BTM Exec Overview – Resources on Sales Scripts

I’ve posted several times in a row on sales scripts, so it only makes sense to do an over-view. My claim is that sales scripts, when done correctly, can be an valuable tool.  Modern flexible scripts require much more creativity and allow for more individuality than the “canned’ call center scripts of the past.

This will be the first post of the Exec Overview series, where I try to sum up all the best articles out on the web on a certain topic.  The end goal will be a single post where a Sales Leader can quickly read up on a topic.  There’s not a ton of information out there on scripts (lots of spammy gimmikcy aritlces), but here’s what I found on both sides of the issue:

How to use scripts:

1) Scripting Template – Steli shares a great starting script template on the Close.io blog.

2) Objection Scripting – Alex Nunez steps through some example respones to common objections.  He says, “The key to handling sales objections over the phone is keeping these scripts in the back of your mind, but not actually using them verbatim.”

3) How to De-Zombify your scripts – Lidsay makes a great point that, “there is a big difference between reciting a script and being prepared. You should provide a script to your reps, but they shouldn’t just read it off a piece of paper”.

4) The Truth About Sales Scripts – Art Sobczak gives some good examples and says, “I suggest you look at a script like an actor, and deliver it the same way. “

5) Quora: Do Sales teams us scripts – a lively debate on scripts, but a stand out comment talks about how great sales people can start with scripts and eventually move off of them once they’ve sold long enough.

5) Cold Call Blue-print – here’s a great presentation from Mike Halper of SalesScripter that includes an advanced script format that could be re-used.

Risks of using scripts poorly:

1) Why Sales Scripts are a solid start to a bad customer relationship – an outline of all the ways scripts, when used poorly can go wrong and the costs.

2) Scriping Cold Calls are a bad idea – if you’re repts use scripts poorly and sound scripted, less people will speak to them.

3) Why Sales People hate Scripts – often they are not well thought out, or they’re part of poor training programs.

4) Sales Training Shouldn’t be Dogmatic – if you are too strict in your training or scipting you will crush your teams creativity and energy