B2B sales appointments discovery calls sales & Phone Scripts

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Sample Appointment Setting Script was Super Successful

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Here is a sample appointment setting script that helped a salesperson go from 2/3 appointments a month to 10-15 a week….. more B2B prospects found by calling while increasing the size of the average sale and closing conversion rate.

Learn sales script structuring techniques that will help you craft your best ever phone script for appointment setting with top decision-makers.

Here is a sample sales script template that will help you do it.

Brief background: Salesperson calls me starting new job, starving for qualified leads and wants some sales script techniques and examples for b2b appointment setting. Wants to get off to a fast start but has no calling script examples for setting appointments. Within 2 weeks he is on fire with appointment setting, setting 10-15 appointments a week with his new favorite appointment setting scripts that work. Company owner is inviting him to baseball games in the corporate box. He starts to set appointments with companies he thought were beyond him.

Caution: This is only the first 30-second or so front end of a total appointment setting script path. It doesn’t give you insight into how he organized himself to have the conversations with the right people, and enough of them, to be successful with his new appointment setting scripts that work. It also doesn’t give you the script structures used to respond to sales objections that were used to turn “send me info,” “we are all set” and “call me back” into scheduled appointments. You need to have those ready along with your phone script for setting appointments.

Below is an example of an effective appointment setting script … then a brief analysis.

” Hi, this is ________ from Better Benefits Corporation.

We specialize in helping companies select and manage employee benefit plans.

Over 500 companies in the East Wazoo area work with us to control their health insurance costs without reducing core benefits.

Our proprietary data analytics and predictive modeling tools have proven to reduce overall benefit costs.

We would like to introduce ourselves and relate the methods and strategies that others have found effective in controlling their benefit costs. I know you will learn some things and if you think of us in the future that would be great.

Would you have some time in the next week or two?”

Your first mistake…. Thinking that the above b2b appointment setting script structure wouldn’t work in your industry, with your prospects.

Wrong. This is a great sample of a cold calling appointment-setting script that works and a structure that gets consistent results across all industries over many years.

Notice….

1. This appointment setting script format is initially very direct. Don’t confuse direct with pushy. If a prospect has a need you can fill, you must tell them what you do, that you are credible and the benefits you deliver. Don’t let anything… anything… get in the way of your telemarketing script delivering that message.

How is a top-level person supposed to decide you are worth some time if your appointment setting script doesn’t give them some reasons?

The #1 reason why a conversation with a solid prospect doesn’t turn into a solid lead is that you did not communicate sufficient reason to meet. That is what excellent telemarketing scripts do. Turn a prospect into a lead by providing enough reason to meet.

2. There is clarity. No confusion. What they do, the benefits delivered and what they want is crystal clear… up front. Setting sales appointments scripts that work are crystal clear and value can be immediately grasped by your decision-maker. Appointment setting scripts that work will not let them ponder , question or think about what you mean for even a moment.

3. For an cold call appointment setting script to have a chance at success, you must promise them something AT THE MEETING that is worth their time. Remember, you are not selling your product or service at this point, you are selling a meeting. That’s it. Sell more meetings, you have a chance to make money. Sell no meetings or fewer meetings, you have NO CHANCE to make money. That business will go to a competitor.

Even if a prospect doesn’t think they will do business with you (and let’s face it, at this point, they are not) they should be thinking it would be worth it to meet with you, as they will learn something. Scripts for sales appointments that work don’t promise or allude to benefits way in the future (and they certainly don’t mention price or pricing.) Remember, your cold call appointment setting script must promise to deliver benefits AT THE SALES MEETING.

4. Tell them exactly what you want with your sales script… to meet, to introduce yourself, to share some valuable information.

5. Take the immediate pressure off. Tell them “if you think of us in the future, that would be great.”

6. Ask. Do you have any time in the next week or two?
You have a number of options when crafting an effective cold call appointment setting script…

…as to how you phrase your credibility and benefit statements. There are a number of ways to ask for the sales meeting at the end and to manage your phone script transitions.

Remember that your telemarketing script is only one part of a total b2b lead generation system.

Appointment setting scripts that work don’t help you if you are not talking to enough of the right people. Your script paths must also provide you a model response for repetitive scenarios, forms of resistance and objections. You also must have a good Plan B follow-up system and know how/when to integrate other marketing tools into your process for even greater cost-effective results.

Best wishes for crafting sales scripts that work.
Check out my book “7 Steps to Sales Scripts” on Amazon and the additional articles on this site,
Scott Channell

These Two Phone Scripts are Real and They’re Spectacular

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Your “Set the Meeting” Script: Two Sample Scripts with Variations.

Consider this.

You launch your call process with many decision-makers by making the first call to get the name or if you are confident you know the name, making the first call to try to get them to pick up.

Your objective is to obtain a commitment for that person to spend more time with you or a representative of your company. That time could be face-to-face, a discovery call by phone, webinar or attendance at an event. Same concept.

You are seeking to enable them to conclude that more time spent with you would be worthwhile. That the risk of you wasting their time is pretty low.

Lets review two variations of a “set the meeting” script.

