Is It Time to Outsource Appointment Setting Services?

Learn if outsourcing appointment setting services is right for your SMB.

Managing an in-house appointment setting system can take a lot of time and effort, especially if you’re a small to midsize business (SMB) owner who already has a full plate. This is where outsourced appointment setting services can make a significant difference. 

However, questions often arise regarding what these companies offer, whether their benefits justify the cost, and whether their services align with your needs. How can you better understand if this service is right for your SMB?

This guide breaks down what outsourced appointment setting involves, its benefits, how to choose the best company for your needs, and how to leverage appointment-setting software.

What is appointment setting?

Appointment setting involves scheduling meetings, appointments, and visits, often using software or an automated system. B2B appointment setting services allow you to partner with a company that handles appointment scheduling on behalf of your company. These services offer a team of professionals skilled in engaging with customers using appointment setting software.

Healthcare is just one example of how an industry uses appointment scheduling. According to Gartner, 31% of patients consider appointment availability as one of the most important factors when choosing a healthcare facility.^[1]

For SMBs, an appointment setting system saves time for staff so they can focus on other revenue-generating tasks and projects. For instance, customer service staff can use an automated system. This gives them time to answer questions about products, troubleshoot issues, or even circle back to prospects, converting them to qualified leads.

What are outsourced appointment setting services?

When you outsource companies to set appointments, you hire a company that takes calls, processes online forms, or communicates via text to set up appointments on your behalf. Some companies combine lead generation and appointment setting by interacting with prospects and then setting up phone calls or visits where someone from your team continues to move the customer through your sales funnel.

It’s important that the company you hire understands the core elements of your brand, especially when it comes to customer interactions. One of the most effective appointment setting best practices is to ensure the company’s team knows how to greet customers, how they address customers, conclude conversations, and provide reminders or follow-up calls.

For example, some companies refer to customers using formal titles, such as “sir” or “ma’am.” Others prefer to use the customer’s first name in an attempt to establish a more casual rapport.

Why should you consider outsourcing appointment setting services?

Several benefits come with outsourcing your appointment setting system, but the following are some of the most compelling reasons organizations consider hiring a company to handle their appointments.

Increased efficiency and productivity

Outsourcing your appointment setting boosts productivity because your internal staff can spend more time on other value-adding tasks instead of managing appointments. You also increase efficiency because a single company can handle multiple appointments simultaneously. If you have a smaller team, perhaps consisting of one to three individuals, they may get overwhelmed with having to set appointments during peak times.

Just as important, you enhance the efficiency and productivity of your customers as well, especially if your services incorporate online tools. According to Gartner, 46% of millennial and Gen-Z consumers chose websites as their preferred method of scheduling appointments.^[2] By using appointment setting services, you give these customers a system they’re comfortable with, which may make it more likely for them to choose your organization over one with a more cumbersome system.

Improved lead quality

Since some appointment setting companies can also provide lead-generation services, you can use them to improve the quality of the customers that get funneled to your sales team. For example, some appointment-setting companies can collect data prospects enter on your website, and follow up with them based on the info they enter.

For instance, a customer can indicate approximately where they are in the buying process—whether they’re ready to make a purchase, exploring options, or need to learn more about your offering. Your appointment company can then prioritize those who are further along in their buying journey if that aligns with your strategy.

Cost-effective and scalable

Using an appointment setting service is cost-effective because it prevents you from having to hire dedicated staff to schedule appointments. The services you get are also scalable, so if your need for appointment setting rises during a busy time of the year, you may only have to pay slightly more to handle the influx of requests.

You don’t have to worry about recruiting, hiring, and training individual staff. At the same time, when you have to scale down, there’s no need to work through that process, either. You don’t have to manage computer and phone hardware returns, revoke access to VPNs and software, and deal with other exit-related issues.

Access to experts and new technology

Outsourced appointment service providers are staffed with experts who understand the most effective ways of interacting with customers and managing appointment systems. They also have to use the latest technology, both to improve their systems and to keep abreast of the competition.

As an SMB owner, this means you benefit from reliable, effective professionals and the most recent software. For instance, if you were to use appointment scheduling software, you’d have to worry about updating your application and the hardware it runs on. By outsourcing, you circumvent this challenge because your provider handles it.

Improved data analytics and reporting

A traditional call-scheduling system may provide few—if any—opportunities for data analytics unless you manually pull your data into your own system. But by using an appointment setting service, you gain access to your call and scheduling data because they can produce reports using their software.

With this data, you can track the effectiveness of your service and gain insights into how your appointment system supports sales and lead generation.

How to choose the right appointment-setting company

The success of your appointment setting efforts depends on the capabilities and expertise of the service provider you choose. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting an appointment-setting company:

• Flexibility: Your provider should be able to pivot its messaging in response to any changes you request. For example, if their tone turns some people off or if you want to adjust messaging during a busy season, the company should be willing to adapt.

• Industry experience: It’s best to choose a company with experience serving your industry. The kinds of customers you serve and their needs may vary considerably from one industry to another.

• Quality leads: If you need the company to generate leads, you’ll want to ask them questions about how they qualify and rate leads. This way, you can maximize the number of high-quality leads, resulting in a more efficient marketing funnel.

A good resource for choosing and vetting companies is Capterra’s Appointment Setting Agencies directory. It offers an extensive list of leading appointment management companies so you can compare them side by side.

How can you leverage appointment setting software?

As an alternative to outsourcing your appointment setting, you can use software and manage it in-house. You can also leverage this tech to manage part of your appointment system in-house while giving the rest to an outside provider.

Using Capterra’s software directories, you gain a comprehensive view of your options for appointment apps. Check out appointment scheduling software and appointment reminder software directories to get started.

Start improving your appointment management system today

Outsourcing appointment setting often results in a more efficient system that boosts productivity and improves customer satisfaction. Your provider will likely use professionals who have access to the latest tools.

When evaluating your options, choose one that’s flexible enough to adapt to changing needs. You can also use software to automate elements of your appointment scheduling in-house.