How to Write Effective Sales Scripts for Cold Calling
Cold-calling is a task that many salespeople dread. Cold-calling is unpredictable, exasperating, and dull, so there’s a few reasons why it’s unpopular. To mitigate this, sales managers try to make great sales scripts available so that sales reps aren’t just thrown into the wilderness blind. A great sales script can mean all the difference between someone hanging up on you and moving someone down the sales pipeline. If you want to write better sales scripts, take a look at some of the tips in this post.
(And add a sales automation CRM to that awesome sales script and you’ll be unstoppable!)
Before You Write
There are a few things you want to have in order before you just sit down and start writing a draft of the script. First, you’ll need to select a featured product or service that you can pitch them. Next, you’ll need to identify your target audience. Are you calling business-to-business (B2B)? Contacting a decision-maker? Get in line with the other hundred sales reps tapping that same keg. This is why your sales scripts have to be on-point. If not, you get lost in the sea of losers whose sales scripts were garbage. Next, list the benefits. Those prospects are going to want to know what you can do for them. Finally, ask a couple of poignant questions that relate to their issues so you can address it with your solution. So you don’t get lost at sea, the following script pointers should do just fine.
Your Script Template
Your sales script is key to getting in contact with the right people, and once you’re on the phone with them, being able to sound like a pro as you go through the script. This takes practice and a good script is fluid enough to anticipate any deviation. The script is broken into several parts:
- Introduction
- Value Statement
- Qualifying Questions
- Examples of Common Problems
- Company and Product Information
- Close
Each of these areas of the script play their own part as well as together as a whole. Let’s take a look at each section and break it down.
1) Introduction
The introduction has to be striking enough to get their attention, but not overwhelming enough to drive them to hang up. The introduction must sound professional. You’re not calling up a friend to hang out, you’re calling someone whose time is valuable and may want to buy what you’re selling. A good introduction might be something like:
REP: Hello, is Mr./Ms. ____________ available? This is _____________ from Company X and we saw that you indicated you were interested in our latest products…
See? It’s simple, effective, and it shows the prospect that you are ready to do business. Pay attention to your tone and cadence of your speech, you don’t want to drive them away by being forceful nor do you want to be too soft and seem like you’re not invested in your own product. The script will make you sound more professional since it’s written and planned, and can even be rehearsed for optimal effect. Any budding actors in the sales game will appreciate a good script that can help them “get into character”.
2) Value Statement
The value statement is where you reel in the prospect. It’s juicy, it looks fantastic, and they want it (at least you hope they do). The value statement is meant to entice the prospect, not scare them off, so this is no time for sticker-shock. You’re not even mentioning prices at this point because you’re focusing on the value you’re creating for the prospect.
REP: Excellent. We really want to help you… [insert solution]
The value statements work because, again, they want to know what you can do for them. If you walk into their meeting room demanding that they buy from you just because you’re King Sales of Sales Mountain, they’ll send you packing. If you enter the room cool and confident that you can help them with their problems, and you’re able to address those issues and offer solutions, you’ll be in like Flynn.
3) Qualifying Questions
You have to make sure that the prospect is part of your target audience or else you’ll be wasting both their time and yours, and you can’t afford to do that. There are many ways to qualify prospects, and you’ll find one that works for you. No matter what strategy you use, you’ll need to learn how to ask your prospect the right questions.
REP: We want to make sure that our services will be right for you.
The qualifying questions will be thorough regarding the product or service, and will be used to pinpoint the types of solutions the prospect will need.
4) Examples of Common Problems
There have been so many different types of businesses that have existed throughout history that there no new problems, only new solutions. You’ll want to sit down with your prospect and explain all the common problems that a company such as theirs could encounter in its existence. This may introduce issues the prospect was unaware of, or worse, ignorant to. This is your wind up and pitch to set up the solutions, which you will offer up to them immediately. Some of the common problems that companies have experienced include everything from integrating new technologies within an existing system to high turnover rates on their sales reps.
REP: Many [hiring managers] say they experience… Does that concern you?
Figuring out what the problem is, because usually if one person is experiencing issues, chances are there are more struggling with the same problem. If you can offer a solution to this one customer, how many others can benefit as a result?
5) Company and Product Information
After you have successfully identified any issues and offered some broad solutions to the prospect, here’s where it gets fun. This is where you get into the nitty-gritty of what solutions you have to offer. It’s always exciting to see a prospect be wowed by your product or service, and you when you know that your sale will mean something to that customer, it makes it all worthwhile. (Well, that and the comfortable commissions.)
REP: That may work for you in that situation, but you might do better with this [product] given your situation…
The takeaway here is simply know your product or service so perfectly that you could rattle off every spec in your sleep (okay, maybe not that hardcore, but you get the point). At the very least. You need to have a solution for each and every prospect or customer because they all have different needs.
6) Close
Your closing is important whether the prospect is ready to buy or not. It shows that you respect their time and are willing to work with them. For instance, your closing statement might be something like this:
REP: Thank you again for your time. Can we schedule a good time for you to see [product or service]?
This statement pushes for another (or initial) meeting, one where you can demonstrate what your product or service can actually do. Oftentimes, people are persuaded to purchase something once they see it action, so to speak. How powerful is your product or service?
In Conclusion:
A sales script for cold calling can be a valuable tool for sales reps. The most effective sales scripts contain a few key components: introduction, value statement, qualifying questions, examples of common problems, company and product information, and close. If you use these components to design your sales scripts, and tailor them to your target audience and product, your sales scripts will stand out in the increasingly competitive sales world.
