Customer retention is the fastest way to grow profits but not in the absence of new clients. Without a steady stream of inbound leads that close to new revenue, companies' top line income will flounder.  

If you are in the game of selling services, you often need to reach decision makers (via Zoom, Google Meet or other video conferencing solutions). There is an art to reaching the right person as most top sales experts will say - LinkedIn InMail is often a great way to put an offer in front of the right person. 

Outsourcing Appointment Setting

For small and medium sized companies, outsourcing appointment setting is likely the first big cost saving they can realize on their outsourcing journey. The right outsourcing partner can change a business' fortunes, helping sales close more deals.  

Appointment setting is a way to keep your best sales team members busy all day, and it is something that can often be outsourced. Crunchbase reports that a company's best sellers spend an average of 7 hours every week researching their prospects and 69% of buyers have accepted cold calls from new service providers. 

In the context of taking approximately 8 cold calls to reach a prospect, appointment setting outsourcing company Bruntwork shares ten tips for setting appointments with clients: 

1. Suggest the end of the day for a call

Callhippo suggest the best time of the day to call prospective clients is 4:00pm to 5:00pm. Through LinkedIn, asking if a prospect has time for a Zoom call at the end of the day is a great way to improve the chances of actually securing a prospect on the phone. 

2. Use Social Media to find prospects

LinkedIn is by far the most relevant platform to reach prospects about a new product or service, particularly in the B2B space. According to Hubspot, 56% of sales professionals use social media to connect with prospects, and LinkedIn is an extremely effective option, although Facebook and Instagram can also be relevant. Tik Tok and Reddit are also becoming great outreach opportunities for appointment setting. 

3. Set specific goals for an appointment to entice a prospect to connect with you

Representatives should know what they want to achieve with the interaction before engagement. This will help keep the meeting's focus on the important key points and allow for proper discussions about everything that needs to be done.

4. Keep appointments short and avoid calling them a "discovery call"

Clients are busy and will react negatively to discussions where it feels like they are going to receive a heavy sales pitch. Telemarketers should keep their meetings short and focused, while conveying as succinctly as possible that the meeting will be commitment free.

5. Follow up after each meeting

The utilization of a CRM is one of the most important technological investments a company can make to help keep track of leads. Each lead will need to be followed up. There are many options in market to stay ahead of your pipeline, but overall 44% of sales professionals say phone or video calls are the most effective means to reach and sell to prospects (Hubspot) so securing an appointment via Zoom is a great place to start a sales discussion. Representatives should send a follow-up email to thank their clients for their time and recap what was discussed after each meeting as a professional courtesy. 

6. Listen to clients

It is paramount that appointment setters give their clients their full attention and listen to what they have to say. Information from the client can provide opportunities to sell other products and services the company offers.

7. Take notes during each meeting

Notes will help representatives and other people in the organization remember what was discussed and follow up after the meeting. These notes should be logged against calls and deals in the company's CRM. Missing essential details could mean the difference between a good relationship with a client or a lost sale.

8. Being responsive to clients

Businesses should always return phone calls and reply to emails promptly to ensure that clients know the company values them. Positive customer experience increases the likelihood of a return customer.

9. Set up a meeting reminder system

Often prospects are busy or worse still, don't reply. Most CRMs will have a reminder or task system so you don't forget to follow up, and often these technology platforms will automate the follow up process too. Especially in the context of remote selling, making sure you follow up is one of the most important factors to secure appointments with prospects.

10. Have a cancellation policy

If a meeting needs to be cancelled, companies should have a policy in place. Clients will appreciate knowing what to expect in the event this occurs. 

Why outsourcing appointment setting matters. 

The global market size for appointment setting and telemarketing was estimated to be valued at $9.9 Billion in 2020, growing at a 10% compound annual growth rate.

However like cogs in a machine, business owners shy away from having a designated appointment setting team because they don't want to lose too much control over the sales process with too many moving parts. 

Not only that, but it can be difficult for someone outside your normal sales team to pick up on the nuances of a company's sales process. 

But B2B appointment setting services can really help organize your sales pipeline and refine everyone's jobs to keep things running smoothly. Appointment setters in the Philippines can keep sales agents fully booked and pipelines to the brim with new leads. And rates start from just $4 - $8/hr in the Philippines, according to BruntWork's CEO Winston Ong, so outsourcing appointment setting is really a no brainer.