The point of cold calling, direct marketing and email marketing is to set up an initial meeting with a prospective customer.
You can greatly increase the likelihood you'll land the meeting if you follow these simple rules:
1. Offer a reason that's compelling to the customer.
You already know why you want the meeting; your challenge is to communicate why the customer should want to meet with you. This entails providing, in a sentence or two, a specific benefit that makes sense to the customer, ideally based upon your research into that specific customer.
2. Don't use tired sales clichés.
Jargon that sounds like it came right out of the Home Shopping Network may sound exciting and businesslike to you, but it raises huge red flags in the minds of most customers.
Cut the sales blab and simply say what it is that you're selling.
3. Request a specific and short amount of time.
Customers, like everyone else, are too busy for long meetings–especially with people whom they barely know.
You increase your chances of getting a meeting if you put a specific limit on how much time you need–especially if it's not very much time.
4. Agree to the date and time the customer suggests.
When you're making the appointment, agree to whatever time is convenient for the prospect. Just make sure you schedule something far enough in advance that, if necessary, you can move the meeting to a time that's more convenient for you.
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