Script number one:

Suspect: “Hello, Busy Bobby here.”
Lead generator: “Hi, this is Paula from Super Service Group, specialize in widgets, wadgets and custom services. More than 600 companies such as Mega Corp, Brito and I. B. Sorry have worked with us to reduce production cycles by 12%, downtime and unplanned expense. If you are open to reviewing options regarding widget production and customization, we would like to introduce ourselves and share case histories, strategies and some things we do differently that companies appreciate. No clue if we might be a fit some time, but willing to share our experiences. Would you have any time in the next week or two?”
BOOM. Read that script again and think about all the bases that are being covered.

Script number two: Slight variation.

Suspect: “Hi, Distracted Dan here.”
Lead generator: “Hi, this is Scott from Super Services. We specialize in employee relocations. Companies like L. L. Beanstock, Microsquishy and 500 others selected us to manage the move process for 30,000 employees last year, as they get a single point of contact, 98% transferee satisfaction and competitive pricing. No idea if you might be open to reviewing options to improve your move process. If so, would like to share some examples of strategies used to improve satisfaction and cost efficiencies. If you hear something you like and think of us in the future that would be great. Do you have any time in the next week or two?”
BOOM. This verbiage covers the same bases in a slightly different way.

Your Mindset

When you approach these calls and these scripts, would recommend you adopt the following mindset.

1. The buyers are out there. There are people right now that understand they have problems to solve, that certain things could be better and they have an itch. A good number of these people will write checks to one of your competitors within the next 3 – 15 months. Or maybe you, if you are there.

2. You have a worthy offering. You or your company are superior, dependable, top shelf and do a great job for your accounts and clients.

3. It is the most normal and natural thing in the world for you to be calling those that are most likely to benefit from your offering.

4. It would be the most normal and natural thing in the world for them to conclude that you are worth their time.

5. You are doing buyers a favor, performing a service for them, helping them, by contacting them and enabling them to become aware of a quality provider that could be of great service to them.

6. On this call you are a peer. You may not be a CEO, VP of Sales or Exec VP of HR, but on this call and at this stage you have information that is valuable to them and communicate with them at their level.

7. Be professional and direct, so that the buyers can grasp that you may be able to help them.

8. Resist the temptation to water down your upfront verbiage to have more comfortable conversations with non-buyers. Non-buyers will make up most of those you speak to. You do a disservice to those you can help and would welcome interaction with a provider of your caliber when you water down your verbiage. It is less likely they will conclude you are worthwhile. They lose a great provider option. You just shrunk your paycheck.

Worth Repeating: You do a disservice to those you can help and would welcome interaction with a provider of your caliber when you water down your verbiage

To gain a commitment for a next step, you must convey confidence that your prospect would agree to invest more time with you.

Within the first 3 – 5 seconds after saying hello, your target is going to make a decision. “Is this a person worth listening to or not? Is this a waste of time or someone that may have something beneficial to me?” Within the first 3 – 5 seconds after hello, assuming you are talking to a buyer, you must enable them to conclude that you would be worth listening to just a bit longer.

Again, assuming you are talking to a buyer, if you don’t give them “cause for pause” within seconds of hello, what you say after that doesn’t matter. They have concluded you are not worthwhile, they cast you off, they are not listening anymore. You lost them at hello.

If they are not buyers, if they do not recognize a need you can fill or they would not be willing to act, fuhgeddaboudem.

What they think is irrelevant. Focus on making an initial connect with buyers (those that recognize a need you can fill) within seconds.

Door to Door Sales Scripts 911 Rescue. “Sell Now or Die.”

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Door to door sales challenged? Door to doorers take heed of this true tale of cold calling on front steps success.

Mark from TX creates 6-figure income knocking on doors with new door-to-door sales scripts and techniques.The 911 call… the 5 step turnaround… the effective opening pitch and sales strategies.

Could you engineer a similar cold calling improvement? Why not?

Short story illustrates the power of a door knocker understanding proper script structure. When you can craft good phone scripts you can craft scripts that will work in other sales and marketing situations, even door to door. Mark got a good result approaching home after home with a solid door to door sales pitch. He learned what the components are of a total front step sales pitch process that will convert to contracts.

Door salesman need to know how to establish a solid foundation to close a deal, what is counter-intuitive about top scripting pitches and just how rapidly the closes can come when you get it right.

When Mark first called me my initial reaction was not good. He was a failing and frustrated door to door salesman and needed a sales opener pitch script and some techniques that worked right away. Didn’t know whether to laugh out loud or just politely bow out.

Mark needed to make this commission job work. He told me he was door to door prospecting with the mindset of someone approaching a haunted house. He was working like a dog but making nothing. His scripts and sales techniques were not working. It had been 4 weeks of doors slammed, “not interested,” and just send me something.

Mark was in a “sell now or die” situation. Job prospects weren’t good for Mark after getting laid off and he needed to sell now. Something about his door to door sales techniques were off.

The top people were closing 3 or 4 per three-hour shift and making 6 figures a year. He was closing one every other night and eating Ramon noodles. He desperately needed to improve his door to door success rate.

Bottom line? Within two weeks he is closing 3+ a night and buying steak. Solid sales scripts and sales techniques can do that for you.

Totally revising his opening lines and script structure and the way he thought about interacting with prospects between a barely opened door did it. Let me share some of the best tips and lessons.

Mark was door to door prospecting and his company was selling cable digital fiber optic upgrade services. When the business installed a new area, after the mail and phone blitz they sent people door to door to try to convert the stragglers and close more deals. Mark was part of this business team.

