Is your script working?

Many sales professionals say they never use scripts and never would. They take issue with the entire idea of scripting, saying that scripts are “phony,” “don’t work” or “make you sound like a telemarketer.” They insist that “every call is different so it’s impossible to use a script.”

The reality is that all salespeople use scripts. And here’s why: Salespeople hear the same questions over and over and over. Even brand new salespeople have fairly standard answers to those questions. If you’re more or less repeating the same answers every time you hear a particular question, that answer is part of your script.

You probably also hear the same objections repeated over and over again. You’ve probably developed fairly standard responses to those objections, which are another part of your script. Furthermore, you probably have a fairly standard way of introducing yourself to new prospects. This is called an “elevator speech” — another name for script.

You see, it doesn’t matter that your consistent responses are not written down or that there are slight variations in the way you deliver them each time. If you’re repeating the same language with different clients or prospects over time, you’re using a script.

So the question is not “Should you use a script?” but “Is your script working?” Does it get you the results that you want? And if it doesn’t, shouldn’t you be saying something else? Ask yourself if what you say when you cold call is getting you the appointments you seek. If it doesn’t, your script isn’t working. 

If your entire sale process happens over the telephone, does what you say get you the sale? If it doesn’t, your script isn’t working. Sales professionals who are extremely successful have scripts they use regularly and which have been honed over the years. They know what to say and when and how to say it.