In this post: Today, we are talking about some appointment setting tasks that you can do from home. These gigs often pay well and can be great for those who don’t mind making calls and building relationships with customers.
Do you enjoy talking to people? Do you regularly have a quiet place to talk on the phone? If you answered yes to both questions, you may be a great candidate for a home appointment setter job. This is usually an entry-level position that requires a high school diploma, although some companies also require some experience.
An appointment setter leads communications and creates appointments for their clients. Your work hours will be filled with making phone calls, leaving voicemails, and trying to convert leads into appointments
Some companies provide you with a list of warm leads. These are people who have indicated an interest in some fashion but have not yet scheduled an appointment to learn more. Other companies will cold call you. This means calling people who may or may not be interested.
No matter who you talk to, your goal is the same – to get them an appointment to learn more.
Skills you need as an appointment setter
Although this is an entry-level position, there are certain skills you need to be successful as an appointment setter. Since at least a portion of your salary will be tied to the number of appointments you secure for your company, you’ll want to have some basic sales skills. However, many companies will offer training to help you develop these skills.
Also, it’s important to remember that you don’t actually have to sell anything to the lead. All you have to do is set up an appointment, where a salesperson will take over.
Organization is another important skill. You need to keep track of leads, attempted contacts and results. This way you can send the required data to your client. Creating a spreadsheet is an option, as is using a client-provided database. This means knowing your way around your computer.
People skills and professional phone skills are also important for appointment setters. You need to quickly establish rapport with strangers on the phone and answer any basic questions they may have.
How much do appointment setters make?
Salary structures vary from company to company, but these are two common structures for appointment setters:
- Hourly Rate + Commission: You will receive a small hourly rate ($10-15 per hour typical) with a flat fee for each appointment successfully set.
- Commission Only: You get paid for appointments that are successfully set and that actually happen.
Be sure to talk to your potential employer about salary before accepting the position, so you know what to expect. You should also ask about paid training and how many hours you can expect to work per week. If you work as a 1099 contract employee, keep in mind that you may have to withhold a portion of your paycheck for taxes.
Depending on the structure of the company you work for, this can be a high-stress position if you don’t consistently reach your quota. Make sure you get all the details of your salary and expectations before you take a position.
Importance of your script
Talking to leads will be a major part of your job, so you’ll want to make sure you can master it. When you first start making phone calls, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t.
Some companies provide scripts for you to use and other companies require you to write your own. If you’re writing your own text, keep refining it until you get it sounding right. You don’t want to sound like a robot reading something to whoever you’re talking to, so make sure you practice your pitch until it feels natural.
Your tone is important. If you dry up, people will be stunned before you finish. Let your excitement for this product or service shine through the call. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you and let you rush through your pitch.
As an appointment setter, your listening skills are just as important as your speaking skills. You need to listen for the cues your leads are sharing and make changes to your script as needed. This might mean cutting your script early so you can schedule an appointment with someone who can actually answer this person’s questions.
On the other hand, if you keep talking when the person has already shown interest, you may annoy them to the point that they simply hang up and go elsewhere for the information they want. Don’t get so attached to your script that you can’t move forward.
Gather the necessary information
Once your lead indicates they want to schedule an appointment, make sure you’ve gathered all the information necessary to pass. Otherwise, you have to call them back, which is unprofessional and may get them cancelled.
Your company will likely provide you with a list of questions to ask, but here are some general ones to give you an idea:
- Time and date for the meeting
- A phone number for callback
- The name of the person who will receive the call
- An email address to which you can send a confirmation
This way you can send everything you need to your client at once.
Don’t take rejection personally
No matter how warm your leads are, you will experience rejection. You can’t take it personally. The lead isn’t objecting to you, but to the product or service you’re pitching. As much as you are able, adopt a “bless and release” approach to anyone who rejects you.
When you get a definite “no,” thank the person for their time and don’t let yourself get involved in a shouting match or name-calling debacle. People sometimes find it easier to deal with rejection over time, but it’s important to know how to handle it from the start.
Where to find at-home appointment jobs?
If you’re ready to work from home as an appointment setter, here are four of the best places to find your first job:
- blue zebra – A company that offers professional cold calling and appointment setting, Blue Zebra often employs appointment setters.
- Flex Jobs – Although FlexJobs jobs are not limited to Appointment Setter, you can search for it by typing “Appointment Setter” in the search bar.
- Paragon planner – A company in the financial wholesale and financial advisory industry, Paragon Planners frequently hires appointment setters up to 35 hours per week from the following states: AZ, CA, FL, KS, MO, NC, OH, OR, PA, TX, WA.
- ManageYourLeads.com – A lead generation company, ManageYourLeads.com frequently adds qualified appointment setters to their team.
- Salesroad – A B2B appointment setting and lead generation business focused on mid-market and enterprise level organizations, Salesroad often employs appointment setters.
Should you apply for a job as an in-home appointment setter? Even if it’s not something you want to do forever, it’s a great way to gain some experience. You can use this time to help advance your career in sales or customer service.
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