1st step. Get congruent with what those already successfully selling door to door what you offer.

Learn from their opening line techniques and pitch process from start to finish. Write down sales pitch examples. Your open door front stoop sales verbiage must be congruent with the selling scripts and blather that is working for others.

The business Mark worked for provided zip for training. You felt that you weren’t walking door to door, rather you were walking off a cliff. The scripts the sales manager provided were worthless. Not even close to a door to door sales script with a door bells chance of working. Might as well have thrown rocks at the house and called their mother names.

When we started along the yellow brick walkway to door to door sales success, I asked Mark if he could identify top sellers and speak to them, arrange to shadow them. Find out what they were doing. He was able to do that quickly. Note for emphasis here. Mark was starving. He needed to close on those door steps desperately. Yet he spent three days trudging down walkways with door to door salesman far more successful than he. Three days spent with no chance of earning a sales commission for himself, yet giving him a chance, a chance, to turn his door to door job of drudgery into something that would bring home big bucks. Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward.

Step two. Break the door to door sales script down line by line and understand the components.

Any sale is only as strong as the foundation it is built on. The reason why Mark’s door to door sales success rate was low was due to an extremely weak cold calling foundation. His opening lines and sales pitch started with a lie, then asked an irrelevant question, then babbled on about stuff he had no idea whether the prospect might value, then asked multiple “qualifying” questions, then never stopped closing until the door was shut… or slammed. Very dumb.

Here are the sales script components used with Mark’s new door to door sales pitch

The revised pitch opened with a sentence that aroused curiosity and stated a major benefit… which earned cause for pause. A door that was opened a crack stayed open.

Then stated a legitimate truthful reason for them to approach the home and knock on the door. Credibility.

The sales script pitch path then made reference to the popularity to the plan and three major reasons why people liked it. More credibility and a chance to hit a hot button. The door is opening a bit more.

Then some questions to find out what benefits the homeowner most valued.

Then a very clear statement of a powerful offer. The prospect understood it and could say yes or no, all while you conversed on the door step.

Step three. Go back and massage your opening line each component of your sales pitch.

Once we had a sales script draft that made sense we went back and focused on each component to make sure it would work in a door to door sales prospecting environment. It might have been a sentence or just a phrase, making sure we had an effective open. We punched it up and made it more powerful.

Mark was beginning to understand strategically how a total sales script path worked and why the company provided travesty was only helpful in getting doors slammed in your face.

Step four. Go out and hear a lot of doors slam.

Mark wrote down the best sales pitch he could from start to finish. To be a top door to door salesman you must write down the best words you could use to accomplish your sales objective. Same as cold calling, but here you are door to door cold calling. Write down the best pitch you can using the most common scenarios you face in the door way. Then Mark went out and used his new sales script and revised his door to door sales techniques. After every call made and door slammed he made note of the questions, reactions, stall points, blow offs and objections he was hearing.

He then anticipated these responses and altered his opening lines and sales pitch path to head them off at the pass. It is better to avoid objections than have to overcome them.

Step five. Write it down. Revise it.

I insisted that he write down every variation of his door to door prospecting plan and what he was hearing from homeowners on every call. He then thought about each repetitive scenario and prepared for it.

The bottom line… from a door to door sales script success rate horror story (one close every other night) to 3+ a night within a few weeks… just by following a process and proven sales script structures.

He went from being a door to door salesman approaching homes with a feeling of doom similar to entering a haunted house, to being a door to door salesman approaching the house as if he owned the house.

I see a lot of people like Mark, very capable yet not working the right process or using the right sales techniques and strategies to get the results they should.

Mark told me the 2 biggest thing that made a difference for him to keep that door open and close more contracts was seeing the sales pitch script as distinct components that had to accomplish a specific objective in order for him to close a deal. He kept the pieces that were working and left the pieces that were not on the steps.

The 2nd key thing for him was understanding that it wasn’t what he did that mattered, but how the homeowners mind moved through the stages necessary to buy. When he started to realize that his words and sales techniques must move the prospect though certain stages in order to close deals, and understanding what stage they were in and how to move them from stage to stage, then he started to have some fun with door to door sales and improve his success rate and closing ratio.

Mark rose to walk among the very few that master door to door selling. If you are cold calling, an inside sales rep or need to improve a phone script, the scripting turn-around process is the same.

Mark was working very hard and earning little. He was just a few steps, little knowledge, a little organization and a little focus away from an income explosion.

You may be able to engineer the same kind of door to door sales jump-start. Mark’s story is not unusual.

A Message About Voicemails

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Lets Review Some Voicemail Basics,
Then Analyze a Voicemail Script, Phrase by Phrase (below)

Bulletin: Very few people who listen to a voicemail will return the call. How insightful. Some will and we want every word we select to encourage that. However, immediate response is not the only purpose of a voicemail.

The voicemail works as part of your total system of interaction to ultimately achieve your business purpose. Gain a commitment for a solid next step from a highly-qualified decision-maker.

The other purpose of the voicemail, just as important as generating an immediate response, is to increase name recognition, and build familiarity with your message.

People respond to things they are comfortable with. You want to keep your message consistent among your phone scripts, voicemails and Emails so that your suspects can absorb the message and be comfortable with it. If they can absorb it and understand it you have a greater shot of them saying “Yes.” If they cannot grasp it they cannot say “Yes.” So you get a non-response or something else.

