Why Do Appointments Matter?

The basics of advertising and marketing have changed over the past few years. However, the essence remains the same: it is necessary to find someone who buys our goods or services. Let’s say we have found that person. What’s next? Obviously, we need to speak to our clients, get in touch with them and persuade them to buy from us. It’s time to do appointment setting. If you are unfamiliar with the marketing trends but would like to change that, make sure to contact us. Belkins’ B2B leads will make your business recognizable and profitable in the long run. In this process, every detail matters, and appointments are not an exception. So, what should we start with?

There are personal and virtual appointments. The digital world around us changes the rules of the game and prioritizes speed and convenience. It’s true that a great part of negotiations can be performed online. However, there are matters that should be discussed personally. This concerns the perspective of business relationships and signing up large contracts. For more routine negotiations it’s possible to perform them online not to overburden the sales rep or CEOs. By the way, a sales rep becomes truly indispensable in the late stages of business development. It’s hard to manage all the appointments even with small-scale projects, not speaking about large companies. Your sales rep must be qualified to determine and conduct business negotiations successfully, thus driving clients to a successful deal. If you are not setting appointments the right way, then your sales representatives will never be able to get the results that they want. This is because appointment setting is one of the most important aspects of B2B sales. You can’t get business leads without successful negotiations. 

Setting Up Appointments Properly

The very first thing, to begin with, is an introduction email. Everyone remembers a good old saying that you won’t have the second chance to make a good first impression. This is exactly how it works in B2B. The success of all business relationships depends on this first letter. Make sure you know how to do it right. This is especially true with cold emails. Try to avoid salesy language as much as possible and just be natural. State your business in a couple of sentences, try to be concise, value your recipient’s time. There are different templates on the Internet to choose from, so you don’t have to do everything on your own. We recommend adding a personal touch to every letter sent. All in all, you must know your prospects well. Even cold emails might be done in a personal way, just dig something out, to begin with. 

Depending on the answer, you go further on and make an appointment or end the conversation if the reply is negative. This sounds clear enough but human nature is often much trickier. Some people might just forget about your letter. In that case, it would be wise to send a friendly reminder. Sitting and waiting for a reply might not be the best strategy. If you want to get business leads, show your initiative. Following up is necessary for the evolution of your business relationships. Include in a follow-up letter something catchy and informative. Pricing pages, case studies, video presentations might work out well. B2B lead gen strategies allow you to be resourceful and creative, so why not grasping the opportunity?

As soon as the appointment is confirmed, it’s time to agree on its type. We recommend making the first appointment as personal as possible. If your whereabouts are the same, invite the client to your office or choose any other place convenient for both parties. If you are separated from each other by seas, oceans, or even continents, that’s not really a problem these days. There are various apps for video conferencing and conference calls. It’s important to be able to see each other to bring more psychological comfort to the meeting. Don’t forget about the importance of body language. Some timely gestures might convince your prospect, like nodding and smiling. However, it works oppositely as well, don’t scare away people by waving your hands or nervous eye-twitching.

Sometimes, life is full of surprises and not all of them are pleasant. Your new business lead might get off for some reason. Let’s see what might go wrong. Technical issues, if an appointment is virtual, happen more often than expected. Besides, it’s good to know your introduction letters and follow-ups drop in the right place. With Folderly it’s easy to check email deliverability and make sure your letters are sent to actual prospects and won’t be forgotten in the spam folder. Then, check all the equipment on your side beforehand. Your prospect might happen to be absent-minded. If the appointment doesn’t require any movement from the office, there are always risks to forget about it. Other urgent matters may also interrupt or even delay the appointment. Force majeure should be an integral part of all business activity, be prepared. Finally, your business offer could be valued as not worthy. Some prospects can’t say “no” right away and prefer just to ignore the negotiations. Is it rude on their side? Of course, it is, but keep in mind that it is you who want to sell something. Don’t be seriously upset about being ignored, cross it out, and start working with another client. Failures have always been part of success.

Final Thoughts 

Let’s see what we have come up to:

• Hire a sales rep to deal with the appointments
• Use an online calendar for proper time management
• Decide on the type of appointment and state it in the messages to your prospect
• Send an introduction letter, then a couple of soft follow-ups, then confirm the appointment
• Take force majeure into account while planning your business appointments
• Send reminders before the appointment to keep prospects focused

The art of conducting business negotiations is an acquired skill. However, your sales rep should be experienced and confident enough to conduct both personal and online appointments. If you want to succeed, make your employees willing to boost their skills and qualifications. At first, setting appointments might seem to be an easy task to do. Still, there are no minor tasks when it comes to business. Every step must be calculated, so we advise following our tips and setting appointments that will lead you to the desired result.