An online appointment setter is a sales development representative (SDR). Their job is to contact potential customers and schedule meetings on behalf of a company’s sales team. They use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook to send DMs to prospects. Online appointment setters are skilled in:
According to Webinar Care, 76% of clients use mobile devices to book appointments. This highlights the demand for remote appointment setters these days.
Appointment setting is a hard job because you need the right skills for messaging people online. You need to keep the conversation going until the prospect gets interested enough to book a meeting. This is not easy because 99% of people don't even read past the first line of text in a cold DM, according to Ravi Abuvela of Scaling with Systems.
Aaron Martinez of Remote Closer Academy is a 7-figure remote closer and coach. According to him, a virtual appointment setter is expected to meet certain KPIs. This includes hitting a minimum number of appointments per week. Failure to meet quotas can mean losing your commission.
Meanwhile, a post on Upwork shows us some of the qualifications of a good appointment setter.
There are no specific educational background requirements. Anyone can do the job as long as they've completed at least high school. Some key qualifications are:
- Excellent communication skills
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Organizational skills
As someone who's been a full-time online entrepreneur since 2014, I know how important it is to connect with audiences. When done right, you can lead people to purchase any product or service.
We cover what an online appointment setter does. We dig deeper and explain the job description, responsibilities, and typical salary of online appointment setters. I also talk about the difference between an online appointment setter and a remote closer.
What Is The Full Job Description of an Online Appointment Setter?
An online appointment setter works online using social media, emails, and other tools. They contact potential customers to set a meeting. Online appointment setters are different from field appointment setters who travel and meet clients in person. Remote setters are digital receptionists who book appointments online. They can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
There are two main types of online appointment setting work, namely inbound and outbound. Inbound setting is responding to leads who reach out first. These are people who saw your website and sent an email asking for more info. Outbound setting is where you send emails or messages to a list of potential clients telling them about your services. Inbound and outbound setting are both aimed at getting people interested and setting them up to talk to a sales representative.
The duties and responsibilities of an online appointment setter are:
Meanwhile, the skills and qualifications of an online appointment setter are:
5 Online Appointment Setter Tools that Increase Sales
Salesforce
Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) tool that helps appointment setters organize customer information and interactions in one place. This software makes scheduling appointments easier by showing when sales team members are available and tracking all communications. With this, appointment setting services ensure effective communication and follow-up with potential clients.
Calendly
Calendly is a scheduling tool that lets people easily book meetings without the back-and-forth of emails. It boosts efficiency by allowing appointment setters to share available times with clients. People can then pick a slot that works for them. This cuts down on the time spent organizing appointments and can prevent double-booking. Moreover, Calendly makes it easier to view your appointment history and upcoming calls.
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is a tool that helps businesses keep track of their customer interactions and sales activities. It organizes all customer information and communication history in one easy-to-access place. This means you can quickly see a client's details, what you’ve talked about before, and when to follow up. HubSpot can make your job of setting up appointments more efficient and personalized.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a set of tools that help businesses manage their work, including sales and customer relationships. The software keeps all customer information and history in one place. Moreover, it also helps track and schedule appointments so you can organize your client database.
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is a scheduling software that helps you set up and manage appointments online. It lets clients see when you're free so they can book appointments according to their preferred time. Plus, it can send reminders to clients and handle changes in the schedule. This tool makes the whole scheduling process much more efficient and less confusing.
How to Become an Online Appointment Setter
To become an online appointment setter, you must gain specific skills and meet certain qualifications, such as:
Educational Foundation
Minimum requirement is at least a high school diploma or some college preferred. Consider pursuing relevant coursework in business communication, customer service, or sales. Enroll in online courses or certification programs specific to appointment setting.
Develop Appointment Setting Skills
Strong verbal and written communication. Active listening and empathy. Time management and organizational skills.
Basic computer proficiency and familiarity with scheduling software.
Sales techniques and persuasion skills.
Gain Practical Experience
Seek entry-level positions or internships in customer service, sales, or administrative roles. Volunteer for organizations where you can practice scheduling and communication skills. Consider freelance or part-time appointment setting gigs to build your portfolio.
Create a Standout Resume and Cover Letter
Highlight relevant skills and experiences. Specify your achievements (e.g., number of appointments set, customer satisfaction ratings). Tailor your application to each job description.
Build Your Online Presence
Create a professional LinkedIn profile. Engage in relevant online communities and forums.
Apply for Appointment Setting Positions
Use remote work job boards and online freelancing platforms to find available opportunities. Network with professionals in your target industries. Reach out to appointment setting agencies or virtual assistant companies.
Prepare for Interviews
Practice common interview questions for appointment setters. Be ready to demonstrate your skills through role-playing exercises. Prepare questions about the company's scheduling processes and tools.
Continuous Learning and Development
Stay updated on the latest scheduling and CRM tools. Attend relevant webinars or conferences to improve your industry knowledge.
Is Being an Appointment Setter a Legit Career?
Being an appointment setter is a legit career because it is an established industry. In fact, there are 17,965 appointment setters in the US alone. You don't need to go beyond high school to do this job. You can work from home, which is great if you're looking for a main job or just a side gig.
Some appointment setting roles pay based on how many meetings you book. Experience in customer communications can help if you're looking to grow in a sales career. However, appointment setting is also prone to scams. Some companies promise big money but ask you to pay a fee or recruit people like an MLM pyramid scheme. Still, there are numerous examples of successful appointment setters out there.
Franck Koomen is a professional appointment setter from Utrecht, Netherlands. He founded the Appointment Masters training program in 2021. He has trained over 170 appointment setters for brands like Tai Lopez, Jason Capital, and other online gurus. Appointment setting allowed him to build and scale a $600,000 per year business. According to Franck, beginners who target smaller online businesses or coaches can earn $3,000 to $8,000 per month.
