Unless you're in a transactional, low-value business, then the sales process usually starts with an initial prospect presentation or appointment. And for most business owners, actually getting this appointment is the most difficult challenge they face.

Luckily, help is available from companies that specialise in exactly that - appointment setting services. This short article examines why it's effective for business owners to use appointment setting services and the benefits that they can bring.

Broadly, appointment setting services offer the following benefits:

1)Positioning

2)Economics

3)Better results

When considering whether to use appointment setting services, these benefits should provide sound reasons to engage the services of a dedicated appointment setting company.

1) Positioning

Think about this: if you're the owner of Director of a company, how are your positioned if you have to call a prospect to set-up your own appointments? For a start, it's not the best approach to foster a peer-level relationship.

This is where working with an appointment setting services firm brings immediate value at different levels. Firstly, it you're a small business owner you can immediately punch above your weight. An appointment setting services company can position you as the Managing Director, working with your prospect's own assistant and setting up the meeting without your involvement. Compare that to if you'd had to phone cold and ask yourself, which positions you best with your prospect?

2) Economics

The second compelling reason to use third-party services for appointment setting is one of simple economics. Depending on the level of prospect you're a looking for appointment with, from the C-suite in large corporations down to owners of small business, it takes a certain amount of time book a qualified sales appointments; anything from 2 days for very hard-to-reach prospects to half a day for smaller companies is the norm.

Think about that; how much is a day of your time worth? If you're a management consultant or provide your services on a day-rate then you'll know this answer immediately. Purely on economical grounds, using an appointment setting services firm makes sense for most owners and Directors of growing businesses.

3) Better results

This final reason is probably the best reason for using an appointment setting services company. As we've looked at earlier, to book appointments with many of your target prospects will require a persistent approach. Cold-calling over a period of time, up to 2 days in some circumstances, before actually setting the appointment is to be expected.

A dedicated appointment setting services firm is exactly that ? dedicated. Let's be honest here, most company Directors do not enjoy cold-calling. And, when you run a business there are far more pressing, interesting and, let's face it, more fun things to do.

By use appointment setting services you will get better results. This is not only because they have improved appointment setting capabilities; after all, setting up appointments is their business. In addition to this, you'll get better results simply because an appointment setting services firm will stick at it, consistently, until they book the meeting.

So, if you are a business owner or company Director looking to get in front of more sales prospects, consider employing the services of an appointment setting services firm. It'll save you time, money and position you for success.

Plus, you won't have to pick up that phone and start cold calling yourself. And, for many, Directors, that last reason is the real reason.

David Regler is Managing Director of Maine Associates Ltd, an appointment setting services firm providing new business development, sales lead generation and appointment setting services.