Writing Sales Scripts: Everything you need to know

I’m not sure why anyone does sales without sales scripts.

Writing and having a sales script next to your phone or on your computer screen is like a warm blanket in a drafty cabin.

You’re naturally going to run into a lot of cold shoulders, but it’s amazing how often having just the right words can turn a conversation.

This is the goal of your writing and using sales scripts. And, it’s essential to sales success.

Before we jump into a practical approach to writing sales scripts, let’s start with the basics.

What is a sales script?

A sales script is a conversation framework. A good script should help a salesperson to discover and actively listen to prospects’ needs, position them to concisely articulate features and benefits, and skillfully respond to questions and objections.

Your sales script should not be a word-for-word crutch, but rather a flexible and evolving tool. It also should not be an aggressive, combative battle plan. Instead, a good salesperson uses a sales script much like an actor uses their script – adaptable to you and your prospect’s personality and mood.

Breaking this robotic, and frankly over combative sales script fallacies is critical to writing a highly effective sales script.

Tips for Writing Perfect Sales Scripts

You don’t want to write just any sales script, you want to write one that produces results. And that means one thing: turning leads into sales.

Sales scripts should make customers comfortable, provide them with a sense of trust, and give them the necessary information about your product or service. 

Here are 10 tips for writing the perfect sales script:

1. Ask for the Person on the List

It doesn’t matter what type of lead you’re calling on, you need to get the right person on the phone. Don’t assume that you’re speaking with the right person. 

2. Be Courteous

Remaining courteous and friendly throughout the conversation will help your cause. Just make sure you’re not overdoing it. 

3. Keep the Introduction Short

As a general rule of thumb, your introduction should be 30 words or less. The longer it takes to get to the point, the greater chance there is of the consumer hanging up the phone. Tell them who you are, your company name, and why you’re calling. 

4. Engage

Don’t dive directly into the product or service you’re selling. Find a way to hook the consumer, such as by asking an engaging question. Get their attention before you go into your sales pitch. 

5. Avoid Scripted Humor

It’s okay if you use humor naturally, but don’t attempt to script it. You’re not a comedian and not all consumers have a sense of humor. Jokes don’t always translate well over the phone. 

6. Focus on the Key Features 

Your sales script should identify the most attractive and useful features of your product or service. Create a short outline of each feature for your script. Keep your feature list to three or fewer. 

7. Make a List of Rebuttals

Even if you have a well-crafted script, you can expect rebuttals. Analyze your script to pinpoint potential rebuttals and the reason for them. You can then create answers that put your product or service in a better light. 

8. Include Questions 

More specifically, include questions asking the consumer if they understand your product or service. And of course, ask them if they have any questions. This opens up the dialog. 

9. Use a “Last Chance” Offer

If there’s anything you can use to entice the consumer — such as a discount for purchasing the spot — don’t be shy about sharing it. 

10. Close Out the Call

It doesn’t matter if you make a sale or not, write a sentence or two thanking the person for their time. If you made a sale, you can also include the next steps in the process. 

How to Improve Your Sales Scripts

With the above tips in mind, you have what you need to create and write sales scripts that produce. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll be perfect. There is always room for improvement, and you must do whatever you can to advance your scripts.

Here are three of the best ways to improve writing your sales scripts:

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

Before you ever get on a call with your new sales script by your side, practice as much as you can. You can do this while you’re sitting at your desk, in front of a mirror, or on the phone with a colleague.

As you practice, you’re likely to pinpoint areas for improvement. For example, you may find that your introduction is too long or that you don’t have a proper close. 

2. Take Post-Call Notes

Once you “go live” with your script, take post-call notes. Write down what was well received, what wasn’t, and where you think you can improve in the future. Consistently doing this will help you spot trends that require your attention. 

3. Ask Co-Workers for Feedback

In your mind, your sales script may check all the boxes. But once you practice it on a co-worker, you may find that there is plenty of room for improvement.

