Appointment Setter Job Description
An appointment setter is an entry-level administrative role. Engaged by an employer to support the sales function, these professionals are charged with contacting cold and/or warm sales leads for the purpose of making initial contact with prospective customer/clients.
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Job Responsibilities
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Appointment setters work by phone.
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An appointment setter calls a predetermined number of prospective customers or clients. Once contact has been established, the setter is responsible for engaging the lead by introducing them to the goods and/or services of the company. The ultimate objective is to set up a call or meeting between the potential customer and a member of the sales force. Leads are typically provided to the appointment setter by a sales manager. Additionally, the manager determines a quota for set appointments that the setter must meet. Failure to consistently meet this quota may result in termination.
Job Opportunities
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Most of these roles are found in the classifieds.
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As the role of appointment setter is an entry-level role requiring a minimum amount of skill, these roles are commonly posted on line and in the classified sections of local newspapers. Alternatively, many temporary staffing agencies place these professionals on a contract, permanent and contract-to-permanent basis.
Qualitative Requirements
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Appointment setters must be technically proficient.
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Appointment setters must be excellent communicators. Primarily working over the phone, this individual is often the first representative of an organization that a consumer comes in contact with. As a result, it is important that setters represent their employer in a pleasant and professional manner. Documenting and providing all information necessary for an appointment to occur, candidates must also pay close attention to detail. Additionally, applicants must maintain some standard of technical proficiency, as many organizations use computer-based scheduling software.
Educational Requirements
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A formal college education is not required to become an appointment setter. In fact, employers do not necessarily require that employees even have a high school diploma. This is often a part-time job. As a result, students may perform these duties to earn extra money. In high-volume sales environments, however, where pay is based on commissions, companies may require that applicants have inside sales experience.
Job Outlook and Salary Information
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Appointment setters earn almost $25K annually.
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The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates the employment of administrative professionals to increase at a rate of 9 percent between 2006 and 2016.
In 2009, according to Indeed.com, an appointment setter in the United States earned an average annual income of $24,000. Within certain environments, appointment setters also receive a commission based upon the number of appointments set.
Related Searches
References
- Photo Credit "Pabon-Sporka redesign" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: eliazar (Eliazar Parra Cardenas) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Cheating online?" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Bahadorjn (Bahador Jamshidi) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Gotham Times" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: bdjsb7 (Justin Moore) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "playing DataEast's Conan" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: blakespot (Blake Patterson) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "capital" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: iChaz (Charlie Ambler) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
