Whether you are selling a property, an insurance plan, or any kind of service, you know that when you book more appointments, you generate more business.
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 nine appointment-setting tips.
1. Find the main benefit to your listener.
What is 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.
When doing outbound calling, think of a good hook that will grab the prospect in the first 60 seconds. Click To Tweet2. 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.
3. Qualify the leads before reaching out.
One of the proven appointment setting tips that can actually save you time and energy is to focus on individuals who best fit your product or service. Do a research or analysis to determine who your ideal customer is to achieve this step.
4. 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.
If it doesn’t sound right when you’re practicing it, then you have no chance when on the telephone. ~Jacqui Crawley Click To Tweet5. Hire the right appointment setter
The back-and-forth of scheduling and managing appointments can consume valuable amounts of your day.
Here are the benefits of outsourcing appointment setting tasks:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]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.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Confirm the details and schedule reminders. Make time to initiate a contact a day beforehand to avoid disappointment.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Set appointments via different communication channels. Some people prefer voicemail, social media, email, or navigating a website.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]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.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]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.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]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[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Create and set automated messages to be sent on preferred time.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Publish a content on your website. People will almost certainly look you up online. You can have case studies, projects, or blogs on your website.[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-ok”]Use helpful call-to-actions (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!”[/li] [/list]Related Article: Top 12 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Appointment Setting Task
6. 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 on how to get 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.
Make sure that you are sold before you try to convince somebody else. Click To Tweet7. Role-play, practice, refine.
An appointment setter training involves role-playing to help build the confidence and master the flow of the call. Often times call-flows sound great when you are only reading them, but very different when spoken out loud.
8. Acknowledge concerns and do your best to deal with objections.
Sometimes a customer will simply decline saying 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 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 how to “back out” gracefully and leave the call on a positive note for a future contact when the time is right.
9. 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.
In this multimedia world, there are multiple ways to succeed in appointment setting. For more expert insight on how to set more appointments, contact our team at Virtual Assistant Talent and we will help you further narrow down your prospects, and save time so that you can focus on other areas of your business.
You can also browse through our virtual assistant services list and discover how our highly qualified and trained virtual assistants can help in your everyday tasks and objectives.
Since 2009, Virtual Assistant Talent has been helping professionals from different industries such as the real estate, insurance, small business, coaching/consulting, and executive leadership. CALL US at 1-866-596-9041 to Learn More.
Reference:
www.callcentrehelper.com
www.weidert.com
www.business2community.com
www.virtual-sales.com
