To sell to a prospect, you must first get the appointment for a meeting. If you are unable to reach a decision-maker by phone or email, follow the steps below. You can add an appointment to their calendar.

Get the appointment with a sales prospect

Booking a meeting with a prospect is not an easy task, as any salesperson will tell you.

Sales reps make hundreds of calls each day in the hope that one prospect will answer the telephone. What are the typical responses when someone finally answers the phone?

“I’m too busy to do that.” ”

“Can you email the information?” ”

“Are they trying to sell you something?”

Before you can even get the chance of presenting your well-rehearsed value proposition to the other person, they hang up. Then you’re back at square one.

Your chances of meeting your first client will increase if you do so.

Mike Scher, CEO at Frontline Selling, says there are three proven ways to increase your chances to book sales appointments over the telephone: disarming, purpose, or question.

How do you book sales appointments

1. Disarm: Get them lower their guard.
2. Purpose: Describe the reason you are calling.
3. Question: Finish with a question about your purpose.

Encourage your prospect to lower his guard

Always assume that prospects are busy when they finally answer the phone. Introduce yourself and your company, and acknowledge that they are busy.

People are naturally suspicious of strangers calling them on the phone. One way to get them to relax is by telling them who you are and from where you’re calling.

They will be distracted from their current activities and shift their focus to you by disarming them.

Describe your reason for calling

Every sales rep understands that the goal of the first phone call is to get an appointment. A After disarming the prospect tell them immediately why you are calling.

“The purpose this call is to discuss ways we can reduce operating costs by 20% in 20-30 minutes. ”

Why not 20-30 minutes?

You are doing yourself a disservice by asking for a shorter amount of time. You’re merely indicating that your purpose doesn’t matter if you ask for five minutes.

Answer a question to end your sales pitch

Ask a question about your goal.

For example, “Would Tuesday at 10 or Wednesday at 2 work better?” “

If you ask a question, they’ll have to answer.

If they don’t, you can rinse and repeat: disarm them, state your purpose, and then ask another question.

If the prospect refuses to make an appointment, send them a calendar invite.

They will be more likely to read the materials in the future so take advantage of this opportunity to secure your appointments.

Here are some more tips to help you get an appointment over the telephone

These additional tips can also be used to book appointments if the prospect is speaking to you over the telephone.

1. You can gauge their level of interest.

When you first contact prospects, be clear about the purpose of the meeting. Are you able to reduce their costs, increase revenue, or improve efficiency?

After explaining the purpose of the meeting to them, you can listen to their interest. Continue the conversation if they are sceptical, but don’t force them into making an appointment. Instead, ask them “Would it be possible to have a first conversation about [solution/benefit]?” “

If the prospect is interested, ask questions like “I’d love to have an initial discussion about [solution/benefit].” What is the best time to discuss [solution/benefit] in greater detail?

2. Tell them what you can offer them

What are prospects getting from meeting with you and what do they lose? Instead of focusing on the product, let prospects know what they will get from the meeting. Tell them what you will give in return, regardless of whether you are offering advice or solving a problem.

3. Give them more options

Prospects will be more open if they have the choice of several meeting times. Ask them if they are available to meet with you on Wednesday at 2:00 PM, next Monday at 3 :00 PM, or any other time that suits them best.

To move the conversation along, avoid asking “yes/no” questions. They will need to choose between different times and locations to be able to make an offer that could lead to an appointment.

How to email an appointment

1. Establish rapport

Send an email without asking. It is rude to ask your prospect over the telephone or in-person, and it is just as rude to do so over email.

Instead, ask your prospect about their day, what they are focusing upon, and make a comment about the weather or upcoming events in their area.

For example, “Hello Ellie. I hope you have a wonderful week. I’ve heard Denver will host the Great American Beer Fest this weekend. Do you plan to stop by? “

This can help break the ice, humanize a conversation, and get their attention for just a few more seconds.

2. Keep it short

Emails regarding your company’s history and your involvement with the company should not be included in an appointment email. Keep your email to a maximum of three to five paragraphs and concentrate on the prospect’s needs.

3. Get close to your goal

Every communication with a prospect must have a goal. This should be the subject line of your email closing. This will ensure your reader is ready to act and that you don’t waste their time.

Your email might conclude with the following: “I’d like to get 15 minutes of you time to learn more about your team’s goals in Q1 2020.” Click the link to book time on my calendar [Insert Meetings]. “

Here’s an email template that will help you get an appointment.

Hello Zach,

How is your week going so far? According to me, it’s been unusually hot in San Francisco this month. Are you able make it to Baker Beach or Golden Gate Park? I hope you made the most of the beautiful weather.

I was looking through your marketing collateral and noticed that your company had not sought out any partnerships. Your tech is innovative — I believe it could become an industry standard for schedule planning and curriculum design in higher education — but your company is limiting the potential of its potential by not pursuing partner marketing.

I would love to spend 20 minutes with you to discuss whether or not you are interested in co marketing partnerships and what resources might be useful. If you are interested, book a meeting here.

Best,

Sunny

 

Conclusion

You can’t make a sale if you don’t get the appointment. Salespeople must spend enough time researching and preparing for prospecting calls. By following these steps, reps avoid pressing the issue and can put prospects at ease relatively quickly.