There are many excellent resources available which provide templates for scripts, and below I include one which has been very successful in my businesses. The trend right now appears to be very lengthy, wordy script that include EVERY psychological marketing element known to mankind. Try using just one or two at first! For preliminary introduction I prefer KISS (Keep it simple and SANE); sales and marketing are subjective and I just don't see any reason to appeal to someone's impulses and intellect at the same time. It just results in a prospect's confusion. Shoot, it causes my own!
I'm presenting these suggestions as a method to get your foot in the door. This is a guide to developing your own script; you can adapt and recreate the template scripts; these tips simply focus on personalization. My humor attempt in no means suggests your sales pitch should be frivolous; it is meant merely to illustrate that these steps CAN be applied to ANY business or form of 'mass marketing.'
The main pupose here is to turn cold leads into warm leads....(getting closer, cloooser, clooooooooser!)
1) Intro -What is your purpose? (if you're writing alking first time, state who you are, your company)
Example: I'm Shelly with SidewalkSpitters, maybe you haven't heard of us yet, but we we've been spitting on sidewalks in your neighborhood for 20 years...
-A TERRIFIC thing here is to use a competitor's name, or if you have none of the competitor's business (yet), use the generic field. Nothing is more enticing than the (assumed) fact everyone else has it, ESPECIALLY if it's a competitor.
...in fact Mrs. Sloppy around the corner just started with our service.
2) Reason-get to the point, don't start talking about incidental things, you'll lose momentum.
...The reason I'm Calling/writing/spittin' on your sidewalk is.....we want the opportunity to show you how quickly and efficiently we can clean your sidewalk. A demo will only take about 2 minutes, and you'll see for yourself why others in your neigborhood are so pleased.
[If you're telemarketing or speaking in person, SAY I'd only like a moment of your time to set an appointment to show you how I can save you bookoo% on your sidewalk cleaning.]
3) Set up appointment
Just because we work on/over the internet is no reason not to talk to each other; use the telephone, or a chat room if you want to save the 10Cents/min.
.....Well, you have quite a mess here now Mrs. Astonished, I could get with you about 3 this afternoon, or 10 am on Thursday. Which is better for you?
This is Soooo important. You are really not the main concern of your customer; he is yours. This really does nail down a time and place, gives an option that is Yes or YES; NO OPEN ENDS.
4) If appropriate, ask if anyone else they know might like to also attend, listen, be interested-and what's in it for them. GET the names and numbers if possible and follow-up, remind each participant! These are all now warm leads!
....Well, ma'am if you'd like to ask your neighbors over, we can start at 10% off.
Step 1 is non-assaulting, establishing a relationship. Two will set them at ease-'great, I can find out fast and get rid of them.' Of course your job in step 2 is to get the prospects interest enough to keep reading/listening. Be Quick, Catchy, and TO the POINT. Step 3, as I said, verifies your common interest, and now you can tell/show the customer how you CAN be of benefit. Step 4 will keep them interested and hold them accountable; the customer will have incentive to keep the appointment.
Use this method for your lead generation, lead followup(autoresponders), telemarketing, inquiries of any sort (including job search), cold calling, MLM affiliate contact, bulk mail; whatever your brand of sales entails. If you do it correctly, I PROMISE it works.
It must be STRESSED again that no script, written or verbal, needs to be executed exactly as is; if you follow the BASIC rules, inject your own personality and style. I'm a firm believer that if you do, you will ATTRACT the types of customers with which you can form good working relationships.
NOTES on OBJECTIONS:
These hints are to help when in conversation. In email followup, objections are pretty well covered by repetition, clarification in your autoresponder series.
1) In step one
a)...I don't have time right now
Well, that's OK, when's a good time to reach you??
2) In step two
a)...we already have sidewalk cleaners
I understand EXACTLY what you mean. Mrs. Sloppy had SidewalksRUs, until they actually saw their costs cut [insert greatest benefit to customer] by 30% with us!
OR
Great, have you tried Miracle Sidewalk yet [offer a related product or accessory-customer's Brand may not be following up!]
b)...we don't need sidewalk cleaners [or I'm not interested]
You know, that's exactly what Mrs. Sloppy said but now she's CONVINCED her roses smell better [point out an intangible benefit if possible] since we started cleaning for her.
OR
We do have a referral program. Who do you know looking for...
3) In step three
...I'm really busy right now.
You know, I've been pretty swamped too. How's NEXT Thursday. I'll be back in the area then.
...No
OK, that's great. Your needs probably constantly change. Is it ok to followup with you in x amt. of time?
You'll generally get SOME kind of yes; if the door is totally closed in your face, DON'T take it personally, and REMEMBER, you're one step closer to a sale.
Hopefully these tips will help your salesmanship grow, little by little. PRACTICE. If you do make calls, tape them. The first will probably be atrocious, but it WILL come easier with practice!
If you're using mail/email, you probably have a phone # associated with your lead. [Most] people are not monsters, and genuine sales offers are usually appreciated.
(c)Shelly Rich Friedling
About the Author
Shelly Rich Friedling currently edits and publishes Success*Strategies, a creative sales and marketing ezine. She loves speaking on the phone almost as much as she loves writing articles!
http://www.richideas.info
