Dynamic Inside Sales Scripting

Dynamic Inside Sales Scripting:Be Prepared to Go With the Flow

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IntroductionWhile it’s clear that successful and productive sales calls are the goal of all inside sales teams, believe it or not, many do not have a dynamic script to handle different call scenarios. Dynamic scripts branch out to effectively handle different call interactions to increase the possibility of a sale. They allow sales reps to have the right tools at their fingertips for different situations.

If you want proof of the power of scripts, look at politicians, newscasters, and motivational speakers. Yes, most sound natural and compelling, but only with a little help from the scriptwriter and teleprompter. You can be assured that good speeches aren’t crafted on-the-fly and delivered as an impromptu performance.

A well-written script can transform the average sales rep into a sales guru in seconds. It alleviates embarrassing lapses in clarity of what to say next. So, why do companies let their sales reps wing it by making up their own sales pitch on-the-fly? In many cases this is because of a lack of knowledge about the effectiveness of a good sales script, or an inside sales process that doesn’t have the capability to distribute consistent messaging to the team through logical branch scripting. As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is crucial when selling by phone. You only have about seven to ten seconds to grab the prospect’s attention to continue the call.

Scripts are important because without one you risk turning off prospects by sounding unprofessional. It’s better to be prepared ahead of time to answer questions, overcome objections, and close the deal, instead of stumbling over words in search of the right thing to say, or using the wrong messaging. In addition, sales reps that practice the script ahead of time make their speech intonation and flow more natural and professional. Quality scripts help eliminate the awkwardness of making sales calls so reps can be fully prepared, leaving them with the capacity to listen and concentrate on making the sale.

Don’t Sound Like a SalespersonMake your sales script sound real like the way you actually speak. After all, you don’t want to sound like a pesky sales rep! You want to sound like a trusted advisor — someone giving important information to help improve their business. Don’t make prospects feel like prey. Just like dating, if you reek of desperation, prospects will recognize and avoid you like the plague. Put them at ease in the first 10 seconds by using subtle persuasion. They will feel less guarded and more likely to continue the call and close the deal.

While grammar is imperative in the written language, it is less important when speaking. We speak in short phrases, pauses and fragments, and use words like “oh,” “well,” and “ah,” as well as every day slang words like “cool” and “right.” We’re not saying to get rid of grammar when speaking, because you want to sound professional. Just make the script sound natural. Encourage sales reps not to use the script verbatim, but to use it with their own delivery, personal vocabulary and words common to the prospect’s industry.

Remember, the call is about engaging in a meaningful conversation and not to preach. Incorporate your value proposition with industry jargon, but keep it casual. Create your sales script to flow with normal speech. Speak the language of the prospect. You will be considered authentic and an expert if you know the lingo. For example, notice the difference between the following:

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Sounding like a salesperson: “Hi, this Steve from Laser. How are you today? We have a new product that increases sales for architecture firms. Is this something you think you may be interested in?”

Real talk: “Hi Mary. I’m Steve. Hey, I noticed that you recently downloaded one of our white papers. I hope you found some good stuff in it. You may have read that my company, Laser, works with a ton of architectural firms to increase sales. What sales challenges does your company currently face?”

Once the script is written, your sales rep should practice, practice, practice. The best way to sound natural is to read the script aloud several times and practice with managers or coworkers, so that when it comes time to use the script on a sales call, it doesn’t sound like reading, it sounds like two people having a conversation and exchanging information.

Research Sales Leads for Warm and Hot CallsMany prospects are on guard when they receive a call out of the blue from a sales rep. When making calls to warm or hot leads, anything you can do to tear away the barriers is beneficial to connecting with and engaging the prospect. The ultimate goal is to find out more about the prospect and tailor your engagement to his industry, viability, authority, and ability to purchase.

Invest one minute researching the prospect before making the call to gain knowledge, improve performance, and increase success. Spending more than a minute is usually unnecessary, unless the prospect will be a big sale.

