Will Humphries — November 22, 2016 Follow @JustCallMeWillYour team probably spends a lot of time in lead generation planning, discussing ways to reach the right types of prospects. However, it is at least as important to consider common mistakes that businesses make that lead to wasted time, inefficiencies and missed targets.
The following is a look at some of the most common appointment setting mistakes, and some strategies and tips for avoiding them.
Engaging the Wrong People
I say this a lot, but only because it’s true: every call you make to an unqualified lead is time taken away from contacting qualified leads.
Too often, sales reps make calls to people that don’t match the traits of the ideal customer for a solution. These calls, especially when taken too far, eat up valuable selling time.
It isn’t just the time spent with the unqualified prospect to consider. During that time, your competitors are making calls on your better targets and getting appointments with them.
To ensure you call on the right people, build a precise buyer persona, and qualify people before calling.
Companies will have different ways of trying to ensure they are targeting the right people. For example, as an expert in lead generation, Internal Results is able to include intent data in its qualification activities that can optimise precise targeting.
Relying on Non-Experts to Land Appointments
It isn’t uncommon for sales organisations to rely on sales reps to complete every step in the buying cycle, including lead generation.
If you’re in sales yourself, you know that that inside sales or appointment setting skills are very different from nurturing, presentation and closing skills. And not everybody has the full range of skills.
Some people are better closers, others are better at nurturing relationships. The age-old Hunter v Farmer comparison.
Internal Results has inside sales experts dedicated to appointment setting for clients. These professionals have expertise and experience in executing calls effectively with qualified prospects.
Your reps are then able to concentrate time and energy on what they do best, which is converting appointments into sales.
Updating CRM Records
Don’t overlook the importance of updating customer relationship management records as you call on prospects.
Sales reps, especially when burdened with managing contacts across the sales pipeline, can forget to add notes to a CRM profile after an appointment setting call.
When you don’t update records, you restrict the ability of a sales rep to optimise preparation for and effectiveness during the initial meeting.
As part of its expert execution, Internal Results staff updates your CRM system to make certain that your leads are handed off to field reps efficiently.
Wrap Up
Knowing some of the common appointment setting mistakes made by other companies allows you to prepare your own strategy to avoid them.
Many organisations waste time calling on the wrong people, or they fail to identify the specialised skills necessary for efficient appointment setting.
Maintaining CRM accuracy is another issue, particularly when there is a lot of movement of people between teams, or a high turnover of staff.
Avoiding these common mistakes can optimise your appointment setting and nurturing activities.
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