Why You Can't Get Sales Appointments

Here's the truth: If you aren't setting sales appointments, you won't get new customers!

Doesn't sound like brain surgery, I know. But getting appointments is, to me, the hardest part of sales. There are three types of new potential customers we're trying to reach:

1. Leads: Someone who knows they have a problem, has been researching solutions, and wants to learn more about how you can help them.
2. Referrals: Someone who received positive information about you from a mutual connection. They know they have a potential problem and want to learn more about how you can help them.
3. Prospects: Someone you think would be a good fit for your products or services, but they don't know anything about you.

Leads and Referrals Are Easiest

Leads and referrals are easiest to get appointments with because they're already in the sales process to some degree, and more importantly, they know who you are and what you do.

If you can create a system that consistently generates leads and referrals, getting appointments with new potential customers should be easy.

Getting Meetings With Prospects is TOUGH

However, most companies have to call on prospects, too. How do you pique the interest of a person who:

1. Has no idea who you are
2. Is ultra busy and can't imagine adding one more thing to their plate
3. Doesn't see a big problem with their current solution

I don't know about you, but that sounds TOUGH to me. You won't be able to call them up and say anything.

Your approach must be extremely strategic; otherwise, you'll just sound like a fool. (I can say that because I've sounded like a fool cold-calling too many times to count. It's all part of the learning process in sales.)

5 Reasons You Can't Get Appointments

1. You're saying the wrong thing / have a bad sales message.
2. The person is swamped, feels overwhelmed, and can't deal with anything else.
3. The person doesn't understand the benefit of moving off the status quo.
4. You're not talking to the right person.
5. Your personalities don't mix well.

Here are three tips for creating a strategic prospecting plan that will help you secure more sales meetings: 3 Tips for Creating a Strategic Prospecting Plan.