How to Hire Appointment Setters Who Actually Book Qualified Calls

A good appointment setter keeps your closers busy with calls worth taking. If a setter books people who were never going to buy, your closers spend their day on calls that go nowhere.

This is how I'd hire setters who book calls your closers want to take. (If you're deciding between your own setter and an outside agency, here's how the two compare.)

Decide what kind of setter you need

"Setter" can mean a few different jobs:

• Inbound DM setters reply to comments and DMs from your content and qualify interest.
• Outbound setters start conversations cold on Instagram, LinkedIn or X.
• Speed-to-lead setters call or text form fills and ad leads within minutes.
• Confirmation setters confirm booked calls and warm people up, so more of them show.

Each one needs something a little different. Outbound setters need to handle a lot of no's and keep going. Inbound setters need good judgment and quick, natural writing.

Write down what "qualified" means

Before you hire, write down exactly what a qualified call is for your offer. For example:

• They fit the kind of customer you serve.
• They have the problem your offer solves and want it solved soon.
• They can afford it, or have a clear way to pay for it.
• They're the decision-maker, or they'll bring that person to the call.

Then pay and track against that definition. It saves a lot of back-and-forth later about which calls count.

What to look for in a setter

• Writing that sounds like a person. Read their messages out loud. They should sound like a normal person texting.
• Curiosity. Good setters ask good questions, and that's how qualifying happens.
• Consistency. Setting means a lot of conversations every day, so showing up every day matters a lot.
• Coachability. Setters are often earlier in their careers, so being open to learning your process matters.

How to test setters

Interview every setter, and test how they work too. Here's a simple way to do both:

1. A DM roleplay. Send them a typical first message from a lead and have them reply in writing, back and forth a few times.
2. A short intro Loom. A minute or two on who they are and what they've done, so you can hear how they talk. (Here's what to look for in a sales rep's Loom.)
3. A quick call. Check how they speak, especially if they'll be calling or texting leads.

How setters are usually paid

Setters are more likely than closers to get a base. Common setups are a base plus commission, pay per qualified call or per show, a smaller commission on closed deals, or a mix of these. I go through the trade-offs in my guide to setter and closer commission. Whichever you choose, pay on time. Late payouts can cost you a good setter.

Help them get good quickly

• Give them scripts as a starting point, and let them adjust the wording.
• Share feedback from your closers on the calls they book, so they learn what a qualified call looks like.
• Track booked, shown and closed, so you can see quality and not just how many calls they book.
• Look over a sample of their conversations every week.

Here's more on how to train a new sales rep.

Setter or closer first?

If you're not sure which role to hire first, start with my breakdown of appointment setters vs. closers. And if you'd rather have vetted setters introduced to you, that's what Ardenique does.