Setting Appointments with Your New Leads

When you receive new leads what do you do with them? What is the next step? Having a solid strategy for working with your new leads is important. You don’t want to “wing it” with each new lead and hope that something comes of the contact. I have tried this method and I can tell you – it doesn’t work!! One of the best strategies that you can have when you get new leads is to use as a strategy of setting appointments to meet with the prospective customer. This can be accomplished with both in person types of businesses and global virtual businesses. I work with people both in person and via the phone or web and I am able to set appointments for both. You just have to “think” differently.

When you make an appointment with someone who may become a future customer, there are several benefits that you will find. Let’s explore some of these:

The appointment itself qualifies them as an interested lead.

When you set an appointment, you are cutting through many steps of relationship building and jumping ahead. This saves a lot of time and you are building a relationship with the person faster and more authentically. People do business with people they know. If you have been able to set the appointment with the decision maker you won’t have to go through multiple meetings because you are already at the right one.

You have established a time to meet.

You have set the time and place and now you can prepare for the meeting. You have an opportunity to do research prior to the meeting and be knowledgeable about your prospect and their company. You have to decide what the purpose of the meeting is. If you are building a new relationship it might be that your purpose is just that, to meet, to ask questions, to listen and share information but not to “make a sale”. Determine what your purpose is in advance.

Your time is more productive.

Just the fact that you have an appointment with someone means that they are mildly interested in what you have to say, they are a more qualified lead. If they are meeting with you and spending their valuable time with you they have an interest at some level. During the meeting you need to determine what that interest is.

You know something about your audience beforehand

Appointments give you ample time to do research on your prospective clients and understand what their needs are so that they can be addressed during your meeting. This offers an advantage because you will go into it being able to offer something that they need.

Appointments are a great strategy for following up with new leads. You are able to further qualify the lead as a real prospect and begin the process of building a relationship with them. Since we know that people do business with people they know, this relationship building is key. The appointment moves that process along faster. We can use all sorts of tools for building relationships – articles, newsletters, direct mail, but in person meetings is by far the most effective because you become a REAL person to them, not just a name but a person. You’ve just increased your opportunity for success.