It’s common for newbies to think they have to write multiple voicemails to mix things up. This is the exact opposite of what you should do. Two reasons. First of all, it’s difficult enough to write one good voicemail that works for you. Trying to write three good ones is mission impossible stuff.

You want to keep your messaging consistent so that people can absorb it, understand it, then act on it. If you send them mixed messages, it is less likely they will absorb it, it will be harder for them to understand it and the odds that they will act on it plummet.

Consistency of messaging builds credibility and recognition.

Your voicemail is a touch. The more touches you deliver to your carefully chosen suspects with to the point consistent messaging; the more likely it is that they recognize your name and grasp what you might do for them.

If that happens, it increases the odds that they will respond to a touch, call you if they have a need or be more receptive to your phone call. That is why we leave voicemail messages. It is part of a total strategy to penetrate the minds of our suspects.

Lets review a voicemail script 

Beep. “If you are looking to improve your employee relocation process, companies like L. L. Beanstock, Microsquishy and 500 others use us to simplify administration and achieve 98% employee satisfaction. Would be happy to share case histories and strategies that worked for others. This is Charlie Chatty. Super Service Group. 1-800-123-45XX. Charlie . 800-123-45xx.” Click.

Slightly different version.

Beep. “Dan… regarding your employee relocations, 500 companies selected us to move 30,000 employees last year as they get improved transferee satisfaction and cost efficiencies? Would be happy to share examples and strategies as to how they improved their programs. This is Charlie Chatty from Super Group. 800-123-45xx. Charlie 800-123-45xx.” Click.

The hovering finger problem

Decision-makers listen to their voicemails with their fingers hovering over the delete button. The task of your voicemail script is to keep it hovering. Just one split second of say nothingingness and no value and DELETE.

Voicemails should be 20-seconds long. Look at all that you do within 20-seconds.

“… regarding your employee relocations…” BOOM. Within 2 seconds you have told them what you do. If they have a need in this area you have given them a nugget of info upon which to decide to listen a few moments longer.

Then you continue.

“… 500 companies selected us to move 30,000 employees last year …”

You just slayed them with a credibility statement. If they have needs with their employee relocation program they know you might help them as you have been crystal clear as to what you do. Not only that, they know you must be a top notch provider as 500 companies work with you and you moved 30,000 employees last year. BOOM.

If they are open to making improvements in this area they know you might help them and that you are a top shelf provider. Within seconds. Those likely to write checks to a competitor soon are still listening. The rest? Who cares? Buh-bye.

You then continue to drop a few benefit bombs “… improved transferee satisfaction and cost efficiencies… ” offer to deliver something at a meeting worth their time even if they don’t buy from you “…examples and strategies as to how they improved their programs…” and leave your name and contact info at the end “This is Charlie Chatty from Super Group. 800-123-45xx. Charlie 800-123-45xx.”

You covered a lot of bases in about 20-seconds.
This structure will earn you next steps.
Water it down, beat around the bush and add extra words and your voicemails will earn you silence.

Another voicemail challenge. Technology.

In addition to the fact that most people you leave messages for have no needs and are guaranteed to ignore you no matter what you say, you have another modern day challenge.

Most people don’t listen to their voicemails.

Most are reading transcriptions of them.

So your great delivery and confident voice have no impact on the majority that are reading your message, not listening to it.

Worst still. Most of those viewing transcriptions of your voicemails are reading them on mobile phones. So the first 2 or 3 initial lines will determine you success or failure. Fill that space up with blah blah blah and you get zip. Fill that space up with info that signals to a buyer that you might be able to help them and are super credible, you have a shot.

The modern day human attention span is your enemy. It is now 8 seconds.

Goldfish have longer attention spans than those you prospect. Not kidding.

Model Responses to Cold Call Objections. Sales Scripts to handle Blow-Offs and Sales Resistance.

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MODEL SALES SCRIPTS OBJECTION RESPONSES TO “SEND ME SOME INFO”, “WE ARE ALL SET”, “CALL ME BACK”, “I WILL MEET WITH YOU BUT CALL ME IN SIX WEEKS”, “TELL ME WHAT YOU DO” AND “I GET 20 CALLS LIKE THIS A DAY.”

In a previous article we summarized the six underlying phone scripts concepts you must understand to effectively respond to “sales objections” when appointment setting B2B over the phone. It is the death of inside sales teams if the sales reps don’t appreciate these six concepts.

1. You must overcome gravity.
2. What you hear are not substantively “sales objections”.
3. The reason most people don’t meet with you is that your sales scripts don’t give them enough reason to meet with you.
4. You must keep the sales conversation focused on your agenda.
5. Every word in your sales script counts.
6. It’s not only what you say, it’s how you say it.

One comment before we get into specific objection handling techniques. Keep in mind that when phone prospecting you should be working a process, not just making random calls rapidly in the mistaken belief that more call activity alone will lead to better results. Your lead generation process should be a distinct part of your overall successful sales process.

What you are really trying to do with your objection response scripts and the way you handle blow offs is to re-shuffle the cold calling deck in order of selling priority. You call to identify your best opportunities and set appointments with those that you have a reasonable shot of closing a deal with. You identify your no opportunity or low opportunity targets and ruthlessly discard them. In the middle you have various shades of gray and must prioritize your prospecting and appointment setting time. You seek to close on the highest possible sales step you can with every sales conversation. These closing and objection scripts will help you to achieve your sales objective.

