When I speak to an audience, I ask the question, “What do people think of when they think of a sales person?” 

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Often the comments include, “pushy, liar, self-seeking.” Referring to telemarketers, someone will often say, “They don’t listen. It’s like they’re reading from a script.” Essentially, people feel that using a script lends to the speaker being insincere, focused more on their quotas than they are on you.

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The truth is that scripts can help you close more sales while freeing you to truly be present to your client. If you are serious about making more money, then consider these truths about scripting:

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Definition of a Script

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Scripts are merely words spoken in sequence that make sense. Everyone uses a script! (People who don’t make sense are usually on medication or sequestered off in a mental health ward!) So whether you use your words with purpose or you don’t, you are still using scripts. Sales scripting is about creating intentional conversation that guides a prospect to a buying decision. When you practice those scripts, like a black belt practices kicks, the conversation is no longer canned, but an authentic part of who you are!

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Power of a Script

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Scripts are powerful! My mentor, Eric Lofholm, says that scripts work because people respond in predictable ways. So if your prospects regularly tell you, “I need to think about it,” then you can examine at what you are saying that is eliciting that response. Why? Because something in your script is triggering that response. If you write down what you say, you can study it and change it to help people move in a different direction!

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The sales script book is a well-organized, highly practical set of your most powerful responses to the exact objections and stalls you hear most often. Dr. Donald Moine

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Freedom of a Script

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Scripts free you to be creative! Some people find 2 or 3 phrases and use them over and over again. True masters, however, study and memorize 5 or 6 ways to respond. They practice them. When these masters are with a prospect, they are not rolling their eyes to the top of their head, trying to remember what to say. Instead, they are listening intently, making eye contact, and using appropriate responses to their customers, because they already know what to say.

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Results of a Script

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Scripts help you close more sales consistently. Sales masters keep script books on their desks and refer to them often. They close more often because they study and use the same language patterns again and again. That may seem to contradict what I just said, yet in truth, sales pros make their scripts disappear! How do they do that? Through practice. Practice with colleagues, practice with actual customers. Make your scripts disappear!

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Want to improve your scripts? I can help! Email me at anna@annascheller.com and let’s take 30 minutes to find ways to improve your scripts, so you can close more sales and make more money!