FAQs about B2B Appointment Setting
What is B2B appointment setting?
B2B appointment setting involves placing calls to prospects from your marketing list, whether that is an existing database or a list newly generated as part of the campaign.
Prospects are nurtured until they become qualified leads, at which point an appointment is set for a convenient time, and the lead is handed to your sales team to complete the contract negotiations.
How can appointment setting help your business avoid time wasting?
Outsourced B2B appointment setting is fast. You offload the time-intensive process of placing calls, especially to a long list of prospects who have not yet been qualified.
In return, you get back a stream of qualified leads who are ready to convert to become paying customers, so your in-house account managers and sales teams can maximise their productivity and raise more revenues.
How much does outsourced appointment setting cost?
Every campaign is bespoke, for example a telesales campaign might be based on the number of calls placed and the number of appointments targeted.
The important thing to remember is that in general, outsourced appointment setting will generate new business leads to more than cover its own costs.
What is appointment setting in sales?
Appointment setting is the process by which a marketing prospect is scheduled for a sales call or face-to-face meeting.
It’s a critical moment in B2B telesales campaigns, as it marks the pivot point at which a loosely qualified prospect becomes regarded as a likely paying customer in the near future.
Why is appointment setting important?
Setting an appointment with a B2B telesales prospect is a clear statement of interest, and often a statement of intent to place an order.
More than that, it is essential to maintain a steady stream of incoming appointments, so that you do not risk wasting time or losing productivity by having sales reps and account managers sitting idle.
What is said when making an appointment?
The process of B2B appointment setting can sound like a normal conversation, but is designed to steer the prospect towards becoming engaged and giving you their time.
A typical call might start with a brief summary of the product or service on offer, followed by open questions to engage the prospect in conversation and help them to recognise the benefits of the product or service for them.
Once they are engaged, it’s a case of setting a date and time for an appointment, so a sales representative can attend and finalise any contract arrangements.
What are the most effective strategies for securing an appointment?
B2B appointment setting is not always easy, but there are strategies that can help to increase the overall success rate:
- Placing follow-up calls especially if the prospect asked you to call later
- Maintaining ongoing communication and positive relationships with prospects
- Ensuring appointments can be set at a time and date convenient for the prospect
We have years of experience using these and advanced B2B appointment setting strategies as part of our B2B telesales service, with repeated huge success.