What Is an Appointment Setter: The Ultimate Guide

What Is an Appointment Setter?

An appointment setter is an entry-level sales professional who identifies, contacts, and schedules meetings with potential clients to facilitate appointments for account executives or sales representatives to close the deals. In reality, this means that the close time of about 20 hours per week is essentially free for your sales closers. Appointment setters contact potential clients through telephone calls, emails, and other means of social media to set up meetings with them.

Becoming an Appointment Setter

An appointment setter is the first contact point of your potential clients. His role includes the following-

• Identifying Target Businesses
• Building Prospect List
• Making an initial contact
• Qualification of Lead
• Pitching an appointment
• Confirms meeting details

To become a telephone appointment setter you should start by getting hands-on exposure in the customer service industry or telemarketing and sales support. These will equip you with the necessary on-the-job skills including communication, lead qualification, and objection handling. Equally as important are knowledge of the B2B sales process, and different stages that a prospect should pass through in the sales funnel.

Why Do Companies Need Appointment Setting?

Appointment setting forms the bedrock of business growth. This is because if an appointment setter is not reliable, the sales team may not make meaningful contact with their prospective clients. In an organization, more leads are generated, and sales opportunities and revenue increase through appointment setting. More often than not, most businesses outsource an appointment setting because it enables one to reduce workload while giving its core salespeople ample time to close deals.

The Appointment Setting Process

Step 1. Identify Target Businesses

Research and identify prospects whose needs are met by the products or services your company offers.

Step 2. Build Your Prospect List

Extract data for business decision-makers from LinkedIn or industry reports.

Step 3. Initial Contact

Contact a prospect by telephone, e-mail, or social media.

Step 4. Lead Qualification

Ask questions that qualify whether the prospect is ready to speak with one of your sales representatives.

Step 5. Appointment Pitch

Explain the value of talking with one of your sales representatives.

Step 6. Appointment Confirmation

Locks meeting details and sends confirmation via email.

Step 7. Meeting Preparation

Research prospect’s company and needs to ensure that the sales rep has all the preparation tools.

Step 8. Follow Up

After the meeting, follow-up for questions or additional info.

The Role of an Appointment Setter in Lead Generation

Appointment setters critically play a role in lead generation as they will find and engage potential customers. Since they qualify leads, sales representatives should concentrate efforts on high-value prospects. With such great appointment setters on your side, the lead generation speed will be ramped up, thereby increasing overall sales performance.

Factors to Consider When Hiring an Appointment Setter

When hiring an appointment setter, look for communication and stamina skills, as well as sales process knowledge. Background in sales or customer service is helpful, as is the ability to counter objections and schedule appointments effectively. The value proposition and offerings need to be clearly communicated by this individual to your potential clients.

In-House vs. Outsourced Appointment Setters: Deciding What’s Right for Your Business

Depending upon whether to employ an in-house appointment setter or outsource the role to an agency, factors may vary concerning budget, time efficiency, and flexibility. For example, outsourcing may be highly cost-effective for small businesses, while an in-house setter usually provides more control over the sales process. Whichever is the choice, make sure it caters for your company’s goals and plans concerning growth.

The 7 Must-Have Appointment Setter Skills

• Effective Communication: Understand and convince the prospect.
• Persistence: Follow-ups and handling rejections.
• Listening and Listening Again: Understand what the prospect wants
• Knowledge of Sales: A basic knowhow of what is sold.
• Skill in CRM: The ability to manage and track interactions with prospects.
• Lead Qualification: Determine whether the prospect is good enough.
• Objection Handling: Resolve objections and clear obstacles to fix appointments.

How Much Do Appointment Setters Make?

In terms of the salary, this is based on the experience, industry, and place. In the United States, appointment setters receive average yearly salaries of around $39,000 or as high as up to $70,000 for more experienced appointment setters. For entry-level, they are paid as low as $29,250. Other companies also pay appointment setters through commission.

How to Maximize the Efficiency of Appointment Setters

The following are how you can maximize the productivity of your appointment setters:

• Offer continuous training to develop and advance the skill of appointment setters.
• Use CRM systems to simplify communication and lead management. Refine your lead qualification criteria to target the higher-potential prospects.

These two steps increase the rates of conversion so that the right prospects meet with your sales team.

Career Opportunities for Appointment Setters

Appointment setters who are really successful advance to the ranks of, say, a sales representative, account executive, or sales manager. Their communications and sales skills make them hot candidates for more senior sales roles or even leadership positions. Others may work on their entrepreneurship and sales acumen as well.

Industries That Typically Employ Appointment Setters

Appointment setters are a common feature within the business sectors for telecommunications, finance, real estate, insurance, and business services. All these industries rely upon appointment setting as a means of being able to effectively and meaningfully make contact with their prospects as well as further negotiation toward sales.

This article runs through all what an appointment setter does, the importance of the role in sales, and how to optimize or hire the role-empowering businesses with the know-how to decide on the steps to take in their appointment setting approach.