The quality of making appointments with potential clients is absolutely vital! It is the first step to meeting the potential clients, for example through cold phone acquisition. Many salespeople and entrepreneurs don't enjoy making cold calls, but they do want to attract more and bigger customers. How do you solve this problem? A possible solution is hiring a Virtual Assistant who is happy to take this on for you. As Virtual Assistant for several of Moneypenny's clients, I served as an extension of their Sales Department.

Preparing for Appointments
Some clients send their potential customers a mailing, making it easier for me to plan an appointment. Should you consider sending a mailing as well, it's important to make the message personal, and to appeal to your potential customer's specific needs.
Good preparations are half the battle. Before I start calling, I study the organization's websites. I also try to find a few talking points through social media, news items, or issues at play in their specific field. The more relevant information you have about your prospects, the bigger the chance of setting up a quality appointment!

I Don't Believe In Scripted Calls
Before picking up the phone, I take a few minutes to really formulate what it is I want to tell them.  I don't believe in scripted calls, because it's more reading than actual talking, and in my experience, using a standard script doesn't lead to quality results.

Once I'm talking to the right person, I am quick to tell them I would like to make an appointment. I have noticed people tend to lose interest sooner if I elaborate on the service or product. The trick is to keep the call short and rouse the prospect's curiosity, making it easier to plan an appointment. Once they have expressed their interest in the appointment, I confirm the date and time. Finally, I would advise you to confirm the appointment via e-mail within two hours after closing the conversation.

I originally wrote this weblog for Moneypenny!

Marie-Claire is Virtual Assistant and works both for clients of Moneypenny as for direct clients. Marie-Claire takes on administrative assignments and secretarial services. She can handle e-mail correspondence, agenda management, and making appointments. In addition, Marie-Claire can provide telemarketing, phone acquisition, lead generation, and market and customer research.

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