Who else wants to learn the methods used by successful salesman’s for making appointments with potentials clients

Experienced sales people use different contact methods for different customers. They have found through trial and error method that a certain method of making an appointment larks well with a regular customer, but may be entirely ineffective with a new prospect. They are also found that the knowledge of many different methods and techniques for making of appointments is extremely helpful in getting sales interviews. These examples are:

1. Approaching the Right Person:

Some experts emphasize importance of going right on the top. The right on top means leads of purchasing agents. Whether actually to go over to the buyers head depends on many factors. These are:

How important is the account?

What are the chances of securing the business?

What will be the company’s reaction?

What damage will be done to the long-term relationship?

Much depends on who are the decision makers; only one or a group.

Frequently – case of industrial selling situations, one person has full authority to buy a product. In many cases, the sales person has to get an approval of a Line officer and staff officer. Thus, a fork-left ales representative is to see first safety engineer, the methods engineers, materials handing engineer and the general superintendent before selling the product to the company. This calls for group participants and sales interview. What is important is to approach a right person.

2. Approaching at Right Time:

The appropriate time of approach or appoint is also equally important. Certain sales people claim that best time of appointment is right after lunch, when the prospects are in a pleasant mood. Others try to get as many appointments as they can during the early morning hours because they believe the prospector customers will be in better frame of mind.

There is little agreement on this issue because the most opportune time to call will vary by customer and type of selling. Thus, a salesman who wants to have appointment with wholesale grocer prefers time between 9 am to 11 am and from 1.30 P.M to 3.30 P.M. On the other hand, Medical Representative discovers that his calls are most productive with surgeons between 8.30 am and 1O:00 am and after 4.00 pm. Generally, the best time is 9.30 to 11.30 am and 1.30 to 4.pm. These ire not strict hours. For individual cases, the time may change.

3. Appointment at Right Place:

The sales calls must take place in an environment most conducive for doing business. Very often, the salesman has no say as to where the sales call will take place. However things permit, he should choose a place free of distraction for all parties. Some suggest a place as topless bars – a setting that is hardly free people. Topless bars present a number of additional problems for the sales person who uses them to achieve sales. For instance, it is ethical to give business using such exploitive tactics. Further, once a buyer has purchased on the basis of this entertainment, chances are there that the seller will have to keep it up or lose the customer.

4. Cultivates Relationships with Sub-ordinates:

These busy executives normally have one or more subordinates who plan and schedule interviews for them. These ‘barriers’ or screen — as some people call often makes seeing the boss rather difficult. For instance, a secretary who usually feels responsible for conserving his or her superior time tries to discover the true purpose of each salesman’s visit before granting an interview or appointment with the boss. Hence, sales people should go out of their way to treat all the subordinates with respect and courtesy.

First, it is the right thing to do. Second, subordinates can be true key to the salesman’s success or failure with their organization. They may not be able to buy the sales persons product but they can often kill his or her chances for a sale. Sales strategists have identified three basic ways to interact with such screens or barriers. One possibility is that the sales person can go ‘over the screen’. This happens when the seller, while talking to screen, drops names of people higher up in the organization. As a result, the screen may allow the seller in to see the boss right away for fear of getting into trouble. Instead, the salesman can go ‘under the screen’ by trying to make contact with the prospect before after the screen gets to word. Alternatively, while screen is taking a coffee break. Finally, the salesman can work ‘through the screen’ by simply involving the screen in the process.