B2B Appointment Setting: How to Make Your Sales Meetings More Successful

Introduction

When I first started out in B2B sales, I didn't have a clue about what it took to get clients to say "yes" to meeting with me. I was told by my manager and colleagues that there was an art to the process of getting in the door, but no one seemed willing or able to tell me exactly how it worked. So after years of trial and error (mostly error), I finally figured out what works and what doesn't. In this guide, I'll show you how you can use my own personal experiences to improve your success rate at setting up appointments with potential new clients—and maybe even make you more successful than all your coworkers!

Find out what other sales people are doing.

If you work at a company and have access to their web analytics, check out the referral traffic from other websites. Using Google Analytics or HubSpot, search for keywords like “appointment setting” and “sales call scripts”.

Search Facebook groups on your topic or industry too—you may find some secrets here!

Tell your story.

When you're telling your story, remember that people are more likely to remember it if it has a beginning, middle and end. It's also important to make sure that the story is relevant for the audience. For example: “I was browsing through an outdoor gear website when I saw this amazing tent online. I think it would be perfect for my upcoming camping trip in two months!”

This statement doesn't have much meaning or value because there's no context around this person's need or interest in buying a tent right now. But if they were getting ready for their next big adventure and wanted something reliable and sturdy that would last them many years? That's something worth talking about!

Know your market and your competitors.

• Know your market and your competitors.

• Know the difference between your product and your competitors' products.

• Know the difference between your product and your competitors' services.

• Know the needs of your market, so you can guide them toward what they need, not what they want or expect to hear from you.

Understand what clients need.

A good way to start is to understand the client's business needs. Clients may need help with marketing, sales or recruiting. They might be looking for a new software system or they could be starting their own business and need your expertise.

They also have needs that are different from yours: the customer’s product may not be exactly what you offer, but there is still a need for it in the marketplace. For example, if you sell software for accounting purposes, then a customer will likely have an accountant who uses your software as part of his job description.

You should also try to understand what similar businesses do when they approach potential clients and how they build relationships with existing customers so that you can tailor your approach based on industry best practices instead of just guessing what would work best for everyone involved in this process

Think about the process client will go through to buy.

Whether you’re a B2B salesperson or an MSP, you need to understand the buying process of your clients. This is such an important step in the appointment setting process because it will help you create relevant and compelling conversations that will lead to referrals.

Your prospects have been through a long journey before they get in front of your office door. They have researched solutions, considered pricing models, interviewed vendors and talked with other people in their company who've used similar solutions. The time they spend mulling over these things is usually much longer than many people realize!

So don't give up on them if they don't respond right away—they may need some more time before making any decisions about purchasing something from you (or anyone else). Instead, just keep having those conversations until they do commit themselves to purchasing from someone like yourself—and if/when that happens...then go ahead and celebrate!

Consider different alternatives.

To avoid wasting time and effort, consider different alternatives. Think about how you can improve the process. For example, if you're trying to reach a specific decision maker, it might be easier to call them at home. Or perhaps you could send out an email instead of a phone call.

The more flexible your strategy is, the greater chance of success you'll have in getting appointments scheduled with prospects who are in the market for what your company has to offer.

Do not rely on one magic answer.

One of the biggest mistakes that companies make is relying on one method. B2B appointment setting is a complex process with multiple steps, each of which requires careful attention and research. If you're not sure where to start, consider using a combination of methods—such as phone calls and emails—to reach out to prospective customers. You may also want to use technology such as CRMs (customer relationship management software) in order to track your conversations over time.

The most important thing is to find what works for you and your customers!

Use your own experiences to start or change the process

You can also start or change the process based on your own experiences. For example, if you've had a negative experience with a salesperson or felt that they didn't listen to you, don't be afraid to share this information with the prospect. This will give them the opportunity to either correct their behavior and make amends, or explain why they behaved in such a way (this could be because they were having trouble understanding what it is that you wanted).

You might also want to share how being treated well by another salesperson has changed how you feel about them - for example: "That's interesting because my last interaction with [a competitor] was very different." This will show that not only did their behavior affect your opinion of them but also made an impact on your decision making process.

Conclusion

You can make your sales meetings successful by eliminating distractions, being aware of what's happening around you, and focusing on the task at hand. Success also means having a good attitude and taking care of yourself physically as well as mentally.