8 Steps for Making A Call For A Sales Appointment

Making sales appointments is a critical step in signing more clients and increasing a company’s revenue. By scheduling sales meetings with potential customers, sales professionals can create a time to persuade them to consider purchasing services or products. Knowing how to successfully make an appointment can improve your chances to generate business.

In this article, we explore what sales appointments are, offer steps to make a call for an appointment, and provide tips for succeeding in your call.

What is a call for an appointment?

A  call for an appointment is a verbal or written agreement with a potential customer to meet and discuss an organization’s product or service. Setting an appointment usually takes place during a cold call, which is the first form of contact with a customer. During the call, you can determine the consumer’s level of interest and how to adjust your sales pitch to best persuade them. The call’s focus is scheduling the appointment, not the product or service, but you can share compelling information about the benefits of what you offer

How to make a call for a sales appointment

Use these eight steps when calling to make a sales appointment:

 

1. Perform research

Before calling your potential client, it’s important to find out more about them. You can look online to identify ways that your product or service would positively impact their business. This helps you personalize your call to that client, rather than reading from a general script. Also, think about why you’re calling them and what you need to accomplish. Your overall goal is to show them how you can help meet their needs.

 

2. Call during off-hours

When trying to reach busy clients, call during off-hours. These are when the client likely has availability and isn’t in a meeting. This may be in the early morning, before lunch or in the evening. Calling at the right time can help ensure your client is free of distractions and thus more willing to consider what you have to say. Also, be aware of your client’s time zone so you can call when it’s most convenient.

3. Craft a catchy opener

To make a positive first impression, create a captivating opening pitch. This is especially important for phone calls because it can encourage the customer to stay on the phone and hear what else you have to say. Let your client know who you are, what company you work for and why you’re calling. Begin with a small request, which can help increase the chances that the consumer ultimately agrees to your bigger request. For instance, ask how they feel about a particular industry trend or what procedures they currently use to complete a task.

 

4. Create trust

Develop trust by forming a personal dialogue. For instance, you can express empathy by acknowledging that the client is busy and asking if they are available for a brief conversation. Establishing trust can encourage your client to keep listening, and it can emphasize that you care about them. Try to be genuinely interested and understand their wants and needs.

5. Find their pain points

After building up your trust, ask your client questions to find out what problems, or pain points, they experience while performing their business responsibilities. This could be using an outdated process or having problems with their marketing campaign. Once you establish a need, you can explain how you’re qualified to solve their issue by offering multiple solutions.

 

6. Position your value

Inform your client how your product or service can improve their daily life. Showing them the value of what you offer can increase their curiosity. Then, suggest a follow-up so you can discuss your solution more and how it can enhance their organization.

7. Organize a time

At the end of your phone call, if the consumer is interested in learning more, arrange a time for your sales appointment. It’s important to verify a specific date and time, rather than something hypothetical like, “I’ll call you again tomorrow” or, “Let’s chat sometime next week.” However, give the consumer control of the appointment by providing two scheduling options. Suggesting different times helps increase your chances of finding a time that’s convenient for them.

Example: “Mallory, are mornings good for you to speak for a few minutes, or would you prefer the afternoons? I can call you next Tuesday at 10 a.m. I’m also available at 3 p.m. on that Wednesday.”

 

8. Follow up

Send a follow-up email or call your client the week before your meeting as a reminder. This can be a chance to answer questions they have. It’s also an opportunity to reinforce the benefit of attending the meeting. Reiterate that the appointment can provide them with a more in-depth understanding of your product or service. Finally, tell them what discussion points they can expect and how long the appointment will likely last.

Tips for calling for an appointment

Here are some tips to help you find success during your call for an appointment:

• Find the right consumers: When calling potential consumers, focus on ones who’ve already expressed an interest in your company. Search your website for visitors and event attendees for leads.

 

• Leave a voicemail: If you don’t reach the consumer when you call them initially, leave a voicemail that lets them know you plan to call back. Tell them a specific time you intend to try again. That way, they’re prepared to hear from you.

 

• Leverage referrals and connections: To help build trust with consumers, share the social proof of your work. Leverage your referrals or common references by sharing how your organization helped them. This can give consumers more confidence in your product or service.

 

• Keep your speaking-to-listening time ratio balanced: During your conversation, encourage engagement. While telling your client about what your organization can do, give them time to speak and share about their work.

Examples of cold-calling scripts

Here are some examples you can reference when creating or adapting a cold-calling script:

Example 1

Here’s an example of lines you can use if someone referred the customer to you:

Hi, my name is Marina calling from AdTekServices, Inc., is this Joanna?

[Let consumer reply]

Great! I’m calling because Tana mentioned you’re having difficulty with your analytic software. Did she mention the services we could provide?

[Listen for response]

Great, I would love to schedule a time to discuss what we could offer and how we might help. Does next Monday at 2 PM sound like a good time to discuss this further?

 

Example 2

Here’s an example of a cold call made by a salesperson you could use:

Hi, this is Penelope from SupplyChainImprovers, is this Cathy from supply chain?

[Listen for response]

Great. I saw your latest reports and with your big increase in production and demand, some automated inventory management tools can help you continue to meet this demand. Have you experienced any difficulties with this?

[Listen to response]

That’s a common issue among our clients. Luckily, we have tools and resources on how to manage this better. Would you be open to having a call anytime next Thursday to discuss how we might be able to help you scale your inventory management?

I hope you find this article helpful.