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Five Tips for Nailing the Sales Visit Common courtesy isn't common among salesmen--use these tips to stand apart.
By Barry Farber • Mar 18, 2010
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
One of the best parts of my job is not the speaking or writing, but traveling in the field and selling. Sometimes my own products, and sometimes with sales reps from a variety of industries. When going on sales calls for the first time, there are a few things you can do upfront that can make a big difference later on in the sales cycle. It's not rocket science or some kind of magic sales secret, just plain common courtesy and common sense.
- Introduce yourself around the office. Common sense says that you should introduce yourself to the receptionist or anyone else you pass on the way to your sales call. But it doesn't always happen. Many salespeople will ask to see the person with whom they have an appointment without giving the person they're talking to the time of day. Yet the receptionist has valuable information about the company and people who work there. Always remember to say, "Thanks Steve, I appreciate your help." It sounds like a little thing, but ends up going a long way. Great salespeople end up knowing a variety of people who work at the client's company because they understand that you never know who's going to be promoted and can assist you in the future.
- Break the ice. Do you know what gets your prospects excited and passionate about their work and life? Did you notice the family pictures they have around their office or the plaques hanging on the wall? Or maybe it's the signed football sitting in a glass box. Ask them about the things they find important enough to have surrounding them all day. Those objects are there for a reason. Or do you really believe your prospects wake up in the morning and just can't wait to see your presentation? Let me give you an example. The other day I was sitting in on a follow-up sales call. There were at least 30 pictures hanging on the walls, but one stood out. It was a picture of two people skydiving, taken from the plane. I turned to the owner of the company and asked, "Who's the skydiver?" At that his eyes widened with excitement and his face lighted up with enthusiasm. "That's me the first and last time I jumped out of a plane!" I asked him what it felt like the moment he was airborne (sometimes these things take a gentle prod). He then went into a big story about his post-jump excitement; his euphoria was palpable. The transition to the sales call was easy, "Well, that's how excited you'll be when we install these six machines," I said jokingly. We all laughed and the meeting continued, but the atmosphere was quite different from when we started.
- Review your time frame. Even though you might have confirmed the length of your sales meeting before the call, it's always good to do it again. You might not be aware that timing has changed for the customer. The following statement will set you straight: "I know we set aside an hour for today's meeting. I just want to make sure that still works for you." Now, some people might be saying, "Why are you asking that again? You already got the time, and the customer might tell you that now he only has 30 minutes." The answer is courtesy. Also, if the customer's had a crazy day, his attention is not going to be focused on you. I've gone on calls with reps who dive right into their presentation, no nod to time, no ice breakers, and I'll watch the customer squirm in his chair and look at his watch as if wondering; "How long is this going to take?" When you value the customer's time, it shows that you also value your own.
- Ask, "Do you mind if I take some notes?" Before going into your qualifying and fact-finding mission, ask permission to take some notes. First, the customer will be impressed that you want to learn about his goals and needs. Second, it tells him that what he says is important, and you don't want to miss any key points. I sometimes put the word "LISTEN" in big letters at the top of the page to remind me that no one ever listens themselves out of a sale.
- Say thank you and follow up. After the meeting, face the customer straight on, look him in the eye and say thanks, and mean it. Also, e-mail or mail him a follow-up letter going over the meeting points from your notes and next steps.
Sometimes we forget how important common courtesy is, the basic little things we should do that can make a big difference in the way we sell and the relationships we build.
"Knowledge, ability, experience are of little avail in reaching high success if courtesy is lacking. Courtesy is the one passport that will be accepted without question in every land, in every office, in every home, in every heart in the world. For nothing commends itself so well as kindness; and courtesy is kindness." -- George D. Powers
Barry Farber is the author of 11 books on sales, management and peak performance. His latest release, "Diamond in the Rough" CD program, is based on his book, radio and television show. Visit him at www.BarryFarber.com , or email him at [email protected] .
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In-Person Cold Calling Strategies
How in-person prospecting can help you make future sales
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Wendy Connick, a specialized content writer, financial services guru and enrolled agent, has been writing and offering financial advice since 2007.
Before voicemail and email became part of everyday life, many salespeople preferred to visit prospects in person instead of calling them on the phone. This is known as in-person cold calling or in-person prospecting.
In-person visits aren't as common today, but they can still be a valuable technique in B2B sales . If you're the first salesperson who has stopped by a particular office, the novelty can help you get your foot in the door.
Benefits of In-Person Prospecting
Though individual consumers are more likely to be uncomfortable with a stranger stopping by their home to sell them something, visiting a prospect's office can be a useful tool to make your business stand out or create valuable connections with potential clients.
- Discover context clues. In-person cold calling gives you access to clues that you would never uncover over the phone. Is the office shabby or perfectly maintained? Is the landscaping lush or is it all gravel and concrete? How is it decorated? How do the staff seem to feel? All of these are clues to the prospect's state of mind, which can tell you what approach will work best to secure an appointment or make a sale.
- Gather information. Dropping in on an office allows you to talk to people who might have useful information about the company in general. A few minutes with the receptionist can yield the names of decision-makers, how they feel about the business solutions they currently use, what their schedules are like, and more. Even in buildings where you can't move past the lobby without an appointment, you can still find company names from the building directory so that you can look them up later for a phone call or email.
- Schedule a sales meeting. The person making purchasing decisions may not be able to see you if you drop by unexpectedly. But you can use the time to introduce yourself and schedule a meeting. Most people find it harder to say no in person than over the phone or email. This can work to your advantage, allowing you to get an appointment on the calendar, as well as their contact information.
- Drop off samples or information. Even if you have the opportunity to make a full sales pitch without an appointment, you're unlikely to close a sale during a cold visit. But you can leave behind samples of your products, brochures, or other marketing materials. You can also use the time to get a sense of the business's needs or interests, which can allow you to follow up with more information or suggestions at a later date.
How to Approach In-Person Cold Calling
Many people are uncomfortable when confronted with unexpected social or business interactions. When stopping by for an in-person cold call, it's important to set the prospect at ease immediately to increase your chances of making a sale.
Start by giving a reason for being there, such as:
- A nearby appointment: I was working with your neighbors, and I have a few minutes until my next appointment. I'd be happy to do a 15-minute assessment for you at no charge.
- Being new to the area : This is my first time visiting your building, and I wanted to introduce myself and get to know some of the people here.
- A referral: I was working with the business next door, and the owner suggested I stop by and introduce myself.
This technique works best with a low-pressure sales strategy. Try to get the name and phone number of the decision-maker and ask a few questions to see if this is a qualified prospect for your product.
Like a cold call over the phone, your main goal will be to set a future appointment , rather than trying to close a sale during your first visit. However, if your timing is just right, you may be invited to present your case immediately. If the opportunity does arise, you should always be prepared with whatever marketing materials you will need for a full sales presentation.
How to Plan the Perfect Customer Visit [+ Agenda Template]
Published: August 02, 2021
Now that the world is opening back up, it’s time to get out there and meet your customers face-to-face. For many newer customers, this might be their first time getting to spend time with you — especially as conferences have moved online.
Creating that connection is invaluable. But before you book that plane ticket, it’s essential to create a plan. Planning the perfect customer visit will ensure that you meet your goals and that your customer meeting will be successful. Here’s a look at how you get there.
Why plan a customer visit?
Jason Lemkin, the founder of SaaStr and EchoSign, has said “ I never lost a customer I actually visited. ” That’s a bold statement — one that's worth taking note of. But why? What is it about customer visits that has such a big impact on customer loyalty?
First of all, you get to make a stronger impression with your customers. No matter what you sell, you aren’t just selling a product — you’re also selling the people behind it.
Your vision, your passion, your knowledge are all play into the perceived value of your product or service. All of these elements come across more strongly when you visit in person. A Zoom call just isn’t enough time to go deep.
Secondly, you get to see how your customers are using your product in person. Are they constantly printing out reports to pin up on a wall? Are you seeing teams walk across the sales floor to point out something on a screen? What kind of working environment and equipment do they have? What other types of software are they using?
Everything happening behind the scenes paints a much clearer picture of who your customers are. And when it comes time to renew or jump on that next customer success call, you’ll have a lot more knowledge ready to draw on.
Finally, meeting your customers in person is a huge motivational boost! When you’re behind a screen for so long, it can start to feel like what you do doesn’t matter — or that you’re not making any real connections. But a visit to a customer’s office can change all that, and really light up your idea of “why” you do this at all.
61 Templates to Help You Put the Customer First
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- 6 buyer persona templates
- 5 customer satisfaction survey templates
- 50 customer email templates
You're all set!
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5 Potential Goals of Your Customer Visit
Going into a customer visit with goals in mind will help you get the most out of your time there. Here are five goals to consider when planning a customer visit:
1. Understanding Their Business Goals
If you’re visiting a client, you’re likely hoping for a long term relationship. Understanding what their future goals are can help align your product with their needs. These in-depth conversations would rarely come up over a quick phone call.
2. Gathering Feedback
Customer visits provide a unique opportunity to gather honest and in-the-moment insight into what your customers need and want. When you sit next to someone who uses your product in their daily work, there’s a lot more space to have this feedback arise. And documenting it for future sales opportunities and your product team is one of the more productive actions you can take during a customer visit.
3. Referrals
In-person visits are a great time to ask for and give referrals. Ask, “Are there any other companies that you work with that you could see our product being helpful for?” Alternatively, if a pain point is mentioned by the client and you know the perfect company to help solve it, don’t be afraid to build that connection. It’s just another way you can bring value to your customers.
4. Uncovering Opportunities for Cross-Selling or Upselling
While your primary objective shouldn’t be pitching your offering at every opportunity, you might uncover a problem that your product or service can help solve. Noting these potential value-adds can make for more effective, thoughtfully targeted upsell and cross-sell conversations.
5. Testimonials and Case Studies
Customer visits can be a unique source of sales content, including pictures for case studies, video testimonials, and strong evidence-based customer stories. If you plan on making this one of your primary goals, consider asking your client to set the stage for these kinds of materials before you visit so you already know who you’ll be speaking to, before coming onsite.
How to Plan an Onsite Customer Meeting
By putting more effort in before you go, you’ll have a much better chance of achieving your goals and impressing your clients. Here are some key actions to consider when planning your customer meeting.
Thoroughly prepare before the visit.
Before you arrive, make sure you’re up to date on the state of the customer's account. Who are they usually talking to at your company? What customer service tickets have they raised lately? Are there outstanding issues that need to be addressed? These will come up during your visit.
Secondly, understand the current ecosystem your customer is working within. Is your customer in the news? What’s happening in their industry? What threats and opportunities are arising in their business? Being prepared and knowledgeable about their inner workings will make a better impression than coming in blind.
Decide who you’re meeting with.
Start by setting up a meeting with relevant company leadership. That could be the CEO, the founders, or the VP of the functional team you're working with — depending on the company's scale. Bear in mind, while this contact might be the "reason" for your visit, they're probably not who you'll be spending the most time with.
Once you have a meeting scheduled with the company's leadership, plan the rest of your day around meeting with the team leaders and employees using your product — as well as any teams that are open to signing up or expanding the current seat count or contract scope.
Make dinner reservations for you and your clients.
Traditionally, a customer visit includes taking your client out for a nice dinner as a token of appreciation. It also offers a chance for you to get to know each other outside of the limits of the work environment and form stronger relationships.
That being said, this is not a social visit. Keep your goals in mind — even outside of work hours. If you’re familiar with the restaurants in the area, choose a place that has options for every diet and has a good atmosphere for conversations. If you’re not familiar with the available options, ask the client where they’d recommend.
Complete the wrap-up report.
After the visit is over, you still have work to do. Create a wrap-up report for your internal teams back at the office. It should cover key elements of the visit like any confidentiality agreements put in place and who at your company you can share contact information or sales figures with.
Identify any action items that came up during the visit. Include any positive highlights during the meeting as well as any risks or opportunities that arose. Create a copy of the report for your client as well, to show that you were listening to their concerns and that you’re going to follow up with them.
Customer Visit Agenda Template
Use this sample agenda to plan your own customer visit.
10 am: Welcome/Office Tour (30 minutes, w/ Stacy, Raul)
- Get settled, set up a desk or boardroom for the day
11 am: Executive Meeting (1 hour, w/ Stacy, Thomas, Ankit, Shireen)
- Overview of status, product usage, any updates
- Add any bullet points you need to cover here
- Upcoming changes or challenges for the business
- New Opportunities
- Areas of concern
12pm: Lunch
1pm: User Meetings (4 hours, rotating through Marketing teams)
- Overview of new features
- Gather feedback from users
- Sit with teams to review workflow
5pm: Wrap Up meeting (30 minutes)
- Process or configuration change recommendations
- General questions and answers
- Items to be addressed as part of maintenance
- Enhancement opportunities
6:30pm: Dinner at Restaurant
Internal Notes
- At the bottom of your agenda, include internal notes that are meant to be shared with your team only.
Plan for success
It’s time to get back out there and meet your clients face-to-face. By planning your customer visit ahead of time, you’re sure to achieve your goals and come out with a stronger understanding of what your clients need.
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How to make a sales appointment via email
by Jeff Molander , Conversation Enablement Coach, Speaker & Founder at Communications Edge Inc.
Time to read: 2.5 minutes . Oddly, the best way to make a sales appointment via email is to avoid asking for it. Seriously. You should too. Instead, help the prospect self-qualify the appointment.
Hear me out. This is what I’ve learned from my (and my customers’) experience.
Through a quick exchange of short emails, prospects will become curious about your solution to their problem or goal. Curious enough to ultimately ask YOU for the appointment.
The more my clients and I practice this, the more appointments set. Can’t argue with that!
The short version
Success at making appointments via email is mostly about:
- not saying “too much, too fast” about you—and NOT asking for the appointment ;
- helping prospects feel an urge to tell you what is most important right now;
- sparking the buyers’ curiosity about how you might help (not your solution).
Avoid telling them how you can help. Instead, be super short and use a mental trigger to spark curiosity about a conversation (not a meeting).
Learn more about using mental triggers consider joining our conversation-starting Academy .
Attract them—just like a date
Think about the last time you were on a date. Flash back.
Smart daters have a secret weapon. Process. A template of sorts.
