Getting That First Appointment

In the world of voicemail and email, getting a face-to-face meeting with a prospective customer is often one of the biggest hurdles sales professionals have to overcome. There is no one good way to get that first appointment. Each situation is a little different, but here are some ideas that almost always work.

1. Identify your prospect.
   "Dialing and hoping” isn't the most effective use of your time. You want to meet the person who can help you move toward a sale. Go for people who actually influence a purchase. Look at successful relationships with current customers; identify a specific profile of qualities and capabilities, and apply them to prospects you want to meet. Ask around and check the social networks to find several contacts for each prospect company.
2. Know what you are going to say.
   There's nothing worse than being surprised when your prospect actually answers the phone. You have about 20 seconds to arouse interest. Have one or two opening sentences ready to go. Your prospect is thinking What's in it for me? Be prepared to answer that question. Why should this prospect listen to you and grant you an appointment?
3. This is their seventh call today.
   Think like your prospect for a moment. How many people like you are trying to reach this person? How many canned scripts has your prospect heard six times today? Don't make it seven. Be original, quick and to the point.
4. If that doesn't work, try something different. If you have tried calling the same prospect every Monday morning at 8:00 for three months and gotten nowhere, don't you think you should try a different day and time? If phone calls aren't working, try email, and vice versa. Use your network to find someone who knows your prospect and can make an introduction. Do you know other suppliers that are calling on this company?

Although what you say in those first few sentences is important, it is even more important to be saying them to the right person.