It’s easier than ever to do research today with the Internet. It can reveal personal information about the company and prospect that gives sales reps a stronger chance of connecting with the prospect. Go through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. to determine common interests, such as shared colleagues, friends, groups, etc. Visit the company website, search engines, and business directories to review information, new press releases, product launches, company mergers, strategic planning announcements, company news, awards, etc. Studies show that 67% of lost sales are due to sales reps not properly qualifying sales leads before going through the sales process.

Examples of information to look for and how to use it:

• Company Type – Knowing this will let you know jargon to use for the industry and which products are used. Be prepared to share how your company has benefited similar companies in the industry.

• Viable Solution – You may be able to discern a specific and viable use of your product.

• Budget – Does the website quality or other information look like the company has the money to spend on your solution? You may possibly adjust your pitch by focusing more on budget products rather than your premium products.

• Influence – Look for specific leader’s names. Is your contact listed on the website or on LinkedIn?

• Tidbits for Small Talk – Notice tidbits of information like the company’s city. An icebreaker example could be to make a positive and personal comment about that area. There is always something intriguing or interesting on the company’s website you can use to break the ice.

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Writing the ScriptA good inside sales script can make or break a deal, and writing an effective script that helps sales reps close deals isn’t always easy. There are generally four stages of writing a prospecting script:

1. Introduction/opening

2. Engagement

3. Handling objections

4. Closing the deal

How your sales script handles each of these stages will determine how productive your sales team will be at making sales.

NEGATIVERESPONSE

POSITIVERESPONSE

INTRO/QUALIFYING QUESTIONS

NEGATIVERESPONSE

POSITIVERESPONSE

NEGATIVERESPONSE

POSITIVERESPONSE

CLOSE HANDLEOBJECTION

CLOSE

CLOSE HANDLEOBJECTION

CLOSE

CLOSE HANDLEOBJECTION

CLOSE

ANSWER #1ENGAGEMENT

ANSWER #2ENGAGEMENT

IMMEDIATE NOHANDLE OBJECTION

ENGAGEMENT

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Opening/Introduction

A sales rep’s introduction to the prospect is critical in determining the remainder of the call. When writing the script, make it sound natural, as mentioned in the Don’t Sound Like a Salesperson section above. It is important to put the prospect at ease during the first few seconds of the call.

Begin with a compelling introduction to entice prospects. Don’t ask “How are you today?” This phrase has been overused by the inside sales industry and is insincere. Prospects will be on guard if a stranger calls and suddenly takes interest in their personal life. Asking this phrase immediately identifies you as an annoying telemarketer. Since 80% of inside sales reps still ask this, your inside sales team will have the edge by avoiding this phrase. After all, your prospects only really care about information that is important to them and their company.

Next, introduce yourself and company. Engage the prospect right away by asking a question at the end of your introduction. If you can find something positive to mention, this will be a great ice breaker and put the prospect more at ease. Here is an example of an effective introduction:

“Hello, my name is Steve with Razor Business Consulting. I ran across your name as one of the most influential business consultants. We specialize in streamlining operations and increasing growth. Working with Company X, we saved 45% in operation costs. What operation concerns do you have?”

As you can see from this example, the main points are covered: your name, the company’s name, the reason why you’re calling, and a qualifying question to start engagement. Include statistics whenever possible. Numbers talk. What sounds better: “We’ve improved efficiency and savings,” or “We’ve improved efficiency and savings up to 50%”? As you can see “50%” adds authenticity to the statement. The question at the end of the statement will get your prospect talking about what’s going on in the company and what issues need solving. It’s essential that you engage and qualify the prospect right away.

During the introduction you are setting yourself up as a professional expert. Words like “we specialize in,” or “we’re known for” lets prospects know that you have a reputation as an expert in the industry. It also makes them feel more confident and secure that they should do business with you, especially since they may not have heard of your company before. We want others to test the waters first. Statements like these tell prospects that other clients like your product or service and that you can be a trusted advisor. Mentioning a competitor’s name that you’ve worked with previously also sparks the interest of the prospect. Companies feel more comfortable doing what other companies like them have already experienced, especially if they see that something was beneficial. An introduction that mentions companies like them benefitting from your product or service gives the prospect a compelling reason to investigate further.

