Appointment Setters are professional service providers who organize appointments for potential customers. These professionals often meet face-to-face with a client to plan appointments or to contact an individual over the phone. They often use the internet and technology to communicate with individuals who have chosen to contact them. These appointment setting professionals are also licensed to provide education to potential clients about their industry. Appointment setting is a highly specialized and critical type of business activity.
To engage in appointment setting, an appointment setter should have a strong interest in the type of products and services they plan to promote. An appointment setter must be able to demonstrate knowledge about the product or service to be promoted. Knowledge is critical in that it demonstrates the prospective client that the person being contacted understands the rationale behind the products and/or services being presented. A good appointment setting professional will be able to explain the rationale behind each pitch made by the candidate and will be able to demonstrate that the rationale is based on facts and figures. In other words, the professional will know how many clients this candidate has successfully served and how those clients were satisfied with the services provided.
As one might expect, appointment setters must have a thorough understanding of the products and services that they will be presenting. Candidates should present themselves as experts in the industry. The professional must not only be knowledgeable but they should be experienced enough to have effectively presented each side of the argument. For example, a salesperson should not attempt to convince prospective clients that their product is the best. However, they should be able to demonstrate why their product is the best. In this way, a seasoned salesperson can convince potential clients of the importance of their products or services without actually having to prove their value.
Hourly Rate Entry-level appointment setters should understand the hourly rate structures that are offered by their employer and adjust their rate based upon their experience. An entry-level position should make an hourly rate of fifteen or sixteen dollars an hour. As the hours increase it becomes less desirable to the prospective employee. As most entry-level positions pay below market rates this is extremely important.
If the hourly rate is too low or even just close to the entry-level rate the sales team may lose a qualified lead. This is why it is so important for all appointment setters to adjust their hourly rates appropriately. There are many different options for hourly rates including commission structures, negotiated package deals, and individual retainer fees.
After these factors are determined and agreed upon, the sales team should start scheduling appointments. Scheduling appointments is where the real work starts. If the salesperson is unsure of how to properly schedule appointments or how to communicate with their client they should seek the assistance of a qualified professional. Many appointment setters provide their sales team with a tremendous amount of invaluable information. They can also help with any communication problems that may arise in the future.
One of the biggest mistakes appointment setters make is cold calling. Most sales teams know that they need to develop a good relationship with their potential clients and that includes warm, non-judgmental telephone calls. However, when a salesperson attempts to cold call their potential clients this destroys the relationship completely. By not taking into consideration the individuals phone number or email address a cold calling campaign will only result in a loss of future sales. Many individuals will refuse to take calls from a cold caller or a salesperson that approaches them aggressively.
Once a positive appointment setting relationship has been established a new way to approach appointment setting must be implemented. Potential clients and their representatives want to know that you are interested in them as a person and not just as a potential sale. A qualified professional can help by providing answers to questions, providing valuable information and connecting with the individuals on their list. It is essential that a sales team learn how to listen to their potential clients and prospects questions. The best way to do this is to hire a qualified appointment setting firm to help with this process.
