Best Practices for Writing a Sales Script

Best Practices for Writing a Sales Script One of the most important aspects of any business is Sales. Besides manufacturing, finances, marketing and hiring, a lot of the company’s success and profits depend upon its ability to make sales. Most businesses, big or small are dependent on their salespersons to boost the sales, and one way to do so is by drafting excellent sales scripts. A sales script is a documented sequence of things that a sales representative says to a prospect during a sales call. © Shutterstock.com | Yuganov KonstantinIn this article, we shall learn 1) everything you need to know about a sales script and 2) best practices for writing sales skripts.SALES SCRIPT: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOWHave you ever answered a Sales call from a local service provider and paid attention to the things the sales representative had to say? Did the content seem scripted or was it a natural flow about the products and services being offered by the company? Well, a sales script is a pre-written and practiced script that sales representatives use to sell a product to prospects. It is a well-organized method and a documented content piece which enables them to make a smooth and error-free sales call in the endeavor to make sales. To convince someone to buy a product is not easy  at all since not everyone possesses the natural art of convincing people, and this is where a sales script proves useful. What it does is that it provides a step-by-step guide to sales representatives so th at they do not hesitate, go blank or make mistakes while talking to a potential customer.Most businesses, whether it is yours or mine, make use of sales scripts, but not all sales scripts are strong or effective enough to convince the prospect about the product, brand or services it offers. Having a sales script alone isn’t enough. It should be framed or written in such a way that it not only speaks about the product effectively but also infuses a sense of interest in the listeners. Moreover, the way the sales script is read or said also has a huge impact on its success. A well-crafted sales script is one which has a strong introduction, an informative body, and an effective closing.How a sales script can help improve your sales?A sales script is not only helpful or important for your sales representative to make a smooth sales pitch but is something that has a much bigger benefit. A well written and excellently executed sales script can actually help improve your overall sales. T he better the sales script will be, the more will the potential customers be convinced to buy the product or service, hence positively impacting the sales figures. The following are some ways in which a sales script can boost sales:Sales skipt can improve how you sound: With a well crafted and well-practiced sales script, you tend to sound more prepared and confident which has a huge impact on how your customer perceives you. Anyone who doesn’t have a script in hand may sound less confident, hesitant and may not be able to act on the spur of the moment. He/she may not sound as good as one who knows what he/she is going to say next and does it with a positive vibe. But the key to sounding good and not mechanical with a script in hand is to add your personality into it and a certain energy level.Sales skript can leave a better impression about your company and product: By improving the way you sound, a sales script betters the overall impression made on the prospects. Since with a s cript in hand, you can be more prepared, what you say sounds more polished and confident which immediately has an impact on the impression you are projecting. The more impressed the prospect will be with you and what you are offering, the higher will be the chances of making sales, thus helping in improving the overall sales figures.Skripts help you build rapport: When you have a sales script in hand which makes you totally confident and convinced, this helps to focus on developing a rapport with the potential buyers or clients. A prospect definitely has more respect and tolerance for someone who is good at his craft and forces. This in turn helps them to feel more comfortable while talking to you.Sales skripts help you reduce stress: When you are making a sales call that you know is really important, there can be high levels of stress and anxiety. This happens more in the case when you are unprepared and are relying on a spontaneous conversation. Being prepared and ready is thus th e key to reduce stress. And what is the better way to do this than by having a Sales Script ready? Sales scripts help you gain confidence and work calm and confident even in the case when the prospect shows tough resistance. If you already know how you are going to deal with each of the possible questions asked, then the stress levels are greatly reduced. Low stress has a better overall result and can definitely lead to more success.Sales skripts improve lead generation: Having a well-crafted and properly practiced sales script is not just helpful in building a rapport or leaving a good impression but also in improving lead generation. An effective sales call is more likely to generate more customer interest that in turn makes them sign up, enquire about a product, visit your website or leave in their contact details. Thus, the overall lead generation is improved, thus leading to more sales opportunities.More effective than not having one: A good sales script is not just about the p roper description of your brand or products but is about asking the prospects the right questions. Asking the right questions at the right time will better the overall communication and interaction that you have with them, and this will improve your effectiveness and productivity. Having a sales script improves consistency across sales team members, which has a good impact on the end results as well.BEST PRACTICES FOR WRITING A SALES SCRIPTNow that you know what a sales script is and how beneficial it is, it is time to know how to frame a very useful sales skript which not only sounds convincing but has all the ingredients that can boost the probability of closing a deal. An excellent sales script is an amalgamation of several ingredients clubbed together in the right quantities. But what are these ingredients and how should they be used? Well, the following given practices for writing a sales script will answer all these questions and more. So read on to find out:Pracitce #1.     A void asking too general questionsAbout 80% of sales calls start with an uncomfortable ‘Hi, How are you?’ While it is true that saying this opening sentence may come out of the natural instinct, but it is something that must be avoided. Not only does this sound extremely unsincere but takes away the chance of beginning with a better opening. This question almost always has the same response and could irritate a prospect who may be extremely busy at the moment you call them. Thus, such general questions are just a waste of time not only for you but also for your prospect. It breaks the rapport and rather has a negative and opposite impact to what you intend. It is rather better to start off with a strong line that immediately captures the interest of the prospect.Practice #2.     Ask for a few minutes of attentionThere is a high probability that your prospect may be mildly or very busy at the time you call him/her. It won’t be right to fire away with your sales script or pitch a s soon as they answer the call. It is both a matter of good manners as well as a conscious tactic to make sure the prospect has a few minutes to spare and is not extremely busy at the moment. Also, if the prospect’s attention is half divided, you won’t be able  anyway to fulfill the purpose you are meant to with your sales script.Practice #3.     Build interestAnother superb practice that is essential to writing and delivering a sales script is to build an initial interest. The sales script must not only deliver extremely useful and informative content about the products, services and brands but must do so in a way which leaves an element of intrigue and interest in the minds of the prospects. The interest level created must be close enough to the commitment that the prospect will proceed onto the next level in closing the deal.One of the best ways to build this interest is to give only the most attractive hints about the product and not the entire detail set of the features and functionality. The aim must be to focus on the value that the product or service is capable of offering. Try to paint a picture that matches the customer’s expectation of the product.Practice #4.     Learn from your customers when they talkIf it is only you who keeps doing all the talking during the sales call, then there will be no way to know what is on the mind of the prospect. This will not enable your potential buyers to divulge any information about them, their preferences, their choices and other things that matter. Thus, it is a good idea to get the customers talking by including smart and useful questions. The sales script must include a series of well-planned questions that will help you qualify or dis-qualify the prospects.Asking questions is a good way to have a two-way conversation that is engaging and useful to you. Some questions that you can include in your script are:Their budget;Reasons they will purchase;Reasons they will not purchase;How many people are involv ed in the decision-making process;What the decision-making process is all about.Knowing the answers to these questions will avoid pursuing a prospect who will definitely not buy and otherwise. Hence, it will lead to time and money  saving for your company.Practice #5.     Find a way to set yourself as a specialist or expertIf the prospective customers or potential buyers see you as an expert or specialist of your field, then he/she will automatically have more respect for you and will take you more serious. Thus in order to gain customer attention and make yourself be heard, it is important to set yourself as an expert by making use of phrases like ‘we are popular for’, ‘we specialize in’ or ‘customers across the world know us for’, and so on. You can also mention the name of some strong clients who are using your services so that the prospect can view you clearly and place you correctly. This not only helps the prospect know that you are familiar with what you do but wi ll also enable them to know that they are not dealing with someone who cannot be trusted.Practice #6.     Describe your product and its benefits authenticallyChances are high that your prospects may have attended a lot of sales calls, and they may be familiar with the way salespersons talk and to what lengths they go to sell products. You cannot take the risk of sounding like ‘one among the many’ salespersons out there, and the key here is to avoid sounding like one. When you sound like a typical salesperson who is only concerned with making sales then this may put off the prospect but on the other hand, if you bring in your personality to describe the product’s benefits and are less ’formal’ about it, then you may just hit the right chord with the prospects. Don’t be cold and superficial but be warmer, interested in what the prospect has to say and offer them a customized approach or solution.Practice #7.     Speak in the language of your prospectDo you want to attend a sales call and hear only technical terms that may be difficult for you to understand? Well, no prospect or customer is interested in hard to understand terms and descriptions about products or services. This is why, your sales script must be drafted using the most simple and plain language, put across at the right degree of casualness. A sales call is more about communication and interaction that is only possible if you speak in the language of the other person on the line. Adapt the sales script for the consumer you are speaking to and try to explain the product benefits very easy for the one you are talking to. The approach has to be authentic and personal, using terms like ‘this product can do this for you’, etc. The script must flow, and room must be left for it to be maneuvered depending on who you are talking to. Be prepared to change it here and there if needed and do not get stuck with the same message for each prospect.Practice #8.      Give your potential customer ti me to process the informationIf you keep speaking during the whole sales call and do not giving your prospect any time to process the information or consider whether or not he/she needs your products or services, then the entire purpose of the call will be unfulfilled. This is why it is important to draft the script in such a way that the potential customers have enough time to consider the choices and formulate their opinion. The script must have well-spaced sentences and vacant moments. It is important not to go too fast as most consumers who aren’t able to understand you are likely to hang the call in between.Practice #9.     Commit to continueThere must be a part in your sales script that focuses on the concept of C2C or Commit to Continue. Not leaving a way for your prospects to contact you back or not making an exact appointment with them to reach back again is one of the biggest mistakes sales representatives make. Rather than trying to sell the product here and now, try to set up a meeting, the next sales call or an appointment that will result in closing the deal. This is an effective way to ensure that your conversation isn’t too lengthy and that you bag a more effective way to talk about your product or give its trial.