Setting Effective Appointments

Many times, a sale is made or lost depending on the type of appointment that is set. Going on a "one legged" sales call where only the husband or wife is available, is a sure fire way to raise your frustration level as they give you the answer of "well, let me check with the other half and we'll call you back".

Give yourself a better chance of making the sale by following this guide when your phones are ringing:

Dealer: "Thank you for calling (Company Name), this is __________, may I help you?"

Customer: "Yes, I wanted to find out more about this product"

Dealer: "Great, can I ask where you heard about us?"

Customer: "I received one of your cards in the mail."

Dealer: "O.K., to give you a brief overview, the CTI Hallmark System is an acrylic modified cement that is designed to be sprayed over an existing concrete surface. The System does two things, first it protects the concrete surface from such things as salts and de-icing agents, mold, mildew, and other elements that tend to cause concrete to look bad over time. The second thing the CTI System does is beautify the concrete by giving it a look, color and texture of anything from brick to tile, slate, marble or any kind of a look or design you choose."

Customer: "That sounds great, how much does it cost?"

Dealer: "The price depends on a number of variables, for all I know, you may have concrete that is in good condition and you may want a very simple design. I don't want to over charge you. It takes about 30 minutes for me to come out and measure up the area, show you some pictures and give you a few ideas of what we can do for you, and I can give you an exact price then. I have an opening Monday at 4:30 or Thursday at 6:00, which one is better for you?"

Customer: "Um...probably Thursday."

Dealer: "Great! Let me ask you, will anyone else be involved in choosing colors and design combinations?"

Customer: "Yes, my wife will want to look at this as well."

Dealer: "Just to make sure, will you wife be available at 6:00?"

Customer: "No, she normally doesn't make it home until 6:30."

Dealer: "I'll tell you what , I'll do some re-arranging and I'll see both of you at 6:30 on Thursday instead."

Customer: "That sounds fine."

Dealer: "Mr. Jones, provided you like everything you see on Thursday, what kind of time frame were you considering in getting something like this done?"

Customer: "I don't know, probably within the next couple of weeks depending on how much it costs."

Dealer: "Just wanted to check so I have a better idea of what my schedule will look like when we meet. I'll see you and Mrs. Jones Thursday at 6:30."