Appointment setting is a business process (a tough one, but just a process) that underperforms more often than not. To succeed, a sales rep needs special tools, skills and metrics which companies often do not understand and therefore fail to provide.
Success at prospecting requires a pursuit plan (Best Practice) for how to use dials in the pursuit of a target, plus powerful voicemail and email messages. Sales reps and managers must easily analyze the results to continuously improve performance.
Marketing can improve appointment setting performance by 'scoring' sales targets who are 'paying attention' (opening emails, clicking links, visiting your website) and making it simple to add those with high scores to their weekly call list.
Appointment setting skills are unique from the skills to run an appointment - those who use one for the other typically fail. Appointment setting uses techniques to control the conversation and set an appointment - not, to have a sales conversation.