Which leads us into a sales techniques preview of a future installment – Your “PLAN B” for how to handle blow off objections.

Reality is that most people will reject our request for a sales meeting, but that doesn’t mean that something very substantial and substantive can’t be accomplished with that sales conversation. Your objection and response scripts must anticipate that.

In the next article I tell you exactly what to do to accurately prioritize your prospects and how to build a solid foundation for future contact. You want a good solid relationship based upon respect, benefits, value and an appreciation of your abilities – without phone calls and without the cost of mailings.

Now, examples of top model responses to 6 common cold call objections.

1. OBJECTION HANDLING SCRIPT FOR RESPONDING TO THE “WE ARE ALL SET” BLOW-OFF.

This objection is sometimes expressed as “we have a vendor we love”, “we already have five vendors”, “we have a contract with 22 years left to run which is unbreakable”.

Reply: “That’s fine. Does that mean you are never going to look at new options, or could you suggest a time to call you in the future.”

Or try this, “That’s fine. Look, we wouldn’t expect anything to happen quickly anyway, that’s not the way it typically works in this industry. We do an awful lot of work with companies like Mega Corporation, International Amalgamated and Acme Intergalactic, and there are good reasons why companies like that decided to work with us. We would just be looking to introduce ourselves, give you some information on programs and service strategies that others have found valuable, and if in the future you are looking for options or a back-up vendor, we hope you think of us. Would that be worth 30 minutes of your time in the next few weeks?”

With the first phone script response you have virtually no chance of scoring a meeting as you have not provided additional benefits or asked to set an appointment. This short script response is best with someone who is gruff or appears very rushed.

With the second sales script, what you have done is lower their expectations and reassure them that you are not asking them to change.

You have established credibility by dropping names. Your phone script kept control of the conversation and asked for the meeting. If they say “no”, it’s on to plan B. If you are going to learn how to handle objections you must learn scripts & methods that keep you in control of your lead generation process. What the prospect says does not control how you handle objections, you control what happens in a sales call, not the prospect.

2. RESPONDING TO THE “SEND ME SOME INFORMATION” PHONE OBJECTION.

Let me be blunt. If your objection handling response to “send me some info” is “um, OK”, you are a wimpy sales rep and have doomed yourself to sales prospecting frustration and the waste of your time and company sales team resources. Many times this request is a cold call objection blow off in disguise. Your prospect is not interested in you or has no need. Let me ask you, do you want to get on this treadmill of calling back 15 times to maybe – maybe – talking again to someone who barely remembers you and can’t recall what you sent them.

If you get on this treadmill with your objection scripts, it is your fault, not the fault of your target. But there is even something worse about a sales professional quickly agreeing to this sales objection. The purpose of prospecting is to re-shuffle the deck and sort your prospects in accordance with their sales potential and worth. Your sales scripts and responses to objections must give potential high value – we are looking for a new vendor – we have a big order coming up – type prospects, the opportunity to identify themselves. If your sales scripts paths and prepared responses to common phone objections don’t do that, how will you separate the great opportunity sales calls from the time wasters?

The next time you get the “send me some info” or “just send your material” blow off, try this sales script response example. Remember, You must enable your prospect to reveal how you can sell them.

“You know, I don’t send out general information. The corporate stuff I would send you is just going to tell you what I just told you. We do A, B and C. Get results like 1, 2 and 3, and, have clients like E, F and G. If there is something specific that would be helpful to you, if you have a purchase coming up, or a project we might help with, I would be happy to put something together and send it out. Do you have anything specific in mind that I can help you with”? At this point do the most difficult thing.. say nothing and wait for your prospect to speak.

If the prospect can’t respond with something specific, your cold calling script plan should be to go right into your “Plan B” objection handling response.

What if they do come up with something specific? Do you immediately agree to put it together and just send it right out. OHHHHHH.. NOOOOOOOO.

You don’t do that. What you can do which may very well set you an appointment then and there will be discussed in a future installment.

3. RESPONSE TO THE “CALL ME BACK” PHONE SALES OBJECTION.

When you hear this, there is something you have to know. Is this a run me around the block, time wasting, no need, go nowhere, prospect who thinks that on their whim I am going to cold call and call and call, and who is going to suck every bit of motivation and energy out of my body by having me chase them .. or, is this someone who would legitimately welcome a phone call from you for a legitimate reason? You can find out now, or find out 10 phone calls later. Your choice. You should be ready with a sales script and written objection handling response.

Try this. “I would be happy to do that. When would you suggest I call you”? Once they give you a specific time period say, “Is there a reason why that is a good time to call you”?

If your phone script has established credibility with your initial set the meeting 30 second pitch, they know who you are, what you do, the value you provide and that you are worth consideration. If they have a reason they will tell you. We are going to buy one million dollars worth of stuff you sell and I won’t have the specs till then, that’s when we are planning a review of our vendors, that’s the quarter I will have the budget for a planned purchase …whatever. Once you know they are viable, it’s “thankyouverymuchcallyouthen” Click.

If they can’t give you a viable reason, see if you have the guts to use this phone sales objection response. “You know, I would be happy to call you back, but look, we provided companies like A, B and C about a zillion dollars worth of this stuff (or these services) last year and get more than our share of business. I don’t want to be on your back. If you are not open to a new source of supply, just tell me and I won’t bother you.”

