People are naturally hesitant to agree to an appointment with salespeople because they feel that they’re being pressured. However, you can avoid this problem by genuinely connecting with and understanding prospects’ needs, frustrations and difficulties.

You can also use social proof by sharing how similar buyers have benefited from your product. This will help warm up the prospect.

1. Ask Questions

When setting appointments, it is important to ask questions that will give you a clear picture of how your product or service can help them. This will build trust and credibility with your prospects.

Use logical sequences of questions that are safe and non-threatening, like “Do you have any specific projects in mind?” or “How did you hear about us?” This will make it easy for prospects to tell if you’re genuinely interested in them and what they need.

Prospects are always looking to know what’s in it for them. If they see a value in what you have to offer, they are far more likely to take the next step and schedule that sales call. This can be done through sharing case studies, testimonials, and similar examples of how your product or service has been successful for other businesses or individuals. This will demonstrate how your offering can solve their problem and add value to them. It will also help them feel confident in giving you their time. You’ll be less of a pushy salesperson and more of a trusted adviser.

2. Keep the Conversation Open

During your appointment setting call, focus on getting to know the prospect, their pain points, and their challenges. Show that you genuinely care about their situation, and they’ll be more likely to agree to schedule a meeting.

Salespeople often feel a natural inclination to sell something when they’re calling a prospect. However, when you’re making a call to set an appointment, you don’t want to put your prospect under any kind of pressure. Instead, you should use a helpful tone that shows you’re trying to help them overcome their difficulties without pushing the sale too hard.

When you’re scheduling an appointment, ask the prospect to choose a date and time that works for them. This approach puts them in control and makes it less stressful. Plus, it’s much easier for them to say yes if they see that you have provided value and are confidently leading them to take the next step. Using tools like Calendly, Keap, and ScheduleOnce can also make this process simple and avoid any back-and-forth emails. This way, prospects can select a time that’s best for them and you can get the ball rolling quickly.

3. Be Convenient

When a salesperson calls a prospect to set an appointment, it is their job to convince the prospect that they are worth their time. This is why it is important to make the call all about the lead and not yourself. This is the only way to get a prospect interested in hearing your pitch and scheduling a discovery call.

Having a clear idea of how long the sales call will be and making sure that your prospect’s schedule is free at that time will help them to commit. It will also give them a chance to block off the time and focus on your pitch without any distractions.

In addition, proving that you are worth your prospect’s time can be done by sharing user reviews and testimonials. Providing customer stories that detail what problem they were facing, how your product solved it, and the results they achieved will make them feel like you know their business and are a credible source. Similarly, name-dropping high-profile customers who have worked with your company will also build trust.

4. Ask for Referrals

As any experienced salesperson knows, getting people to agree to a sales appointment is no walk in the park. Prospects are often guarded and hesitant, believing that salespeople only want to sell them something.

Thankfully, appointment setters can help their prospects overcome this defensiveness by bringing value to the meeting. For example, they can share stories about how similar customers have benefited from the company’s solution. This approach also helps address common sales objections, such as the prospect claiming that they can’t afford your product or service.

Another way to bring value to the meeting is by using a customized pitch that aligns with the prospect’s needs and pain points. This can be done by creating personas — fictional, yet data-driven representations of key roles and buyers within the target organization. This allows appointment setters to make more personalized and relevant calls. Additionally, it enables them to better understand the specific challenges that the prospect faces in their day-to-day role (e.g., generating leads, managing budgets, overseeing technical infrastructure). This information can be used to tailor the appointment setting strategy accordingly.

5. Don’t Be Pushy

If you’re too pushy during the appointment setting process, prospects will be turned off and will likely not schedule a meeting. Instead, if you’re able to disarm them by expressing sincere interest in their pain points and goals, and by showing you understand their concerns without being too overbearing, they’ll be much more willing to open up and listen to your pitch.

To do this, you must be able to quickly gain insight into your prospects’ needs and desires. This is why it’s important to know your product well, and to do research into the companies you’re trying to reach by looking up their social media profiles, company websites, or news articles.

Appointment setting is a vital part of the sales process. By using a CRM, calling management, and scheduling software to better prepare for each call and by being aware of the most effective ways to approach a prospect, you’ll be able to increase your odds of booking appointments and crushing your sales quotas. For additional tips, check out our article on how to improve your appointment setting success with video calling.