Let’s say you decide “I want another encounter with this person.” You’re attracted to them. The most effective strategy is to help the other person ask for the next date. Why?
Because their request confirms attraction to you . Bingo. You’re in.
Effective daters know dating is a process, systematic. Template-able.
The output of a rock solid dating system is quality leads. The process filters good candidates from the poor ones.
Making an appointment via email is the same. But it takes a mind-shift… away from asking for meetings, toward provoking. Yes, sometimes a bit of seduction.
Don’t rush the meeting
Your “first touch” message is probably coming on too strong—saying too much, too fast.
Your goal is NOT to book a meeting on first contact. Using InMail? Standard email? Connecting on LinkedIn first?
Be warned: Asking for calls and meetings, right away, usually fails.
Whether you’re trying to provoke a discussion or continue one that’s stalled… you’re not selling. You’re facilitating.
Facilitating a conversation about a possible meeting.
Any time you begin with an attempt to get an appointment you are being rejected by 90—97% of perfectly good prospects. Because most of your targets are not ready for the solution yet. They’re unaware they have a need to meet with you.
Are you giving prospects the chance to understand why they need to talk with you—and decide (for themselves) when?
Get invited into the discussion first. Because this helps the buyer understand why they want the appointment .
Spark curiosity
When prospecting, your goal is to create an urge in the potential customer to talk.
No urge created? No chance to talk with them.
Making qualified sales appointments via email (faster, at scale) is mostly about:
- not saying “too much, too fast” about you;
- not asking for the appointment;
- helping prospects want to reveal what is most important right now and
- sparking curiosity in how you might help them (not your solution).
Come learn how to do this with us . It’s fun.
Quick example…
Subject: this a fit for you, ___ [first name]? Savings accounts, bonds, and CD’s are currently earning less then 1%. The cost of living rises at 1.7%. There are other places to invest offering a competitive rate and low risk. They even come with tax advantages. Would a short email conversation makes sense? You can decide if an appointment is justifiable. Let me know what you decide, _____ [first name]? Thanks, Connor
The prospect responded with,
“Yes that is something I would be interested in discussing. What kind of options can you offer?”
Connor didn’t respond asking for a meeting. Nor did he respond with options. Instead, he asked the prospect more about their status quo situation and did not rush into his sales pitch about solutions and options.
Why this worked:
- Subject: Used trigger word (“this”) & provoked curiosity by being a bit ambiguous
- The ask was not too large (he avoided asking for too much, too fast … no meeting request )
- Cold first reply messages focused exclusively on prospect, not Connor’s value proposition
- Time to read was minimal (could be read & acted on via a mobile device)
What to say—so prospects will reply again?
Since then, Connor has been using a set of effective templates we developed. He emailed me recently…
“Your technique for getting permission to have a longer conversation is working great, Jeff. What angle I should take once permission is given… or the curiosity has sparked a response? Do you have a proven approach to moving this situation forward and getting the appointment … or should I explain what the product I was referring to in my response?”
Short answer:
- Beware, do not start talking about your solution/product … even if invited to.
- Instead, ask a question to your prospect that is not biased to selling to them.
In other words, ask a neutral question… one that does not make customers vulnerable to a possible sales pitch when answering you. Focus attention on them.
This effectively earns another response (keeps the conversation going).
Example: Instead of Connor describing investment options he can offer Connor allows the prospect to continue describing why they just became provoked. Here is an
Glad to talk about the options, Susan. First, what is causing your interest? Savings? Tax advantages? Is something happening with family life?
You cannot rush a sales appointment via email. It won’t work. Instead, spark the prospects’ curiosity. Again. Just like you did in your cold email template. However, now is also the time to over-focus on your prospect’s pain, fear or goal.
This often means resisting the urge to pitch even when invited to!
They will tell you how to respond
Help the potential buyer to guide you … so you can make the best response. Here’s how it’s done.
In your first reply, ask them to talk more about their situation. Also, if needed, reveal “just enough” about what you have in mind to keep them curious about what (exactly) you’re thinking about recommending.
This helps build a conversation about what is most important to them —not what you’re selling. Show the prospect you only want to talk about them (for now). Write in a way that helps the other side feel safe. Help them to vent frustration, fear or excitement about what’s important to them—at this exact moment.
This helps the buyer become more open to being curious about your solution. Even if they may not (yet) realize they need what you’re offering.
Want to see this in action? Join us in this live, online workshop .
Over-focus on a pain/goal (not the appointment)
In Connor’s case, the prospect responded by asking about investment options. That’s what Connor sells. He used a “near-term buying first-touch” approach. And the buyer is curious about his solution to the problem. Success!
However, this can be a dangerous situation.
The best way forward in the “second touch” email is over-focusing on the prospect. Here’s what I mean.
In Connor’s case, the buyer is opening the door to talk about his solution, the product. However, it’s best to resist this temptation. And never ask for the meeting via email.
Instead, attract the appointment to you. This is how to make email work for you. (not the other way around!)
To earn another reply, ask one brief but purposeful question. Two max. This will prompt your reader to reply in a way that qualifies the lead. It also helps you know how, exactly, to respond and move the discussion forward.
For example, Connor should reply,
“I will be glad to talk options, ___ [first name]. But I need to know more about you, please, to help. Are you invested in CD’s, bonds (low rate options) now? Are you doing everything possible to protect yourself from outliving your retirement savings?”
Also, notice above how Connor plants a seed of doubt in the mind of the prospect in the final sentence. This helps the prospect want to hit reply without delay—telling Connor what is on their mind right now about protecting themselves.
Take it slow. This may feel un-natural at first. But that’s why we practice it… using templates and guides. A few of us also get together in twice monthly workshops … to perfect our techniques at earning sales appointments via email. We also offer a conversation starting Academy to learn this technique.
Trigger an avalanche
New customer prospects will actually tell you what will (eventually) trigger them to buy. Sometimes in the second email you receive from them. Choosing your words carefully will trigger what I call an avalanche response. You’ll get a bunch of information back, fast.
The goal of your second email message is not to pitch your wares nor set an appointment. Instead, it is to:
- earn another reply, (keep it very short!)
- trigger an “avalanche” response, (allow your buyer to become emotional)
- pin-point the buyer’s exact pain or objective. (so you can address it)
By identifying what matters most to the buyer you’ll know exactly how to reply. You’ll do so in a way that builds credibility and curiosity in your solution. Remember: An emotional reply from a prospect validates how important a given issue may be to them. Additional curiosity (more questions) indicates the lead is a good one.
Bottom line: Your second email message should yield a response that qualifies the lead. Try to trigger an avalanche by tapping into the emotional element. Each reply a prospect sends you should be telling you exactly what to talk about in your next email message. That’s how to make a sales appointment via email!
A stream of curiosity
In your replies, always answer questions the prospect asks—but do so in ways that create more questions in their minds. Hold a little back. This helps create more curiosity. This helps you attract the appointment to you. The buyer will see the appointment as a way to short-circuit all of this emailing. He or she will want to get right to the point with you!
Structure the way you reply. Be deliberate about it.
Don’t be coy. This isn’t about trickery or dangling a carrot in a way that will annoy the prospect. Be direct and specific. Yet hold back on the details. This will help your prospect feel an urge to ask you about them.
Good luck! And remember if you need help a community is here to help you practice !
Jeff Molander
In 1999, I co-founded what became the Google Affiliate Network and Performics Inc. where I helped secure 2 rounds of funding and built the sales team. I've been selling for over 2 decades. After this stint, I returned to what was then Molander & Associates Inc. In recent years we re-branded to Communications Edge Inc., a member-driven laboratory of sorts. We study, invent and test better ways to communicate -- specializing in serving sales and marketing professionals. I'm a coach and creator of the Spark Selling™ communication methodology —a curiosity-driven way to start and advance conversations. When I'm not working you'll find me hiking, fishing, gardening and investing time in my family.
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It was the best… Helped me a lot.
It was a great idea and learning to know how to be an appointment setter.I could use it for self training and read more about this. Please let me know.
When they reply to the second email with the message that qualifies them. What would you say to reply with because at this point one still hasn’t given them value yet. And surely more times than not, the seller would still be the one to recommend an appointment?
Not necessarily, Michael. Some of our best students practice the tactic of “attracting the meeting” to them. This way the short email exchange qualifies the conversation — for both sides. It’s best to hold back each time — keep:
a) PARTIALLY satisfying (answering) the prospect b) stopping short of fully satisfying — creating a natural urge to request more contact
…. IF the prospect is honestly interested they’ll reply. If they’re not (not a good lead) they will not reply. Each side wins. But this takes practice and patience.
Offering value is part of the problem. Offer too much and guess what? They don’t need to reply do they? 🙂
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How to handle visitors without appointment: customer visit plan for IT companies
A customer visit plan helps prepare for intensive meetings. For unexpected visits to your office from clients, read on how to handle visitors without an appointment.
As a story, I remember: “I have been working with the law company for 20 years. No one has been out to see my shop”. They have been a business partner for two decades; however, the law firm has not visited its business client once. It proves that nothing can compare to personal interaction between companies and their clients.
With scheduled client meetings, companies will know what to do during the client visit. So regardless of unexpected client visits, what should firms do? Read about how to handle visitors without an appointment in a software development company.
Client visits build long-lasting business relationships. Firms learn more about clients: business opportunities, legal needs, understanding protocols, and feedback from existing projects. Moreover, companies will have a chance to meet other people and foster relationships.
Why do firms need to make a customer visit plan?
Customer visit plan: fostering business relationships .
How do firm client visits are critical to their success? A survey into sales and marketing alignment stated that there was a significant correlation between sales and marketing and their concentration. It not only focuses on customer-centric metrics but also on regular client visits. Client visits provide valuable insights and information about a business opportunity and its operations. As a software development company, it is critical to think that client visits create and help build long-term relationships with clients.
A customer visit plan is a key
Some customer visits are inexpensive since it happens on zoom or any online meeting platform. Firms have online discussions with clients, which does not mean the interaction is inexpensive. Companies still invest in the same sorts of things as in-person meetings with clients. Sales teams and competitors are trying to solicit clients for business deals. Thus, clients will appreciate talking or discussing with someone who is not trying to sell or upsell. However, firms must organize intensive meetings with clients rather than invest in hearing their problems.
- Client visits make our customers feel appreciated and cared for.
- The client visit creates a bond through imitating meetings. When visiting the office, clients can see how our development teams integrate software into the workflow. Besides, firms will study the client’s behavior and show them how you will support them.
- Client visits help detect solutions or problems not be discussed through telephone and emails.
- Company workers feel more motivated since they get honest and personal feedback on your software development products or services.
How to handle visitors in the office: create a detailed customer visit plan
There is a story of an important client visiting the company headquarters who had been working. As usual, the client meets a receptionist at the office, tending to be easier for that company. The company occupies two floors: staff on the second floor and the reception on the third floor. When the client arrives on the second floor and no one is there to welcome them. Needless to say, that client was not happy. Therefore, preparing an intensive customer visit plan is critical for most firms during the client visit. So a software development company, what should they do to handle visitors in the office?
How to handle visitors without appointments: Tips & Helps
Regardless of unexpected clients, here are some tips for ensuring to welcome clients when they visit your office.
- Training employees
- Remind receptionists and sales
- Personalized greetings
- Create welcoming working environment
Training employees even for unexpected occurrences in entrepreneurship
Employees should perceive that all visitors are personal customers. It means all have to make eye contact, smile, say hello, and ask any unattended questions. It will make a difference between having an unwilling experience and a potential customer.
Remind receptionists and sales to be attentive
The receptionists in the office can be the most important ones since they greet customers at the beginning. If the receptionist is busy with phone calls, they can make friendly eye contact and hand gestures. Besides, a salesman will be another person who communicates and interacts with the clients during their business trip.
Personalized greetings: customer visit plan
Is there a lobby board that says “Welcome, Mr. Veon from Adamo Software” for example? This is a single gesture that puts together and shows your clients that you care about them. It builds long-term business relationships and opens more opportunities and references. For instance, a software development company like Adamo prepares welcome posts on social media and banners on TV screens to greet clients.
Create a clean and welcoming working environment
Companies maintain a clean workspace, particularly near the entrance and meeting rooms. Is there any paint chipping? Creating a clean environment ensures your working space shines which will reflect professionalism.
What is the ideal way of greeting a visitor: make the most of client visits
Set up meeting
Here are some considerations that firms should do during their client visits:
- Showcases the visit as a service protocol: Advise the client to set the time for meeting regularly.
- If clients want to go somewhere, combine the visit into another trip. Tying the meeting into another trip makes it more efficient for firms and alleviates concerns regarding time and expense. Most customers welcome effort from clients to visit.
- When making client visit agenda, firms should consider activities outside of the working time:
- Including social time with clients: lunch, dinner, or coffee talks.
- Introducing other representatives whom clients have not met or who might be involved in the projects in the company.
- Participating in a tour: food tours, sightseeing tours, etc.
- Define who will attend the meeting with clients: The company can introduce other team members who have worked on the project.
Conducting a meeting: How firms make the most of the time with clients
- Firms should be involved 80% of the time with clients. Besides, it is essential to ask open-ended questions.
- Try to understand the business and legal needs of clients.
- Should advance the relationship with clients. Is there anything that firms can do to help?
- Ask for a copy of materials: business plans, policies, and handbooks.
Follow-up activities after the client visit
- Thank the clients for their visit: Send a customized thank-you note. Firms can put a sign of gratitude, for example, some firm swag.
- Produce a report: Share information, feedback you have received or staff who will work with you.
- Follow-up with any future project: In many cases, there are assignments that are out of the meeting. It includes updated information, introductions, a training program, a review of a document, and preparing a proposal for work.
How to get clients for IT company: Open more future business opportunities
Some valuable tips to open more business opportunities:
- Provide value and education
- Draft unique business persona
- Go anywhere your clients are
Provide value and education
A report shows that offering potential clients something valuable and educational instead of selling something will be engaged with clients. It is a great way to begin a rapport which will ultimately result in new business opportunities.
Draft a unique business persona
Branding is much more than how products and services differ from other competitors. Building a business reputation through developing quality content and interacting on social media help firms attract new prospects and relationships.
Go anywhere your clients are
When customers do not get your firm, you will reach them. If your branding strategies do not work, start asking around if anyone is interested in your business.
