Written by Dave Goates, Director of Human Capital at Launch Leads
Now that we’ve reviewed some of the steps to prepare you for the responses you may receive on a cold call, let’s discuss four common basic scripts.
1. Cold call script – you are picking up the phone to engage a stranger who is not expecting your call, and you are requesting something they are completely unprepared to do before you call
2. Outbound sales script – this is telemarketing a product or service over the phone to a targeted buyer
3. Inbound sales script – someone is connecting with you through your website, landing page or perhaps responding to a pay for click ad they have seen online, or some other lead generation vehicle
4. Sales meeting script – the opening for a meeting where they have agreed to be sold and are ready to listen to your pitch
Remember, it’s not as much what you say, it’s what they say that’s important.
Let’s take the most common case in cold calling as example of script writing – picking up the phone and asking for an appointment with someone you don’t know.
Craft your opening statement carefully. You use this statement to gain their attention. It’s important to introduce yourself first, and to state your company name, then give a reason for your call. Here’s an example:l
“Good morning Mr. Jones” (use his first name if you have it) because it gains attention.
“This is Dave Goates. I’m calling from Launch Leads,” and stretch it out into a buffer a little bit — say something that works to get them to understand what it’s about. It’s a short value proposition no longer than two sentences, preferably only one concise sentence that gives the essence of what Launch does. I’ve always believed that the first seven or eight seconds into the call set the tone, and it’s more what people hear in your voice, than the actual words. A smile always comes through the phone, but beware — if you’re tired, lacking energy, or sound like you’re bored, that comes through too.
Give them something of value quickly, like “The reason I’m calling today is I just completed working with XYZ company, and we were able to increase their sales pipeline by 80% with qualified leads and appointments, and we were very successful in turning those leads into closed sales quicker.” (Just describes in concrete terms what was accomplished that would tend to arouse their interest, and remember percentages, ratios or dollars are very useful “shorthand”).
Then state a “recommendation.” “I’d recommend setting up an appointment with my (VP, Director, CEO, etc.) to discuss the successful experience we had with them.” At this point silence is golden. . . anticipate the responses, and be prepared to offer more concise value statements as needed.
Then, “Tell me a little about your company and what you’re currently doing with your inbound lead flow to get more business.” That opens up the conversation and gives them a chance to respond and the conversation will begin to flow. Gently guide the thought content of the call by asking key qualification questions so you can listen carefully to their pain points, their needs and their desires to improve. Remember, LISTEN, DON’T PITCH.
No trickery, no false statements, no over-hyped selling, just good clear communication. That’s what works in a scripted cold call.
Go get ‘em.
