Want to Get More Appointments? Here’s How

Appointments with potential clients are the first step to making sales for many businesses, and as with many things in life, making that first step can be the most difficult part of the process. In my article 10 Cold Calling Tips I attempt to make successfully navigating that first step easier by providing advice to make the appointment-getting process as successful as possible.

One of the things I say is to do your cold calling early in the morning if you can, advice I’m rethinking because of Tibor Shanto’s article Five Proven Ways to Get More Appointments.

Tibor points out that for best success, you need to shift your prospecting calls to when your target audience is more likely to be available and this time is different for people in different industries and/or in different positions. As Tibor says,

“With a bit of research and keeping track, you can typically learn when is a likely time not only to find your target by their phone but also in a position to listen to your approach, and respond in a way that serves your mutual needs. A little preparation, segmentation and planning goes a long way.”

Another of Tibor’s five ways to get more appointments that I thought was noteworthy is his advice to always leave a voice mail message. Even if the person you’re calling doesn’t call back, you’re still benefiting because they’ve heard your message and you’ve approached the client – and studies have shown that it may take anywhere from four to seven approaches for someone to respond or deal with a new matter.

So if you want your cold calling to result in more appointments, I recommend reading both articles linked above. And if cold calling is a source of fear and anxiety for you, you may also want to read Ari Galper’s article Sales Therapy 101: Breaking Your Fear of Cold Calling (About.com Marketing).

Related: Get Ready to Sell! – Learn how to boost your confidence.

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