To script or not to script the call…that’s the question!
Sales prospecting Phone Calls
What is the role of sales scripts in prospecting?I recently received a sales call from a tech company that prompted me to dive into the question: What is the role of sales scripts in prospecting?
Here is the summary of an actual call I received…The BDR started talking or should I say reading from her script. When she paused I asked her a question. She didn’t answer the question and just proceeded to read from her script. She was trying to get me to give permission for the company to add me to their email list. I kept trying to interrupt her and ask her different, off topic questions when she paused. She continued to read directly from her script and not address any of my many questions. I finally interrupted her and told her she could put me on the list. I was looking forward to getting this email, in hopes of finding the person who was in charge of the calling campaign and with the intension of finding out why they had this BDR reading from a script without any deviation. She didn’t even stop once I gave permission to be added to the list, in fact she proceeded to talk about getting my permission for several more minutes. I really wanted to let this company know how I felt. One, that she had to read the script and not listen to me and two, the script was way too long and redundant. Guess what? I hung on until the end (torture!) in hopes that I could get the email and the company never sent it to me! |
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I Asked an Expert - Ceri Ruenheck with It's Your Call
To write a paragraph on her beliefs on sales scripts...here is her response:
McDonald’s vs. Le Bernardin both are extremely successful restaurants.One caters to the masses and one is for the gourmand.Using a script for making outbound calls can be equated to this.If the product is one that is being sold to the masses (perhaps in a B2C scenario) the hiring of lower skilled staff is appropriate and to keep the message consistent a script is used like the making of a McDonald’s meal where even the amount of salt is measured.On the other hand higher end products/services need a higher skill level and should make use of a call allowing the caller to take some liberties in what’s being said but knows what the end result should be like a chef at Le Bernardin using a recipe but tasting the food as it cooks and adjusting the seasoning as needed.
When Ceri starts a discussion about a calling campaigns with a new customer she uses the term script, but she goes on to explain that scripts are more of a call guide.
After this phone call I was listening to a podcast, “Make it Happen Mondays” ep#126 with John Barrows, who brought up balancing the controlling of the message and turning the sales reps into robots vs giving them autonomy to do and say whatever they want. His guest Keith Messick from Diapad says it’s less about controlling the message and more about integrating the messaging. If you tell someone what to say, it’s always forced and they’ll never be comfortable. It’s more about knowing when to say something and integrating values and guidelines that should be addressed on a prospecting call so it sounds natural and flows with the person you’re prospecting. John goes on to say you can start with a script but then you have to be able to make it your own.
McDonald’s vs. Le Bernardin both are extremely successful restaurants.One caters to the masses and one is for the gourmand.Using a script for making outbound calls can be equated to this.If the product is one that is being sold to the masses (perhaps in a B2C scenario) the hiring of lower skilled staff is appropriate and to keep the message consistent a script is used like the making of a McDonald’s meal where even the amount of salt is measured.On the other hand higher end products/services need a higher skill level and should make use of a call allowing the caller to take some liberties in what’s being said but knows what the end result should be like a chef at Le Bernardin using a recipe but tasting the food as it cooks and adjusting the seasoning as needed.
When Ceri starts a discussion about a calling campaigns with a new customer she uses the term script, but she goes on to explain that scripts are more of a call guide.
After this phone call I was listening to a podcast, “Make it Happen Mondays” ep#126 with John Barrows, who brought up balancing the controlling of the message and turning the sales reps into robots vs giving them autonomy to do and say whatever they want. His guest Keith Messick from Diapad says it’s less about controlling the message and more about integrating the messaging. If you tell someone what to say, it’s always forced and they’ll never be comfortable. It’s more about knowing when to say something and integrating values and guidelines that should be addressed on a prospecting call so it sounds natural and flows with the person you’re prospecting. John goes on to say you can start with a script but then you have to be able to make it your own.
What are your thoughts on sales scripts?
I think you know what mine are, but I’ll elaborate.
I agree with Ceri Ruenheck, John Barrow, and Keith Messick. Sales scrips should be adapted to the person who’s delivering it so it sounds natural and normal and not forced. It can happen several ways.A script or template is developed and learned by a sales rep word for word. Once that happens the rep then needs to be able to make it their own and use their own words so they’re comfortable enough that they can have a conversation with the prospect.Another approach is to give the sales reps bullet points of the values and goals of a prospecting call and the sales rep generates their own script which they can easily deliver to a prospect.
I feel there is a middle ground for a sales script.Companies should take the time and training to make sure it works for their sales reps so they’re successful prospecting.I wish I received the email from the tech company but at least it’ll be a learning lesson for others.
I agree with Ceri Ruenheck, John Barrow, and Keith Messick. Sales scrips should be adapted to the person who’s delivering it so it sounds natural and normal and not forced. It can happen several ways.A script or template is developed and learned by a sales rep word for word. Once that happens the rep then needs to be able to make it their own and use their own words so they’re comfortable enough that they can have a conversation with the prospect.Another approach is to give the sales reps bullet points of the values and goals of a prospecting call and the sales rep generates their own script which they can easily deliver to a prospect.
I feel there is a middle ground for a sales script.Companies should take the time and training to make sure it works for their sales reps so they’re successful prospecting.I wish I received the email from the tech company but at least it’ll be a learning lesson for others.
