What is B2B appointment setting?

 Man in call centre

Appointment setting is an essential part of cold calling services. It marks the moment when a prospect has been successfully nurtured to become a new business lead, leaving them just one step away from converting into revenue for your business.

Once this stage is reached, it is time to set an appointment where your sales team can speak to the prospect to gain a deeper understanding of their needs so you can prepare a more tailored quote, while opening discussions about any further upsell opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll answer some of the most important questions about this process: what is appointment setting, why does it matter, and how does it work? We’ll also look at some strategies for appointment setting to help you get the most out of each prospect.

 

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What is appointment setting in a B2B setting?

 In principle, it’s the same as B2C appointment setting: scheduling a meeting with an individual to discuss selling them a product or service (or a contract that includes both).

B2B appointment setting differs in the availability and goals of the decision-maker. Reaching the decision-maker is not always easy, and when you do get the chance to discuss your offering, their decision is likely to be focused on return on investment rather than emotion or desire.  

Inbound vs outbound appointment setting

Inbound appointment setting focuses on inbound leads, scheduling meetings with those who have already shown an interest in your product offering. These leads typically come from website forms, social media or email campaigns. 

Outbound appointment setting focuses on reaching out to potential prospects, nurturing the interested parties into qualified leads, and then setting an appointment with them for the sales team.

This can be effective if your product or service is not widely known, or if you’re in a competitive market where you need to reach prospects who might already be established customers of rival businesses and not actively looking to replace them.

Why is appointment setting important?

 Appointment setting is incredibly effective, and it’s far more than just securing those sales figures.

Building a relationship

Setting an appointment shows you’re serious about talking to a prospect. It turns a cold call into a planned conversation, which helps establish trust and a professional connection.

Time to present your product

A scheduled meeting gives you time to explain what you offer in detail. Without pencilling in a specific time and day, you’re often limited to brief calls or emails that don’t let you fully demonstrate how you can help.

Tailored to individuals

Each person you call has different priorities and concerns. Arranging a specific time allows you to research the individual ahead of time and address their needs directly.

Time-saving B2B marketing

Having someone dedicated to scheduling meetings means your salespeople don’t waste time chasing leads. They only meet with prospects who have already shown enough interest to set aside time for a conversation.  

How does appointment setting work?

At Toucan Telemarketing, we ensure our appointment setting services follow a six-step process so we can get to work on the initial outreach and lead qualification to start delivering prospects to your sales team ready for conversion.

1. Learning about you

 We make sure we understand your business thoroughly, so that we know your goals and can deliver the best appointments to help you meet those targets.

2. Sourcing quality data

We build a bespoke list of prospects by cross-checking thousands of potential contacts against the specific requirements of your campaign.

3. Crafting the message

Our experts create impactful and authentic messages, allowing us to sell your product to prospects in a way that resonates with their needs.

4. Scheduling appointments

This is the moment where it all pays off. We schedule appointments with qualified leads who have expressed a genuine interest in your product. These can either be in-person, over the phone, or via video call. 

5. Handover

We supply your sales team with the date, time and location (real or virtual) of the appointment, along with all the relevant information they will need to continue to nurture the lead through to completion.

6. We’re with you

Our team continues to work in tandem with you to continue scheduling appointments.

Appointment setting strategies

Setting the best-quality appointments can maximise the chance of conversion and increase the average value of each sale. Here are some of the most common strategies for B2B appointment scheduling.

Consistency

Consistency is key. This could mean having the same individual reach to a prospect to build rapport, but is can also mean ensuring good records-keeping in the event someone else needs to get in touch with the prospect. 

Lead qualification

Qualifying leads is core to the B2B sales process and should be completed early in the process. This reassures you that the prospect is worth pursuing and maximises return on investment in long-term campaigns.

Multi-channel approach

Embracing multiple marketing channels gives you flexibility to adapt to each prospect’s needs. This can include a combined inbound and outbound marketing campaign, as well as multiple communication methods: telephone, email, social media, in-person meetings and video calls.

Personalisation

Prospects are people, and connecting with them on a personal level is one of the best ways to build rapport and gain trust. Once you gain their trust, the chance of conversion increases.

Typical challenges in appointment setting

B2B appointment setting can be challenging, but with some simple strategies, you can overcome the obstacles relatively quickly and easily.

Access to decision-makers

One of the most common difficulties is gaining access to the right person. These are typically senior members of staff with the authority to make decisions. In many cases, especially within larger organisations, these individuals are shielded by gatekeepers or internal processes. Without reaching them, it’s hard to have meaningful conversations or move deals forward.

This lack of access can lead to time being spent on conversations that ultimately don’t result in action. It also makes it harder to tailor messaging effectively, as those further removed from decision-making often have limited insight into strategic priorities.

Aside from reaching out on professional platforms like LinkedIn, one of the most effective ways to connect with decision-makers is by being clear and specific in your messaging. Gatekeepers should be treated respectfully; working with them, rather than trying to bypass them, often leads to better outcomes.

Lead quality

Verifying the quality of leads is not straightforward, but it is important to ensure that the prospect is worth the time you invest in nurturing the relationship with them.

On a broader scale, it is also important to maintain an updated contact list. This can save time on trying to nurture prospects who were once relevant to your business, but may no longer be so.

Cancellations and no-shows

A certain percentage of all appointments will be cancelled: this is an inescapable fact. However, there are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood of cancellations and no-shows. 

  • Make sure prospects can contact you to cancel, to avoid wasting a salesperson’s time travelling to a meeting that will not take place.
  • Encourage the prospect to reschedule rather than cancel completely. Their reason for cancelling might be a one-off.
  • Stay positive and polite. Prospects may have a legitimate reason to cancel or postpone – or even to no-show without warning.

 

Staying positive allows you to continue nurturing the relationship despite the minor setback. If the prospect agreed to schedule an appointment once, it is likely they will do so again.

Is appointment setting right for me?

B2B appointment setting is the culmination of the telesales process. Whether you meet in person or by telephone/webcam, it’s the pivotal moment when a prospect becomes a qualified lead ready for conversion.

Toucan Telemarketing’s team have proven expertise in scheduling high-qualified appointments across several industries. We work diligently, in close collaboration with your own sales team, to achieve your business objectives.

 Read our testimonials to find out more about what we have delivered for clients in the past, and contact Toucan when you’re ready to proceed with your own B2B appointment setting campaign.