Engagement

In the Opening/Introduction section we ended by asking the prospect a question. Be prepared to respond depending on how the prospect responds. Listen more and talk less. As a rule of thumb sales reps should talk about 30% of the time and listen 70% of the time. This is contrary to the belief of many salespeople. Prospects want to be heard and understood, not sold. Choose a qualifying question with a general answer to start the conversation. Listen carefully after the prospect responds and get him talking about ways you can help. Ask open ended questions like:

• “What are you using now and what improvements would you like to see?”

• “What initiatives are you working on?”

• “Which projects are you looking at within the next six to 12 months?”

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If you are not getting feedback, determine if it’s a good time to talk. Ask, “Have I caught you in the middle of something?” You don’t want to seem inconsiderate by interrupting a manager right before going into a meeting, a deadline, or some other important task. This will waste both of your time if the entire time you’re speaking the prospect isn’t really listening, but instead waiting for the next pause so he can end the call. Asking this question after finishing the opening statement will tell the prospect two things: you have something compelling to offer and are considerate of his time. If you ask before the opening statement, you’ll just set yourself up as another pesky telemarketer. Sales reps should make sure that they have a prospect’s full attention to concentrate on their sales pitch. If it is not a good time to talk at that time, try to set an appointment for a later time.

The goal of engagement is to understand the prospect’s challenges so you can determine how your product/service can be the solution. The answers to these questions will determine which parts of the script you will use. For example, if it’s not a good time to talk, the script should direct the sales rep to schedule an appointment at a later time. If it is a good time to talk the script should describe what solutions your company can offer based on the prospect’s answers to your questions.

If your prospect doesn’t know the answer to your questions, get him involved in researching their company. Ask him to look at expenses, calculate the close rate, etc. You want to get the prospect to explicitly describe his needs and desires and how he’d benefit from solving them. Basically, the script must tell how a prospect’s life will be easier by getting your solution.

Handling Objections

One of the most challenging parts of an inside sales call is overcoming the many objections that the prospect may come up with to dodge your sales pitch. Look at these objections, not with dread, but as an opportunity to close the deal. Think about it this way, if the prospect didn’t have any objections and just hung up, you wouldn’t have any chance of getting the deal.

Here are some of the common objections and solutions for overcoming them:

1. “I Need Some Time to Think It Over“ Strategy: Uncover what the prospect wants to think about. There may be unanswered questions that weren’t addressed earlier. Answer the question and try to continue with your sales pitch. Response: “If you need some time to think about it, I understand. What in particular would you like to think about? Maybe I can offer some more information.”

2. “Can You Send Me Some More Information” Strategy: This is often used when the prospect really isn’t interested and wants to get rid of you. After agreeing to send the information, redirect the conversation by asking an additional question. In many cases the additional question helps continue the conversation to make the sale. Response: “Yes, I can email you some more information. What particular information are you interested in?”

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3. “I Don’t Need Your Product” Strategy: If the prospect was qualified properly earlier this objection shouldn’t come up. Reaffirm what the company does, then mention how your product or service has helped a competitor or similar company in the industry. This gives credibility to your company. After all, prospects don’t want a competitor to have an edge that they don’t have. Response: “Your company does X, Y, Z, right? If the answer is “yes” continue. “We’ve worked with company B to increase their client base by 45%. Is this something you would be interested in?”

4. “It’s Too Expensive” Strategy: Point out the advantages of having your product/service and how your company can save time, money, etc. Hopefully, this will offset the price. You’re selling value. Also, mention any payment plans or options. Response: “I understand your concern. If you could save money on [X] and still increase your profits, would this be worth the initial investment? We have payment plans available. I’m sure we can work something out for you.”

5. “Can You Call Me Back Later?” Strategy: Find out if the prospect is truly interested or trying to blow you off. If you asked if the prospect was busy early in the conversation availability would have already been discovered. Ask for a specific appointment time to see if the prospect really wants to talk to you later. Response: “I would be happy to. What time is convenient?”

