Tuesday, August 28, 2012

In Appointment Setting, Put Preparations Over Presumptions


One of the perks of quality appointment setting is that your lead generator can already identify a certain level of problems and advise you on what objections to expect. However, you need to know the fine line between preparing for a problem and simply presuming it.
At first, there doesn't seem much of a difference. After a short exchange of telemarketing calls and emails, your lead generator sends you all the information you need about an upcoming appointment. You then start creating a presentation regarding the problems that have been discovered and the potential objections a prospect might have.
However, it is at that particular step that your preparations should not be confused with presumptions.
Review the process again and evaluate how you view the problems that your B2B leads pointed out. Do you dedicate a significant portion of time to answering an objection because you are so sure or do you give any chance for your prospect to bring it up?
  • Presumptions - Making presumptions is all about the former option. You feel so certain that your prospect will raise a certain objection that you answer it even without them asking. This is not a good idea. For example, not all prospects are that hung up about price. There are also times when a prospect is already aware of a certain obstacle to their buying decision but have taken measures to address it. In short, your presumed objection might not always come to surface.

  • Preparations - The difference between making preparations and making presumptions is that you simply set aside a response without thinking you will always resort to it. The trick is to test if a prospect would really make an objection or actually affirm the problem. Once a prospect has openly admitted to one or the other, then that is the only sign you will ever need. A few tips you can try is by really encouraging them to voice their objections and ask more questions. After all, what is the purpose of B2B appointment setting if you do not have much of a dialogue?
Furthermore, this might not just apply to presumed problems and objections. These could also apply to presumed solutions. No matter how sure both you and your appointment setter are, always let the prospect establish the need. Do not simply go ahead and present them something that they were not really expecting.
And at this point, you should also be reminded to listen carefully to your appointment setters too. You never know when they might be saying one thing but you are hearing something completely different. When they finally deliver you your information, analyze it carefully.

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