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I have trained over 300 salespeople to perform in various industries, many of which were a very tough sell. However, those who applied themselves to a well worked script got the basics down well and survived that nightmare period for a news sales person – the first three months. Here are some tips on script building for the telemarketer.

A Script Will Keep You on Track

Many sales people say they do not need a script, few actually perform without one until they are sales professionals. When you are telemarketing you need to be concise straight to the point and professional, the last thing you need is to be filling your pitch with errr… this and errrr… that. I will show you in another post some of the advanced techniques that, believe it or nor, include this, but for now let’s stay on the basics.

Creating Your Script

1. Start by ALWAYS stating who your are, what company you represent, and why you are calling.

- A tip, I always had my sales guys repeat their first name. “Hi Mr X my name is Bob, Bob Smith”. This subliminally encourages the prospect to use you first name.

2. Let them know how long the call is going to be and stick to it.

- A tip – If you are going to go over the time you stated, ask for permission to continue. “Mr X – I did say I would be two minutes but it seems we have some areas of mutual areas of interest here, may I continue?” – If you get a yes the guy is almost certainly a buyer, if you get a no, you can ask what the objections are and find out whether you have an opportunity to make a sale or not.

3. Then state the benefit(s) your listener will get, and ask permission to talk about your product or services in more detail.

4. Provide more details about your product or services.

5. Keep the presentation short, keep it positive, and conclude with an action item if appropriate.

Types of Scripts

There are four basic types of scripts. The complexity of the sales message determines which type will best fit your needs:

1. Verbatim Script: This is a simple word for word script that is generally used by the business to business mass marker and, frankly, I don’t know why people bother with them. I can see no benefit in having someone speak a verbatim script.. just my opinion.

2. Outline Script: This script combines verbatim dialogue (such as introductory and closing statements) with questions and answers in between and rapport building. This script is generally useful for the new telemarketer. It gives confidence because it is structured, but it also gives flexibility.

3. Guided Script: Also known as dialogue or prompt scripts, this is designed to allow the telemarketer to discuss his offering rather than have a scripted, verbatim pitch. The introduction, benefits and closing are often scripted but the main portion of the call is opening and closing questions and rapport building. This script is what it used by experienced telemarketers along with practiced objection rebuttals.

4. Call-Plan Script: Used by callers who speak to their customers on an on-going basis, this script usually contains objectives of the call, commitments required of the prospects, key questions to ask, a closing, and the next actions to be taken. This helps a caller control the call, direct its outcome, and achieve the necessary goals.

5. Post-It-Note Script. This is the realm of the seasoned telemarketer who can make a list of objectives he is looking to get across in the call. It may take the form of a list. In my case I would have a brochure or whatever I was selling, or some kind of promotional material and I would use a highlight pen, to highlight phrases or words that ‘sold’ what I was selling. I then steered the conversation in the direction of those selling points.

Do I really Need A Script?

The new, cocky, salesperson would often ask this question, primarily because he has heard from friends or it is ‘general knowledge’ that ‘scripts don’t work’, or prospects ‘can tell when you are reading from a script’. Of course, if you read directly from a script have no meaning or feeling then your script is going to fail. Let me ask you this – Did you know that actors read from scripts? Of course you do – do you still cry at a sad movie or laugh at a funny scene? Of course because the actor who is delivering that script adds his own interpretation in, maybe even ad libs some of the dialogue, making us BELIEVE in what they are saying, even though we KNOW it is a scripted movie.

Your prospects knows you are calling to sell him something, if not on this call on the next, he wants to be sold to well. If you have a practiced script, add your personality and ad-lib along the way the prospect WILL interact with you listen to your offer. Without a script, you risk repetition, omissions, inconsistencies, and poor quality.

Script-Writing Guidelines

• Listen to the prospect and do not blindly follow the script – I have seen people get totally thrown in the first few minutes of a call when a client is asking buying question. Remember the object is not to finish your script it is to make a sale.

• Encourage dialogue with the customer.
• Continue to test and revise your script. After a while you or your staff will get board of a script. Mix it up, go back to the beginning and give yourself another script that inspires you.
• Answer the first question in your customer’s mind, “What’s in it for me?”
• Use short sentences.
• Build empathy.
• At the end of a call, always confirm the order, or repeat the customer commitment.
• Show concern for the customer first, then position the sale.
• Provide pauses in the script.
• Use motivating language.
• Script all warranties, payments, guarantees, liability, and regulatory information.
• Use the four Cs: clear, concise, conversational, convincing.
• Verify the customer’s name and address twice (at the beginning and end of the conversation).

This is a short guideline for how to build an effective script. I will be going into this is more depth in later posts with an emphasis on particular techniques that can be used within a telemarketing call.

I would give you one piece of advice before I end this post. Being a telemarketer you will get a caning from a lot of people. It would seem that ‘no one likes a telemarketer’. If you have this in your mind you will not get the results you are after.

Think of this – ‘everyone is selling something’, from the local Church selling the benefits of spirituality to little old lady in the corner shop selling flowers.. everyone sells. It is a noble profession and you should be proud of it, without sales people…. NOTHING happens.

You should approach your script writing with that in mind, you are there to offer a service that will enhance people’s lives in some way. Some will be happy to receive it, some will already have it and some flat out don’t want it. That is OK just say your piece the best you can often enough and you will be successful.

Regards
David
@TheMarketMaker