6. “I’m Happy with What I Have Now” Strategy: This response is more of a challenge. Many people have the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality and are afraid of change. Complement their loyalty then have prospects think outside the box and explore that there may be something better than what they have by offering a free trial or product demo. Response: “That’s great. I appreciate your loyalty. A lot of people are interested in looking at other potential product offerings ... just to compare. You may find us a better match for your needs, which would be great, or if you decide to keep what you have you can feel good about your current situation. How would you feel about attending a product demo to compare?”

Achieve Maximum ProductivityOnce a script is written, you’re not finished yet. Next comes implementation and evaluation to see if it works! You will need to test it out on the sales floor, and modify it over and over again until you achieve maximum productivity. Begin your evaluation with an end in mind to keep the prospect committed at every stage. This gives the sales rep the momentum to close the deal.

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The Script is a Living Organism

One of the biggest assets that inside sales managers have at their disposal is the recorded phone call. Listening to and evaluating recorded calls can validate that sales reps are actually using the script and give valuable information to make your script sound more engaging. Record and review sales calls to gauge how well the script is working, sales reps performances, prospect responses, and to monitor current industry trends.

After listening to the recordings you may get a completely new perspective on how the script is performing, the mindset of the prospect, and new trends in the industry. You will find out what’s hot and what’s not when listening to how prospects respond to certain parts of the script, the latest buzzwords, and common prospect answers and objections. For example, if you notice that on many calls prospects hang up after one part of the script, you’ll want to revise that part to create a more positive response. Think of each call as a teachable moment to improve the quality of your script and make it more productive. You can listen to your best sales rep’s techniques and replicate it in the script.

The bottom line is to make your script sound authentic to prospects so they don’t hear a sales pitch, they hear a trusted advisor speaking to them like a colleague. You would be surprised how this dissolves barriers and makes the prospect more open to suggestions. To maximize productivity, listen to your prospects and uncover their needs, then tailor a great opportunity that they can’t pass up, and engage them in the details.

Give and Receive

While some say that it is better to give than receive, in the business world it is better to give and receive. The old adage, “you wash my back and I’ll wash yours” is important in sales. Prospects want sales reps to do certain things to build trust so they can believe in the product and service. For example, if the prospect asks for a demonstration, ask for a commitment to move to the next step if the demonstration shows that your product or service will fulfill his need. If he wants you to send information, ask when you can follow up after receiving it. This way you’re determining at each stage of the game whether the prospect is really interested or putting up a smoke screen to blow you off. In the latter, you want to move to the next-best lead to maximize your return. This should be reflected in your sales script:

“Mr. Smith, I look forward to giving you a demonstration. If you like it are you willing to give the service a try for 30 days?”

Closing the Deal Would you like to double your close ratio? Ask fifty different sales reps and chances are you’ll get fifty different answers on how to close a sale. There are many subjective factors involved in closing the deal, like the prospect’s personality and company situation. Your goal is to convince the prospect to buy your product or service, whether the prospect is considering a competitor’s offer, indecisive, or has internal issues. While closing techniques vary, some practices remain true. Follow the tips below to catapult your closing ratio. Your script should direct the sales rep to closing the deal.

Earn the Right to Ask for the Sale

Salespeople should always be moving in the direction of closing a sale. Before asking for the sale they must earn the right to get the sale. You earn the right by qualifying the prospect, engaging them, overcoming any objections, and following up on any promises. Give more than offered and deliver earlier than expected. Move toward gaining trust and closing at each stage of sales cycle. If the prospect shows interest and does not buy right away, or the goal of the inside sales rep is to set an appointment for an outside sales rep, then schedule an assertive follow-up plan to close the deal.

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Maintain a Follow-Up Plan

Use multiple touch points to plan a follow-up campaign with prospects. Prospects don’t constantly want to hear a sales pitch, so sometimes you can send information or articles about the industry so they see you as a trusted advisor. Email is the easiest way to follow up with prospects. Devise an automated email drip over a period of time. Sprinkle your emails with appropriate follow-up phone calls…. and by all means, continue to make phone calls. Though email is easy, use it as a means to an end. It can never replace personal interaction in sales. Tailor your script for follow-up emails and phone calls.