Constructive criticism is a good thing. You don’t have to take every bit of advice that you receive, but you should at least consider it. 

Sales Strategy and Techniques for Cold Calls

It doesn’t matter if you’re the most experienced and knowledgeable sales professional in your space, it’s unrealistic to expect to make a sale on the first call. Yes, it can and will happen now and again, but the primary purpose of the first call should always be to catch the prospect’s interest. 

If the person you are calling expresses interest, your next step should be to go for a “small close.” Ask for a face-to-face meeting, a follow-up call, or to email them additional information.  

Here are five other techniques for cold calls that can help you develop a well-rounded strategy:

1. Be Persistent

Without this, you can guarantee that your sales scripts will never generate as many sales as they could. Persistence means many things, such as calling a prospect until you get through to them and staying in touch with warm leads until you close a sale.

Get this: It takes an average of eight cold call attempts to reach a prospect. In other words, it’s easy to give up too soon. Don’t make that mistake. A persistent approach is a successful approach. 

2. Embrace Rejection

It’s going to happen, so you might as well prepare yourself in advance. Rejection is the name of the game when it comes to cold calling. 

Here’s what you need to remember: You’ll eventually make a sale, and when you do it’ll make all those rejections well worth it.

You can learn something from every rejection. For example:

• Make note of why you were rejected and what you could have done (if anything)to overcome it.
• Run the same call past a colleague to get their advice on what you could have done better. 
• Ask for feedback. If the person is nice about rejecting you — as opposed to cussing and hanging up the phone — ask them if they mind sharing why they don’t think you can help them. 

Sales is a numbers game. Always has been, always will be. There’s a lot of rejection, but if you have the right strategy, there’s also a lot of success. 

3. Don’t Waste Your Time

It’s your job to ensure that you call targeted leads. By making key decisions upfront — such as buying targeted leads — you can guarantee that you’re at least contacting people who have an interest in what you’re selling. 

4. Don’t Turn Into a Robot

It’s easy to read directly from your sales script, but doing so sounds robotic and unnatural. And with that, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Nobody wants to listen to someone read to them.

Think about it this way: You’re an actor, not a robot. Act out your sales script as opposed to reading it. 

5. Know the Best Time to Make Calls

This is based on research, both from a personal perspective and what your company has had the most success with in the past. When you know when you make most of your sales — both the time and day of the week — you can schedule your activity accordingly.

Here’s an interesting passage from Indeed’s career development page:

Generally, cold calls are most effective right before lunch or toward the end of the workday on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Though these times and days have higher success rates, it’s still helpful to make calls throughout the day and week to reach more customers. 

Start here, track your success, and adjust your calling time according to the results. 

The 7 Components of a Successful Sales Script

While no two sales scripts are identical, there are components that you should include. Here are six components that can help you create a successful sales script:

1. Proper Introduction

It doesn’t matter if you’re using a mortgage sales script or cold calling insurance leads, your success all starts with a proper introduction. Without this, your conversation won’t make it longer than a few seconds.

Here’s an example:

“Hi, this is [first name] with [company name]. I wanted to check in to see if you have found a mortgage lender for your refinance. Do you have a minute to chat?”

It tells the person who you are, where you’re calling from, and the reason you’re reaching out. And best yet, it only takes a couple of seconds to get through the introduction. 

2. Questions 

Ask a question early on to engage the prospect. Some examples include:

• Do you have a minute to chat?
• Are you still in the market for [product name]?
• Are you familiar with [your company name]?

The goal of asking questions is to get the consumer to open up. When they actively enter the conversation, your chance of success improves. 

3. Value Statements

You’re not going to sell many products or services without the right value statements. These show the consumer why they should continue listening and potentially make a purchase from you.

Imagine you’re selling residential solar systems with a well-defined cold calling script. Value statements could include:

• Our solar systems are proven to save the average homeowner X number of dollars per year. 
• Our solar systems use [insert feature] to provide homeowners with [insert benefit].
• At [company name], our average install cost and turnaround time lead the industry. 

