How pay-per-held-meeting appointment setting works

With pay-per-held-meeting appointment setting, you pay an agreed price for each qualifying call or meeting that actually takes place, and nothing for the work that leads up to it. Research, outreach, replies and no-shows aren't billed. The catch, if there is one, is that everything depends on agreeing clearly what "qualifying" and "held" mean before you start.

What you pay for, and what you don't

The price per held call or meeting is agreed before any outreach. It usually reflects how valuable a new client is to you and how hard your buyers are to reach, which is why it differs by industry.

How "held" is decided

A call or meeting counts as held when the prospect turns up and you have a genuine conversation, and they match the criteria you agreed. Our qualified meeting checklist walks through how to write those criteria.

Three situations come up often, so it helps to settle them up front:

• They don't show. Not held, not billed. A good provider tries to rebook them.
• You can't make it. If you miss it or cancel at short notice and the prospect was ready, it's usually treated as held.
• They decide not to buy. Still held. You paid for a real chance to win the work, not for the outcome.

Why businesses choose this model

• Less risk at the start. You aren't paying a monthly fee while a campaign warms up.
• Clear incentives. The provider only earns when real conversations happen, so their effort goes into reaching the right people.
• Easy to compare. You can weigh the price per held call or meeting against what a new client is worth to you.

When it's not the right fit

Paying per held call or meeting isn't always best:

• Very long, committee-driven sales where one call rarely moves anything. You may need a broader campaign.
• Very small jobs where even a good first conversation isn't worth paying for.
• If you can't follow up. Booked calls or meetings only turn into work if someone runs the conversation and follows through. If you don't have that capacity yet, see our readiness checklist.

Questions to ask any provider

1. What exactly counts as a held call or meeting, and is it written in the agreement?
2. What happens with no-shows, late cancellations and reschedules?
3. Can I flag a poor fit before the call or meeting, and is it then not billed?
4. Do I see a brief before each one? What's in it?
5. Who approves the messaging that goes out in my name?
6. How do you avoid contacting my existing clients and open deals?
7. Is there a setup fee, a minimum spend or a lock-in?
8. How do disputes about a charge get resolved?

How GoodYarn does it

GoodYarn charges one flat price per qualifying call or meeting that takes place, agreed before we start. There's no retainer and no lock-in, nothing for outreach, replies or no-shows, and you get a brief before every one. The details are in our Terms and in each client's agreement.

Booking a call or meeting creates an opportunity, not a guarantee of a sale. Whether it turns into work is up to the conversation you have.