How to become an appointment setter from home, step by step

What an appointment setter does all day, what clients ask for, how to show you can do the job before you're hired, and the offers to avoid.

An appointment setter calls leads and books meetings, and the client's sales team takes it from there. This guide is built from the 8 appointment setting listings posted on DayShift, our job site for remote roles with clients in Singapore and Asia, open and closed, as of 6 October 2026.

The clients were in finance, insurance and property, and their listings describe the same day:

Seven of the 8 listings set targets for calls or booked meetings. The calls run in Singapore business hours, which is the same clock as Manila and Kuala Lumpur, so this is day shift work.

One thing to know before you plan around these roles: 6 of our 8 listings were for people based in Malaysia. Roles marked Malaysia are only for people based in Malaysia, and the others are open from the Philippines.

What do you need to start as an appointment setter?

Here's what the 8 listings asked for:

None of the 8 asked for a degree or a certificate.

How to show you can do the job before anyone hires you

A client can't hear your voice on a CV. So bring proof of how you sound on a call:

  1. Pick a pretend client, like a property agent who wants viewings booked.
  2. Write a short opening: who you are, why you're calling, and one question.
  3. Write a calm reply to each of the three objections you'll hear most: "not interested", "I'm busy" and "just send me an email".
  4. Ask a friend to play the lead, and record the call on your phone. Listen back and cut anything that sounds pushy or rushed.
  5. Log the call in a Google Sheet the way a CRM would: name, date, outcome, next step and the meeting time.
  6. Do ten practice calls this way, and keep your best recording and the sheet.

Now you can answer one of our practice questions with a real number: how many calls you can make in an hour, and how you log them.

How to land your first appointment setting job without paying anyone

You should never pay to get an appointment setting job, whether someone calls it an application fee, a training fee or the price of a script or a lead list.

It's free to apply on DayShift, and every role shows its pay before you apply. Roles on DayShift today pay SGD 5 to 8 an hour or SGD 400 to 1,200 a month (checked 6 October 2026). Malaysia roles pay in ringgit, and the pay guide at /pay shows the range for each role.

Here's what happens after you apply:

  1. You apply with your CV and answers to a few questions.
  2. We review it, and if you fit the role, we invite you to a short interview.
  3. If you're shortlisted, the client interviews you.
  4. If you're hired, your work login arrives by email.

Expect to say your opening line out loud. Our practice page at /interview-practice?role=telemarketing has three questions for this role. Two of them ask how you open a cold call, and what you say when a lead isn't interested. Our guide to answering "tell me about yourself" has a sample answer for a telemarketer (/blog/how-to-answer-tell-me-about-yourself).

Open roles are at /jobs/telemarketing, and the Malaysia roles are also listed at /jobs/malaysia.

Avoid fees and commission-only offers

Watch for these before you say yes:

Our own rule, from our homepage: we never ask you to pay, whether it's an application fee, a placement fee or a training fee.

Sources

Questions

Can I become an appointment setter with no experience?

Yes, if you can show how you sound on a call. Record practice calls and keep a call log. Then apply to roles that list experience as preferred, since each listing says whether it's a must.

Is appointment setting the same as telemarketing?

Close. Telemarketing is the calling, and the booked meeting is what each call is for. The appointment setting roles on DayShift include both the calls and the booking.

Can I apply from the Philippines?

Yes, for the roles that don't say Malaysia. Roles marked Malaysia are only open to people based in Malaysia.

What hours do appointment setters work?

On DayShift, Singapore business hours, which are the same clock as Manila and Kuala Lumpur. You call in the daytime.

How much does an appointment setter earn?

It depends on the role and the hours. Roles on DayShift today pay SGD 5 to 8 an hour or SGD 400 to 1,200 a month (checked 6 October 2026), and every listing shows its pay.