How to Write a Sales Script

Sales Call Scripts Not Working?

Most sales call scripts create more problems than they solve. The two most common reasons for that are 1) The script is not written with the proper steps in place, and 2) no one ever taught the sales reps what each step of the sales process is or what to do if they hit a “red light.”

What is a Sales Process?

The simplest definition I’ve found to explain a sales process is:

“A sales process is a set of repeatable steps that a salesperson takes to take a prospective buyer from the early stage of awareness to a closed sale.”

Your sales scripts need to link one step to the next. If you skip steps, you increase your chances of getting sales objections that would have been avoided if you had appropriately followed the sales process when selling by phone. Let me give you an example.

Have you ever assumed a prospect was the decision-maker and then went for a close, only to hear him/her say,

“I have to check with ______”?

If you have ever been on a sales call and were given this objection at the close, YOU. SKIPPED. STEPS in the sales process (in the QUALIFYING section, to be exact)

How about this one:

You just knocked the presentation out of the park and go for a close and hear:

“We can’t afford it / It’s not in the budget.”

If you or your sales team hears these sales objections and others like it, the sales process you are using (the steps the salesperson attempts to go through when a prospect is on the phone) is broken. And a broken sales process means a lower number of closed/won opportunities. You’re losing winnable deals.

Fix your sales script, and win more deals. It’s that simple.

But I’m Not Too Fond of Sales Scripts

If you or someone on you or your team uses the excuse of:

“I don’t like to use sales scripts over the phone – they make me sound scripted.”

I’ve got news for you. The script doesn’t make you sound scripted. You make yourself sound scripted.

Every Oscar-winning Actor/Actress had scripts – the difference is that they didn’t sound scripted. They perfected their craft. They brought the words to life.

“But you can’t force your prospect to follow your script.”

Ah, another excuse. OK, let me help you out here.

The sales process steps are as clear as the rules for scoring a baseball run.

Baseball: 1st Base, 2nd Base, 3rd Base, Home Plate.

Sales: Engage, Qualify, Present, Close – We agree that those are the four “basics” of the sales process and the correct order. Good.

When you know each of the sales steps, and in the proper order, your sales script should be designed to spark a sales conversation and armed with the right questions that get the prospect from one stage to the next. And, at any point and time, if you hit a “red light,” you need to know how to either handle it and turn it “green” and move forward, or, if the “light” stays “red,” realize you did your job, and that includes not moving forward with a prospect that has hit a red light.

It’s not about “forcing” your prospect from one step to the next. It’s about engaging the prospect in a sales conversation with natural next steps that you walk down the path together until you either hit a red light or take it all the way home to the close.

The Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light Sales Script Formula

Want to know how to write a sales call script?

I’ve found the red, yellow, and green light analogy helps salespeople realize that it is not about reading a sales script from start to finish.

Each section of your sales script should have a particular job that links the step you are on to the next step. And you only go to the next step if the step you are on turns “green.”

Let me give you an example.

The purpose of your OVS (Opening Value Statement) is to do two things in this order:

• Pique Interest
• Gain Permission to Continue the Call

If you don’t pique interest in the first 15 seconds of a sales call, you will burn out quickly because trying to sell to prospects that don’t see the need to talk to you will get old quickly. If we go back to baseball terms, you won’t be playing the game for too long if you can’t get on first base.

The “red, yellow, green light analogy” opens the sales rep’s mind’s eye to see the sales call in steps and that they need to focus on the step they are on, not the following paragraph on the sales script.

Knowing what their objective is on each step of the sales call and having a well-thought-out written script following that path is the key to sales revenue growth, less turnover, and higher commission checks. That’s a win/win in any book.

So, how does the red, yellow, and green light sales script system work?

Here’s a mock sales call script call:

SALES SCRIPT EXAMPLE #1:

SALESPERSON: Hi (Prospect’s name), this is Brittany at SalesBuzz.com; how are you?

Good! Well, the reason for my call is we help companies that need to improve their phone skills quickly to increase revenue, and if I caught you at a good time, I’d like to ask you a few questions to see if what we offer may be of some help to you – Would that be OK?

PROSPECT: Um, yeah, sure – go ahead.

GREEN LIGHT! You now move to the next step.

SALES SCRIPT EXAMPLE #2:

SALESPERSON: Hi (Prospect’s name), this is Brittany at SalesBuzz.com; how are you?

Good! Well, the reason for my call is we help companies that need to improve their phone skills quickly to increase revenue, and if I caught you at a good time, I’d like to ask you a few questions to see if what we offer may be of some help to you – Would that be OK?

PROSPECT: Yea, ah, now’s not a good time.

YELLOW LIGHT! Respond with:

SALESPERSON: I’m sure you get calls like this all the time; all I know is I have clients that are setting 25% more appointments and are closing 30% more of those opportunities after taking our course, and there’s a possibility we might be able to help you as well.

I just need to ask you a few questions. Would that be OK?

PROSPECT: Um, yeah, sure – go ahead.

GREEN LIGHT! You now move to the next step.

SALES SCRIPT EXAMPLE #3:

SALESPERSON: Hi (Prospect’s name), this is Brittany at SalesBuzz.com; how are you?

Good! Well, the reason for my call is we help companies that need to improve their phone skills quickly to increase revenue, and if I caught you at a good time, I’d like to ask you a few questions to see if what we offer may be of some help to you – Would that be OK?

PROSPECT: Yea, ah, now’s not a good time.

YELLOW LIGHT! Respond with:

SALESPERSON: I’m sure you get calls like this all the time; all I know is I have clients that are setting 25% more appointments and are closing 30% more of those opportunities after taking our course, and there’s a possibility we might be able to help you as well.

I just need to ask you a few questions. Would that be OK?

PROSPECT: I’m just not interested.

RED LIGHT! Respond with:

SALESPERSON: No problem. I’ll send you an email about how we help companies reduce turnover by eliminating call reluctance just in case you run into a situation where you need some help; you’ll at least have a resource to contact, fair enough?

PROSPECT: Uh, yeah, that sounds great. Thanks!

Notice how these sales scripts prepare the sales team to survive the call long enough in the batter’s box to get to first base? Does your current sales script do that?

And we haven’t even scratched the surface of all the other sales process steps.

There are tons of free resources available that you can use to try and put together a better sales script for you and your team.

If you want to streamline that process, our online sales training courses will walk you through each phase step-by-step.

– Michael Pedone

Michael Pedone is the CEO/FOUNDER of SalesBuzz.com – On-demand sales courses that teach B2B phone sales techniques that work.