With preparation and proper handling of a common phone objection, you can find out whether this prospect is a waste of time now, or 10 phone calls from now. Your choice. Your surgically prepared cold calling scripts save you time and capture sales opportunities.

4. RESPONDING TO THE “I’LL MEET WITH YOU BUT CALL ME IN A MONTH” COLD CALL OBJECTION.

Keep in mind that only half of those who specifically promise a meeting in the future, will actually book a meeting. Half. And that half only books after you get them on the phone again. No small achievement. Those that are good at objection handling will give it a shot now.

Try this. “Sure, I would be happy to call you then. We would probably be looking to get together a few weeks after that, which would put us into the week of July 20th. You know, I am in your area regularly and would be scheduling other meetings along with this one. If you feel comfortable, could we pencil something in for that week. It would help me with my planning and I would call the week before to make sure it still works for you. Would you feel comfortable penciling that in”?

About one-third will agree to the meeting. You have obtained their commitment.

5. HOW TO RESPOND TO THE “TELL ME” OBJECTION.

This usually rears it’s ugly head with words like, “Who are you”, “What do you do”? Your best objection handling response is to tell them what you have already told them and again, ask to set the appointment. Just repeat a variation of your set the meeting script.

“We work with companies like A, B and C. They selected us to provide 1, 2 and 3 and use us because we save time, administrative headache and costs. We want to introduce ourselves and tell you about some things we do differently that companies have found valuable. Our program X or methodology Y may have some benefits for you and I’m asking for 30 minutes to give you that information. Would you have some time in the next few weeks, say April 28th or 29th”?

Your phone objection response script should not delve into new areas or provide new information. If you give them too much to think about they will hesitate, and if they hesitate they will not set an appointment with you.

6. RESPONDING TO THE “I GET 20 CALLS LIKE THIS A DAY” COLD CALL OBJECTION.

That sales objection only tells you that sales representatives lacking your talents have called before you. It is a signal that your target has pre-conceived notions about you and is eager to say “no”. You well crafted sales script objection response is very similar to the “tell me” response above.

“Look, I don’t want to be on your back. We are a $50 million company and companies like A, B and C have selected us to provide their widgets. I don’t know if we might help you, but we do a few things differently that companies find save them time, administrative headache and costs. If getting info on some ideas or options to improve your situation is worth 30 minutes of your time, that would be great. If not, that is fine also. Would you have some time in the next week or two”?

So what you have done is re-establish your credibility and tell them about some powerful benefits they get when they meet with you. You also ignored their agenda, which was to moan about people calling them, a fact meaningless to you, and kept the conversation on your agenda.

Those are the most common cold calling phone objections and one form of response to each. There are harder and softer forms of response that you may choose depending upon your strategic goals and your cost per meeting, cost per sale realities. Use these sample objection handling scripts to challenge your sales practices.

Study the structure of these responses to resistance and you can craft improved scripts to overcome sales objections.

Best wishes for prospecting success,
Scott Channell

Proven Sales Script (with analysis) to Set Sales Appointments

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1. A Proven Sales Script Format To Set Sales Appointments.
2. The Pro and Con of This Phone Script Format.
3. Three Reasons why a “Good Phone Script” Won’t Save You

1. A PROVEN SALES SCRIPT TO SET SALES APPOINTMENTS

At the risk of simplifying, let me share with you a structure for a b2b appointment setting script which has proven successful at obtaining sales appointments with hard to reach decision makers in a variety of industries. If your calls aren’t working this script sample will enable you to communicate a successful sales message. Your prospect will know why you are worth their time.

Before I share this phone script with you, let me warn you that there is much that is done prior to this phone call, to maximize your chance of crafting successful sales scripts that maximize results on the the phone. Selecting your target, organizing yourself for efficiency and effectiveness, all are important if your prospecting program is to have a chance of cost-effective and consistent b2b lead generation. They are not dealt with here.

A Sample Telephone Script for Setting Sales Appointments:

“This is Scott Channell from breakaway growth strategies. We help companies to implement sales strategies that generate leads, set more sales appointments and increase return on money invested to produce new accounts. I don’t know where you are at with your sales process, but if you are looking for some new ideas, I would like the opportunity to introduce myself and tell you about some programs that have worked for other companies. Down the road, if you hear something you like, we hope you think of us. Would you have any time in the next week or two?”

Analysis of the Phone Script:

” This is Scott Channell from Breakaway Growth Strategies.”

Get to the point. Communicate what they will benefit from. Don’t waste valuable time asking them how they are (who cares?), or whether this is a convenient time to speak to you for a moment (why should a prospect on the phone give even a minute of their time if your message provides no clue how you might help them?)

“We help companies to implement sales strategies that generate leads, set more sales appointments and increase return on money invested to produce new accounts.”

To Immediately slay them with benefits should be one of your core sales scripting techniques. They will not talk to you or agree to give you 45 to 60 minutes of their time if you do not let the prospect know clearly and concisely what benefits may accrue to them. Your sales script should tell them immediately. Your target decides within the first 3 to 5 seconds whether they want to listen to you a bit longer. Give them reasons to listen to your full pitch with your telephone scripts. Tell them what you do. Then your call script should relate three specific benefits (not one or two) you deliver they may want.

