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A Practical Guide for Scheduling Online Sales Calls

A Practical Guide for Scheduling Online Sales Calls

Nahla Davies

Sales calls are critical to any company’s success no matter what they’re selling. Especially now that much of the customer journey takes place online, the sales call is one of the few opportunities reps may have to actually speak with prospective clients. Clients want to work with companies that are thorough and execute consistently, and businesses can show off this strength while increasing sales call closing rates.

How you prepare for a sales call is just as important - if not more so - than the call itself. In order to make the most of your time, it's important to choose a scheduling platform that comes with advanced functions like group messaging, organizational capabilities and reporting tools to allow for easy collaboration and customer tracking. In this article, we’ll go over some simple tips for scheduling your online sales calls to ensure you are making the most out of customer interactions.

What’s the purpose of an online sales call?

Many businesses are migrating to e-commerce out of necessity, so virtual sales calls are new territory for a lot of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Sales calls offer an additional customer touchpoint — even for fully online companies, they can help to increase sales and customer loyalty.

Seasoned sales experts will say that preparing for the sales call is one of the most important aspects that contributes to success. Before you even dial the number of your prospective client, you should know specifics regarding the benefits your company has to offer them and which products are most suited to their needs. As your conversation progresses, you may find that there are additional ways your company can help that prospect.

Whether on a call or in an online transaction, e-commerce retailers should make it easy for customers to do business with them. By streamlining the entire process, including payments, you will reduce steps and friction in the customer journey. This will make it easier for online users and for your sales team to quickly close deals on sales calls.

The fastest way to send an invoice is through online invoicing services. Not only is it a quick tool to communicate about funding without putting pressure on the conversation, but it's also more convenient when it comes to budgeting, taxes, etc. Choose an online invoicing software that comes with crucial features such as automatic tax calculations and instant updates about payment statuses to make sure your clients and employees have the best experience possible.

Setting up your schedule page

It’s vital to the success of your sales call that you make the call when you say you are going to. This is one of the first impressions that your customer will be gleaning from their interaction with you, and timeliness plays a big factor in how a company is perceived.

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When you set up a scheduler for your clients to use when signing up to receive a call, it’s important that it is current, easy to navigate and true to your brand. Share the link to your booking page to make it easy for customers to connect with you. Be sure to customize the page to match your brand. This will build trust in your company, along with creating a professional environment for you to do business in.

Use TimeTap Scheduling to build a page where clients can book appointments with you.

Managing your calendar

Managing your calendar is another important pre-call step. The more organized you are, the more professional your brand perception will be. Many people utilize calendars like Google calendar or iCal to make sharing and updating across teams easy, keeping everyone on the same page. This also adds another touchpoint where clients can come into contact with your company.

TimeTap allows you to sync your appointment booking page with your calendar program so you never miss an appointment or get double booked. You can also send meeting invitations and manage your appointments. Time management is one of the main keys to having great online sales calls, and when you sync your calendar appointments you can keep track of all your scheduling appointments in a single location.

Also, it's easy to add Zoom links to your booking calendar. You just need to insert the link either into the staff’s profile or into the location’s profile if all staff are using the same virtual room. Most people have become more comfortable using Zoom since the onset of the pandemic, and it can be a great way to interact with your clients and make a more personal connection. This feature also allows you to link to other video conference meetings using software other than Zoom in a seamless and streamlined invitation.

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Communicating and following up with prospects

After the initial contact or transaction, the follow-up communication is key to a successful closing. Studies show that 60% of prospects want to connect with a sales rep after they’ve done their research in the consideration stage.

With TimeTap, you can set up automated messaging triggers configured to send out a certain number of hours after your call. There is also an option to create recall campaigns that remind clients to book any follow-up appointments that relate to the initial meeting.

Set up automated drip campaigns to clients who meet qualifying criteria. See How

Additional tips for sales call success

After you’ve taken the necessary steps to prepare for your sales calls, consider these additional tips to maximize your effectiveness as an e-commerce business.

Make your website look professional

Having a high quality website and checkout process offers prospects context about your brand and gives them a good idea of what to expect when they are on a call with you. With TimeTap, you can embed your scheduler directly on your website for a seamless customer journey.

According to Brisbane-based online marketer Nathan Finch of Best Web Hosting Australia, thanks to advancements made with website building services, it’s much easier for business owners to create a quality website without having to hire an expensive developer.

“There’s no question a qualified web developer can crank out a professional-looking website,” says Finch. “There’s also no question you will likely pay anywhere from $2,000 and up, depending upon the features and functions you need...If you have a pulse and are over the age of two, there’s a good chance you have all the necessary intellect and hand/eye coordination to build a website with a drag-and-drop editor.”

Make cold calls at the right time

If you must make cold calls to prospects, make sure that you are doing it at the right time. There are many factors to take into consideration for a cold call to result in a sale.

First, know your customer and what you have to offer them. Next, keep an eye on the time. Call during hours when they may not be so busy or when you know they will be in the office. Keep track of how many times you call and the times of day so you can be considerate and effective with your timing. And remember best practices like avoiding calls after dinnertime!

Optimize the customer experience

As an e-commerce business, you should always keep your target audiences’ needs in mind to improve the customer experience. When you are making virtual sales calls, it’s important to be mindful of your tone so you come across as friendly and professional. If you’re doing a video call, dress professionally even if you’re working from home.

This is also another point at which you should be looking at your website. Maintaining professionalism and creating an efficient customer experience at every step is key. Everything from your product page readability to the checkout process should be optimized with your users in mind.

Conclusion

When it comes to scheduling online sales calls, TimeTap has solutions for every step in the sales process to help you make the most of your customer interactions. If you intend to close more sales, the conversation starts with a great first impression, whether that is on your website or on a phone or video call. From when you’re setting up an appointment calendar to when you’re closing that sale, it’s important that you keep your clients in mind to make the process easy-to navigate, efficient and personalized.

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