What to Expect from the Best Appointment Setting Companies

Here at Strategic Sales and Marketing, we consider ourselves to be one of the best appointment setting companies – we have been in business a long time, we have an established track record, we’ve created a smart, consistent process for how to do lead generation and help our customers get results. And as part of that industry leadership, we have some strong perspectives on what people should expect from their lead generation companies. When lead generation firms do things the right way, our whole industry gets better – and that’s good news for everyone.

best appointment setting companies

Here are a few key elements that customers should expect to see from the best appointment setting companies:

 

Industry Expertise

The best appointment setting companies will know your industry and will have a good sense of which industries are truly their best niche. Lead generation is not a one-size-fits-all activity; some industries, especially in complex B2B sales, require a longer timeframe or a customized approach with industry-specific knowledge. If an appointment setting company claims to be able to do all things for all people, you should be suspicious. The best lead generation companies are busy with ongoing work and are not desperate for your business; they will take the time to interview you as a prospective customer and make sure it’s the best fit for both sides.

Reasonable Promises

The best lead generation companies will not promise you the moon. It might sound great to hear about “guaranteed results” or “we only get paid when you get new business leads!” but the best companies will take a more cautious approach. The truth is, especially in long-term, complex B2B sales, results are never guaranteed. And you should be leery of any company that promises to get compensated solely on commission – because if their appointment setting reps are only getting paid for every new lead they uncover, this creates an incentive for them to crank out lots of poor quality leads. It’s better to get a smaller quantity of good, qualified business opportunities, instead of a long list of junk leads. Reputable appointment setting companies will understand this and will explain how their compensation model is geared toward delivering the best results, not just the “most” results.

Transparent Metrics

The best appointment setting companies will have a consistent process and transparent metrics to help you measure results along the way. Ideally, depending on the timeframe and size of your lead generation program, you should expect to receive ongoing status reports for how many new leads you’re getting, how many calls are being made, how many companies have been contacted, and other metrics of performance. Good lead generation firms are proud to share their process with you and will be happy to deliver ongoing reports and make adjustments along the way.

Real-Life Customer Testimonials

The best appointment setting companies will be able to share case studies, success stories, customer testimonials, and references, and other “social proof” to show you how their system works and assure you that they can help you achieve good results. Although every company has its own unique offerings and challenges, a good lead generation firm should be able to show prior examples of similar situations where they helped create opportunities.

Training and Support

What happens when you come to the end of your lead generation program? Do you just get a list of names and phone numbers and then the lead generation firm says “so long?” Hopefully not! The best appointment setting companies don’t just leave you with a list of new business leads; they will ideally give you some additional sales coaching or support – such as a guide to making your first sales call – that will help you get the most out of your new leads. (Sometimes you can choose a certain package of services upfront, with varying levels of sales training or support, depending on your needs.)

Appointment setting is not just about making cold calls and finding a list of names of people who are interested; it’s about helping to ensure the success of that first round of sales calls to the “warm” leads. The best companies won’t leave you alone with a calling list – they’ll give you an added bit of support and momentum to help you start making sales calls once their work is done.

The best appointment setting companies are not just outsourced vendors or cold callers; they are strategic partners who will collaborate with you to support your long-term sales success.

Get more qualified leads.