I saw a contest on LinkedIn where two people working at the same company had a contest on who could set more face to face meetings….and the winner was the one who set 5 meetings for the next two weeks.
5 meetings in 2 weeks? Really? Is that a lot? As recently as last Wednesday I had meetings with three different companies on the same day and met with multiple decision makers from each company that day. My goal is at least two face to face meetings per day, every day.
Here’s what I tell my reps to do to get more meetings. And if they’re stuck, I’ll follow the steps below with them to show them it can be done.
The simple answer is, set a specific time every day to make calls to set meetings. I used to tell my reps to try setting appointments from 1:30pm-2:30pm every day. The decision maker is usually back from lunch and most people set meetings for the morning.
When you get the decision maker on the phone, introduce yourself then ask them for five minutes of their time to discuss doing business together and then LET THEM TALK! 95% of sales reps talk too much. At this point, when you let them talk they’ll usually find a time for you.
IF you don’t get the decision maker on the phone, my experience is leaving a voicemail is a complete waste of time. Occasionally setting appointments via email works, but it’s easier to set appointments when you’re talking to a live person.
What are your experiences with setting meetings?
Sales And Money 