“I don’t know where you are at with your sales process, but if you are looking for some new ideas I would like the opportunity to introduce myself and describe some programs that have worked for other companies.”

Your sales calls will get more appointments when you use telephone scripts that state the obvious? You don’t know, so admit it. They rarely hear that from a sales person. Be different. New ideas? Who isn’t interested in them if they are from a credible source? “Introduce myself” is a low-pressure yet powerful technique to ask for a sales appointment. It is a bit softer script structure than telling someone you want to meet to try to sell them something.

“Describe some programs that have worked for others.”

Now we are giving them some information that may be valuable to them. Successful sales scripts do this with clarity and repeatedly. Particularly with a cold call sales script, communicate value without hesitation. Don’t make your prospect guess or assume your prospect knows certain things. These ideas have worked for others, so maybe they will work for me.

“Down the road, if you hear something you like, we hope you might think of us.”

Use this technique to take away the pressure. Successful b2b appointment setting sales scripts don’t force anything, but sales scripts that work do give people clear choices. People are afraid you are going to attempt to sell them. Tell them up front that you will be thrilled if “down the road” they think of you. Remember, you are trying to get a face-to-face meeting. Be good at getting meetings and you have a chance to sell. Start your sales pitch too too early and you’ll never get a chance to meet.

“Would you have any time in the next week or two?”

Tell them specifically what it is you want from them. Sales scripts that work are chock full of specifics and concise. Ask questions clearly. Do they have any time in the next week or two? They can say “yes”, “no” or talk to you about it, your phone script makes it absolutely clear what you want from them. If there is doubt in their mind as to what you want them to do, they will be confused and the answer will always be “no”.

Do not ask them if it is more convenient to meet “next Tuesday at 10:00 or Wednesday at 2:00?. The appointment setting script gods will come down and slap you. This tactic is one of the most overly used. You immediately allow yourself to be lumped in with all those other uneducated salespeople who have preceded you, using poorly structured telephone scripts that wasted your prospect’s time with immediately obvious manipulative sales techniques. Prospect’s flee from such salespeople using poor sales scripts templates. Don’t let it be you.

Notice that this sales script takes only 30 seconds to deliver. If your sales script takes longer than 30 seconds to get to the punch line, it is doomed to fail. After 30 seconds minds start to wander. People think 10 times faster than they can listen. Talk too long and they think of reasons why you aren’t worth their time.

This sales script example can be modified to fit your specific circumstances, but the core sales script template has proven effective for me again and again, in a variety of service and product industries.

2. PRO AND CON OF SALES SCRIPT EXAMPLE ABOVE.

The phone script format relayed above has proven successful and been used to generate tens of thousands of b2b sales appointments in a variety of industries. However, there are dangers to using this sales script template that you should be aware of.

First, let’s state the obvious. The purpose of using telephone scripts to set sales appointments is not to just set meetings. The purpose is to ultimately generate more revenue and profits cost-effectively. Some people forget this and think that all they have to do is generate sales appointments and they are on easy street. Nothing could be farther from the truth.Are your salespeople closing? Too few qualified appointments or meetings set with low-probability low-value suspects will have your salespeople closing bad deals. Good sales managers (you may be managing yourself) don’t let a sales team call crap.

Prospecting effectively and setting the appointment is only one step of an overall effective sales process and b2b lead generation program. The sales script example above is very soft. Meaning that there is very little disqualification going on with the phone script. If you are not very careful about which companies you choose to call, you could lose your shirt with such a sales script. You could spend a lot of time and money meeting with prospects who won’t buy or would be unprofitable to sell.

If you use telephone scripts like this you may (or may not) choose to ask some qualifying questions to screen out the no profit time wasters. Or, you may choose to use a harder phone script more calculated to connect you only with prospects likely to buy in the near future.

The sales script format and qualifying questions appropriate to best meet your sales, revenue and profit goals are determined after considering your revenue goals, gross margins, cost of inquiry, cost of sale and the length of your sales cycle.

3. THREE REASONS WHY A “GOOD APPOINTMENT SETTING SCRIPT” WON’T SAVE YOUR B2B LEAD GENERATION BUTT

(The following is a brief excerpt from “7 Steps to Sales Scripts for B2B Appointment Setting” by Scott Channell. Available on Amazon.)

Those who believe there are “magic telephone scripts” floating about which, if captured and repeated, could turn on a faucet of sales appointments and qualified opportunities that would result in untold sales commissions and new accounts — are walking among the clueless… with a stack of phone scripts that are not making the difference.

Why?

Three reasons.

First, sales scripts are important, yes. But good cold calling sales scripts that work are NEVER the only reason sales prospecting is successful. You must work a total process to be consistently successful at sales prospecting. Your appointment setting sales scripts are at maximum 25% – 30% of that process. Without the rest of the process, your telephone scripts are worth nothing.

“Good sales scripts” only help you if you are talking to enough of the “right people” at the right time. It is your overall process that will consistently deliver up those interactions.

What good is it to have successful sales scripts if you are not talking to anybody worthwhile?

In that common circumstance your “successful sales scripts” won’t work. Good sales scripts don’t work if you are talking to rocks.

Own What You Say with your Phone Scripts

Second, phone scripts that sell are specific to you and they emerge from a sales script creation process which enables you to truly own what you say.