Clients have various choices today. If you are trying to get the attention of new clients, which makes you feel like selling sand in a desert. For example, a software development company showcases software application products to clients on social media: videos, images, and demos.
Organize virtual events
An effective way of acquiring new customers in the covid-19 pandemic is to hold a virtual event. You should invite current customers and potential clients. Current customers play as a live testimonial to your firm. Organizing a virtual event gives the chance to learn more about branding on a personalized level.
The Bottom Line
Planning a client visit to your office is a must for all businesses: scope and industry. With a business-to-business model like a software development company, we perceive that client visit is critical for a company since it helps build long-lasting business relationships with clients. Moreover, it also helps open more business opportunities with current clients and past clients. Make sure your firm will find a feasible way of welcoming guests even if they are scheduled clients or unexpected guests to your office.
Tags: client visit, client visit preparation, customer visit plan, dedicated software development company, how to get clients for it company, how to handle visitors in the office, how to handle visitors without appointment, Software development company, unexpected occurrences in entrepreneurship, what is the ideal way of greeting a visitor
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The importance of customer visits: Tools & tips
Table of contents, what are the benefits, who does it concern and why, what is a customer visit program, before the visit, during the visit, after the visit, final tips: how to simplify the customer visit.
Nowadays, with people being so connected, companies often or completely forget the importance of customer visits. A Digital tool can show you statistics, but can it actually read the true interests or intentions of a client?
The answer to that is most likely not. Usually, the more customers you gain or have to deal with, the more it is essential to keep a close relationship with them.
Wouldn’t you like to be considered more than a data or a click on an ad? I’m pretty sure you would.
Why are customer visits important?
Customers are constantly being solicited by your sales team or your competitor's. In fact, they will likely appreciate talking with a salesman who is not trying to sell goods, but instead someone who is invested in hearing about their problems and preferences. So, by meeting with them:
- It helps customers feel appreciated
- It creates a certain bond: Meeting clients in their environment shows you how they integrate your software in their workday. You’d be able to study their behavior and show them your support
- It detects needs or problems that would not have been obvious on the telephone or by e-mail
- Finally, company workers will feel more motivated as they will get honest and personal feedback of their product or service
You must keep in mind that you are not the only one soliciting that customer, it is a competitive market, so getting as much personal information as possible will keep you ahead of the game. And finally, seeing their smile and satisfaction in person can be the best reward ever.
You might want to bring your whole team such as the marketing and analytics members to the meeting but remember the goal here is not to sell but to listen and be understanding. Therefore, it should only concern the most profitable customers. And here is how to do it:
- Refer to your CRM tool and highlight, via the sales dashboard or cross tables, those who have ordered the most often or with the best average basket;
- Profile your customers. For instance, by using a progression metric, which assumes that the most interesting customers are those who have the best potential (good contact, several exchanges to date) but who have not yet made many purchases.
In a logic of cost reduction, a strategy to take into account is also the optimization of b2b sales funnel : you organize your customer visits by geographical area , and link them in order to lose as little time as possible between each appointment.
This method can only boost your notoriety amongst customers and build customer loyalty. Because once it is done properly, it increases your efficiency to read and better understand the customer. And as it is generally said, time is money as well as of the essence.
Tips: Check out our lead generation in digital marketing and lead conversion to know how to best generate and convert lead into customer!
- The Best B2B Sales Lead Generation Strategies
- The 7 Fundamental Steps of a B2B Sales Cycle
A customer visit provides an opportunity for interaction between the parties involved to reach a settlement. Discussions may include pricing and terms, advertising, and 'team' approaches to visits. Strategizing is very essential and should not be omitted. It really gives you a true insight into a customer’s perspective.
Customer visits can be divided into four classes:
- It can be a Customer visit with the senior management team. Owners, presidents, general managers, and so on.
- A customer visit with the sales managers
- A customer visit with a team of two or more people.
- And finally, a customer visit with an individual. This could be a member of the sales management team or a sales person.
How to prepare for it?
Preparation is key as it helps with your confidence and organization.
- First step is to make an appointment with the person or people in charge.
Ask them when they will be available and set a time and date.
Make sure that each party is aware of what the meeting will be about beforehand.
Speak to them about confidentiality, that everything you report back to your team will be done with their consent.
- On your end, if you haven’t already, keep studying your customer.
See what has changed in the use of the product from now up until the day of the meeting. Study their company, visit their website to know more about their products, services, and their world. Build a client portfolio or a persona.
It will help you personalize the interview with a guaranteed effect!
Make sure each attendee on your team knows their role.
Review and reread your files as well as the history of exchanges and purchases, if applicable, to have all the keys in hand.
Do not forget to have a backup plan. It shows your professionalism in case something goes wrong.
Pay attention to CAC customer acquisition cost and customer lifetime value calculation to balance your fee.
Once every concerned individual is informed about the meeting, this is where you get into the gist of things.
Start off with light conversations, then get to the purpose of the meeting.
Make them feel comfortable. You do not want to seem too keen to get down to business.
Keep in mind that this is a mutual agreement, so the customer or client won’t run away. Nevertheless, here are a few topics you can do and speak about:
- Be at the same time the student and the mentor. Pay attention to them as well as try to find the best solution to their problem.
- Get to know what their daily work life looks like. Ask open-ended questions. Allow the customer to take the lead and talk.
- If possible, focus on who uses your products or services more. And if so, how often and what are the main reasons?
- Once you have determined the necessity they have for said products and services, ask them what they would like to be changed. Are there any bugs?
- Above all, take notes, whether the information seems useful to you in the short, medium or long term, or not, perhaps this data will be useful later or will speak to one of your colleagues.
- Finally, don’t leave the room without summarizing what was said, as well as speaking of the next step you will take to ensure their needs are met.
Many benefits can come out of this.
Have a debrief . Review what happened. What did you learn? Were some of your questions answered? Did you reach your goals? What was the most helpful?
Then, follow up with the customer and your team . Send the customer a thank-you note, so they can know you appreciate the time spent together and the feedback they have given you.
It doesn’t need to stop there, as keeping a close relationship and giving your customer or client the best experience is not a day process but a constant and ongoing contact with them. Which is why your next steps should involve:
- making a new appointment,
- drawing up a diagnosis or a commercial proposal ,
- preparing for the negotiation based on the customer's specific requests,
- identifying trends in the marketplace . If a number of your customer visits reveal the same concern, this may be an area that you need to focus on.
- communicating important elements to the relevant teams (e.g. the after-sales team).
Customer relations, like all professions, are going digital.
This is all the more appropriate as salespeople are professionals who often work on the move.
It is therefore essential to equip them with a mobile sales management application.
There are interesting tools for note-taking and customer visit reports, as it allows you to create any business document, tailored to your image.
Your documents are unified and 100% dematerialized, for consistency and centralization that benefits the whole company, especially the sales representatives in the field, who no longer lose any of their work.
Depending on the different email scenarios configured, the managers receive a summary and the customer a recap by email. And if the visit is successful, you can even have the customer sign an order in the same breath!
The tool can also communicate with your CRM, a second essential tool which thanks to technology can directly be mobile, that is to say on your phones and tablets.
Using a flexible and customizable software, your sales representatives have all the necessary tools at their disposal on their smartphone or tablet: customer files updated in real time, connection to your ERP, generation of sales documents (quotations, order forms, invoices), and access to order history, stocks and your catalogue.
And you, have you tested any digital tools for your customer relations?
What did you think of them?
If you are still here, here is one last piece of advice: Always look to the future but do not forget that customer satisfaction is crucial to a company’s success.
Nothing beats a face to face meeting as hidden gems can be said. Take the time to know who you are catering to. Customers buy when they feel loyalty and consideration. Do not overlook great relationships that can lead to great opportunities.
Articles on the same topic
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No More No-Shows: 4 Tips for Confirming Sales Appointments
- Categories: Sales Tips
Do your sales appointments often turn into phone meetings, re-schedules or even cancellations? It may be time to make how and when you confirm appointments a sales tool instead of a sales hurdle.
Timing really IS everything.
This is especially true when it comes to confirming appointments. All too often, a confirmation call turns into a quick phone meeting or a cancellation instead of an effective face-to-face appointment. The trick is to make sure your prospect is ready for you, without creating an opportunity to avoid the meeting. Confirm as close to the appointment time as possible.
- For morning meetings: confirm the evening before with an email or voice message just after business hours.
- For afternoon meetings: a morning email serves as a confirmation — a call is a chance to cancel.
Create a confirmation template.
This isn’t some kind of email format , although email is part of it. Instead, it’s a system that serves to keep your sale on track.
Begin by putting another person between you and the prospect: your assistant. When the confirmation is handled by a third party, it’s harder for your prospect to say no. After all, you’ve developed a relationship with this person. It would be rude to cancel without speaking directly to you. There are three parts of this template:
- Control the conversation. Avoid any kind of language that makes canceling a possibility. Don’t ask if the time is still good; assume that it is. If there’s a conflict, make your prospect bring it up.
- Set the terms. Whether your assistant makes contact by phone or email, always include the date, time and purpose of the appointment. This puts you in control from the start.
- Establish that your time is valuable. Your assistant is confirming the appointment because you are busy taking care of business. Your time is worth just as much as your prospect’s.
Use the right tools.
Selling is an art and every artist needs tools . In addition to your contact software, use tools that help you find appointment times and make confirmations. Here are two great tools that work online and with mobile devices:
Calendly integrates with your Google calendar. You can choose who sees your schedule and when you are available. Prospects can easily match their schedule to yours, or your assistant can take care of the details. Calendly saves time by eliminating email and telephone tag.
Assistant.to also monitors your availability and works with contacts to set the appointment from within an email. It uses SSL data encryption and secure servers to protect your information. The system automatically sends emails to you and your prospect when a meeting is scheduled or changed. Assistant.to currently works in Google apps, although a version for Outlook is in the works.
Cancellations happen.
If your prospect insists on cancelling, present other options. While rescheduling a meeting isn’t ideal, it beats losing the sale . Give your assistant the ability to reschedule on your behalf. If this fails, make contact directly. A personal call will go a long way to salvaging the relationship with your prospect.
We’ve all had to deal with a re-scheduled appointment and the dreaded no-show, but there is a way to make sure prospects will follow through. Use these four strategies to consistently turn appointments into meetings, and ultimately, sales.
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10 Great Examples of a Business Meeting Request
The majority of cold emails end up in the spam folder. Additionally, research indicates that only 40% of sales teams view cold emails as an effective method for boosting sales.
Due to Google’s rigorous email filtering and recipients’ short patience for irrelevant emails, it’s crucial to create business meeting request emails that stand out while also adhering to proper email etiquette.
This guide will demonstrate how to accomplish this task, as the most effective cold emails are the ones you create. Read on for a brief lesson on crafting business meeting requests that are opened, read, and answered in 2023.
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What are the key elements of a business meeting request email?
First things first: let’s consider what we’re actually trying to achieve here.
When I use the phrase “business meeting request email,” I’m not talking about requesting a one-on-one with your manager or a campaign debrief with your team.
(You can use an internal email tracking tool for that.)
I’m talking specifically about reaching out to a prospect .
A way to book a meeting – a phone call , a video conference, an informational interview – to discuss how your product can solve their problems… And then sell it to them.
You might already have a relationship with that person or perhaps this might be the first time reaching out to them…
Or perhaps you’ve been given their details by a mutual connection, met them at a networking event, or found them on LinkedIn …
It doesn’t matter, because as long as you have these 10 meeting request email templates by your hand you’ll be able to effectively scale your sales engagement outreach and close more deals faster.
The RAP Model
There’s a simple rule you can follow to structure your meeting request emails — regardless of your relationship with your prospect. It’s called the RAP model:
- R – provide a reason for writing
- A – request a specific action
- P – end the message professionally
Here’s how it looks like in action:
There are a couple of other principles to keep in mind, too. Like making your sentences short and simple, making your subject lines brief and to the point, and personalizing your email as much as possible.
All of these will help your email look authentic, and not like something that’s part of a mass email blast .
Now, before we dive into our email samples and get a better feeling for the powerful RAP formula, let’s discuss the #1 thing you should do before even thinking about writing an email .
What you need to do before writing a meeting request email
Find and validate the email address.
Imagine spending hours finding the perfect prospect, writing the perfect email, crafting the perfect subject line… Even waiting until Tuesday 10 a.m . — the time when meeting request emails have the highest chance of being opened…
Only to get hit with “address not found” at the end.
Not only have you wasted hours of your time, but you’ve also reduced your sender score — making it more likely that your emails will land in the spam folder in the future.
That’s why you should always validate your prospect’s email address with Voila Norbert – the best email finder tool on the market.
With Norbert, email validation is super easy. Simply copy and paste your emails in the magic box and click verify:
or import an entire CSV list:
Norbert will charge only $2 for 900 verifications. (To put it in another way, that’s one-third of a cent per email). A minuscule price to pay for ensuring your emails hit the correct inbox and keep your email sender’s reputation unharmed.
Oh, and if you don’t have any email addresses, you can give Norbert the name and the website URL of your prospects and Norbert will spit back a high-quality email address in less than a second.
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Examples of great business meeting request emails
Here are 10 examples of business meeting request emails — ones that will get you in front of your prospects and ensure booked meetings.
It’s definitely not the type of writing you’d see on social media. It’s also nothing similar to any college assignments you’ve ever done. But with a little practice, you’ll soon get a handle on what it means to write a killer meeting request email.
Feel free to adapt these to your own situation and recipients.
Example 1: Professional cold email #1
This is an ideal email for reaching out to someone who doesn’t know you. Here’s an idea of what it should look like. Try to notice the RAP formula:
Dear [ name of client ],
I’m [ your name ], and I work in [ your position ] at [ your company ]. We’re specialists in [ detail activities ]. Given that you’re a leading [ role of prospect’s company ] within our niche, I believe a collaboration would be in both our interests. In particular, you’d benefit from being able to access our consulting team and our award-winning product suite.
I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you for a meeting at [ location ], at [ proposed date and time ], when we can discuss this further.
Feel free to suggest another time and location if that doesn’t work for you.
