Appointment Setters

[rgithens]

To either set an appointment for an insurance review/proposal within the next 2 weeks or about 3 months out when the current policy renews.

 

[wingateexpress]

Something is not adding up to me. Either this telemarketer is subpar or her training is subpar. I've hired marketers and had better results before lunch their first day.

 

[rgithens]

My mistake on the hours she spent calling businesses, just over 1 hour not close to 3. The list she was calling was small and has about 20-25% bad numbers (out of business for - no longer in service). The list was free (paid for by the insurance company). All together she actually talked to 11 businesses: 2 hung up, 1 said not interested, 5 said mail us information, and 3 said "Yes" so we'll see them 3 months out from renewal.

Next week, she'll have a list of 250 businesses to call.

 

[rgithens]

My fault...She worked a total of just under 3 hours on the day she called the businesses: about 1 hour calling businesses and the other 2 calling residents. She spoke to 11 owners with 3 agreeing to meet in their renewal window, 5 asking us to mail something, 2 saying not interested and 1 hanging up on her.

The list is not great, but it was free (Insurance company pay for it). About 20-25% of the business telephone numbers were no longer in service and just under 20% for the residents.

 

[Rearden]

.

I'd like some input on this strategy from those who have tried it:

1. What's your general opinion of using an appointment setter?
2. What & how do you pay?
3. How successful has it been for you?
4. Any differences dialing businesses vs. residences?
5. How difficult has it been finding & keeping good ones?

Thanks!

.

1) Good ones are easier to find once you've gone through a handful and know how to vet them.
2) I use either (a) a per-appointment fee, and (b) an fixed-hourly rate with the understanding the setter will set X appointments.
3) Very successful.
4) Only working residential.
5) It always depends; I tend to think setters get burned out after 3-6 months, especially if they have more than one agent to work for. You need to watch them closely -- is their pass-through rate decreasing? Is their appointment-setting ratio decreasing? How do they sound on the phone?

 

[Glen Shelton]

I just hired a telemarketer from Odesk, he starts tomorrow. I'll post on how he's working out.

I would to hear how this turned out