# What Is Appointment Setting?

Appointment setting is the part of sales that turns a prospect into a booked meeting. An appointment setter contacts potential customers, usually by phone, checks that they fit, and books a meeting with a salesperson who runs the sales conversation. The setter doesn't try to close the deal: the job is done when a qualified meeting is on the calendar.

## Where it fits in the sales process

| Step | Who does it | What it produces |
|---|---|---|
| Lead generation | Marketing or a list provider | Names of businesses and people who might buy |
| Appointment setting | An appointment setter or SDR | A qualified meeting on the calendar |
| Sales meeting | An account executive or the founder | A proposal, a trial or a next step |
| Close | The same salesperson | A signed customer |

## What an appointment setter does

- Works through a list of prospects, checking each company before calling
- Gets past the front desk, or asks who handles the area they're calling about
- Opens the call with a clear reason, then asks a few questions to check fit
- Books a meeting at a specific time and sends the invite straight away
- Keeps notes on every call and confirms meetings the day before

## How it works

1. Define who to call.
2. Define a qualified meeting: the right company, the right person, a real reason to talk, and a meeting that actually happens.
3. Build the list and the script.
4. Make the calls in the prospects' business hours.
5. Book and confirm a specific time on the salesperson's calendar.
6. Review calls and improve one thing at a time.

## Appointment setting vs similar terms

- Cold calling: phoning people who haven't heard from you before. The most common way to set appointments.
- Lead generation: finding businesses and people who might buy.
- SDR: a job title for someone who sets appointments, often by phone, email and LinkedIn.

## What to measure

Dials, connect rate, conversations, meetings booked, show rate, and the share of held meetings that become real opportunities.

## Cost

Agencies charge per appointment, per hour or with a monthly retainer. Switchstack's B2B appointment setting services cost $2,199 to $3,099 a month per full-time caller, with no setup fee and no charge per meeting: https://switchstack.io/appointment-setting-services

Page: https://switchstack.io/what-is-appointment-setting