Kind regards,
[ your name ]
This email is rather formal. You can adjust the level of formality depending on the situation. Notice, also, the closed-ended call-to-action. Having a CTA like this removes any decision-making your prospects have to do. If they have time, they can simply reply with “yes”.
Example 2: Professional cold email #2
Dear [ client name ],
I’m [ your name ], and I work in [ your position ] at [ your company ]. Our companies work in the same niche, so I believe we could both benefit from cooperating with one another.
Our product suite is specifically tailored to [ product purpose ] and could really help with [ prospect’s pain points ], so I’d love to discuss how we could work together. Are you free to meet at [ location ] on [ date and time ] to talk this through?
I look forward to your response.
Have a great day,
Example 3: Cold email displaying your credentials
Cold emails are the most difficult way to contact your prospect — and also one of the most powerful ones. To make it work you have to prove you’re someone worth their time.
Hi [ prospect’s first name ],
I’m [ your name ] and I’m with [ company name ], which specializes in [ what you do ]. We’ve built a client base ranging from venture-backed startups to Fortune 500 companies like [ big-name clients ].
Unlike [ other companies in your niche ], we take a different approach to growing companies. We move fast – and if we don’t think we’re right for you, we’ll tell you upfront.
Are you free for a chat at [ time options ] to talk through how we could help you with [ prospect pain points ]?
Here we showcase some of our clients. Make sure you pick the ones that are similar to the company you’re reaching out to. You can also take a step further and, instead of name-dropping, write a one-sentence customer case study.
For example, if you’re pitching a pizza place, then showcase what you’ve done for some other pizza place: “ last month, we’ve increased Crusty Pizza average order value by 5.3%.”
Example 4: Reaching out to someone you’ve recently met
When reaching out to someone you’ve recently met, you can make the emails shorter and more casual. Chances are, they already know who you are, what you do, who you work for, and why you’re reaching out.
But if that’s not the case, feel free to make this next email appropriately longer.
Hey [ prospect’s first name ]!
We met at [ event ] yesterday.
Sounded like you were interested in some of the [ your services ] we offer.
Want to book in a quick* meeting this week to see what we can do?
Let me know when you’re available.
*When I say quick, I actually mean it – we’ll keep it to 15 minutes tops. I know you’re busy!
Depending on how long or memorable your conversation was, jog your prospect’s memory by describing the circumstances of your meeting in more detail.
But even if your conversation was fleeting and unmemorable, simply mentioning that you were on the same event evokes “association bias” that makes the prospect more likely to respond positively.
Example 5: Cold email highlighting an issue
If you can identify an issue your prospect is having, then send them an email like this:
Hi [ client’s first name ],
I was on your website yesterday for [ use case ] when I noticed an issue. [ Give brief details ].
I’m a [ job role ] and I’ve fixed this same issue for lots of other companies, including [ client names ], so I could definitely do the same for you. It would help you to [ benefits of fixing problem ].
I’ve got some free time next week to talk this through. Here’s a link to my meeting scheduler [ include link ].
This email can work wonders if you pick the right problems. Plus, without describing a clear solution, you create an open-loop in your prospect’s mind that causes slight discomfort — discomfort that can be eliminated by simply scheduling a meeting with you.
Example 6: Cold email for SaaS companies
Companies at a certain growth stage will almost always face the same obstacles. Group your prospects in categories by revenue and point out two or three ways your product or service can help them get to the next stage of growth.
You guys are doing some pretty great things in the [ client’s industry ] space.
I’m emailing you because my company, [ company name ], has helped lots of companies in similar positions by:
- [ Product benefit ]
We’ve worked with [ client names ] in the past, and would love to do the same for you
It’d be great to find out more about your business and see if we’d be a good fit. Do you have five minutes this week to talk?
The difference between this email and the previous one is that this one focuses on the positive benefits, while the previous one focuses on the negative issues. In some situations, it isn’t possible to highlight an issue for your prospect. (Think accounting: how on Earth are you going to find out if your prospect is filing their taxes correctly?) In cases like these, you’re better off with a solid benefit-driven cold email.
Example 7: Product demo request email
A product demo takes abstract ideas (like product features & benefits) and translates them into practice: making it easier for your prospects to imagine how to integrate the product in their lives.
When done right, an in-person demonstration can leave a lasting impression, and thus increases your chance of you closing the deal.
I’m [ your name ] from [ company name ]. We do [ company specialism ] for clients like [ client names ].
Growing companies rely on us day in, day out to handle their [ product area ]. By choosing us, they’ve enjoyed:
We’re currently offering 10-minute demos – would you like to schedule one? [ Link to scheduler ].
Make sure to showcase only the most relevant benefits of your product. Including non-relevant product benefits in your email makes your main benefits look secondary, and so lowering the perceived value of your product. ADD_THIS_TEXT
Example 8: Cold meeting request and customer testimonial
Social proof like case studies and client testimonials make your cold email as warm as it gets. Pick testimonials that directly talk about what you did for your client and what results you got them. Avoid testimonials with vague statements praising your work.
As a [ your job role ] in your industry, I wanted to reach out to you about [ your company name ].
We work with companies like [ client’s company name ] on their [ product area ], helping them to:
But don’t take my word for it – listen to one of our clients, [ customer name, job role and company ]:
“[ Short client testimonial, no more than two sentences ].”
I’d love to show you how we can do the same for [ client’s company name ]. Do you have some time this week for a quick chat?
Also, make sure the testimonial is from someone who works in the same industry and has the same position as your prospect. People are more open to receiving advice from someone who’s in the same shoes as they are.
Example 9: Using questions to demonstrate your expertise
Asking the right questions makes you appear knowledgeable. After all, before you can ask thoughtful questions you need to have a deep understanding of the subject — and your prospects intuitively know that.
Knowing your domain of expertise inside and out allows you to see connections that other people don’t see. And when you point out a connection your prospects aren’t aware of, you inspire an “aha” moment and instantly grab their attention.
Hi [ first name ],
Do you and your team use [ third-party service ]? Do you wish it offered some extra functionality? Wouldn’t you love if it could [ list benefits of your product ]?
Pretty sweet, right?
We thought the same – so we made it happen.
I’m [ your name ] from [ company name ]. We give companies like yours the ability to [ expand on benefits listed in email intro ].
Sound like something you’d like to try? And what if you could try it for free?
I’d love to offer you a free trial and show you how it all works. Here’s my calendar [ link to calendar ] to book a time this week or next.
Try to find a few insightful questions that make your prospects ponder, see things in a new way, or open up their mind to new possibilities. It’s not easy. And it’ll require a lot of trial and error. But the results are well worth it.
Example 10: The brutally honest approach
Sometimes, it’s best to be completely honest and not tip-toe around the fact that you found your prospect using various prospecting tools . At the end of the day, you’re here to do business — and every receiver of a meeting request email knows that.
Hey [ client’s first name ],
[ Your name ] here. You don’t know me, but I found you on LinkedIn and I know that people like you often have to deal with [ pain points ].
You’re in luck, because I can [ solution ]. One of my clients, [ company name ], even achieved [ result related to your service ].
Would you be interested in hopping on a quick 15-minute call to learn more?
If so, click here to schedule a call [ link to scheduler ].
If not, just tell me you’re not interested – I don’t offend easily.
Looking forward to your response!
It’s best to create an email like this yourself. Pick the words and dictate the cadence of your sentences. Let your authenticity and personal brand shine through. After all, for many prospects the business relationship they’re getting into is just as important as the product they’re buying.
Now it’s your turn!
I hope you enjoyed reading my 10 meeting request email examples.
Which meeting request email template are you going to try first?
How will you change it?
Or will you create your own from scratch?
Either way, let me know in the comments below!
Hi, I'm Norbert! when I'm not searching for 10+ million email addresses per month, I'm writing articles that help sales, marketers, and recruiters help get their emails read and increase their response rate.
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2 Chapter 2: The Client Sales Engagement (Sales Visit)
There may be few or many sales visits within the Sales Process for Corporate Engagement. Visits (or individual engagements) should be with a key decision-maker (KDM) or a key decision-influencer (KDI) affecting the decision process. Each meeting should be similar in structure. The discussion of the meeting will coincide with the discipline of the client’s responsibilities. For example, a meeting with the operations manager will have some topics that are different than when meeting with the customer service manager. The sales team will prepare different questions and focus on elements that are important to the KDI or KDM. Even though the questions and focus may be different for each contact, the structure of the sales visit should follow a flow that is common to all.
The Sales Visit should not be confused with the Sales Process . The Sales Process is the roadmap that moves a client from “Prospect” to “Implement” (studied later in the text). The Sales Visit is one interaction (one meeting) with a client. There will typically be several meetings to get us from prospect to implement.
This chapter focuses on the Sales Visit. Most corporate sales engagements are scheduled from 30 minutes to two hours. The sales professional’s job is to use several engagements (sales visits) to piece together a compelling story for the client to choose one brand over another. Professional salespeople prepare well in advance to have a prosperous business discussion about important topics to the client. The art of the sale is finding the right communication topics and tone as you enter the conversation with the client. Engagements planned around the client and their celebrations and challenges are much more effective than an engagement planned around the sales professional.
The Sales Process for Corporate Engagement includes negotiations, marketing insights, sales strategy, and tactics; all used methodically to make the sale. The distinction between a marketing presentation and a sales presentation includes the consideration of the situation and objective. Sales seeks to understand the client. Marketing helps the client understand the seller. Both are important and have their place. The Sales Process for Corporate Engagements will help keep sales professionals aligned with fundamentals that lead to success.
Professional Self-Precheck
Before we dissect the Client Sales Engagement, let’s check ourselves. We are a representation of ourselves and the firm. In the words of Herb Brooks (played by Kirk Russel) in the great movie Miracle (a sports drama about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team), “The name on the front is a heck of a lot more important than the name on the back!” Meaning your individuality must yield to the team. This sales engagement is not about you. It is not about the “sage on the stage.”
Your presentation should be built in a way that you understand the client. Respect for cultures is critical to making the right impression. Do your best. Do your research and be prepared for every visit.
Dressing one level above the others in the room is good practice. Don’t use spicy language. Stand when the customer enters the room. Open the door for others to show you respect them. In other words, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Boardroom etiquette has a high-level of respect, mannerisms, and cordial language.
Company Leadership
Company leadership will be departmentalized into disciplines. Common department leaders are discussed in this section. Firms’ hierarchies vary. We will consider a typical structure for many firms to practice.
Medium to Large Firm Management Structure
CEO – Chief Executive Officer (Usually has a place on the board, the ultimate responsibility for the firm)
CFO – Chief Financial Officer (Finance, Investor Relations)
COO – Chief Operating Officer (Manufacturing/Distribution, Supply Chain)
CIO – Chief Information Officer (Technology)
CCO – Chief Commercial Officer (Strategy, Sales, Marketing)
Departments exist under each chief. Usually, the titles start with Vice President and extend through middle managers (example, Operations Manager) and then to team leaders of front-line workers. The structure may appear as the following:
It is essential to navigate the channels to find the KDMs and KDIs. Company cultures vary. Decision criteria and processes need to be vetted by the sales professional early in the sales cycle. Be careful not to get bogged down with individuals that cannot add value to your time and efforts. Navigating gatekeepers will require a solid message and skill. Organization charts can be of assistance when learning about a new prospect.
Small Firms
Leadership may play multiple roles in start-ups, or smaller firms focused on a specific niche in the market. One may find that there are fewer sales visits initially due to the ability to get a lot of information about the firm from one or two people.
Owner-operated
The Owner/President may not have the luxury of a full staff. Leaders may have larger responsibilities that expand across disciplines. There may be only one Vice President that is responsible for staff members. These staff members may be responsible for everything and everyone in that discipline or department. Titles may be used interchangeably.
Finance Manager
- Procurement
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Company Financial Management
Operations or Warehouse Manager
- Manufacturing
Technology Director
- General Technology
Sales and Marketing Manager
- Customer Service
- Market Strategy (works closely with President and Vice President)
Supply Chain Director
- Raw material acquisition
- Transportation/Shipping
- Brokerage (works with finance)
Targeted Contacts
The targeted contacts (KDM or KDI) will be based on the information that is needed to understand at this phase of the sales process. Typically, a product or service will dictate this situation. For example, if the sales professional sells lubricants for manufacturing processes, the target audience may be the Director of Manufacturing. The team would not start on the customer service team.
Usually, there is always a financial element to the sale. This suggests that at some point, the sales professional will have to present a return on investment (ROI) to the finance manager or the CFO. Articulating value becomes the spoken language when bridging these sales events. Numbers are always significant, all the time, every time.
Client Visit Planner
Preparation is key to winning any sales engagement. You must ask yourself, “what value am I bringing to this client today?” If there is not a solid answer, then more preparation must be done. Preparation includes the follow (not a complete list):
- Research of the client, products/services, industry, and competitors
- Financials of the client
- Leadership that you wish to engage (LinkedIn, News, etc.)
- Physical personal touch – go to a customer’s location, try to experience your client’s customer’s experience.
When preparing for the visit, it is important to use a Sales Visit Planner. There are many types of planners – each one fitting a company’s specific sales needs. The one provided is a generic example. This planner will be used during the meeting to keep the sales team on track with the sales strategy.
Elements of the basic client visit planner:
- Objective – This is a clearly defined objective that is the primary goal of the client visit.
- Opening Theme – Delivers a clearly articulated message as to the possibilities of the visit. For example, “During this meeting, the goal is to demonstrate our capabilities that will eliminate primary challenges of operational issues related to stock-outs. Appreciate candor and open discussion as we want to build a long-term business relationship that makes sense for both parties.”
- Questions – These questions will fit the phase of the sales process and the audience that are meeting. The level of questions should be strategic or more tactical depending on the leader within the client organization.
- Marketing Insights – specific data points that tell a story to increase value in the mind of the client. For example, “According to the PEW Institute study dated Mar 17, 2023, 92% of soccer mom’s prefer the TEAMCHAT app over other group chats related to K-8 team sports.”
Stage 1 – Opening
The opening is critical to the outcome of the engagement.
I ntroductions
Appearance as a sales professional is expected to match the client. The sales professional attire should also make a statement about your firm’s brand. For example, if you are representing a high-level attorney staffing firm, a suit and tie may be in order. If the sales professional is working with boat manufacturers in South Carolina on the coast, it may be appropriate to be in business casual (or even without a jacket).