With value statements, you’re not just talking. You’re providing valuable information that gives the consumer something to think about. 

4. Statements to Manage Objections

You hope that the consumer doesn’t have objections. You hope that they simply say “yes, that’s great” and proceed with making a purchase. But that’s not likely to happen most of the time (if ever).

Create a list of statements to manage the most common objections, such as:

• The price is too high
• Your company has less than stellar online reviews
• You can’t offer a specific feature

The more objections you tackle, the easier it is to use the right statement at the right time in the future. 

5. A Question to Ask for the Sale

At some point, you need to ask for the sale. If you don’t, your conversation will turn awkward and could end on a sour note. Here are some example questions:

• Are you comfortable making a purchase today?
• Is there anything else you need to make a buying decision?
• Are you interested in buying today at a [discount or offer]?

6. Closing Statement

Your closing statement will differ based on whether or not you make a sale. Generally, you’ll end up in one of three places at the end of the call:

• The consumer makes a purchase
• The consumer is interested but not ready to purchase
• The consumer explicitly tells you that they’re not going to make a purchase

Regardless, your closing statement should always thank the person for their time. Even if the individual didn’t treat you well, it’s no reason to skip the thank you. You never know if they may come around in the future. 

Here’s an example closing statement if a consumer makes a purchase:

“That’s great to hear. I’m glad you’re ready to make a purchase. I’ll email you with information on what to do next.”

Now, an example if the consumer is interested but not ready to purchase:

“Thanks for your time, and I’ll be sure to follow up in [time interval]. And if you need anything in the meantime, you can reach me via phone or email.”

Finally, an example if the consumer has no interest in hearing from you again:

“Thanks for your time, and I am always available if you change your mind down the road. Have a nice afternoon.”

Top Sales Script Mistakes

By now, you know what to do when writing a sales script. However, we have yet to talk about what you shouldn’t do. And that’s what we’re focusing on below.

Here are five top mistakes to avoid when writing a sales script:

1. Outline Only

Even experienced salespeople need a full script. If you only create an outline, you’re asking to find yourself stumped and stumbling for a path forward.

Over time, as you gain experience and a better feel for your market, you may begin to use your scripts as nothing more than guidance, but until then adhere closely to them. 

2. Too Long

Have you ever received a cold call where the person on the other end talks and talks and talks? When this happens, you want nothing more than to hang up the phone and move on with your day. 

Short and concise is the best approach. Sure, you may get into a long conversation, but that’s never the intention. Get to the point as quickly as you can. 

3. Only Including the Introduction

A sales script that only includes an introduction will leave you stranded soon enough. The introduction is important — it’s your foot in the door — but don’t assume that you’ll “wing it” once you get past this point. You need to know what comes next. 

4. Overlooking Your Audience

When creating a sales script, you should have a clear understanding of your audience. Where does the person live? What types of products or services are they interested in? Are they familiar with your company?

The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to craft a sales script that engages and gives them a reason to consider your offering. 

5. Forgetting to Ask for the Sale

If you don’t ask for the sale, you never know what you’re leaving on the table. Sometimes, this is the difference between making a sale on the spot and potentially missing out altogether. 

One of the final pieces of your sales script should be language asking for the sale. Don’t be shy. This is the fun part.

Final Thoughts

If you want to succeed in the sales world, it’s a must to get comfortable with talking to prospects on the phone. And that means cold calling.

Cold calling is full of challenges, but you can make life easier by creating sales scripts that provide direction.

With scripts in hand, all you need at that point is a good source of leads. And that’s where Aged Lead Store comes into play.

From insurance leads to mortgage leads and many in between, we can help keep your pipeline full. 

When combined with a sound cold calling strategy — powered by well-written sales scripts — you’re positioned to dominate your industry. 

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