Even after significant effort to set sales meetings with prospects, they sometimes fall through. Prospects may get cold feet and cancel. Or they may simply ghost the seller and not show up. 

But there are things you can do to make these scenarios less likely. Continuing concentrated efforts at this stage of the process can ensure meetings happen. 

Tips to Set Sales Meetings That Prospects Won’t Miss

One of the first suggestions from Igor at Sales​.Rocks is to seek assistance from a sales mentor. This can be especially helpful if you find prospects often skipping out on meetings. 

Reaching out to a more experienced seller can help you identify areas for improvement, as Igor explains.

Another rep can “improve your outreach and shadow your calls and help you to handle questions and objections better.”

An outside perspective offers a unique look into your strategy. And the more experienced a seller, the more likely they’ve honed skills and tactics over time. They can offer knowledgeable insights and direction. 

Don’t have a mentor? Here’s a few reasons why you should get one. 

Schedule the Meeting As Soon As Possible

To improve the chances of attendance, set sales meetings sooner rather than later. The more time that passes between setting the appointment and it happening, the more likely it falls through.

Why? 

“The urgency gets lower, decreasing the chances of the prospect showing up,” Igor explains. 

Eliciting urgency is vital in all parts of the sales process. 

“Urgency creates a sense of importance and motivates customers to make quicker decisions,” writes Krunal Vaghasiya. 

“Creating a sense of urgency in sales is a powerful strategy to boost conversion rates and maximize revenue.”

Set sales meetings as soon as you can after they agree to it. This ensures the excitement and interest is fresh. Take advantage of the sense of urgency by scheduling right away. And avoid setting meetings for Mondays and Tuesdays, a time when prospects are more likely to cancel.

Check-​In and Confirm Often

Once the date is on the calendar, provide check-​ins to make sure it stays top-​of-​mind. Prospects are busy, and you're likely vying with others for their time. 

But don’t just check in. Offer value each time you reach out. This keeps your outreaches from being annoying. And it demonstrates your commitment to providing value. 

Clearly personalize each check-​in so the value is obvious. If you aren’t sure how to naturally weave in value to reminder emails, consider these tips. 

One suggestion is to immediately follow up after you set sales meetings. You can add value by recapping the discussion and highlighting important points. Re-​confirm the specifics of the scheduled meeting as well. 

Igor also recommends using social networks to continue pre-​meeting engagement. 

“Connect with them on LinkedIn, interact with their posts and engage them there to keep the conversation going.”

And as SalesFuel notes, if you’re emailing, make sure to follow best practices. Keep your tone professional and friendly, and ensure the subject line is compelling. 

This way, your outreaches come across as helpful rather than pushy. And you’re making sure the meeting, and the value you bring, remains a priority. 

It can be an effort to initially set sales meetings. And your efforts shouldn’t end when a date is decided. You need to take action to make sure the prospect doesn’t cancel or skip it altogether. 

Integrating these suggestions into your strategy boosts the chances of attendance. And once the meeting is over, make sure to keep efforts going to move the process forward. 

Take a look at these post-​meeting tips to effectively follow up after meetings and move you closer to closing. 

Photo by Christina Morillo