Sergio Perez from Orange, California quit his 9 to 5 job to become a remote appointment setter. He started as a complete beginner and invested over $10,000 in appointment setting courses. Sergio now earns $11,000 in commissions per month as he works as a DM and cold call setter. He also offers coaching sessions to people who want to start a career in appointment setting.
Online Appointment Setter Salary
Appointment setters earn an average monthly salary of $4,204. According to ZipRecruiter, appointment setters usually make $24.26 per hour in the United States. Low earners make an hourly wage of $10.10 and a monthly wage of $1,750. Meanwhile, high earners make as much as $43..27 per hour and $7,500 per month.
Successful appointment setters like Luke Alexander, Marcel Stam, and Aaron Martinez say earnings can range between $3,000 to $10,000 per month. These figures depend on the effectiveness, consistency, and the specific commission structure of the appointment setting service.
The industry standard for commissions ranges from 2% to 10% of the sales value. For example, an appointment setter works with a coach selling a $10,000 product. If they book two calls per day, with a 33% closing rate and a 10% commission, they could earn up to $6,000 a month.
Where to Find Appointment Setting Jobs
You can find appointment setting on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Look for businesses, coaches, or consultants who might need help with scheduling appointments. Reach out to them with a direct message explaining your skills and how you can help. There are also virtual assistant Facebook groups for appointment setters that post job ads. This post is from the Appointment Setters/Virtual Assistant Hub Facebook group which has 83.3K members. It offers a 12.5% commission with a possible income of $1,000 to $2,000 per month.
Online job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn have consistent job listings for appointment setters. Just search for “appointment setting job” and you'll find a list of options from different companies. There are over 16,000 job openings for appointment setters in the US, so there's a high demand for the role. Upwork has over 1,000 appointment setter listings for industries like real estate, e-commerce, insurance, and B2B marketing.
How Does Appointment Setting Differ From Remote Closing?
Appointment setting differs from remote closing in the type of job they do and who they communicate with. As an appointment setter, your job is to find people who may be potentially interested in your company's offerings. You use phone calls, emails, or messages to reach out to these people and set up a time for them to talk with the sales team. In short, you're the first step in the sales process.
Meanwhile, a remote closer is the one who finishes the deal. They talk to people who already know about the product or service and are considering buying it. Using video calls and online tools, remote closers answer any final questions and concerns from the customer. They try to convince people to buy and overcome initial hesitations. This job is more about making the sale happen by using good communication skills and having extensive product knowledge.
Online Appointment Setter FAQs
A good appointment setter is someone who can effectively communicate with potential customers. They need be organized because they handle a lot of different conversations. They make sure they keep track of who needs a follow-up or an appointment. Moreover, being friendly and persuasive play a big role in the job.
Appointment setters get people interested in a meeting without actually selling the product. Good appointment setters know how to use social media and email well. They don't necessarily need a lot of experience or a specific degree. In fact, it's more about having the right skills and attitude.
An appointment setter works with the sales staff in a company. Their main job is to talk to potential customers and get them interested in the company's products or services. Once they find interested people, they set up a meeting or a call between them and the sales staff.
The appointment setter acts like a bridge, connecting prospective customers with the sales staff member who can provide more details and close the deal. They often work as part of a larger sales team, and their success is measured by how many meetings they can schedule for the sales staff.
You should take an appointment setter course if you want to get better at the skills needed for this job. Some top appointment setter courses that are worth checking out are:
- Appointment Setting Training Course by MTD Sales Training
- Sell the Meeting Master Course by Scott Channell
- Setter Certification Program by Richard Yu
These courses offer targeted training that can improve your abilities in communication, lead qualification, and use of technology. Moreover, the programs are designed to provide beginners and experienced professionals with the knowledge necessary to succeed in the appointment setting industry.
An appointment setter certification can help equip you with necessary skills and knowledge. When you get certified, you learn how to talk to potential customers. You are taught how to understand people's needs and how to effectively set up meetings for the sales team.
A certification can make it easier for you to get a job as an appointment setter, especially if you're just starting or want to move up in your career. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to earn more money. A certificate proves you have training and skills, which can be an advantage as you apply for jobs.
From Calls to Conversions: Why Local Lead Generation Beats Appointment Setting
Appointment setting can be a rewarding career for professionals who love customer interactions. However, I say local lead generation is a better business model. Lead gen beats appointment setting because it offers higher control and scalability. More importantly, it opens up opportunities for passive income.
Appointment setting has certain disadvantages. For example, you'll need to engage with clients non-stop. If you are working under a commission-based model, you'll also need to convert leads into actual sales appointments before you can make money. Simply put, this business model is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Plus it's basically impossible to make passive income through appointment setting.
Local lead generation is an entirely different story. Unlike appointment setting which relies on active outreach, lead gen is all about building and ranking websites. Your job as a lead gen expert is to create business niche sites that target specific locations. After creating your digital asset, you'll use proven SEO techniques to boost its presence online. Once your site starts attracting leads, you can then rent it out to small business owners. Entrepreneurs will gladly pay you $500 to $3,000 per month if you can bring more customers to their doors.
This approach can lead to passive income streams. You can build multiple websites targeting different niches and areas. Moreover, this business strategy doesn't require much time or investment on your end. Case in point, one of my lead gen sites only took me $500 and 15 hours to build and rank. This website produces 30 to 50 leads for my client. Today, it continues to make me $2,000 each month. So if we do the math, the site has made me $192,000 over the past 8 years. That's a profit margin of over 95% - and that's just one site.
I now own 50+ local lead generation websites and earn up to $52,000 per month. I also have a coaching program with over 7,500 students. Interested individuals who want to learn and master local lead gen can get in touch with us for more info.
