Food products case study
B2B Appointment Setting Beats the Big Guys: An Outsourced Appointment Setting Case Study
One of the largest privately held companies in the U.S. relied on a major appointment setting firm to book field sales meetings for its new single cup office coffee system. Over time, the quality and quantity of those appointments spiraled downward. This outsourced appointment setting case study shows how a 5 week head to head test changed that.
- 5 week test A brief head to head test against the incumbent supplier.
- Higher rate and quality The client reported more and better appointments than the incumbent.
- Extended for 3 months The campaign was extended to increase and encourage engagement.
Service engagement
What the campaign included
- Appointment Setting
The assignment was focused: set appointments for a field sales force to meet businesses and demonstrate a new single cup coffee system for office environments. That meant reaching office decision-makers, explaining why a demonstration was worth their time, and booking meetings the field team would be glad to attend. It is B2B appointment setting in its most direct form.
Client challenges and goals
When a big vendor stops delivering
The client had been working with one of the largest companies in the appointment setting industry to generate appointments for their field sales force. Over time, the quality and quantity of the appointments spiraled downward. Despite their size, the “big boys” were failing to meet the client’s expectations.
Poor appointments cost more than the vendor’s fee. When field reps drive to meetings with prospects who are not interested, they lose confidence in the program and in the leads they are given. Rebuilding that confidence was as important as rebuilding the numbers. The client was also concerned that adequate training of virtual agents might not be possible without a face to face meeting.
The goals of the campaign included:
- Finding an alternate solution that would recapture the confidence of the sales force.
- Rebuilding momentum in a highly competitive marketplace.
- Adequately training virtual agents for the campaign.
Solutions
A short, fair test against the incumbent
B2B Appointment Setting proposed a 5 week test against the incumbent supplier. At the end of the brief head to head test, which included the initial training for the agents, the client reported that we had generated appointments at a higher rate and quality than the incumbent, exceeding the client’s expectations.
- 01
Propose a head to head test
A 5 week test let the client compare us directly with the incumbent before committing.
- 02
Train agents virtually
Virtual training got agents ready and the campaign running in a short period of time.
- 03
Add agents as needed
We added agents to the campaign as demand required.
- 04
Extend the campaign
The campaign was extended for 3 months to increase and encourage engagement.
A head to head test is one of the most honest ways to choose a partner. Both vendors work the same market at the same time, and the sales team judges the results. If you are unhappy with your current provider, it is a low-risk way to find out whether a change is worth making. Our B2B telemarketing programs can be set up the same way.
Results
The results the client reported
- Appointments generated at a higher rate and of higher quality than the incumbent, as reported by the client.
- The client’s expectations were exceeded in the brief head to head test.
- Because of our proprietary software, the campaign started faster, was more cost effective and agile.
The highlights
Virtual training worked
The client was also concerned that adequate training of virtual agents might not be possible without a face to face meeting. The results answered that concern. The brief head to head test, as reported by the client, had generated appointments at a higher rate and of higher quality than the incumbent, exceeding the client’s expectations.
Good training does not depend on being in the same room. It depends on clear material about the product and the buyer, practice with real objections, and quick feedback once calls begin. Virtual training let the campaign start quickly without sacrificing the quality of the conversations.
The difference
The B2B Appointment Setting difference
B2B Appointment Setting specializes in complex calling campaigns. Thorough preparation, positivity, experience, consistency and tenacity are some of the ways B2B Appointment Setting agents continue to deliver outstanding value for clients of all sizes.
Size is not the same as results. If your current appointment setting vendor is slipping, we are happy to talk about a test of our own. Read how a franchise client changed tactics in our digital marketing case study, or contact us to discuss a head to head trial.
What is a head to head appointment setting test?
Two vendors work the same campaign for the same period, and the client compares the appointments each produces. In this case, we proposed a 5 week test against the incumbent. The client reported that we generated appointments at a higher rate and of higher quality, exceeding its expectations.
Why did the client move away from a large appointment setting company?
Over time, the quality and quantity of the appointments from its large incumbent vendor spiraled downward. The field sales force was losing confidence in the program, and the client needed an alternative that could rebuild momentum in a highly competitive marketplace.
Can virtual agents be trained well without meeting in person?
The client worried about exactly this. We provided virtual training to get agents up and running in a short period of time, and the 5 week test, which included that training, produced appointments the client rated higher in rate and quality than the incumbent’s.
What happened after the test ended?
The campaign continued. We added agents as needed and extended the campaign for 3 months to increase and encourage engagement. Scaling up after a successful test is a common path when a client wants to rebuild momentum quickly with a partner it has already measured.
How did the campaign start faster than expected?
The client reported that because of our proprietary software, the campaign started faster, was more cost effective and agile. Combined with virtual agent training, it let the campaign move from setup to live calling in a short period of time.
Keep exploring
Related services and results
See how the pieces fit together, or talk to us about the campaign you have in mind.
B2B Appointment Setting
B2B appointment setting that turns outreach into qualified sales meetings. See how campaigns work, what you receive, and how to choose a partner. Talk to us.
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B2B Telemarketing
B2B telemarketing services for lead generation, follow-up, account profiling and more, run by experienced callers who represent you well. Get a consultation.
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Why Us
Why outsource appointment setting? See when an outside calling team makes sense, what sets our campaigns apart, and how a test campaign helps you judge fit.
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Put us to the test
Not happy with your current vendor? Let’s discuss a focused trial so your sales team can compare the appointments for itself.