In order to sell someone, you have to预订会议with them first. And as salesperson can tell you, that's far easier said than done.

Reps make countless calls each day, hoping and praying that one of their prospects will pick up the phone. And when someone finally does, what do they say?

“我太忙了。”

“你能发送一些信息吗?”

“Is this a sales call?"*Click.*

You don't even get the chance to pull out your attention-grabbing statistic or perfectly phrased value proposition before the call ends. And you find yourself back at square one.

Learn how to run more effective sales meetings using this playbook. “align=

If salespeople can evenslightlyboost their odds of booking that critical first meeting, their pipelines will be in good shape. At an AA-ISP's Inside Sales Leadership Summit, Mike Scher, CEO ofFrontline Selling, shared a three-step processprovento increase the chances of booking an appointment.

“我们着眼于不同的代表和回答的e most effective did three very simple things every time they had a key player on the phone," Scher says. "Those three steps are calleddisarm, purpose, 和question。”

1. Disarm: Get them to lower their guard.

On the off chance a buyer actually answers the phone, one thing is certain —they're busy. With this in mind, Scher says that reps with the highest connection rates acknowledge this fact up front.

He suggests "introducing yourself and your company and acknowledging they're busy,"

例如:“Hi, this is Ann Jones with ABC company. I'm sure I caught you in the middle of something.”

Why introduce yourself? Scher points out that people are naturally suspicious when they pick up the phone, and the best way to get them to lower their guard is by saying outright who you are and where you're calling from.

“Disarming them gets their attention off whatever else they're doing and gets them focused on you," Scher says.

2. Purpose: Explain why you are calling.

Every sales rep knows the point of a first call is toset up an appointment. But according to Scher, "the number [of reps] that actually ask for an appointment is very small."

After disarming the prospect, Scher advises reps to dive straight into their purpose — asking for a meeting. For instance, reps might say something like,“The purpose of this call is to get 20 to 30 minutes to discuss how we can reduce your operating costs by 20%.”

Why 20 or 30 minutes? Scher explains that this block of time was deliberately chosen.

他说:“当您要求少于20或30分钟的街区时,您会为自己造成伤害,很多时候,人们要求五到10分钟 - 您所做的只是表明这并不重要。“

3. Question: End with a specific question on how to accomplish your purpose.

Scher advises reps to end their prepared speech with a specific question.

“问一个关于如何实现目标的问题 -'Would Tuesday at 10 or Wednesday at 2 work best for such a call?'如果我们问这个问题,他们必须回答。”

Unless, they don't. During Scher's presentation, an audience member brought up the fact that a prospect might ignore the question entirely and ask,“What is this about, anyway?"In this case, Scher recommends a rinse and repeat — disarming, stating the purpose, and asking a question all over again.

If the prospect still evades an appointment after three cycles of this process, Scher suggested sending a piece of informational content in a calendar invite.

“The obligation for them to read the materials will never be higher than at [that moment], so use that opportunity to lock down the appointment," Scher says.

How to Ask for an Appointment Over the Phone

If you're speaking to the prospect on the phone, there are additional tips you can use to book an appointment with them.

1. Understand their level of interest.

During your initial call with the prospect, communicate the purpose of the meeting you'd like to book with them. Will your solution give them the benefit of lower costs, more revenue, or gains in efficiency?

Listen for their interest level once you communicate the purpose of the meeting. If they're skeptical, carry on with the conversation, but don't push too hard for an appointment. Instead ask, "Would you be interested in having an initial conversation about [solution/benefit]?

如果潜在客户对您的解决方案感兴趣,请通过类似的问题将对话推向前进,”I'd love to have an initial conversation with you about [solution/benefit]?. What's the best way to book time on your calendar?“or, "时是一个很好的时间来讨论解决方案/收益我n more detail?

2. Communicate the value of the appointment.

What does the prospect have to gain from meeting with you? Instead of focusing on selling your product, let them know the value the meeting will provide for them. Whether you can help them solve a problem or offer advice, let them know what they'd get in return from the meeting.

3. Give them a choice.

Providing the prospect with a choice of meeting times keeps them engaged in the conversation. Ask them, "We can meet this Wednesday at 2:00 PM. Or does next Monday at 3:00 PM work better with your schedule?

通过避免“是或否”的问题来推动对话。通过给他们选择,他们必须做出选择 - 并建议不同的会议时间,这种选择可能会导致约会。

How to Ask for a Meeting by Email

1. Build rapport.

Don't start the email with your ask. That would be rude over the phone or in person, and it's just as rude over email. Instead, start by asking your prospect how their day is going and what they're focusing on this week, or include a personalized comment about the weather or an event happening in their area.

For example, "Hello Ellie, Hope you're having a great week. I hear Denver is hosting the Great American Beer Fest this weekend. Will you be dropping by?

This rapport breaks the ice, humanizes the conversation, and can earn you their attention for a few more seconds.

2. Keep it short.

Don't include the history of your company or your time with the company in this email. If you must, share that when you get in front of them in a pitch or finally get them on the phone. Instead, keep your email brief — no more than three to four paragraphs — and focused on the prospect and their needs.

3. Always include a close

Always have a goal for each time you communicate with your prospect. It should be the thing you close with in your email. This ensures your reader is primed to take action and you haven't wasted their attention.

例如,您介意通过说“结束电子邮件”I'd love to earn 15 minutes of your time to learn more about your team's goals in Q1 of 2020. If you're interested, book time on my calendar here: [Insert Meetings link]

Here's what that all might look like in practice:

Hello Zach,

How's your week going? I saw it's been surprisingly warm out in San Francisco so far this month. Have you had an opportunity to get to Baker Beach or Golden Gate Park? Regardless, I hope you've had a chance to make the most of the good weather.

I was taking a look at your marketing collateral and noticed your company hasn't really pursued any co-marketing partnerships. Your tech is obviously cutting edge — I think it could be the industry standard for higher-ed curriculum and schedule planning — but you're selling yourself short by staying siloed in terms of partner marketing.

I'd love to earn 20 minutes of your time to talk more about whether you intend to pursue co-marketing partnerships and the resources you might use to do so. If you're interested, book some time on my calendar here: [Insert Meetings Link]

Best,

Sunny

With these steps and tips, you'll be able to book a meeting with anyone. And to learn more, check out these techniques to create theperfect pre-meeting email template下一个。

编者注:该帖子最初发表于2015年4月28日,已更新以进行全面性。

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              <p class=Originally published Nov 2, 2020 3:00:00 PM, updated June 11 2021

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