Sell The Meeting: Set Discovery Calls & Sales Appointments To Close New Accounts: A Lead Generation Process With Phone Script Samples For B2B Appointment Setting & Cold Calling

by Scott Channell

You have two 2 for how to reply: “That’s fine. Does that mean you will never look at new options or could you suggest a better time for me to call in the future?” Or “That’s fine. Look, wouldn’t expect anything to happen quickly if we met anyway. Not the way it happens in this business. We made 30,000 moves last year for companies like Mega Corp and 500 others. They looked at their options and selected us. Just looking to introduce ourselves and share info as to how other companies have achieved high transferee satisfaction ratings and greater cost efficiencies. If at some point in time you seek to improve your program, review your providers or need extra help, you will have someone familiar with your program you can reach out to. If you feel that is worth about 30 minutes of your time, I’m happy to share specifics that may help. Any chance you are available next Wednesday or Thursday, the 18th or 19th?”

Responding to "we are all set"

Ask the follow-up question. Reap the rewards.

“That’s fine, don’t want to be on your back, but we do an awful lot of this. Could you suggest a time I should call in the future?” If they truly have no need, they will reconfirm that. But if they are open to listening to options at some point, you have said something calculated to elicit that fact.

“That’s fine. Wouldn’t expect anything to happen quickly anyway. Not the way it happens in this business. We do a lot of business with companies like Acme United, Brito International and 50 companies in your Atlanta metro area. They chose us to get mega-benefit A and monster benefit B. Just looking to introduce ourselves and share specific examples and strategies other companies have used to improve their move process and be more cost efficient. If you review options in the future, we hope you think of us. Is that worth 30 minutes next Wednesday or Thursday, the 19th or 20th?” What you are doing with this script is lowering their expectations, assuring them that they will not be pressured and giving them reasons to meet even if they are in fact “all set.”

Side Note: Don’t Assume That What They Say Is Literally True.

You then go for the close by saying “if in the future you are looking for options, or need to source a hard-to-find item, we hope you think of us. Would that be worth 30 minutes of your time next Wednesday or Thursday?” You are only asking your suspects to answer one question either “yes” or “no.” You have kept control of the conversation, reinforced your credibility, given them additional reasons to meet with you and asked for the meeting again. If they say “no,” you then ask them to suggest a good time for you to call back.

Simply state the truth and ask them if there is a time they would like you to be back in touch. (You never suggest a callback time. They must tell you.)

If they give you a callback time that meets your requirements, schedule a callback at that time. Otherwise, assuming they still are a member of your high-probability group (industry, company size, number of employees, etc.) you just call them back in accordance with your standard follow-up schedule. About 6 months seems to be the norm.

They say something like “well, we are going to buy $500,000 worth of widgets in a month… “ or “well, we think we could be a lot more efficient with our widget packaging…” or “well, we have had some quality and delivery concerns with our current supplier…” followed by “can you send me some info on X, Y and Z?” Whoa. Now you know you have a live one. What do you do? Do you send them the specific information they have requested? What, are you an idiot? Your job is to book meetings now.

First, you must listen intently. Listen. Let them spill their beans. Don’t interrupt.

You never let your target’s agenda become your agenda. They are requesting information, but your objective is to book a substantive next step on the path to a closed account.

If she had the opportunity to learn more specifics about your situation, she could give you a lot of information that is tailored specifically to your needs. It may or may not lead to a next step.

But what you withhold is as important as what you decide to say. If you spill your beans too early, if you provide too much information too early, you give great suspects the opportunity to become uncomfortable and conclude that they should not meet with you.

They became uncomfortable with too much to process in too little time, so they reject the meeting.

When you share too much, you are crossing the line between selling the meeting and selling your offering.

DONT SELL THE OFFERING

When you hear “call me back” you need some information to properly slot them so that you can decide whether you will call back. I would recommend you proceed as follows: “Sure. When would you suggest I call you?” Once they give you a time period, say: “That works. Happy to do that. Is there a specific reason why that’s a good time to call?”

more time you allocate to low-probability smaller paycheck activities, the less successful you will be.

Do not let them do this. Find out now whether they have legitimate needs or are blowing you off and dooming you to follow-up frustration.

Respond to a non-specific answer with something like this: “Hmmm. Well, I’m certainly happy to be back in touch if it is worthwhile for both of us. I’m not hearing an issue and wondering if a call is worth our time. Feel free to tell me it is not and I won’t be on your back.”

Dont be afraid to ask if they have an issue

You are not trying to keep records alive; you are trying to kill them.

Trying to DQ

Don’t want to be on your back. If you are not open to a new source of supply just tell me and I won’t bother you. Let's save both of us some time.”

There is nothing wrong with being direct.

out of 100, 90 or more of them are a total waste of follow-up time.

It’s a lot easier to just step up to the plate and ask a few direct questions so that you can decide whether this suspect is currently in a fatter paycheck or a thinner paycheck group.

Can cut out timewasters if direct

If you prepare and practice responses to those 3 most common scenarios, you will be in good shape to respond to pretty much every objection you will hear.

Need to practice 3 scenarios

You must reinforce your credibility and the benefits you deliver with your response. You must respond. You don’t need to answer. You must ignore their agenda and stay focused on your agenda. You must seek a clear “yes” or “no.” Even if they say “no” or they don’t meet your minimum standards for follow-up, you can still pick up some worth or qualifying information to properly allocate your time for future calls. You are actively trying to disqualify people here. You should only allocate time to those who give you specific answers so that you can objectively decide they are worth your time. If you allow too many low-probabilities, lower-paycheck prospects into your call schedule, you take time away from higher-probability, bigger-paycheck suspects.