Demeanor (smiles, positive, professional mannerisms, posture) says a lot about the sales professional. Be always cordial and respectful.
Greeting appropriate (firm handshake, bow)
Thank the client for the meeting. Provide your full name and the firm you represent.
“My name is ______. I represent _______ (company). I am the solution specialist for ______ division or ______resources…”
- Present business cards with care. Receive business cards with respect.
- Wait to be offered a seat. Do not sit until the client sits.
- If new members join the meeting, stand to greet them. Then, wait until they sit before proceeding.
- Confirm time allowed and people involved in the meeting.
Rapport (length of time depends on culture). Build rapport with the client before the business conversation. Best practices would include accolades for the client. “Congratulations on the recent sales award” “I saw the article in the paper regarding your expansion.”
Review agenda and confirm topics with the client. Use a theme statement to explain your desire for a collaborative partnership deliberately. Ask permission to share the document or slide show that will be used in the meeting.
Decision Process and Criteria
Ask for clarification of the decision process regarding agenda items and those involved. Use agenda topics and confirmation of influencers (people involved in the decision) to BRIDGE into business discussion and gain permission to ask questions to take notes.
Stage 2 – Strategic Direction
Research Reveal and Understand Client Situation .
Demonstrate knowledge of the client’s firm by referencing research and meetings with other internal personnel or groups – position yourself as a prepared, serious partner. For example, “While preparing for our meeting, I met with your staff as a guest during one of their pre-work meetings. I received some interesting information.” “I also did quite a bit of research on your firm and your competitors. I would like to go through some key points to ensure my understanding so I can serve you better.”
Confirm research and clarify the situation. Probe to verify research and learn more.
- o Current company sales
- o Position in the market (example, #3 in the market, three locations in the U.S. and two in China).
- o Locations of manufacturing firms or sources.
- o Number of employees
- o Customers served
- o Client’s competition
- Include Marketing Insights regarding the direction of the industry that strategically positions your firm.
Leadership Imperatives (these will vary depending on the position of the client)
Ask questions to determine the strategic direction of the client (Top-Line and Bottom-Line KPI – Key Performance Indicators or BSC – Balanced Score Card)
- o Sales growth goals
- o Mergers and acquisitions
- o Additional markets
- o New facilities
- o New products/service offerings
- o Production
- o Supply chain
- o Inventories
Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are primary metrics that inform decision-makers of business realities so that decisions can be made that will positively affect the firm’s outlook.
Balance Score Cards (BSC) are typically metric items for an individual or department with grading to determine performance effectiveness.
Stage 3 – Investigate for Challenges
Challenge the situation (ask questions related to challenges of the KPIs and BSC) .
Dissection of the client’s strategies and processes (one piece at a time) to determine challenges or problems (seen or unseen) is the critical part of the questioning skill that will help you build a business case to articulate the value of the offering.
- “What challenges do you foresee with attaining the sales goals?”
- “Any production bottlenecks or pain points expected with the increase in manufacturing demands?”
Probe at least two levels. For example, “Tell me more….” “Can you explain what you mean by that…” Restate the answer/summarize for understanding/confirm the challenge is clear. Checking for understanding will show the client that you are listening and tracking with the direction of the conversation that is important to them.
Strategic Alignment by ordering the importance of the challenges (client’s order of importance) will send a clear message to the client. Clients have their key priorities based on the order of importance or strategic direction. Successful sales professionals align with the client and repeat the imperatives often.
Stage 4 – Cost Implications – “Indict the challenge, not the client”
Create Cause and Effect (ask questions to determine the probable cost of the challenges).
The cost impact of a challenge or problem is the core of the value proposition. Sales professionals must determine the cost implications of the challenge. Ask related questions to assess the implications of the challenges. Uncover specific elements of the cost. Some of the cost drivers are as follows:
- # of employees
- Hours worked
- Pay per hour (add fully allocated cost of production)
- Quality rework cost
- Client acquisition cost for lost business (retention of current customers is imperative to your responsibility)
During the Cost Implications Stage, sales professionals will uncover cost figures that is needed to build value for the solution. Some questions examples follow:
Question: “Within the area of the warehouse with concern, how many employees are affected?
Answer: “4”
Question: “How many hours do these individuals work that is affected during this time?”
Answer: “3.5 hours”
Follow up: “So, four employees at 3.5 hours each is 14 total hours.” “What is the average pay per hour?”
Answer: $22.50, including insurance costs.
Total Cost Summary
Statement Recap: “$22.50 per hour times 14 hours equals $315 per day on average for this challenge. Right?”
Answer: “That is correct. We see on average $315 times 254 working days, which is $80,010 annually for this problem that we are having.”
NOTE: Once the client agrees with the cost of the problem, that number will live throughout the value proposition. Here the example is $80,010.
Stage 5 – Propose Solutions or Alternatives (that align with your firm)
Conditionally propose offerings .
At this point in the visit, the sales professional will be considering solutions that will meet the client’s challenge. Ask questions to test the client’s desire or need for the best-fit solution.
Question: “If I could cut your production time by 10% and eliminate the challenge of ______, would you be interested?”
Answer: “I’m not sure. I would need to understand better.”
Marketing Insights and Product/Solution Advantages: “Our new abrasive product line has been proven to cut production time and works with your equipment so that there is little to no training. We estimate that we could cut your production time by 13%.”
Trades are part of the negotiation process that must enter the discussion.
- o “If you are willing to allow me to position my product, I would consider….”
- o Confirm the value of your solution in the mind of the client (agree on a monetary value for each offering)
- o Discuss implementation scenarios
Gain agreement from departmental leaders or other KDMs to support your proposed solutions within a more significant Strategic Business Case for the firm overall.
NOTE: Strategy for concessions is critical during this stage (remember negotiation planning). Be sure to plan for what you will receive in return for your proposed solutions. We are reaching a point where there can be no ambiguity in the relationship between you and the client related to your intentions. You are there to make a sale. This is a negotiation. Trades will be part of the process.
Stage 6 – Articulate Value of the Business Case (Art of Value)
The Art of Value may be painted by an elaborate process flow map with engineering time metrics at each segment that shares minutes, $, people, or some other element that impacts an operation. Or the Art of Value may be a simple whiteboard session that talks through the entire business situation. Students will work on the process of building a business case with a rubric provided by the facilitator. Keep in mind that the beauty of art is in the beholder. Know your audience. Different methods of presenting are acceptable. It depends upon the situation.
Up to this point, the sales visit flow across managers, regardless of discipline, is the same, except for the topics. For example:
- Supply Chain
- Finance (Procurement will sometimes require a formal presentation before ultimate leadership)
This typical flow usually will engage leaders in the firm that physically uses the sales team’s product or service. Once the sales professional understands the client’s business and personal needs/desires, navigate to success by working through the various leaders responsible for parts of the process.
Case Scenario:
Company (our company) – Alpha LLC., a maker of drilling tools and bonding agents for laminating wood.
Position – We are an account executive responsible for selling to clients in the cabinet industry.
Prospect – Creative Cabinets specializes in high-end custom cabinetry for homes and businesses. Their product is known worldwide due to their patented production process that uses large, computerized machines to build cabinet doors with intricate detail within a very short amount of time.
Reason Creative Cabinets is a great prospect – Our firm (Alpha LLC.) has the finest steel and carbide tools in the industry that will work in the Creative Cabinets’ machines.
The Sales Process – We may have a Sales Process Flow that looks like the following (Follow the Flow).
NOTE: Although there were five meetings in the sales process, each sales visit had similar stages or interactions. See the following examples:
Meeting 1: Operations Manager – Gain a first meeting with the operations manager to determine the viability of the prospect. Gain information about their goals and learn about the decision-makers in the firm.
Meeting 2 : Customer Service – Meet with customer service to determine if there are significant challenges with the product (which would insinuate there are problems with the tools in production).
Meeting 3 : Operations Manager – Meet again with the operations manager to share the detail from customer service and address the challenges of quality and determine the implications of the quality issues.
- a) Indict the challenges to determine implication costs.
- b) Propose Solutions and build the value of your product in the mind of the client.
Meeting 4 : Procurement/Finance Manager – Meet with the finance team to discuss the challenges that you have uncovered and solutions you have provided, and gain information from the perspective of the finance team regarding overall cost. Focus on the overall value of your offering. Be careful not to get pulled into a price discussion too early.
Meeting 5 : President/Owner/CEO – Presentation built with the approval of the key influencers. This presentation will be about the Current State and Future State with Revenue and Cost improvements.
Consider that the team is currently in Stage 6, Articulation of Value, for the scenario with a VP of a small firm. The following is an outline of a possible discussion….
Presentation (PowerPoint)
- Agenda (Confirm agenda aligns with the client).
- o State objectives of the meeting.
- o State understanding of the firm’s goals and direction of the organization (short-term and long-term).
- Current State and Issues (Dangers to current situation if not changed).
- Future State (with cost elements or lack of revenue) and Solutions (Benefits to change).
- Value of the proposal in the client’s terms.
- Revenue and Cost Overview – confirm the numbers are accurate.
- Propose to move forward and Close the Deal (gain advance with a firm date and time if more meetings are needed).
- Present Implementation Plan (includes both parties) and confirm the date of completion.
Negotiate terms of agreement (including price)
- Protect self-interest.
- Trade for collaboration (charge more for desires than needs satisfaction).
- Use your pre-meeting, planned concession strategy to guide you (see negotiation planner).
Overcoming Objections
- Ask questions to understand.
- Confirm/Restate the customer’s point for clarity.
- o Pause for customer agreement.
- Ask if you have resolved the concern.
- o If non-related to the agreement, defer to another meeting.
Stage 7 – Closing the Deal
Proposing to move forward .
Once the value has been articulated, negotiations have taken place, and objections have been overcome, to confirm that the client agrees with the overall business case.
Provide a summary of the meeting and test the client’s willingness to buy.
- Address any concerns or questions.
- Ask for a commitment from the client to move forward with the implementation plan.
- Present the document to close (the first step in the implementation plan is to sign the agreement).
Implementation Plan Example – In some cases, the Implementation Plan may require a Project Manager with a more robust tool for tracking the process to completion. Implementation plans are covered later in the text.
Rubric for Sales Visit (college competition)
University Sales Competitions use an elementary rubric assessment form to judge students during the role plays. The highlight areas are as follows:
- Meeting Opening (5%)
- Needs Identification (40%)
- Presentation (15%)
- Overcoming Objections (15%)
- Gain Commitment (10%)
- Professional Communication (10%)
- Credible and Trustworthy (5%)
Chapter Overview – YouTube channel
Sales Process for Corporate Engagements Copyright © 2023 by Brian Morgan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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Harcourt Lane
Content consultancy.
By B. Andrew
Top tips for a successful sales visit
Some business owners look forward to visiting potential customers. They embrace this opportunity to pitch their products and services. But not every business owner finds this exciting. In fact, many dread having to make sales visits.
But sales visits do not have to be daunting. Here are some tips to help you have a relaxing and successful visit.
1) Before the visit
Do your homework beforehand. There is no substitute for this. If you want to have a productive visit, you cannot afford to skip this step.
You will need answers to the following questions
Who is your potential client? Not just the name of the person you are going to see, and the name of his company. But also, what does the company do?
Also, what are the wishes or pain points of that particular business? You need to look at this from the perspective of that business, and also from the perspective of the industry in which that business is operating. Basically, what you’re trying to find out is this: exactly what problem can I solve for my potential client?
So you must do your research.
Based on what you discover, you will then be able to come up with concrete ways in which your product or service can help your potential client. Prepare a list of such examples, with as much detail as you can find.
Also, anticipate the questions your potential client might ask. This should be possible to do once you have researched your client and his industry.
2) During the visit
Practical point – get there early. Prepare for unforeseen events, such as traffic jams or late trains. You don’t want to rush in there flustered. You want to arrive calm and in control. So give yourself plenty of time.
Right. Now that you’re sitting opposite your prospect, what should you do?
Remember that it should be a conversation, and not a monologue. Don’t focus on pitching non-stop. However great your product or service, you won’t sell it by pitching breathlessly about its top features. You will sell it by creating trust between you and your potential client. To achieve this, you need to start a conversation.
Listen to what your prospect is saying. This shows that, primarily, you are interested in his problem, and that you’re not just in there for a quick sale. After all, if he is to buy your product or service, he needs to be convinced that it will work for him. He can only be convinced of that if, first of all, he sees that you actually understand his problem. Next, he will want to see that you know how to solve his problem. You will have to be listening actively to him to be able to show that.
Also, by listening to your potential client, you can get valuable insights into what he actually wants.
The thing is, no matter how thoroughly you do your homework beforehand, you will not learn all the relevant facts about your potential client. However, by listening to him, you can glean insights into what his real needs are. And even if he reveals something that you had not anticipated, you should be flexible enough to change your approach right there. L
So assuming you had gone in there to sell a particular service, but, on listening to your client, it becomes clear that he has different needs which you can also meet, you should be flexible enough to ditch your initial plan, and to offer him the appropriate service for him. But note: this opportunity would only arise if you are actively listening in the first place. If you are not listening to your prospect, you would end up wasting your time pitching the wrong service (which he won’t buy), and then missing the clear opportunity to give him what he really needs.
3) After the visit
Sometimes you may get a ‘yes’ from the potential client during the visit. It’s always great when that happens. However, at other times, it could be a ‘no’, a ‘not yet’, or a ‘let me think about it’.
If it’s a ‘no’, there are still a few things you can do. For example, find out why the potential client did not take up the offer. Depending on the answer, you might be able to turn the ‘no’ into a ‘yes’. For example, if he declined the offer because of the price, you could discuss flexible payment options, if these are available.
Sometimes a ‘no’ is actually a ‘not yet’. So don’t just take ‘no’ for an answer. If you ask the potential client for the reasons he said ‘no’, you may find out that it wasn’t really a firm ‘no’. For example, a prospect may have really liked your offer, but just wasn’t ready to purchase at that very time. You could then agree a follow-up call or a visit at an agreed date in the future. You would then have higher chances of securing a ‘yes’.
