Breaking Down An Appointment Setting Script

Although I am not a believer in call scripts (because they make you sound like a phony reader), I do believe in a using a few key phrases when calling on prospects. After I’ve gotten past the gatekeeper, here are some of the main things I say on the phone to convince C-Level prospect to take a meeting:

Greeting - “Hi”-Many sales people like to start off a call with a prospect by saying “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon.” While there is nothing wrong with using those phrases, I often hear sales people get tripped up when they forget the time of day. They say something like “Good morn…I mean Good afternoon.” I prefer not to take the risk; so I simply say hi.

Name - I always call prospects by their first names. It doesn’t matter if it’s Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey. My greeting would still be “Hi Oprah” or “Hi Bill.” I do this because I want to at least sound like I’m of equal stature with the prospect instead of someone who should be pushed down to an employee with a less-important title.

Name Drop (If Applicable) - If I’ve been pushed down to someone with a less-important title, I drop the higher-level executive’s name immediately because it automatically commands the lower-ranking prospect’s attention. I say this before I even say my own name and before telling the prospect why I’m calling. “Hi Joe. Don Smith suggested I speak with you…”

Tell Prospects Your Name & Company Name - I usually say, “My name is Emanuel, and I’m with ABC Company.” The phrase “my name is” allows the prospect to know that I am introducing myself. If I was to say “Hey, it’s Emanuel from ABC Company,” the prospect may feel awkward because it sounds like I know him but he can’t remember me. There is no problem telling prospects your last name. I usually don’t because I’m always the only Emanuel at a company and my full name can be Googled, which results in prospects discovering my sales tips writing.

Reveal Professional Commonality (If Applicable) - This would apply to belonging to the same association, such as the Chamber of Commerce or an industry-related group. Example phrases include:

“We are new members of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce.”

“We are preferred business partners with the Plumber’s Group Association and work with several of your felllow members.”

Revealing a commonality warms the cold call, helps to establish a common bond, and can show that you have something of value to offer members of his association.

State Your Value - In one or two short sentences, tell your prospect what you can do for him or what you’ve done for similar companies. Value propositions can sound something like this:

“We help CEOs reduce IT expenses by up to 50% annually.”

“We work with Fortune 1000 HR Managers to reduce attrition rates.”

Remember, a value proposition is not a conversation about features. It’s all about what’s in it for the prospect.

Ask For the Meeting - Asking to meet with the prospect, comes in three parts:

1. Tell When You’re Going to Be in the Area - (Most prospects don’t want to inconvenience you by having you travel to their location. However, if they know or think you’re already going to be in the area, it’s makes them feel a little better about it.)

2. Ask if a Meeting Makes Sense - (Let the prospect make the decision instead of forcing it on her.)

3. Reiterate the Purpose of a Meeting - When I ask for a meeting, it sounds a lot like this: “We’re going to be in Detroit next Thursday and Friday and I wanted to see if it would make sense to set up a meeting to discuss how we can help you reduce IT expenses.”

Qualify - After you’ve convinced the prospect that a meeting makes sense, you now have to make sure the prospect is a good fit for you. I highly suggest that you do not overload the prospect with a barrage of questions because he will grow suspicious and uncomfortable. If you ask one or two of your most important, need-to-know questions, that should suffice. My strategy is to just ask the prospect a question that can’t be answered yes or no.

Examples include:

“Tell me how you deal with attrition today.”

“What is your claims process?”

You will find that most of your qualifying questions will be answered when you let the prospect open up instead of asking rapid-fire questions.

These are just the very basics to help you to get started in cold calling prospects. It goes without saying that sales people should learn how to get past gatekeepers, know their products, know their competitor’s products, and be prepared to overcome objections. And when it comes to small talk, engage in it only if the prospect initiates it. Otherwise, you will be wasting valuable time you could be using to get a meeting that results in new business.

Kind regards,

Emanuel Carpenter