Appointment Setters can follow a specific script for the purpose of setting appointments for business sales representatives, gaining interest or otherwise generating interest in the company's products or services. They organize and process the shipment of promotional materials like brochures, product samples or information packs. They may also take care of other small but crucial tasks like arranging hotel accommodation for representatives attending a trade show or exhibition, securing hotel rooms for business travellers, making arrangement for transport of business personnel between meetings or conferences, getting new contact information updated in the companies phone system and so on.
These appointment setters are available in different forms and capacities. Some are web based and can be accessed from any internet connection. These have to be installed on the respective computers of the sales team so that they can perform their functions effectively. Others are desktop application software which have to be downloaded onto the respective computers of the sales representatives. But the most popular form is CRM applications that can be installed right into the computers of the potential clients.
Web-based appointment setters have some advantages over other CRM software types. For instance, they have the advantage of being able to integrate with other software packages which may include business development reps' tools, client relationship management programs and other lead nurturing software packages. This enables business development reps to not only use the same CRM application to set appointments but also to add additional features like sales activation calls, e-mail follow-ups, mobile alerts and so on.
Web-based appointment setters also allow business development reps to access the system from remote locations even if they are on the go. This reduces the costs incurred by the company due to travel expenses incurred by the business development reps. In addition, setting appointments through the Internet is convenient for people who have their own laptops as opposed to portable computers of prospecting leads. Therefore, you get more value for your money when you use web-based appointment settingters because they are more convenient to use.
Aside from convenience, appointment setters that are web-based have the added benefit of being able to perform tasks in bulk. This reduces manpower costs since there will be no need for the sales agents to do manual tasks like filling out prospecting forms. The results of these forms are also saved as well because they can be stored on the appointment setters' servers and accessed via Internet. This again reduces inventory requirements since there is no longer a need for the sales team to physically collect the leads. They can therefore focus on selling products and generating revenues.
The efficiency of appointment setters also contributes to the companies' revenue generation. Because the sales team is already up and running, there is no longer any need for the business development or marketing department to hire people just to maintain a list of sales qualified leads. Instead, all that is needed is for the sales team to perform basic functions like verifying names and addresses of potential customers and transferring the information to the web-based appointment setters.
The popularity of appointment setters has lead to the creation of a huge b2b industry which includes a wide variety of online software available for different operating systems. However, it is important to select a program which is easy to operate and compatible with other systems such as Microsoft Outlook. If the software used by your company is not compatible with Outlook, then you will not be able to make use of its features. In addition, the software should have an interface which is intuitive for users and enables them to quickly navigate through different options such as follow up and inquiry handling options.
Another way of maximizing the potentials of appointment setters is to integrate them with your CRM. With a good CRM, you will be able to obtain valuable lead information which can be used by your marketing team for appointment setting. With this CRM integration, you will be able to create lead capture forms which are available to your customers and also send out emails regarding new products and services. Overall, appointment setters are great CRM tools for generating leads.