How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling Ch 26

Making Appointments for Sales Success

• Barber's Success Story: A barber, Ruby Day, overcame financial struggles by implementing appointments. This allowed him to manage time effectively, resulting in a thriving business and a comfortable home. His method inspired a taxi driver and others.

• Appointment System Benefits: Appointments save time for both the seller and the customer. This creates a sense of respect and value for the customer's time, leading to better attention and a positive interaction.

• Appointments as a Sales Strategy: Selling an appointment is often easier than selling a product itself. Focus initially on securing the meeting to discuss the relevant needs and then selling the product.

• Handling Difficult Customers: Persistent and courteous approaches can yield success even with individuals challenging to schedule. Asking about preferred meeting times, proposing lunch or travel arrangements, or offering meetings in advance can lead to appointments.

• Office Appointments: Making appointments at your office, free from interruptions and distractions, can also be a successful strategy.

• Telephone Techniques: A primary method to create appointments is via phone, taking calls in an efficient manner to manage time effectively while securing slots for customer meetings.

• Appointment Setting as a First Step: The primary goal when contacting a potential client is to secure an appointment to engage in a discussion about their needs. Focus on scheduling the meeting first, before attempting to sell a product. This builds rapport.

• Follow-Up: Leaving a message for a client to call back can be an excellent tactic. This implies that the caller considers the client important and has something of value to discuss with them.

• Example Conversation: A detailed example showcases how to approach and engage a client, with an example script for obtaining an appointment and managing meeting time effectively.

• Persistence and Courtesy: Even when encountering difficult scheduling, persistence and courtesy are key to eventually securing an appointment.

• Time Management During Appointments: Setting and managing time effectively during appointments, like limiting the initial meeting to five minutes, ensures focused conversations and addresses customer needs. This also prevents the salespersons discussion time from being exceeded, allowing him to leave when he feels ready.

• The importance of Appointments in Business A common theme in business is that it is most important for a business to be able to follow through with appointment-based services where they can set a time for any given client, ensuring the maximum capacity of business productivity while also pleasing the respective clients.

Discover how effective appointment scheduling can transform sales success through focused interactions with clients. Learn from success stories and explore methods to better handle customer relationships while maximizing your time management.