and planning goes a long way.

Please be clear, we are not excusing you from making calls at all times, just encouraging you to call targets at a time that will yield best results for you.

Voice Mail: ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE! A lot of people don’t believe in leaving voice mail, and that’s alright, because if you do, you’ll get more appointments.

There are a

This time of year you see a lot of surveys about sales, views of sales leaders and their goals for the year ahead. One consistent theme is the need for more prospecting both within existing accounts and for new clients. This can not be accomplished without getting appointments, probably the least liked activity for all sales people, veteran or new. It’s not rocket science: Sales come Prospects, Prospects are a result of meeting with people: Appointments.

Our Appointment-Making Program deals extensively with the art and science of getting appointments with decision makers on a consistent basis. Here are some proven methods to help improve your appointment setting skills and numbers.

Shift your calling hours: Many trainers suggest that you do your calling first thing in the morning. Theory being that you “get it out of the way” first thing, and then go on about your day doing what you do best and like to do: sell. The reality is that you need to shift your prospecting calls to when your target audience is more likely to be available. For some services like ours first thing in the morning is best, first thing being 7:00 to 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. However if your target is a plant manager, service manager, traffic manager, VP ops, you are not likely to find them in their office in the morning, mid-day is probably a better time.

With a bit of research and keeping track, you can typically learn when is a likely time not only to find your target by their phone but also in a position to listen to your approach, and respond in a way that serves your mutual needs. A little preparation, segmentation and planning goes a long way.

Please be clear, we are not excusing you from making calls at all times, just encouraging you to call targets at a time that will yield best results for you.

Voice Mail: ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE! A lot of people don’t believe in leaving voice mail, and that’s alright, because if you do, you’ll get more appointments.

There are a

a result of meeting with people: Appointments.

Our Appointment-Making Program deals extensively with the art and science of getting appointments with decision makers on a consistent basis. Here are some proven methods to help improve your appointment setting skills and numbers.

Shift your calling hours: Many trainers suggest that you do your calling first thing in the morning. Theory being that you “get it out of the way” first thing, and then go on about your day doing what you do best and like to do: sell. The reality is that you need to shift your prospecting calls to when your target audience is more likely to be available. For some services like ours first thing in the morning is best, first thing being 7:00 to 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. However if your target is a plant manager, service manager, traffic manager, VP ops, you are not likely to find them in their office in the morning, mid-day is probably a better time.

With a bit of research and keeping track, you can typically learn when is a likely time not only to find your target by their phone but also in a position to listen to your approach, and respond in a way that serves your mutual needs. A little preparation, segmentation and planning goes a long way.

Please be clear, we are not excusing you from making calls at all times, just encouraging you to call targets at a time that will yield best results for you.

Voice Mail: ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE! A lot of people don’t believe in leaving voice mail, and that’s alright, because if you do, you’ll get more appointments.

There are a

heory being that you “get it out of the way” first thing, and then go on about your day doing what you do best and like to do: sell. The reality is that you need to shift your prospecting calls to when your target audience is more likely to be available. For some services like ours first thing in the morning is best, first thing being 7:00 to 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. However if your target is a plant manager, service manager, traffic manager, VP ops, you are not likely to find them in their office in the morning, mid-day is probably a better time.

With a bit of research and keeping track, you can typically learn when is a likely time not only to find your target by their phone but also in a position to listen to your approach, and respond in a way that serves your mutual needs. A little preparation, segmentation and planning goes a long way.

Please be clear, we are not excusing you from making calls at all times, just encouraging you to call targets at a time that will yield best results for you.

Voice Mail: ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE! A lot of people don’t believe in leaving voice mail, and that’s alright, because if you do, you’ll get more appointments.

There are a

e manager, traffic manager, VP ops, you are not likely to find them in their office in the morning, mid-day is probably a better time.

With a bit of research and keeping track, you can typically learn when is a likely time not only to find your target by their phone but also in a position to listen to your approach, and respond in a way that serves your mutual needs. A little preparation, segmentation and planning goes a long way.

Please be clear, we are not excusing you from making calls at all times, just encouraging you to call targets at a time that will yield best results for you.

Voice Mail: ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE! A lot of people don’t believe in leaving voice mail, and that’s alright, because if you do, you’ll get more appointments.

There are a

and planning goes a long way.

Please be clear, we are not excusing you from making calls at all times, just encouraging you to call targets at a time that will yield best results for you.

Voice Mail: ALWAYS LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE! A lot of people don’t believe in leaving voice mail, and that’s alright, because if you do, you’ll get more appointments.

There are a couple of dynamics at play. A lot of reps say “I never get a call back”; “No one ever returns voice mails”. Not true, I get return calls from 5 out of 10 messages I leave. (Our Appointment-Making Program instructs participants on how to leave effective voice mails.)

But you can also benefit from the ones that do not call back. Studies have shown that it may take anywhere from 4 to 7 approaches for someone to respond or deal with a new matter. Other studies have shown that most sales people give up after three attempts at reaching someone (usually with a manager saying move on in the background).

Now if you do not leave a message, then you may have tried 3 times, and let’s say you’re one of the keeners who tries 4 times, as far as the prospect goes you’re at zero, because they have no way of knowing that you called, because you didn’t leave a message or “calling card” telling her you want to talk to her. You also don’t want to be at the other end of the spectrum, wasting your time dialing someone dozens of times, not leaving a message, then finally connecting and letting built up frustration out on the prospect, as though it was their fault that you called and called and called, instead of leaving a message and having them call you, like every other person I leave a message for does.

Another thing to consider is that a vast majority of reps, who do not leave messages, still listen to the entire outbound message on the voice mail, so why not take a few more seconds and leave a message.

It’s a no brainer, on the o