The point here is that you should follow up with your potential clients. Do this in every case apart from where the prospect has said a firm ‘no’. Anything less than a firm ‘no’ should be followed up. Don’t give up too easily. But at the same time, always accept a firm ‘no’, and thank your potential client for having considered your offer.
If you have made any promises to your potential client during the visit, be sure to keep them. For example, if you have promised to call them on a particular day, call them back on that day. If you have promised to send them further information, do so without delay. The sales visit does not end when you leave your potential client’s premises. He is still assessing you (and your company) in the way you conduct yourself after the visit.
Sales visits can be daunting, but, done right, they can also be rewarding. The key thing to remember is that you are there to build trust between you and your potential client. It is not about delivering him a monologue pitch, but more about engaging him in a discussion that frees him to discuss with you how you can help him solve his particular problem. So even after the visit is over, keep regular contact with your potential client along the lines you have agreed with him.
What do you think about sales visits? Do you look forward to doing them? Share your tips and experiences with us below!
Contact us:
Via our contact page email: info at harcourtlane.com skype: harcourtlane telephone: + 31 20 520 7589 address: keizersgracht 62 - 64, 1015 cs amsterdam, the netherlands, harcourt lane smart, effective marketing for the fintech industry.
B2B Appointment Setting: How to Book More (and Better Quality) Sales Meetings
Booking high-quality meetings is one of the most underappreciated opportunities sales teams have. We all want to learn the best tactics for negotiating and closing deals.
But try getting people excited about appointment setting. Yet, no matter how you look at it, there’s one truth in sales: You can’t win a deal if no one’s willing to talk to you.
B2B appointment setting might not be the sexiest topic to cover. But it’s the foundation that your entire sales process is built on.
In this post, we’re going to run you through everything you need to know about setting better appointments, from how to set more appointments, when and how often to send reminders, to what to do after the call and how to turn no-shows back into hot leads.
You Have to Sell the Appointment Before You Can Sell Your Product
Appointment setting is both a science and an art. Sure, some tools and techniques have been proven to increase your response rate. But the art is in how you sell the meeting.
Yet most sales teams don’t pitch the value of the meeting itself. We assume everyone knows what a product demo is and why they’d want to spend their time going through one. But why should that prospect give you their time?
Think about the last time someone called or emailed asking for a few minutes of your time. If you said yes, it was probably because they proved to you the ROI of taking the meeting.
That’s exactly what you need to do when you’re trying to set more appointments. Don’t give some long-winded request or backstory. Just get to the point and show the prospect that setting this appointment is going to save them time and help them get to a better decision faster.
The last thing you want is to fall into the trap of what Rachel Williams, Director of Sales and Partnerships at Calendly , calls, the “show up and throw up” appointment setting call or email. These are where you list all the ways your product is amazing in the hope that one of them sticks. But your prospect doesn’t have time for this. Plus, they don’t know you. So why should they care?
If you don’t sell the appointment, you can never sell your product. So don’t underestimate the importance of your appointment setting outreach.
Should You Cold Call or Send a Cold Email When Trying to Set Appointments?
One of the biggest questions in sales and in appointment setting is whether you should reach out by email or phone. The simple answer is both. The more complex one is that it depends on your team and your customer.
First, ask yourself how big of a sales opportunity is this? Is this a high-pressure situation where you need a response now and should call? Or is your sales process longer and it’s fine to email and follow up online?
Next, where and when is your customer most likely to respond? You know your prospect better than anyone. Do they respond better to cold calls or emails? Are they going to see your number pop up on their screen and take that call? Or do you need to email them when you know they’ll be sitting down at their computer?
Cold calls and emails aren’t your only option either. When you’re trying to set more appointments you need multiple touchpoints with your prospect. Add them on social media or comment on one of their latest updates. Let them know who you are and that you’re interested in talking to them.
Whichever method you choose, when a prospect gets back to you, set the appointment as soon as possible. Ideally, that same week. If you set an appointment too far in advance, you’re going to have to continually check back with them and get their buy-in. Capture the momentum of a quick call and push your prospect into your pipeline.
If you're not sure how to create a cold email template, don't worry - our AI-powered tool, the cold email generator , makes it easy!
Appointment Setting Over Email
Like all cold emails, your appointment setting messages will do better if you know exactly whom you’re sending them. This means having a deep understanding of who your ideal customer is and how you can sell the value of taking the meeting to them.
That means sending an appointment setting email that is:
- Personalized: Show the person you’ve done your homework and know who they are.
- Short and to the point: Your messaging needs to be compelling and attention-grabbing from the start. Don’t start with a weak “hope you’re well” or other throwaway statement.
- Respectful of your prospect’s time: Get to the point quickly. Acknowledge your prospect is busy and tell them why you’re reaching out.
- Clearly explain how you’ll solve your prospect’s biggest issues: What keeps your ideal customer up at night? And how is your product going to solve that problem?
- Tell them exactly what they need to do next: Should they reply? Click your calendar link? Give you a call? Be super clear about what their next step is.
It’s a lot to pack into a few sentences. This is why one great tip is to share your email with the ideal customer within your own company.
So for example, if your ideal customer is a VP of Marketing, then show your email to your VP of Marketing. Is it something they’d open and read? Does it make them want to connect with you? Ask for their honest opinion, because they’ll know better than anyone else.
And don’t be afraid to get creative, either. Scott Barker, Head of Partnerships at Sales Hacker , and his team use a “Fake Cold Call” email template for their cold outreach. Not only has it helped them land hundreds of sales appointments and contracts, but they consistently get a 70-80 percent response rate.
When it comes to setting appointments over email, you also need a tool that lets you send personalized emails at scale and be incredibly organized so you can respond quickly and timely.
Close's integrated Sales Inbox lets you quickly see all your appointment setting activity in one place—including emails, calls, voicemails, tasks, and reminders. This way you can track every touchpoint with your lead as you set appointments.
With our two-way email syncing, you can set automatic follow-up reminders, use personalized templates, and send bulk appointment setting emails, all from your CRM.
Plus, our native integration with SavvyCal means you can send an easy appointment-setting link that prospects can open and see their own calendar overlayed on your reps' availability. Then, those booked meetings are added automatically to Close.
Appointment Setting Over the Phone
Depending on your prospect and your industry, a cold email might not be the best way to set sales appointments. Plus, if you don’t have insight into the deliverability of your emails, you don’t know if they’re ending up in the spam or just being ignored. And with new data protection laws like the GDPR coming into effect, cold emailing lists might be a thing of the past.
That’s why cold calling is another fantastic option for appointment setting. But again, it comes with its own specific best practices.
For one, it’s always a good idea to let a prospect know who you are before you call them. This is as easy as following them on social media or checking out their LinkedIn page. Just a bit of engagement can go a long way in creating a “warm call” rather than a strictly cold one.
Second, you need to have insights into the success rate of your calls and how many it takes to land an appointment. This is where having a CRM with built-in VoIP calling like Close is so important for appointment setting.
Not only are you able to make more calls thanks to one-click dialing and our built-in Power Dialer call automation, but all appointment setting calls can be recorded and tracked to give you insights into how effective your cold calls truly are.
As Troy Logan, Founder and VP of Operations at Saleshuntr explains:
“Saleshuntr Inc. started out as an ‘appointment setting and tracking’ CRM product. We hired multiple software developers onshore and offshore to build the features we were looking for. But after a couple of years of mediocre results someone told us about Close.”
“Close had all the features we were looking for and more. Incorporating VoIP with a CRM changed our business model. We became an outsource appointment setting company. Today Saleshuntr Inc. uses Close exclusively to set appointments for our clients.”
For Saleshuntr, using Close to set appointments has changed the way they operate their business in a number of ways:
- They can track all their activity and know exactly how many calls it takes to land an appointment, giving them much more predictability.
- They can drop emails directly to the prospect while they’re on the phone (i.e. “I just sent you an email, it should be in your inbox now).
- They can make more calls and set more appointments every day thanks to its ease of use and sales rep-focused design.
“We tried a host of other CRM's and I can tell you, some VP of engineering must of have designed them,” explains Troy. “They are not sales friendly, it's cumbersome and an outright pain to use.”
“ We love Close. I can't imagine using anything else.”
If you want to check other CRMs, we do have a list of best B2B CRMs in this article .
What to Do Once You’ve Set a Sales Appointment
Once you’ve set your sales appointment your job isn’t finished. No matter what a prospect says, you need to keep them committed to showing up to the meeting you worked so hard to sell.
Right after you’ve booked the appointment send your prospect a high-level agenda of what you’re going to cover during the meeting. This should cover the essentials, like what you’re going to show them, as well as remind them why they took the meeting in the first place by covering how your product is going to solve their pain points. You can even embed this agenda into the calendar link you send over.
Next, if you haven’t already, send them a LinkedIn request to establish the relationship and show that you’re invested in it. LinkedIn is abused way too much by salespeople. And so sending a request after they’ve agreed to the meeting is a much better way to get into their network.
Lastly, if you’re selling to multiple stakeholders within a company, you’ll also want to send this information directly to the person you want as your internal sales champion. This is someone who will organize the logistics behind the scenes and make sure everyone who needs to be at the meeting is there. An easy way to do this is to just be transparent and ask:
“It’s probably going to be tricky to organize this meeting with all six stakeholders as they’re all C-suite executives. What’s the best way to get this done?”
Not only will your internal champion be able to navigate the politics of bringing everyone together. But they also have a vested interest in looking good in front of their bosses. So while it might take a bit of time to find and develop this relationship, it’s invaluable to have once you’ve set a meeting.
How and When to Send Appointment Reminders
If you’re setting a ton of appointments, you’re going to live and die by your reminders. And your prospects are the same. The more you can remind them of your appointment and get continued buy-in, the less likely they’re going to no-show on you.
Calendly’s Rachel Williams suggests doing a minimum of 2 reminders before your sales appointment:
- 24 hours in advance: A day out, send your prospect a personalized message with a link if they need to reschedule.
- 4 hours in advance: A few hours before the appointment, send another message and reschedule link in case their day got crazy. This is enough time that it won’t completely derail your own schedule if they have to cancel.
It’s completely fine to send these reminders over email and you can even set them to go out automatically in Close. However, if you’re meeting in person and it’s a large time commitment, it’s probably a good bet to call in advance to confirm.
From time to time, you might also run into a situation where a prospect agrees to an appointment but doesn’t actually RSVP to it. In this case, reminder emails are a great option to tell them why they agreed to the appointment in the first place, and give them a chance to put it in their calendars.
How to Handle No-shows and Get Them to Set a New Appointment
There’s nothing worse than doing the work to set the appointment, sending reminders, and then having a prospect no-show. But it happens. And the last thing you want is for a no-show to ruin your entire day.
Let’s say, you’re waiting for a prospect to show up for a virtual demo. If they haven’t signed on after 1–2 minutes, send them a quick email such as:
“Hey, I’m in the GoToMeeting/Zoom. Here’s the info. Let me know if you have any questions about getting logged in.”
Wait no more than 10 minutes. After that, send them another quick email saying you missed them and then use your CRM, such as Close, to send an automated reschedule campaign.
At this point, you’ve done the work to convince them to set the appointment, so your messaging should be super clear and to the point. Something like:
“We missed you and would love to reschedule. Here’s a link/Does Tuesday at 11 am work for you?”
Days get busy, and in most cases, your prospect will reschedule. However, if they don’t after a few tries, you need to close the loop so you can move on. As a last effort, you should send them a final “break up” email saying:
“We’ve rescheduled a couple of times. If you’ve shifted gears and this isn’t a priority or you’re going in a different direction let us know.”
In many cases, the prospect will still want to connect with you. And so these emails have a surprisingly good response rate and often give you much more insight into what’s happening on their end.
And while you might get a no from them (or more silence), a no is the second best thing you can hear from a prospect. It lets you know this is a dead end and that your efforts are better suited elsewhere.
Anatomy of a Good Sales Appointment
- Set the agenda and expectations for the call. “We have these people from us/you. We’re going to talk for 30 minutes about X, Y, and Z. There will be time at the end for questions. Etc…” This creates a structure for the call and gets buy-in.
- What you should know at the end of your call: Who they are? What do they care about? Who owns the business outcomes? Pain points and challenges. How you solve them. Their next steps and your next steps.
- Take notes and book 10-20 minutes after your call to add them to your CRM
- Record calls if you have to, but you’re most likely not going to listen back through the whole thing to take notes. Good for training purposes.
- Every call should end with a future commitment.
What to Do Immediately After Your Call
- Send a high-level recap of what you talked about. Make it digestible. This could also be a personalized video summary (Scott said this is like “sending them a training video of how to position your product or service”)
- Include a commitment calendar - the key dates working backward from the close. Ask them to confirm.
- Find creative ways to stay engaged. Rachel from Calendly says to work with your content team to put together and send over useful information 3 days after the call to stay top of mind.
Setting Good Appointments is the Foundation of Your Entire Sales Process
If your prospect won’t agree to talk to you, you’ll never be able to sell them anything.
Setting appointments is the first step every prospect needs to take if you want to turn them into a customer. But getting people over that initial hump takes skill and creativity.
Explain why the meeting is valuable to them in a short, personalized, and clear message. Give them an easy CTA for setting the appointment. And then use your CRM to send reminders and follow-ups to keep them committed to showing up when they said they would.
It might be cliche to say you only get one first impression. But setting appointments the right way makes sure your relationship with your prospect starts in the best possible way. And while you won’t be guaranteed the sale, you’ll be one step closer to getting it.
Want to up your cold emailing game and start booking more sales appointments? Download your free CRM-ready email templates .
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- 8 Do's and Don'ts when Making Sales Appointments
8 Do's and Don'ts when Making Sales Appointments
Meeting with a potential customer face-to-face is more or less the only guaranteed route to successfully pitching, negotiating and successfully closing a sale. Of course, such a meeting requires making an appointment, and this in itself is one of the most challenging aspects of any salesperson's role.
There are useful strategies and techniques which can be adopted and used to increase the chances of making beneficial sales appointments and these are covered by Maguire Training's Making Sales Appointments course. Delegates will learn every aspect of the process from formulating an effective prospecting strategy to establishing direct contact with the decision-maker, and will be equipped with the skills to ensure that firm sales appointments are made, as well as tips on how to navigate past gatekeepers .
