It’s official. The holidays are here. And yes, there are still folks out there excited to take their break and are looking to free their schedules to be with friends and family. You can see it everywhere from the statuses on social network to classical announcements on the office bulletin board.
Coincidentally, these could be the same statuses that you might encounter if, say, your B2B marketing strategy included a bit of social media. So as you run into these, don’t you think it’d be terrible if these got canceled on such short notice? Well don’t get guilt-tripped too quickly. All you really need to do is tweak your appointment setting strategy.
Best B2B Practices for Holiday Appointment SettingAs it is the holidays, it’s critical for marketers to set their appointments without upsetting the holiday plans of their prospects.
Come to agreement first and foremost – Have professional B2B telemarketers set the appointments since they do not come across as generic telemarketers. Getting them to agree to a meeting is a gradual process in the conversation. The first step is getting them to say ‘yes’ that they require the marketer’s products and services. Being confident without being pushy increases the chances of the prospects to say ‘yes’ in the meeting.
Time it – Think about the worst ways reps have called to schedule appointments. You’ll find that calls during the holidays or family dinners would be one offense. You’ll even make it worse if the reps have not contacted them for the entire year. Use common sense and time your calls right!
Put in a little charm - It is important for the appointment setting team to know both the talk and the walk without being assertive or rash. Nothing makes for an easier conversation like polite speech, especially during a festive season. Simply have a clear, friendly voice and the ability to answer questions and overcome objections.
Finally, let’s not forget the holiday plans you might be having. So not only do these best practices benefit your prospect but also everyone from your marketers to your salespeople. Happy holidays!