How Much Does B2B Appointment Setting Cost in 2024?
Businesses of all sizes, from world’s biggest corporations to small startups, are turning to professional appointment-setting companies in order to increase client meetings. Many business owners consider lead generation campaigns a worthwhile investment that can increase sales; using an Appointment Setting Company generates qualified leads, which in turn translates to additional revenue generation for a company. But how much do these B2B appointment services actually cost? Understanding this cost helps businesses better plan budgets and make informed decisions.
Categories of Appointment-Setting Services Based on Pricing Models
Experience has taught us that appointment-setting services generally fall into one of four categories.
1. No Guaranteed Meetings:
Some services charge according to the complexity of work they are performing rather than meeting attendance – an approach which may prove unsatisfying given that the meetings themselves are so central to business operations.
2. Big Promises, No Results:
Other agencies may make bold promises but fail to deliver as promised, leaving you disappointed and wondering whether your time and money were well-spent.
3. Long-Term Contracts, No Outs:
Some services require you to sign long-term contracts, creating a considerable financial burden and leaving no way out should you not see the promised results.
4.Our Guaranteed SAT Service:
At FLSC, we specialise in helping businesses expand by offering the first and only Guaranteed SAT Appointment-setting Service in the UK. We make calls directly on your behalf in order to secure well-qualified appointments, saving both time and resources.With over ten years of setting up meetings for different businesses, we know what we’re doing when it comes to meeting planning services.
The guaranteed SAT Appointment Making Service ensures that we will make the agreed number of appointments by the end of your campaign. If, for some reason, we fail to fulfil our promise (which hasn’t happened), we will make any remaining appointments within ten working days; after that, if there are still some remaining appointments, we refund any differences on a pro-rata basis.
Different Appointment-setting Service Price Models
Pay-per-appointment
Pay per B2B appointment services can be an efficient and cost-saving strategy, enabling businesses to pay only when an appointment has actually been confirmed with potential clients. Instead of shelling out for leads that might never convert, companies instead only pay when real meetings take place with actual prospects – saving both time and money.
How it Works: Businesses set specific criteria for the qualified leads or appointments they seek, such as an industry they’re targeting or specific types of companies to meet with. An outsourced provider then takes these criteria and finds potential leads that match, scheduling meetings on behalf of their client business.
One of the main advantages of this model is that companies only pay for what they receive, enabling them to save resources while still attracting new clients and effectively utilising marketing funds.
Subscription Model
Subscription models involve paying a monthly or yearly fee for ongoing appointment-setting services, often including a contract that commits you to a specified amount of time. This approach works best if your business requires regular appointments.
So, instead of worrying about individual appointments being set up separately, the service provides one set fee that covers multiple meetings at once – making budgeting for marketing expenses simpler as you know exactly how much is going toward marketing each month or year.
Subscription models also often provide added benefits, including superior customer support or access to premium features that may not be available with pay-per-appointment models. Plus, having a consistent relationship with a service provider over time allows for a better understanding of your business needs, resulting in a more effective appointment setting.
Flat Fee
In the Flat fee appointment-setting model, the appointment-setting company charges a flat rate for setting appointments – this way, you know what services are provided and the total costs involved; for instance, we charge £1000 for ten appointments with Key decision makers.
This model is ideal for businesses with a fixed budget and clear expectations about the number of appointments they require. There won’t be any unpleasant surprises; just pay upfront and receive what is promised, making financial planning simpler while keeping to your budget.
Plus, knowing the cost upfront makes calculating return on investment (ROI) simpler; you can easily calculate how much each appointment costs against potential revenue generated from leads—and also consider the average appointment setter salary in the UK—making the flat fee model an appealing solution for many businesses.
Hourly rate
Under an hourly rate model, you pay only for the time a service provider spends scheduling appointments for you – for example, they might charge £50 or £100 an hour. This method can be ideal if your appointment-setting needs differ month-to-month.
