Make Appointments That Actually Stick

In addition to planning time in advance for your appointments, there are a few key actions that will help ensure they actually happen—and move the sale forward.

Use homework to keep the client tethered to you and engaged in the process. Whatever their reason is for not buying today, make that their homework. Rather than letting an objection stop the process, use it to move the process forward. Clients are often surprised by this approach, and it keeps them involved between now and the next interaction.

Use the “either/or” method when scheduling appointments. At this stage, you are asking closing questions rather than the open-ended questions used earlier in the sales process. Begin broadly, then become more narrow and specific as you go.

For example:
“Shall we meet in person or on the phone?”
“Is morning or afternoon better for you?”
“I have Thursday at 12:00 or Friday at 10:00—what works better?”
“I will call you Thursday between 4:00–6:00 to confirm and discuss your homework.”

Once the appointment is set, enter it on your calendar and send the invitation to the client. Be sure to save it for this event only so that your time slot remains available for future weeks.

Call to confirm all in-person appointments. Give the client homework so that you have a reason to connect with them before the meeting. This allows you to confirm they have completed what they need to do, ensure the time still works, and address any questions or concerns that could prevent them from moving forward when you meet.

For Sales Associates

Follow this process. It works. It may not feel intuitive at first and will require practice. Be patient, use your notes to prompt your actions, and become familiar with both the structure and the discomfort that comes with learning something new.

For Sales Managers

Plan to observe each of your sales team members from start to finish. Acknowledge their actions and praise performance as they begin to make this process their own. Practice the strategy with them to improve both retention and implementation.

Now, go look for opportunities to make appointments.

APRIL SALES SKILLS SERIES: The Art and Discipline of Making Appointments

Wednesday, April 22 · 3–4 PM EDT · Live on Zoom

Appointments drive your pipeline, and when they aren’t happening consistently, everything slows down.

In this month’s free Sales Skills training, we’ll talk about the language that helps customers say yes to next steps, how to secure appointments with clarity and confidence, how to reduce cancellations and no-shows, and why strong appointment-setting naturally increases order size and speeds up the sale.

If you want a more predictable calendar and stronger results, this session will give you practical tools you can use right away.

oxo,

Jody