Script Writing 101

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Script Writing 101

When it comes to creating the perfect prospecting sales script, experts will tell you that the first 10 seconds of that script better be compelling or you can consider your pitch a failure.

When creating a telephone script for appointment setting purposes, for example, the script needs to be short and to the point. What many people fail to realize, however, is that you write differently than you talk. In other words, even if your script sounds good on paper, it might not sound great on the phone.

It is vital that you read your script out loud before calling a prospect – you might even consider taping it – so that you can review what it sounds like live. Look out for things like unnatural pauses and make sure you sound genuine. The last impression you want to give is that you are reading from a script!

While you never want to sound like you are reading from a script, never make a prospecting call without a script! Without a carefully crafted message, you can be sure things won’t go the way you had hoped!

When it comes to writing your script, here are some pointers to make it convincing, conversational, and most importantly – effective:

  1. Introduce yourself and include your title. It is important that the person you are calling knows that you are an expert in your field and that it is worth their time to listen to what you have to say.
  2. Communicate confidently, and quickly, the benefit you offer their business. Tell the prospect what you are offering – a workshop, presentation, etc. – and how it will change their business for the better.
  3. Let them know that you are not calling to sell them anything. This will allow them to lower their guard and listen to what you have to say instead of being distracted by thinking of a way to shut you down.
  4. Create a sense of urgency. Do you only have a certain amount of appointments left? Is the workshop almost full? Let your prospects know this.

Writing and delivering the perfect script is not easy. That is why many businesses choose to outsource their call center services such as appointment setting, event registration, and lead generation. After all, to be successful when it comes to telephone prospecting a perfect script is nothing without the perfect delivery, and vice versa!

Appointment Setting Skills Help Keep the Sales Funnel Full

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Appointment Setting Skills Help Keep the Sales Funnel Full

Appointment setting probably isn’t on your list of favorite things to do as a salesperson. Unfortunately, it is an important part of the sales process and necessary to keep the sales funnel full.

When approaching appointment setting calls, remember that time is money. While appointment setting can be an arduous task, if you succeed at getting an appointment set, a large part of your selling work is done. That’s because prospects who make appointments are more likely to buy what you are selling.

In a perfect world, you could outsource your appointment duties. Since this is not always possible, here is some advice to help make the process go more smoothly:

Don’t waste your time trying to get a hold of just one person. Large companies usually have more than one decision maker so you can cast your net wider and attempt to track down more than one person at a time. Keep in mind, however, that although there is usually more than one decision maker in a company, all of those decision makers are likely to be high up in the organization.

Persistence is the name of the game. It may take an average of 10 attempts to get the opportunity to ask just one prospect to meet with you, but it could take even more. The only thing you know for sure is that you never know how long it will take to connect with a potential appointment. The key is to remain determined, even if it takes longer than you expected.

You are trying to set an appointment, not make a quick sale. While it is human nature to want to try to sell your product or service as soon as you get a prospect on the phone, this is never a good idea. Since the prospect wasn’t expecting your call, he or she is unlikely to be wiling – or able – to make a decision on the spot. Don’t squander the opportunity to meet with a prospect by launching into a hurried sales pitch that will in most cases be rejected.

No-shows aren’t always the end of the road. It is easy to get discouraged when an appointment is a no-show, however, this is an expected part of the appointment setting process. It may help to know that 50 percent of no-shows can be rescheduled. Further, the professional manner in which you react to a no-show can actually improve your prospect’s opinion of you and increase the likelihood that the prospect will show up the next time around.

Increase Sales through B2B Telemarketing

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Increase Sales through B2B Telemarketing

Implementing a B2B telemarketing campaign is an excellent way to increase your company’s sales. That’s because a B2B telemarketing campaign is one of the best ways to identify prospects as part of your lead generation efforts.

Despite the success of B2B marketing campaigns, many companies mistakenly believe that telemarketing campaigns are not as effective as other types of lead generation efforts such as social media or direct mail. Statistics, however, do not support this belief. In fact, a survey by B2B Marketing magazine reported that 60 percent of marketing managers say B2B telemarketing is effective for lead generation with an additional 30 percent calling it “very effective.”

Marketing experts report that B2B telemarketing owes much of its success to its reliance on human interaction. In other words, people want to talk to people.

If your B2B telemarketing campaigns have not been as successful as you would like, you might be going about it the wrong way. What follows are three things to keep in mind when implementing your next B2B telemarketing campaign:

  1. Cold-calling is not dead. In fact, cold-calling is one of the most effective methods telemarketers use to generate qualified leads and identify prospects. The key is to know the people you are calling and focus on that knowledge. It also is vital to keep your call script concise while capturing the interest of the person who you are calling.
  2. Build on events. Generating leads from trade shows and other business-related events can do wonders for your B2B telemarketing efforts. When you follow-up by phone with individuals who attended your events, you have the perfect lead in for sales generation.
  3. Focus on appointment setting. When you use B2B telemarketing for appointment setting with prospects, you are helping to secure essential face-to-face interactions with potential customers.

It is important to keep in mind that while B2B telemarketing is effective, it still takes time. Many leads need to be nurtured over long periods of time. B2B telemarketing efforts allow you to keep track of potential customers and remain engaged. And the more engaged you are, the more likely a prospect will turn into a client.

Finally, B2B telemarketing is an excellent way to stay in touch with current customers. Since it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one, staying in touch with current customers always makes good financial sense.