Set a follow-up timeline based on your typical sales cycle. For example, if the typical sales cycle is one month, perhaps you should follow up with prospects twice per week for the next four weeks, once per week for the following two weeks, and then monthly for the next 12 months. You would be surprised about how many sales are closed seven months after the initial contact.

Implement a Sales CRM System for Follow Ups

It’s important to implement an automated sales CRM software like VanillaSoft for follow ups and to help sales reps keep track and manage sales leads in one central place. Since a follow up plan can last many months, managing these leads can be an arduous task. A predetermined workflow schedule with a CRM software automatically reminds sales reps when it’s time to call. Efficient CRM software helps inside sales teams convert more follow ups to sales.

Make a Definite Appointment

Believe it or not, 80% of sales reps consistently chase leads that give them little hope of making a sale. After you follow up with a prospect according to your plan, either make an appointment or move to the next qualified lead. When setting an appointment, make sure that it is a definite appointment and not the “call me next week” scenario. You don’t want to have sales reps chasing rainbows. An appointment with an exact time shows commitment from the prospect and interest in your product or service.

Recognize Buying Signals

It is important to recognize and react quickly to buying signals to close the deal. Here are some buying signals that will clue you in that the prospect is interested:

• Probing questions — asking detailed questions about the product

• Mental possession — talking about the product as if they own it

• Asking for opinions — including another person in the meeting for feedback

• Comprehensive Evaluation — Investing a lot of time looking at your product

• Constant Agreement — saying yes to the sales rep often and showing enthusiasm

Answer Buying Questions with Closing Question

After the prospect is exhibiting buying signals, ask for the sale. The general rule is that once the prospect shows a buying signal, immediately ask a closing question. For example, if a prospect asks you how soon she can get your product, ask when do you need it? If you answer with the wrong delivery time you’ve just shot yourself in the foot in fulfilling the prospect’s needs. She may likely not buy from you. Reacting quickly to buying questions with a closing question will seal the deal.

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The Power of the Pause

After asking for the sale, the key is to pause… and wait for the prospect to answer. The first person who talks loses. Some sales reps get caught up in the excitement of the sell and the possible thrill of victory and forget to listen. They may even talk themselves out of the sale by continuing with the sales pitch and possibly bring up an issue the prospect may not have considered. Resist this temptation and wait for the prospect to speak first. You can add many of these closing tips to your sales script. They will go a long way to increase your close ratio.

Scripting and Inside Sales Automation In conclusion, inside sales needs an effective script to increase sales. Without one sales reps are unsure of what to say for certain call situations, and therefore decrease sales. Dynamic scripts branch out to effectively handle different call interactions to increase the possibility of a sale. They can make every sales rep perform like a sales expert.

Recent studies show that companies that use a sales CRM system to manage inside sales processes can easily increase sales by 29%. An effective sales CRM system with dynamic scripting and reporting efficiently manages the insides sales process. Sales reps can concentrate on making sales and managers can easily track data, control the sales process, and have more visibility into what’s going on in their daily operations. Managing inside sales without an effective sales CRM system is like trying to recover a fallen contact lens in the dark. The results are hit or miss whether or not you will reach your target, and if or when you do, you’re not sure how you got there.

Many companies either do not have a sales CRM system, or the one they have doesn’t have the flexibility to manage and streamline the sales process. The most prevalent mistake that many make when choosing a sales CRM system is picking one that is too complicated or doesn’t have the flexibility to help the company increase sales. An effective sales CRM software like VanillaSoft has many features to help you manage this process. Here are some features you should look for in a sales CRM system:

1. Simplicity – Make sure your sales CRM system is easy to train on and use so that employees can get up and running in a short period of time.

2. Flexibility – Customization is key in making the sales CRM system work for your organization. Having the means to change scripts for different call results will help sales reps close more deals.

3. Visibility – Real-time call activity reporting is essential so that you know what the sales reps did that day, last week, or anytime in the past. This data can be used evaluate and change initial and follow-up scripts.

