Apr 8 2008 10:12AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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When the word “appointment” comes up, I usually cringe. If I’ve heard the question once, I’ve heard it a hundred times, “Did you ask for an appointment?” Which seems to be the only question managers are asking these days.

Some companies even organize a weekly or monthly meeting that is devoted to phoning prospects. You know the type I mean, the ones where you’re told to report to the main office after work ... bring all of your registration cards ... we’ll furnish the pizza ... and you’ll do a “phone a thon”.

These “phone a thons” are getting so organized that there’s even contests, with prizes awarded for the most success. And in the end, a “good” time was had by all. Your manager says to him or herself, “See, all you have to do is ask, and you’ll receive.” You say to yourself, “Maybe they’re right after all”. And I say you both might be wrong.

Asking for an appointment isn’t what creates an appointment. It’s just the opposite. In order to secure appointments, something else has to take place first. Which means that if you’re measuring the number of appointments ... you need to rethink your strategy. You need to be measuring the “behaviors” that cause appointments to happen.

Why do customers decide to say, “Yes, I’d like to schedule a time to come back?” Is it because you asked ... or is it something else. If you believe it’s something else, you’re correct.

Customers come back to visit because they see “value” in doing so. And they see value in doing so because you did something else first. You caused your customer to perceive high value in your product. So if you want more appointments, asking more isn’t the answer ... doing a better job building value is.

What I’m saying is simple ... customers don’t come back just because you ask ... they come back because they see a benefit in doing so. And if they see a benefit in doing so ... you’ve done a good job creating perceived value. So don’t practice asking, that’s the easy part ... practice using your value building tools.