Your company.
Your personal experience.
Your strengths.
Your region.
Your competitive environment.
Your business priorities.
Your points of competitive advantage.

Example: I do a lot of work for some major franchise companies. Franchisee to franchisee there can be variations in the setting sales appointment scripts that work. Those variations typically emphasize strengths, experiences and business priorities of the individual master franchisee. Not all the successful sales scripts are exactly the same.

Example: Among companies that have many top producers, the consistently successful phone scripts that work are not exactly alike. The successful sales scripts tend to have similar components and structures, but they are not exactly alike with every salesperson. Again, there is room for phone script variations based upon individual strengths and business objectives.

So, appointment setting sales scripts that work are specific to you.

They are also the result of a phone script creation process that enables the caller, the salesperson, to own the words of the sales script. You must own the words to deliver your phone script with confidence and conviction.

To own the words you must have either gone through the sales script creation process outlined in this primer, or you must understand the component parts of successful sales scripts, the word choices within those component parts and the structure of a winning phone script to understand why a winning sales script works.

You need a few “ah ha” moments during the phone script creation process as to:

-Component parts of a sales script that sells.

-Your word and phrase choices within each component part of sales script templates.

-The structure of a good sales script.

If you try to write a phone script and don’t grasp the above, your sales script will be weak. If you try to deliver a telephone script and don’t grasp the above, you won’t own the sales script. You won’t deliver it with confidence, you won’t have a sales script that works and you will constantly try to deviate from it.

Adapt. Evolve. Rewrite your Appointment Setting Scripts

Third, sales scripts evolve.

Even when you follow this process to create a solid initial phone script, it will change. It is normal and expected for a telephone script that works to be massaged and modified about 6 times before you determine you have it right.

That’s right. Expect to modify your sales script 6 times before it reaches final form.

Now let’s get into the actual preparation steps of writing “good sales scripts” that sell the typical first step (a meeting face-to-face, by phone, or attendance at a webinar or event) in many sales processes.

But first a few caveats…

There is a difference between a high-level and lower-level sales script environments.

When I refer to phone scripts having some degree of flexibility I am referring much more to a high-level sales environment than I am a lower-level sales environment.

A high-level sales environment is typically higher investment, more risk, multiple steps, has multiple decision makers and a long sales cycle. A lower-level sales environment is typically more activity oriented. Stack ‘em high, make ‘em fly. Buy now. Next! Usually a smaller investment, less at stake, one decision maker, short cycle type sale.

Lower-level high volume sales environments tend to be utilize more tightly structured phone scripts, and they should be. What works tends to be proven over time by tracking and statistics. Plus, the skill sets of callers don’t typically allow for flexibility with sales scripts templates.

In a lower-level environment, stick to the phone script.

Even in high-level environments, you have less flexibility up front crafting your successful sales script template.

It makes sense that in high-level environments, where there are more variables and nuances, that there should be more flexibility in sales scripts.

True, but there is less flexibility in the front of the sales script path than there is in the middle or toward the end of the phone script path.

What do I mean?

Let’s take a 30 second sales script calculated to set an appointment. That will usually be about a 2 1/2 to 3 minute conversation. The deeper into that conversation you go the more flexibility you have for massaging and variation.

But the first 30 seconds. Sorry. Even in high-level sales environments you have virtually no room for adjustments in the phone script.

Sales Scripts are just preparation.

Frankly, I don’t understand people who refuse to write down and then use telephone sales scripts.

It is incomprehensible to me that people would march into a sales environment where failure is the norm, where seconds count, where every word matters… and not be prepared.

That is what writing sales scripts is all about. Preparation. You identify repetitive scenarios, anticipate common responses, brainstorm all your possible word choices and select the words for your sales script most likely to achieve your business objective.

Preparation. So that when you hear “hello?” you drastically increase the odds of achieving your business objective.

Few are so smart, or so personable….

Sorry, but those of you who refuse to write down the words most calculated to achieve your business objectives in repetitive situations, who resist writing down the best words to use into a phone script, because you don’t want to sound “scripted.” You are letting a lot of money slip through your dialing fingers.

“Sounding scripted” and using phone scripts are 2 totally different things. One has nothing to do with the other.

Do you really think that you are so witty, your personality so enchanting, your Hal 9000 intellect so superior that you can process each situation second by second and magically pull out of the air just the right things to say that accomplish your business objective? Without writing anything down?

Are you out of your mind? If you really had the ability to magically anticipate the behavior of each individual who picked up the phone you wouldn’t be prospecting. You wouldn’t be working never mind using sales scripts.

It is much more likely that your naturally inspired verbiage waters down your value proposition and meanders like smoke to the ceiling. You choose words with less impact and squander time. Good thing you didn’t think and prepare by writing a phone script.

Sales prospecting on the phone and using sales scripts does not have to turn you into a robot.

There is room for flexibility.

Top producers will vary their script approach when selling.

Among high producing sales teams there will be variations in sales scripts.

But… but… but…

The similarities among all of those winning sales scripts are many.

It is not the differences that make those sales scripts work. It is the similarities.

Whether you are setting an appointment, qualifying an opportunity, generating a lead, closing a sale, or building attendance to an event…

…there are reasons why good sales scripts tend to work and lousy phone scripts predict a macaroni and cheese diet.

Smile when you dial,
Scott Channell