Every deal starts with a conversation. In B2B Marketing, conversations are rather hard to come by. Sure, you can always call a company and ask for information, but when it comes to reaching a decision-maker and inviting him to a face-to-face meeting or phone call, it can be a little trickier that most people think.

Without an proficient appointment setting strategy, you leave the fate of your lead generation campaigns to chance. You can’t just sit there and wait for prospects to come to you. You need to make the most out of every call opportunity.

Here are the things you need to do to increase your odds at appointment setting:

1. Know who you’re talking to

In persuading people to allot their precious time in talking to a salesman, you need to discover their pain points and really understand what they’re going through. Not making an effort to know your prospects can lead to a breakdown of communication which kills your rate of success.

2. Know your capabilities and limitations

As much as you need to know who you will be talking to, you also need to know yourself. Are you good at cracking jokes and building rapport? If not, don’t force it. Are you good at handling objections aggressively? If not, make your rebuttals appealing to logic rather than emotions. To be fully aware of your level as a telemarketer can set the tone for an entire call.

3. Cut to the chase and avoid the salesy talk

Cunning verbal skills can surely go a long way, but this is not B2C. Words won’t be enough to convince B2B buyers to commit to a sale or a service. Pitches must be intellectually and logically satisfying. Do them a favor and spare them the unnecessary theatrics.

4. Give them your full ears

The fact to the matter is they like being listened to. Give them that from the very beginning and you’ll be on to a good start.

5. Draw a line between ‘persistent’ and ‘pushy’

It’s admirable to be relentless in setting that appointment but there are limitations. You don’t want them to remember you as the guy who was too desperate to schedule a meeting that you almost didn’t take no for an answer. That bad impression may not give you another chance in the future.