4. Automation – Streamline your workflow, scripting, and email process with automation. You can schedule call backs consistently, based on pop-up reminders that alert the sales rep to who to call next. Emails and scripts automatically change based the call result.

The Benefits of VanillaSoft with Inside SalesVanillaSoft is a fully functional sales CRM software that automates the best practices for inside sales operations to consistently increase sales. There are many ways that VanillaSoft helps you increase productivity and results for your inside sales scripting and follow up.

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Logical Branch Scripting

Communicate with your target audience more effectively. Make every sales rep sound like your top performer with logical branch scripting. Earlier we talked about how to effectively write scripts to give sales reps the edge on sales calls. VanillaSoft ensures these scripts are consistently distributed to every sales rep through automation in a heads-up display. Target scripts for different campaigns to achieve maximum results, allowing you to personalize messages and follow up on contacts more efficiently. You can easily create and implement on-the-fly script changes for sales reps to see immediately on their next call.

Using VanillaSoft with the right script is like having an inside sales expert at your fingertips. Using proven dialogue from your top sales reps, it guides sales reps through logical, smart calls leading to repeatable, predictable results. With one click your sales reps will see the appropriate objection rebuttal to use or information to answer questions. Research has proven that preapproved sales scripts significantly increase the effectiveness of a call:

• Create a base script with branches to follow the flow of the call based on prospect responses

• Direct sales reps to proven objection and rebuttal responses that are displayed as a teleprompter-like branches in the base script

• Create team-based or lead-status-based scripts with the correct message in any stage in the cycle

Automated Emails and Voicemails

Often overlooked, emails and voicemails are another version of your sales pitch. Mention the wrong thing and you may lose the prospect forever. VanillaSoft’s automated emails and voice drop help your message stay in front of prospects in between follow-up calls with consistent messaging.

Easily create templates to send automated drip emails and manage mass email campaigns. VanillaSoft allows sales reps to automatically send preapproved emails based on result code triggers or campaigns. For example, if a prospect is interested, but busy, you can send an automated email to that prospect with the right message as soon as the call ends. VanillaSoft’s e-Gen can alert you when an email is opened and route that customer to the sales rep’s desktop for follow up. In addition, prerecorded and preapproved voicemails for every stage of the sales cycle enable sales reps to drop the perfect message every time without embarrassing pauses, memory lapses, or wondering what to say next.

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Improve Follow-up Results with Queue-based Lead Management

The most important function of a sales team is to efficiently implement the process and strategy that management has put in place to successfully work and nurture valuable leads. Most important is that the lead is followed up on throughout the lifecycle, whether it lasts many months or a year. With traditional methods of follow up and list-based CRM systems, this task may be daunting. After the initial contact, the lead can get lost or simply fall out of the system.

Never lose another lead again with VanillaSoft’s queue-based lead management system. Track all leads from prospect to sale. VanillaSoft puts the most relevant leads at the top of the call queue so that sales reps don’t have to remember the follow-up schedule or consult with a calendar about the next follow-up call. The next-best lead pops up reminding sales reps who to call next. In addition, the right script, voicemail and email is also queued with the lead for maximum effectiveness to increase sales. Call Recording and Live Monitoring

VanillaSoft’s offers both call recording and live monitoring to train, monitor, and qualify calls. Ensure that your message is being delivered professionally and consistently. Listen to sales reps from anywhere in any location.

Recordings are actually “married” to and stored with the contact history. Batch searches are also available with parameter filters that include multiple fields such as Salesperson, Call Result and Date of Call. Then you may choose the recording to listen to by call length or notes made about the call by the salesperson.

The Power of Simplicity

Creating and maintaining a sales script for your inside sales team should be easy. VanillaSoft’s core philosophy and development is centered around this one concept - the power of simplicity. This principal combined with state-of-the-art technology enables inside sales teams to increase sales, productivity, and engagement with minimal effort. Give your inside sales team the tools to make a lasting impression throughout the sales cycle with the VanillaSoft advantage, and watch productivity skyrocket. Visit VanillaSoft.com for more information and to start a free trial.

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