Why You Can't Get Sales Appointments

Here's the truth: If you aren't setting sales appointments, you're not going to get new customers!

Doesn't sound like brain surgery, I know. But getting appointments is, to me, the hardest part of sales. There are 3 types of new potential customers we're trying to reach:

1. Leads: Someone that knows they have a problem, has been researching solutions, and wants to learn more about how you can help them.
2. Referrals: Someone that received positive information about you from a mutual connection. They know they have a potential problem and are interested in learning 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 brings you a steady flow of leads and referrals, consistently getting appointments with new potential customers should be pretty 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 on 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're not going to be able to call them up and just say anything.

You have to be extremely strategic in your approach, 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.)

Here are 5 issues that may be preventing you from securing sales meetings:

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 status quo.
4. Your not talking to the right person.
5. You're personalities don't mix well.

Next Article: 3 Tips for Creating a Strategic Prospecting Plan