If making sales appointments is part of your everyday role, you'll undoubtedly benefit from this course, but to get you on the right track here are eight 'do's and don'ts' to consider when making sales appointments.
1) DON'T appear desperate Nothing is less appealing to a prospective customer than a salesperson who sounds keen, to the point of desperation, to make an appointment. Don't be blas or complacent about making an appointment, but don't come across as though your life depends on it either.
2) DO be courteous Ask politely if you can speak to a decision-maker and if not, enquire as to the reason and if there would be a better time to call. If speaking to the decision-maker, always ask if they have a moment to speak to you; it is pointless trying to arrange a sales appointment if they are in the middle of a business meeting. Tactfully establish the best and most convenient time to call back.
3) DON'T launch into an obvious sales pitch Your initial purpose is simply to arrange a face-to-face meeting at which you can deliver your pitch. Appointment-making is more about establishing an initial relationship and gathering facts about a potential customer's current problems and challenges and how, by working together, you might be able to address and resolve them.
4) DO be prepared for objections and overcoming them
Inevitably you're going to come up against the prospective customer who says "we're not buying at the moment", "we're happy with our current supplier" or some other counter to your request to make an appointment. Just be sure that you have the ammunition at your disposal to shoot down any likely objections .
5) DON'T turn sales appointment-making into an inquisition
Ask only as many questions as you need to get an insight into whether or not the potential customer is a viable prospect or not. Further information gathering, if needed, can take place during the sales appointment itself.
6) DO adopt a 'service not sales' approach Adopt the attitude that you are making an appointment purely to show how you can help the customer, and not to make a sale. You must prove to the customer what's in it for them when they agree to an appointment, showing them how you can make their business easier or more profitable. If you show that this is all about them, and not you, the appointment and hopefully the sale will surely follow.
7) DON'T forget to explicitly request to arrange an appointment If you feel confident that the initial conversation has moved in the right direction and there is sufficient enthusiasm from the potential customer, don't beat about the bush, but tell them that you've noted their interest and ask them for a face-to-face meeting at their convenience to talk further.
8) DO be sure to reinforce the benefits of meeting face-to-face You may tell the prospect that at your meeting, you'll show them how your products and services have helped similar clients and, assuming you've asked the right initial questions, how you will address the problems and challenges they currently face.
How can we help?
Capturing sales appointments is a fundamental key to sales success, but Maguire Training understands that salespeople lead busy lives and can't always easily fit classroom-based training into their schedules. Maguire Training's innovative E-learning platform ensures delegates can obtain all of the skills, knowledge and benefits of Making Sales Appointments as an online training course, accessible whenever and wherever is most convenient.
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Can’t Get an Appointment? Go anyway!
by Mace Horoff • Blog
If you’re a medical sales professional with a large territory, the geography you cover offers an additional challenge to the many you face. The challenge is getting in front of customers on a regular basis. Instead of strategically planning personal visits, reps default to cold-calling by telephone or email to land appointments. The problem is it often doesn’t work. Yet, many of the sales representatives that I meet in my on-site medical sales training workshops burn time dialing for appointments instead of just going to where their customers are.
Often, poor territory management and organization can limit one’s sales success. But mindset has a lot to do with it also. Instead of an I-don’t-want-to-waste-my-time mindset, sales professionals need to adopt a see-and-be-seen mindset.
Healthcare Buyers Like Familiarity and Consistency
Many factors influence the healthcare sale. Having a great product or service is important. Being on contract is a big factor as well. But few healthcare stakeholders, especially those who actually use a product, favor buying from a company whose local sales rep is unknown or rarely seen.
Healthcare providers expect a high level of service from suppliers. You can tell buyers how great you are and promise that you’ll be there whenever they need you, but they will always default to their experience with you. When you show up at their offices on a regular basis, it demonstrates consistency. It also suggests that you’ll service them consistently as well.
Unless You Can See Into the Future with a Crystal Ball, Don’t Pre-judge
Average medical reps are famous for making things up in their heads that prevent them from becoming great medical reps. Let me give you an example.
Recently, I was having a conversation with John, a rep who sells capital equipment. He just lost a sale to a competitor. John’s company has a sole source agreement with the hospital chain that bought the competitive product. John couldn’t understand how this could happen, especially since his product is superior in almost every way.
I asked John, “So why didn’t they buy your product if you’re on contract?”
John replied, “They said they never saw a sales rep from my company.”
John has only been in the territory four months. Unfortunately though, the territory was uncovered for several years prior.
I asked John if he had visited the account since he was hired. His response was, “I tried making appointments with physicians and key personnel at the hospital, but the people were either unavailable or said, ‘Send information.’ Unfortunately, my territory is big and I don’t have the luxury of driving hundreds of miles without knowing if I can get in to see a customer.”
John pre-judged people he never met. He assumed he wouldn’t be able to get past gatekeepers and trying would be a waste of time. We’ll never know if the account would have bought from John if he had met with the right people. But you’re never going to meet with the right people if you have the mindset that they won’t see you.
Use the Telephone as a Sales Tool, NOT a Sales Platform
The power of the telephone is declining as a sales tool. The biggest reasons, in my opinion, are caller ID and voice mail. If a busy healthcare provider doesn’t recognize your name or phone number, you’re toast. And if you end up in voice mail and say what most sales reps say, your call is deleted in less than two seconds. Don’t get your feelings hurt—you probably do the same thing when salespeople you don’t know call you.
Email offers an advantage… to the recipient. It’s much easier to hit “delete” than to scroll through voice mails.
Do you know what the telephone is good for, though? Getting information, specifically, finding out if your prospect is going to be in the office on a given date. How might this work?
Let’s say your goal is to meet with Ms. Jones in Radiology. One to three days before your planned visit, call her office. If she answers, deliver a powerful value proposition in five seconds or less. Next, tell her that you’ll be in her area on such and such a date and ask if you could meet with her for five minutes to…[again emphasize compelling value proposition]. If she says “yes,” you have your appointment. If she says “no,” tell her you will drop off some information and ask if she will be there to accept it? She’ll probably tell you to leave it with so and so, but you’re not going to do that. You’re going to visit and ask to see her, again, by offering an even more compelling value proposition.
Finding out when someone will be in the office is even easier when an admin or receptionist answers. Often you can just say, “I have something I would like to drop off for Ms. Jones. Will she be in the office Tuesday or Wednesday of next week?” Be creative. Just find out when your prospect is in.
Do something similar with other prospects in the same area and plan your visit on the day when most are in town. If you get in to see just one and open a discussion that is relevant, it was worth the trip.
It’s Only Cold the First Time
Sales reps avoid cold-calling because they fear facing rejection. No one likes hearing “no.” If you think about it, a call is only cold when you don’t have a referral or an appointment and you’re meeting the customer for the first time. If you sell effectively and demonstrate how you bring value to a practice or institution, you are no longer seen as an unknown, unwelcome sales rep. You are someone who is worth spending time with and that makes your next visit much warmer.
Your greatest chance of speaking to prospects is in person. While there is no guarantee that you’ll get to see them without an appointment, you’re almost guaranteed never to see them if your attempts for an appointment by phone or email keep failing.
Do your research and plan your visits when a high number of prospects are in town. Don’t only seek out department heads and physicians; ask to meet with anyone who might be able to get you in to see the decision-makers. It’s a process that requires persistence…and showing up.
Unless you’re an inside sales representative whose job is phone sales, meet every prospect toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye as regularly as possible. It’s the best way to be top-of-mind when it’s time to buy.
Want to get more articles like this one?
Mace Horoff
Get in front of customers by showing up instead of calling for an appointment | Medical Sales Guru Podcast July 1, 2015 @ 4:09 pm
[…] a related article (but there’s more detail in the […]
Showing up is the key turning sales rep difference than compatitors. ..
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Feb 8, 2023
How to write appointment emails with 6 samples and templates
Whether you're organizing a meeting, confirming details, following up, or even cancelling an appointment, here’s how to do it.
Lawrie Jones
Table of contents
Appointment emails are all about the efficient use of time and resources.
Whether you're organizing a meeting, confirming details, following up, or even canceling an appointment, it's easier to manage appointments to do it over email.
Writing appointment emails isn't always fun, but following a standard format is usually quick and easy for everyone. We walk you through the email appointment format, explaining the building blocks of crafting compelling subject lines and body copy.
If that isn't enough, we illustrate the principles with 6 appointment email samples. No need to book; let's begin!
How to write an appointment email
Appointment emails are professional correspondence with a single purpose. You may want to send an appointment email to:
- request an appointment
- confirm appointment details
- delay an appointment
- follow-up an appointment
- cancel an appointment
- reschedule an appointment
The most effective appointment emails are short, simple, and get straight to the point. They also follow what should be a familiar format if you're already used to writing business emails.
So let's break that down for you.
Appointment email format
It helps to break down the appointment email format into 3 separate parts:
- Subject line – grab attention, inspire action, and capture the click!
- Body copy – Explain who you are, what you're asking for, and why. Strip content back to the basics, and use bold text and bullet points to help convey your message.
- Sign-off – Before saying goodbye, check you've included all contact details and essential information.
Those are the basics, but here's a step-by-step breakdown of an appointment email format:
1. Appointment email subject line
The best subject lines are simple, and that's certainly the case for appointment emails. Don't try to be funny or friendly; say it like it is (as we do in these samples):
- Appointment request: (date)
- Appointment confirmation – (your name)
- Can we reschedule our meeting?
- I need to cancel our appointment
- Additional information required after our meeting
These may seem simple because they are. There's no point wasting time crafting anything creative here, so we won't.
2. Appointment email body
Start your appointment emails with an introduction (if you don't know the person) or a reminder if you do. Then, in the same intro paragraph, be sure to say what the email is about – such as requesting an appointment, rescheduling an appointment, or canceling one.
- My name is (your name), and I'm contacting you from (company name). I would like to request an appointment with you to discuss (whatever you want to discuss)
- It's (name) here. We have an appointment scheduled for (details), but I wanted to ask if we could reschedule.
If you've established the purpose of the email in the first paragraph, you could stop there. But you may need to clarify details, confirm aspects of the meeting, or share resources.
- I've booked us a space at (meeting room). Please confirm that this works for you.
- I've attached some papers I wanted to discuss at our appointment. Can you review these before we meet? Let me know if you have any questions.
3. How to end an appointment email
Appointment emails have a single purpose, and you'll want to (gently) push for a response.
- It would be great to get a confirmed date in the diary. Please let me know if this appointment time works for you.
- I appreciate rescheduling this appointment may cause you some disruption. Please confirm that you've received this email and that the suggested time is acceptable. If not, please feel free to offer an alternative.
Remember to include your contact details and an appropriate sign-off.
- You can contact me at any point at (insert details), and I'll be happy to answer any questions.
Appointment email examples
So, we're at that point in the article where you get to see some examples.
These template appointment emails should be used for information and inspiration to help you create your own.
Please look at how we've applied the professional format to these appointment emails and focus on the tone of voice.
Ready to go? Then let's start.
1. Appointment confirmation email sample
Email appointment confirmations are standard correspondence, whatever your business. You'll see how we've included space to add details, such as date, time, and location.
You can also add attachments and links to essential resources, such as parking information.
2. Appointment request email sample
The format, tone of voice, and style of your appointment request emails depends on whether you know the person. If you do, you can kick back and be more relaxed and less formal.
If you don't, it's a good idea to be formal (at least until you secure the appointment). This explains who you are, why you're messaging, and what you want.
If you want some extra inspiration, check out our guide on how to request things via email .
- It's always good to add a few dates for the person to choose from
3. Cancel an appointment email sample
If you need to cancel an appointment, do it as early as possible. It's essential to offer an apology and, if you want, explain why you can't make the original appointment.
Then, if you still want to meet, you can suggest alternative dates (as we do in this appointment cancellation email example).
4. Reschedule an appointment email sample
If you can't make a meeting dates consider rescheduling an appointment by email. If you were the one who had to cancel, offer an apology and explain why you couldn't make the previous appointment.
Then, offer some appropriate dates and times for a new meeting. It's a good idea to provide the person (or persons) with several options.
Doing so could help you avoid email tennis, that's time-consuming and frustrating.
- Add your dates and times
5. Appointment reminder email sample
Don't want to be staring at a blank screen or an empty room? Then send an appointment reminder email!
You'll notice that this appointment reminder email template is short and sweet, as it has a simple job. You can learn more about writing effective email reminders here .
6. Appointment follow-up email sample
Learning how to write a formal follow-up is a great skill, so let's show you how.
You can use this email follow-up after an appointment to share information, meeting notes, or request something from other participants.
Be sure to fill in the gaps and focus on continuing the conversation.
Appointment email template with Flowrite
The easiest and fastest way to write an appointment email is using Flowrite.
You can request to reschedule, cancel, or accept an appointment using our smart email writing AI, like so:
Final words on appointment emails
Understanding how to write great appointment emails should be part of every professional's toolkit. Our best advice is to keep it simple and not stress it too much.
Break down the message into its core parts, and initially focus on being formal. Then, once you've mastered the format, you can get more creative!
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Politics latest: 'Not worth paper it's written on' warning from thinktank after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's national insurance pledge
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tells Sky News his plans to abolish national insurance will not happen "any time soon" after criticism from Labour.
Thursday 7 March 2024 11:13, UK
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- Chancellor suggests income tax and national insurance could be merged
- Warning NI proposal 'not worth paper its written on' unless Hunt provides more details
- Budget 2024: All the main announcements
- Sky News Daily: Was that a budget for a May election?
- Mhari Aurora: National insurance gives Tories something to talk about after disappointing budget
- Beth Rigby: A safety-first budget despite having nothing to lose
- Sam Coates: Voters Panel suggests budget unlikely to win back Tory 2019 supporters
- Live reporting by Tim Baker
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been speaking to broadcasters this morning, as he continues to attack yesterday's budget.
Sir Keir says it was "humiliating" for the government to scrap the non-dom tax scheme after complaining about it for years while Labour advocated for the change.
"And now completely out of ideas, the only decent policy they got is the one that they've lifted from us," Sir Keir says.
"And I think if you needed evidence of why we should go straight to a general election, it's that. We need change."
Sir Keir says nothing in his manifesto will be "unfunded" or "uncosted.
