Sales Scripts Best Practices

I see a lot posts that are not in favor of using a sales script and I can't help but think that maybe the definition of a sales script should be defined a little. Early on in my sales career I was given a sales script along with heavy training to make it work. And work it did.

Maybe we should develop a "best practices" for developing / using a sales script....

Best Practice 1: Set Objectives First - know what you want to accomplish.

Best Practice 2: Build a Roadmap (Script) to Complete Objectives - make sure each phase of the script is leading you towards your objectives.

Best Practice 3: Be Transparent to Win Customers - practice your script / role play and get it sounding smooth and natural. Record yourself, role play with colleagues etc. You shouldn't have to read it word for word. If you do, it just means you haven't put the time in yet.

Best Practices 4: Listen and Adapt to Each Individual Prospect - A script is a guide, not the gospel. When you combine a solid script with your sales skills / talent, its a winning combination.

Best Practice 5: Measure and Adjust - Nothing ever stays the same. The more calls you make, the more you'll learn from them and you can make adjustments to your words and tone.

He who has ears let them hear

I was recently asked "How can you show sales reps that by paying on their own that their investment will pay back to make it worth it?"

My reply:

It has been said that "he who has ears let them hear". Now of course the subject matter being discussed when that quote was spoken was a lot more serious then what we are talking about however the principle still holds true.

Personally, our fees are affordable for individual sales people ($199 for a 4 week live training course online...and we do have individuals signing up every month) however the reality is, it's the "companies" that hire us more than individuals do and there's nothing wrong with that.

It's when the sales persons mindset is "it's the companies responsibility to make sure I'm motivated and to improve my skills" is when the problems creep in.

When can any positive effort into improving yourself have a negative effect?

Adversely, how can "waiting around" for someone else to make you a peak performer ever be considered a positive?

Is it the Company or the Sales Persons Responsibility to Pay for Training?

I've posted this question to numerous LinkedIn Groups that I am apart of and based on the replies, it seems like a 60/40 split. 60% feel the company should pay, 40% feel the sales person should pay.

100% however believe that the other will benefit from continued education in sales training.

I've worked with companies that had excellent product / service training on what we were to sell and I've worked for companies that simply said "here's your phone and a sheet of names/numbers... start dialing"

Most companies it seems are somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios. Most organizations have some form of training (usually a week or two) before they let new hires hit the phones.

Almost none these days offer a continued education / sales skills development program for their staff.... however almost all agree that they should.

It reminds me of the lion / gazelle story:

"Every morning the lion and the gazelle wake up running. The lion, to eat. The gazelle, to avoid being eaten. Either way, when you wake up, you'd better be running!"

My personal experience is this... those that aren't afraid to invest in themselves far out earn their colleagues who wait around for the company.

Companies that are willing to continuously invest (say once a quarter or bi-annually) come out ahead of their competition.

Next SalesBuzz Workshop Registration Info

To all Sales Buzz members, our next online sales training workshop (How to Develop Sales Questions that Unlock Your Prospect) is on Thu, Sep 8th, 2009 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM EDT.

If you plan on attending, please register here.

Creating an Effective Call Opener (What you say after: "Hello, My name is...)

Here's a tip we discussed in yesterday's online sales training workshop for inside sales professionals:

When creating an effective opener (What you say after, "Hello, my name is...") it's important to remember that: "People don't buy things, they buy solutions to problems".

So ask yourself.... What problems does your prospect have that your product or service can solve?

I've included some quotes that may help set your thinking down the right path:

Charles Revlon: 'In the factory we make cosmetics. In the store we sell hope.'

Leo McGinneva on why people buy quarter-inch drill bits: 'They don't want quarter-inch bits. They want quarter-inch holes.'

Think of the problems your prospect probably has that you know your product or service can solve and then mention that problem/s in your opener in order to create interest and not resistance.

If you missed the class and want to know when we will have another, visit: http://www.salesbuzz.com/free-demo/sign-up.aspx