How to choose an appointment-setting service

Introduction

Businesses are usually wary about handing their operations to outsourcing services, especially if these operations are essential to increase the customer base and sales.?

We are a marketing Agency specializing in B2B business. Our customer managers receive daily emails from Lead gen / Appointment-setting companies offering their services. Some are very pushy, even committing to results or proposing to work on a performance model. If setting appointments is so easy, why are these companies not full of millionaires???????

Setting appointments with potential clients is a very private and personal job that should be assigned only to personnel who know the company from within. However, the process behind setting an appointment goes way beyond sales. Marketing strategies have been brewing over time, and experts now have innovative practices and technology that take appointment settings to the next level.

Outsourcing this to a third-party company that promises results upfront is very tempting. However, engaging potential customers requires businesses to know prospects' main pains, how their product heals that pain, how to contact that prospect (What content, which channel, and how often...), and time…?

Finally, technological developments have completely revolutionized the world of appointment setting. The magic word is marketing automation, and ABM (Account Based Marketing) E-calendars and email invitations are just a tiny portion of what technology can do for your business. Still, not everyone is aware of these advances. Even if they were, knowing how to use it is crucial and is not cheap!

What should you look out for?

The benefits of hiring an appointment service can be a double-edged sword. Because of its value, we have witnessed how businesses fall for opportunists rather than serious companies. You might wonder how to know if an appointment-setting service is the real deal, so we have developed the following checklist to evaluate the possible candidates:

1. Expertise and reputation: Check out success cases and numbers of previous works. If you can, find if past and current clients recommend these services. Ask for referrals to colleagues and be suspicious of companies sending emails like this:?…If I were to build Biznaga Media LLC, a marketing plan that can generate 30+ booked calls in 90 days - guaranteed or you don't pay…
2. Industry/product understanding: To generate a prospects list, the company needs to understand your industry and market. Evaluate their methods to understand your business and products, which is essential for adequately promoting your brand.?
3. Methodology: Go deep into the understanding of their processes, which includes Channel Email, SMS, Cold calling, Linkedin, and SEM… How to combine those channels, the frequency, and which message to use in each case…?
4. Lead quality: For this service, what is a high-quality lead? How do they ensure this quality? Make sure you align with the service’s view of what the intended audience could be.?
5. Technology: An appointment-setting service can promise you the world, but if they don′t have state-of-the-art technology, their promise won’t get you far. Investigate a little about the software and programs they use, and most importantly, find out if they are compatible with your systems.?
6. Brand Safety: When outsourcing the appointment-setting process, the selected service will act using your brand’s name. To avoid damage to your brand, you must determine the service's measures to ensure your business name will not be shattered.?
7. Constant Feedback: An appointment-setting service needs to include two types of feedback. The first one is to track the effectiveness of the campaigns and make modifications. The second is reporting results, obstacles, and advances to you. It is about sharing knowledge and being proactive.

Biznaga Media’s experience

Here at Biznaga Media, we know our responsibility to our customers when they choose us to attend their meetings. We know we are not a match for every business, and our first approach is to find that we bring value.?

Our customers have taken us deep into different industries, figuring out the perfect pathway to identify valuable leads, contacting them, and scheduling meetings with their sales teams.?

Our mindset is aligned with current trends where prospects are more and more independent and self-sufficient when looking for a new service or product. We work the messaging to make our customers top of mind of those potential prospects.?

For instance, we worked with a data analytics company that hired us to promote their newest product. Our work included an exhausting investigation of competition, pinpointing how to appeal to different audiences within the vast customer communications market. We identified new pains and needs and used them to reach even more prospects and set up more meetings.?

Another customer, a high-quality leather manufacturer, contacted us for help entering the US leather market. We provided an extensive list of leads willing to set up a meeting to check out the samples. Along with concrete and creating emails and LinkedIn messages, our customer increased its selling orders.?

On the other hand, we had to change the strategy with a SaaS customer after a month because we could not reach the decision-makers and the high competition in the Healthcare space.

Takeaway

Appointment-setting services can be crucial for your business′ growth, proving an effective and efficient way to reach new customers and increase sales. However, you’ll waste money or time and get no results if you are not careful.

Biznaga Media has considered the criteria for ensuring an excellent service for the business that hires us.?

Contact Biznaga Media and start expanding your customer base!