Helpful Tips for Setting up Appointments with Prospects

It’s one thing to upsell or cross-sell a banking product to an existing customer, and an entirely different thing to push it to a prospect.

Sales, like in every business is tough in banking as well, with setting meetings one of the most challenging parts of it. However, it doesn’t have to be a herculean task.

Image Source

With the right strategy and timing, the odds of closing a sale can be increased greatly and so are the results. In that regard, the following are some of the most effective tips:

1. Reaching out During “Off Hours”

Trying to get across a business leader during their working hours, i.e. 9 AM to 6 PM is not a good idea. If you want to get their attention and a positive interaction, then it’s best to contact them either early in the morning, or late in the evening. This is the time when they are not busy and can afford to consider other non-pressing matters.

2. Using Multiple Communication Channels

Although cold-calling is still prevalent, there are many other options available which are equally good, if not better. These include social media, emails, IMs, etc.

Since it takes several attempts to get a prospect set an appointment, relying on cold calling only prolongs the process. Besides, messaging is less “direct” and allows the prospect to learn about the idea even when they are busy.

3. Asking the Right Questions and Using Script Helps

Getting a particular response from a lead is all about asking the right questions. Fortunately, a large number of questions and answers exchanged between you and them are always the same. So, having a script ready with you can help with the success.

All you have to do is start with the first question, and go through the script picking the answers as per their response to each question. This is actually a very old method used by sales reps around the world, and it works.