Here are eight steps to go through when using appointment setting scripts:

Step 1 – Focus on the Right Goal
The first step in creating your appointment setting scripts is to focus on the right goal. If you are calling to set an appointment, your ultimate goal is to sell the product, but your immediate goal is to set the appointment.

With that being the case, when you focus on the immediate goal of setting the appointment, this can impact your cold call script in terms of how you open, close, and deal with objections.

Step 2 – Confirm the Prospect is Available
This step is optional, and if you disagree, you can skip it. Still, we believe you can improve your ability to establish the cold call by politely confirming that the prospect is available by asking if you have caught the prospect in the middle of anything.

Step 3 – Deliver Your Elevator Pitch
The next step in your appointment setting scripts is to deliver your elevator pitch. This is one to two sentences that communicate how you help your customers and clients.

Step 4 – Perform a Soft Takeaway
After you share how you can help, perform a soft takeaway by saying one statement to question whether or not the prospect is a good fit for what you have. This is a very nice way to decrease the prospect’s guard and create curiosity and intrigue.

Step 5 – Ask a Couple of Pre-Qualifying Questions
The next step in this process is to ask a couple of questions. This becomes the purpose of your call and will help you to establish a more consultative selling conversation.

This can also help you gather some good information from the prospect, which can help you determine if the prospect is worth scheduling an appointment with, and the information can also help justify your close attempt.

Step 6 – Share Common Problem Examples
If you don’t get good answers to questions you ask regarding finding a reason to meet, share some examples of the common problems you help fix. After you share these, inquire if the prospect has any challenges or concerns to determine if it makes sense to meet.

Step 7 – Share Brief Company and Product Info (Pre-Close Step)
The next step in your appointment setting scripts could be considered your “Pre-Close Step” because you will share some information about your company and product to create a little interest before you close.

Notice that we say “a little” interest because we don’t need to create enough interest for the prospect to want to purchase. We only need to generate enough interest so that they agree to meet.

Step 8 – Close
After you create a little interest in your appointment setting scripts, go for the close by asking for the meeting and scheduling the appointment.