips listed above are important reminders that help boost your appointment setting calls, but your bottom line will always be affected by the people you work with.
In this environment, you’ll want to work with people who can work well under pressure. Training is always a welcome prospect, but having the right person for the job will save you many resources.
The Bottom Line
Appointment setting activities can definitely be done in-house, but the amount of time, energy, and training you need to offer can prove to be detrimental to your company. This is particularly true in the B2B setting, which is why most businesses all over the world choose to rely on outsourcing solutions.
By enlisting the help of professionals, you make sure that your sales team can focus on what they do best – closing deals. That said, allow CrewBloom to help. We offer you the country’s best appointment setting services, guaranteeing your business further growth and success. Book a consultation today.
