What Is Appointment Setting?

Appointment setting is, in many ways, an art form that requires extensive experience. A few of the mistakes we commonly see in companies starting out include the following:

• Too broad a target audience: One of our first tasks when working together is ensuring you have a clearly defined target market. Too broad, and you’re faced with countless appointments that go nowhere. Too narrow, and potential customers will be left to wander to another brand.
• Turning to someone without industry knowledge: Some of our clients arrive to us by way of default. They tried outsourcing appointment setting with another company and found they lacked the industry knowledge to provide successful campaigns. Do your due diligence and ensure you work with a company like TeleDirect with a proven successful track record. You will find our customer-centric, highly trained agents are unmatched in the industry.
• Lack of measurable data: Data, as you know, is the name of the game. Failing to keep track of appointment conversion rates and your ROI is critical to your success. Working with a well-qualified appointment-setting company like TeleDirect leverages our expertise and optimizes your budget. We also provide an overview of all calls and the results associated with those calls.
• Not providing adequate information: You look at your calendar and see a host of new appointments for you and your team. When you make the calls, however, you find you’re answering questions on topics that should have been covered in the initial call. A potential lead should know the services or products you offer and how they fit into their needs.
• No procedures in place: Making qualified appointments requires a replicable procedure that’s been mastered and demonstrated proven results. This process ensures nothing was missed, and all questions are answered. It’s the difference between effective appointment setting and wasted time. In essence, there is no improvising or stand-up. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between an appointment setter and a robot. It does mean that we handle all of the details. 
• Not updating customer records: For some people, typing while talking to a prospective client throws them off their game and may even create a less-than-personable demeanor. They take notes at the end of the conversation to solve this issue. Then, another call comes in, and on it goes, with the result being outdated customer relationship management records. Unless you or your team members have autobiographical memories, chances are the next communication with that customer elicits repeat questions and translates to a customer who doesn’t feel heard or appreciated. 
• Overselling: We saved the best for last because it’s one of the most common appointment-setter mistakes. When you set an appointment, you’re enticing a prospective client to meet in person or touch base on a video conference call. If you pressure them on that first call, you may not have the opportunity to speak directly with them and offer your presentation. The key is genuinely wanting to be of service; the rest will follow.