Payment by the hour allows you to only pay for time actually used on your project, which can be more cost effective if there are not many appointments scheduled at once. Plus, this flexibility means if there is a sudden spike in demand, you can increase the hours paid for accordingly, and you can decrease the hours again as things slow down.
However, it’s essential that you monitor how efficiently a service uses its time. You should strive to get the most value from every pound spent through effective client meeting planning. This model may work well for businesses with fluctuating needs or those testing appointment-setting services for the first time.
Project-based Model
Under this model, a service will charge a flat rate for any specific project or campaign – regardless of how many appointments they set up – such as £2,000 to organise product launch appointments.
This approach can be effective when faced with short-term needs for their business, such as when you are launching new products or running campaigns with specific costs that need to be budgeted in advance. You know the total costs upfront, and this makes budgeting much simpler.
This model also allows for focused and intensive effort from service providers, who can devote all their efforts and resources to your project without being concerned with hourly or per appointment rates. Instead, focus is placed on reaching the goals of your campaign within your set budget.
Businesses often choose this model due to its ease and predictability, particularly when they require an intensive push for one purpose. It helps businesses manage costs effectively while getting all of the support necessary for their project.
Commission-based
Commission-based models entail service providers taking a percentage of any successful deals that result from appointments they set up, such as when an appointment leads to a sale worth £10,000 with 5% commission rate; you would then owe that service provider £500 as payment.
This model is ideal for businesses that wish to align their expenses with actual sales success. Payment only occurs upon closing a deal, providing a direct link between service performance and payment – creating a win-win scenario where both parties strive for optimal outcomes.
But it’s essential that there are clear agreements on what counts as a successful deal; this model encourages service providers to prioritise quality over quantity in setting appointments that have the highest chance of turning into sales. Overall, commission-based models can be highly beneficial to businesses that seek to minimise upfront costs while only paying for the results they achieve.
Fee-for-service Pricing Models
Fee-for-service models focus on delivering high-quality appointments. Their goal is to connect businesses with prospects genuinely interested in collaboration. This model is ideal for businesses looking to generate valuable leads that can turn into successful relationships.
Unlike pay-for-performance models, fee-for-service takes a more detailed approach. It’s not just about the number of appointments but the overall service quality.
When prospective clients are valuable, rare, and take a long time to close, the fee-for-service model is more useful than pay-for-appointment. It allows for a more tailored approach, ensuring that every lead is well-researched and has a high potential for success. This makes it a good choice for businesses aiming for quality over quantity in their lead generation efforts.
Pay-for-performance Pricing Models
Pay-for-performance is a pricing model in which agencies are compensated based on the results they achieve rather than an upfront fixed fee, meaning fee is only payed once certain outcomes such as secure appointments, generate qualified leads or close deals are met.
Businesses looking to pay only for results should use this model, which aligns agency goals with those of their business and ensures everyone is working towards similar outcomes. With payments dependent upon success, agencies are highly motivated to deliver high-quality leads and appointments. (check out our guide if you want to know the difference between lead generation and appointment setting).
The organisation only pays an agency when they successfully set up a meeting between potential clients and themselves – saving both money and risk by only paying for what you get in return. It’s an ideal solution for companies seeking to maximise return on investment while making sure their marketing budget is spent wisely.
Average Appointment Setting Cost
Appointment-setting services can vary widely in cost; there are no fixed figures due to various factors at play. Each lead generation agency offers its own pricing model and range based on what they consider will provide the greatest return for both them and their clients.
After reviewing some of the most recognisable services, here are some rough estimates:
Assuming you select a flat rate model, expect to pay anywhere from £500 to £5,000 for multiple appointments. Pay-per-appointment models typically range between £20 to £200 depending on complexity and industry; hourly rates could cost anywhere between £15 and £100 an hour, depending on the level of expertise required and workflow needs.
Commission-based models offer variable rates from 1% to 30% of sales generated from appointments; these estimates can help you understand what to expect and choose the best model for your business needs.