He goes on: "Contrast that with the government, where yesterday, at the end of the budget, the chancellor made a staggering £46bn unfunded commitment to abolish national insurance.
"That's bigger than Liz Truss's commitment.
"So they've learned absolutely nothing, we need change. It's time for change."
The chancellor's proposal to eventually get rid of national insurance is "not worth the paper it's written on" unless he explains how it will be funded.
That's the verdict of Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
"Talk of abolishing national insurance does not look realistic," he said.
He added: "Let's be clear, he is not talking about abolishing national insurance, he is talking about that relatively small part paid by employees.
"But this pledge to cut taxes by more than £40bn goes in the same bucket as pledges to increase defence spending - not worth the paper its written on unless accompanied by some sense of how it will be afforded."
The Electoral Commission has published its latest figures on the donations accepted by political parties last year.
In total during 2023, some £93,829,235 was accepted by political parties, compared with £52m in 2022.
Louise Edwards, the director of regulation and digital transformation at the commission, said: "With a general election on the horizon, it's not unusual to see a spike in donations as political parties begin to campaign.
"While there is no limit to what parties can raise, there are spending limits in place ahead of elections to ensure a level playing field."
A further breakdown showed that in Q4 of 2023, the Conservatives raised £9,912,101 in donations, and Labour brought in £8,690,645.
Labour also received more than £2m in public funds due to being in opposition.
Jeremy Hunt's plans mean spending on some public services will fall by around £20bn in order to meet his fiscal rules, a thinktank has warned.
Delivering open remarks at the Institute for Fiscal Studies spring budget analysis event, director Paul Johnson painted a bleak picture for the country's prospects.
Despite Mr Hunt's tax-cutting budget, people are set to be worse off at the end of this parliament than they were at the start, while the UK has a debt to GDP ratio that is the highest for decades and is facing debt interest payments close to all-time highs, he said.
Mr Johnson said the chancellor is also "implicitly planning" cuts to "many areas of day-to-day spending on public services despite very obvious signs of strain in many areas".
It has been effectively promised that "day-to-day spending on a range of public services outside of health, defence and education, will fall by something like £20bn", he said.
"One only has to look at the scale of NHS waiting lists, the number of local authorities at or near bankruptcy, the backlogs in the justice system, the long-term cuts to university funding, the struggles of the social care system, to wonder where these cuts will really, credibly come from," Mr Johnson added.
Will the spring budget make you better or worse off?
Use our calculator to see how you have been affected by Jeremy Hunt's plans for the country's finances.
By Faye Brown , political reporter
It cost taxpayers £15,000 to cover damages paid to an academic Science Secretary Michelle Donelan had falsely accused of supporting Hamas.
The cabinet minister is facing calls to resign and cover the cost herself after her department confirmed the fee.
Labour said it is "outrageous" the taxpayer is having to "pick up the legal bill for hurling abuse at a scientist online".
Ms Donelan on Tuesday issued a statement saying there was "no evidence" Professor Kate Sang was a supporter of the militant group.
Afterwards the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) confirmed they had covered the cost of the damages but would not say how much that was.
Libel action was launched after the minister tweeted a letter she had written to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in October, expressing "disgust and outrage" that Prof Sang and another academic, Dr Kamna Patel, had "shared extremist views" and, in Prof Sang's case, alleged she had expressed sympathy for Hamas after the 7 October attacks in Israel.
Read the full story here:
Sky political correspondent Mhari Aurora was watching Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves this morning.
She notes that "after yesterday's budget, there was a lot of disappointment", as there was no "rabbit out of the hat".
"I think the difficulty for the chancellor on the morning round is how does he try and inject a bit of excitement into the chatter around economics and the budget when it was really anything but exciting yesterday," Mhari says.
"And I think that's why we've had this kind of chatter about abolishing national insurance because it gives the Tories something to say, something to look forward to potentially in a manifesto for an election campaign."
She notes that Labour are pointing to national insurance being completely ended as a "massively unfunded tax cut" on the scale of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng.
Mhari says that Ms Reeves is "not pulling her punches".
On what Labour's tax plans are going forward, Mhari says: "The Labour rhetoric is very much we don't want to abolish national insurance, they pay for vital public services - and actually that tax system is fine as it is.
"Her priority, she said, was reducing the tax burden on working people, but not reducing the tax burden overall."
But Ms Reeves was unable to guarantee there won't be tax rises under Labour.
Jeremy Hunt has delivered his last spring budget before a general election, hoping to revive the UK economy and his party's hopes of re-election.
It was a budget of few surprises.
As promised, the chancellor cut the rate of national insurance tax by 2p in every pound but admits the overall tax burden is still higher than it has been in the last 70 years.
The cuts have been labelled "Tory con" by Labour, which leaves people paying "more for less".
On this edition of the Sky News Daily , Niall Paterson is joined by data and economics editor Ed Conway to break down the changes in tax and childcare, and if the chancellor's plan will help the economy.
Plus, hear from political editor Beth Rigby about whether the budget can save the Tories from election defeat.
Sky News' Target Towns series aims to tell the story of the upcoming election from the perspective of voters in the new constituency of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes.
We'll hear from locals all the way through to election night to understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to discuss how the future could look depending on which political party is elected into power.
The constituency is high on Conservative and Labour target lists, lying right at the heart of the "Red Wall" that the Tories smashed to take the election in 2019.
National correspondent Tom Parmenter spoke to voters in the towns to get their thoughts on the chancellor's budget.
You can read their verdict here:
Here are all Jeremy Hunt's headline budget announcements:
- National insurance cut by 2p in April - from 10% to 8%;
- Freeze on alcohol duty extended until February 2025;
- 5p cut to fuel duty to continue for 12 months;
- Abolishment of non-dom status - a Labour idea that will raise £2.7bn a year;
- High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold raised from £50,000 to £60,000;
- Introduction of British ISA, allowing extra £5,000 investments in UK;
- VAT registration threshold for businesses upped from £85,000 to £90,000;
- £1m towards memorial for Muslims who died in two World Wars;
- Repayment period doubled to 24 months for new budgeting advance loans for low-income people;
- £90 charge for obtaining debt relief order abolished;
- Household Support Fund kept at current level for six months;
- £45m for medical charities, including £3m for Cancer Research UK;
- Nearly £6bn for the NHS, including £3.4bn for "outdated" IT systems;
- £75m for violence reduction units and "hotspot policing";
- £105m over next four years to build 50 special free schools;
- Introduction of excise duty on vaping products and one-off increase in tobacco duty;
- Reduction of higher capital gains tax rate on property from 28% to 24%.
Our political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh runs through the main points below:
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Why use telehealth?
Connecting with your health care provider online is a great way to get the health care you need from the comfort and safety of your home.
On this page:
What does telehealth mean, what are the benefits of telehealth, how can i get comfortable with telehealth.
Telehealth — sometimes called telemedicine — lets you see your health care provider without going to their office. You can have a telehealth visit online using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Telehealth care allows you to:
- Talk with your health care provider on the phone or using video.
- Send messages with your health care provider safely.
- Track your health care using technology so you can share information like your blood pressure with your provider.
Tip: Are you new to telehealth? Get tips and information on the basics of telehealth .
Learn how to use telehealth to connect virtually with your health care provider.
Having a telehealth visit is just like a regular visit, but you are in one place and your health care provider is in another. While you may need to see your health care provider in person sometimes, telehealth has many benefits.
- It keeps you and others from getting sick by being close to each other.
- You can see your health care provider anywhere: home, work, or even your car.
- It saves time because you don’t need to travel, take time off, or find someone to watch your kids.
- You may get an appointment faster.
- You have more choices. You can have a visit with a health care provider who may be far from you.
Telehealth may not be right for everyone or every health care condition. Always talk to your health care provider if you have questions or concerns.
You should feel confident with telehealth. This is important to make sure you get the best care possible.
Pick a provider that makes you comfortable. Your health care provider should be someone you trust. They should make you feel welcome no matter who you are or where you are from. If you speak another language, you can find a provider who speaks your language or use a translator. Using telehealth can give you more choices.
More information:
6 ways to power up your health with telehealth: know your health care options (PDF) — Health Resources and Services Administration
How telehealth helps patients access care (video) — Health Resources and Services Administration
Types of telehealth services (video) — Health Resources and Services Administration
What can be treated through telehealth? — Health Resources and Services Administration
What to expect from a telehealth visit (video) — Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center
For patients
Wondering how to get started with telehealth? Check out the information below to better understand your options for virtual health care visits.
What are different types of telehealth?
There are many ways you can use telehealth to connect to your health care provider.
IMAGES
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Many salespeople will ask to see the person with whom they have an appointment without giving the person they're talking to the time of day. Yet the receptionist has valuable information about the ...
This can work to your advantage, allowing you to get an appointment on the calendar, as well as their contact information. Drop off samples or information. Even if you have the opportunity to make a full sales pitch without an appointment, you're unlikely to close a sale during a cold visit.
Speak to them while both of you are standing; preferably at the reception area. Once you sit down and give them a chance to put forward their story in detail; your plans will be derailed and much ...
How to Set an Appointment. Disarm: Get them to lower their guard. Purpose: Explain why you are calling. Question: End with a specific question on how to accomplish your purpose. 1. Disarm: Get them to lower their guard. On the off chance a buyer actually answers the phone, one thing is certain—they're busy.
5 Potential Goals of Your Customer Visit. Going into a customer visit with goals in mind will help you get the most out of your time there. Here are five goals to consider when planning a customer visit: 1. Understanding Their Business Goals. If you're visiting a client, you're likely hoping for a long term relationship.
And never ask for the meeting via email. Instead, attract the appointment to you. This is how to make email work for you. (not the other way around!) To earn another reply, ask one brief but purposeful question. Two max. This will prompt your reader to reply in a way that qualifies the lead.
A customer visit plan helps prepare for intensive meetings. For unexpected visits to your office from clients, read on how to handle visitors without an appointment. As a story, I remember: "I have been working with the law company for 20 years. No one has been out to see my shop".
A customer visit with the sales managers; A customer visit with a team of two or more people. And finally, a customer visit with an individual. ... Before the visit. Preparation is key as it helps with your confidence and organization. First step is to make an appointment with the person or people in charge. ... don't leave the room without ...
Avoid giving away too much information or skipping ahead-and instead, focus on setting the stage to confidently ask for an appointment. #8. Ask for the appointment. It might seem obvious, but a lot of people forget to ask for the appointment. Again, the goal is to get an actual appointment on the books.
It would be rude to cancel without speaking directly to you. There are three parts of this template: Control the conversation. Avoid any kind of language that makes canceling a possibility. Don't ask if the time is still good; assume that it is. If there's a conflict, make your prospect bring it up. Set the terms.
Example 8: Cold meeting request and customer testimonial. Social proof like case studies and client testimonials make your cold email as warm as it gets. Pick testimonials that directly talk about what you did for your client and what results you got them. Avoid testimonials with vague statements praising your work.
Chapter 2: The Client Sales Engagement (Sales Visit) There may be few or many sales visits within the Sales Process for Corporate Engagement. Visits (or individual engagements) should be with a key decision-maker (KDM) or a key decision-influencer (KDI) affecting the decision process. Each meeting should be similar in structure.
3) After the visit. Sometimes you may get a 'yes' from the potential client during the visit. It's always great when that happens. However, at other times, it could be a 'no', a 'not yet', or a 'let me think about it'. If it's a 'no', there are still a few things you can do.
How you solve them. Their next steps and your next steps. - Take notes and book 10-20 minutes after your call to add them to your CRM. - Record calls if you have to, but you're most likely not going to listen back through the whole thing to take notes. Good for training purposes.
6. Request a deposit for your time. A tip to help a small business owner avoid an appointment no-show is to have the person they are meeting with put down a deposit that will not be refunded if they no-show or don't cancel up to 24 hours in advance," says Stacy Caprio of Accelerated Growth Marketing. When you're a small business owner in a ...
The 5 sales email templates for scheduling clients and prospects are: Initial outreach to your prospect. Follow-up email. Aggressive marketing follow-up. Closing the file. Long-term follow-up email. 1. Initial outreach to your prospect. Your prospects can reach you through a variety of channels, such as direct email inquiries, website forms ...
Here are six tips on how to get more appointments in sales with prospective clients and eventually close more deals. 1. Make time for discovery. The number one reason so many salespeople fail at securing appointments is they continually use the same rehashed email template or cold calling script. Sure, the majority of your emails will have ...
Sure this is frustrating, but don't assume that the prospect isn't interested. 3) If you need to reschedule and go back to the appointment setting phase of the sales process, do it (without complaints). And if the prospect is a "no show" again, reschedule again. Go with the flow. At best, when you arrive for a sales meeting with a ...
5) DON'T turn sales appointment-making into an inquisition. Ask only as many questions as you need to get an insight into whether or not the potential customer is a viable prospect or not. Further information gathering, if needed, can take place during the sales appointment itself. 6) DO adopt a 'service not sales' approach.
While there is no guarantee that you'll get to see them without an appointment, you're almost guaranteed never to see them if your attempts for an appointment by phone or email keep failing. ... For information on Mace's training, workshops, and mind-shifting keynotes that generate sales growth, please visit the Sales Pilot Medical Sales ...
Appointment confirmation email sample 2. Appointment request email sample 5. Appointment reminder email sample 6. Appointment follow-up email sample Final words on appointment emails. Appointment emails are all about the efficient use of time and resources. Whether you're organizing a meeting, confirming details, following up, or even canceling ...
a visit or phone call to a potential customer without an appointment. cold call. advertising sent to people's homes to sell a product. direct mailings. a sales technique wherein one builds customer loyalty by building a solid good customer relationship. relationship building. attention, interest, desire, conviction, and action.
Making telephone contact with, or an in person sales visit to, a potential client without having previously setting an appointment to do so. Drop in. A potential buyer of a significant number of rooms or hotel services who arrives at the hotel without an appointment. Direct mail.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his budget, announcing measures like a national insurance cut and scrapping the non-dom tax status. Follow live analysis and reaction here in the Politics Hub.
Telehealth — sometimes called telemedicine — lets you see your health care provider without going to their office. You can have a telehealth visit online using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Telehealth care allows you to: Talk with your health care provider on the phone or using video. Send messages with your health care provider safely.