A reader asks, "How can I increase my number of face-to-face appointments when so many companies aren't buying right now?"

The problem lies in the question itself. If you're scheduling an appointment just to sell something, you may have a tough time getting the appointment. If your prospect's perception is that the reason you're calling is either to sell something over the phone or schedule a meeting to sell something, you'll likely hear the following:

• It's not in our budget.
• We're not making any purchases now.
• We don't have any money.
• We're not in the market.
• Our budget has been frozen.

In other words, you may be setting yourself up to hear "no." You may have better luck if you position your introduction over the phone as an opportunity to meet in person so you can learn more about your prospect and his or her potential future needs. After all, if your meeting is simply to learn about the prospect and the prospect's potential needs, there won't necessarily be an opportunity to sell that person anything--so there's no reason for him or her to refuse a meeting.

If you still encounter "no" when asking for that first meeting, here are some tips to get the meeting anyway:

1. If you have a good sense of humor, use it! You'll be halfway to your goal. Making someone laugh breaks down the barrier between two strangers. For example, if the response you receive when you ask for a meeting is "We don't have any money," say, "Neither do I, that's why I'm calling you!" Of course, part of the humor in this is your delivery, so you may want to practice a few times before trying it on your prospect.
    
2. Another response to the all-too-common "It's not in our budget" objection is: "In that case, now is the perfect time to meet! We've found it very beneficial to discuss future needs and our solutions early, so that if you decide to proceed, we can be of help during your decision-making process." Notice I said, "If you decide to proceed," which implies that you're not going to shove the sale down their throats, and that the prospect will decide whether to proceed.
    
3. Present yourself as a resource to the prospect, regardless of whether he or she is in the market at the moment. Then follow through, even if it means meeting several times to provide valuable information and offer advice in your area of expertise. Do it even if it's outside the potential solution you want to sell.

A good rule of thumb is to give something of value to your prospect three times before asking for anything in return, such as an order. Providing something of value is as simple as:

• Sending an e-mail with an article relevant to a recent discussion the two of you had about the prospect company's goals
• Introducing your prospect to another member of your team
• Introducing your prospect to a resource within your company who can provide expertise, such as an engineer or project manager.

If you're genuinely interested in providing a solution to solve your prospect's plight--beyond selling--our sincerity will become obvious to the prospect, and it will only make sense to buy from you, when ready to make a purchase. Also, the rule of reciprocity is at play when making a sale. It's human nature to give back to those who have helped us. By helping the prospect first, you set up a reciprocal dynamic. He or she will be likely to return the favor by placing an order with you.

If budget is still an issue when you're ready to close the sale, you can discuss payment plans, leasing options, no money down, 90-day payment, and other terms that may make your solution more appealing to your prospect.

Your willingness to work with the prospect and with his or her budget will increase your chances of ultimately closing the sale. You can also refer back to your earlier discussions about what was important to the prospect, which will help build the value of your solution, framing the money issue more as an investment than as a cost.

Finally, sometimes the answer is "no." But that's OK, too. Part of learning to love hearing "no" is the knowledge that it's only a matter of time before you hear "yes."