| How to Throw Out Your Cold Calling Sales Script Five | | | | is important. It means you're basing your cold call on |
| Ways to be yourself Again in Cold Calling | | | | what you have to offer, and not on what's important |
| Recently you may have received a cold call from | | | | to the prospect. |
| someone using an old-style linear sales script. You | | | | Pitching your solution as soon as you begin a cold call |
| probably recognized it as a cold call because the | | | | is one of the biggest problems with linear sales scripts. |
| person sounded a bit robotic and kept talking without | | | | That's because you trigger sales pressure by doing |
| allowing the conversation to "breathe." | | | | that. This causes potential clients to react with |
| If you've been selling for a while, chances are you've | | | | defensiveness or immediate rejection. |
| been asked to use sales scripts yourself. | | | | 3.Create Openings Rather than Forcing a "Yes" Selling |
| Consequently, you've probably used them because | | | | scripts are designed to be linear and step-by-step so |
| they were the only way you knew to start a cold | | | | you can move cold calls in the direction you want |
| calling conversation. | | | | them to go. From the traditional cold calling point of |
| Here are some questions you need to ask yourself: | | | | view, that direction is toward a "yes." The belief is if |
| ·How do you really feel when you use a script? | | | | you don't get a "yes" at the beginning of the cold call, |
| ·How do your potential clients feel when they | | | | you're not "selling." However, that's the biggest problem |
| know you're using a script? (And they do know.) | | | | with scripts. They give you only one path to follow. If |
| ·How many sales are you losing because you're | | | | you can start a conversation that triggers a "What do |
| using a script? | | | | you mean?" response from your potential client, then |
| When people call me and ask how they can throw out | | | | you'll find you can explain yourself in a natural way. It |
| their scripts and cold call the natural way, the first thing | | | | creates a two-way dialogue, which in turn lets you |
| I do is ask them whether they're willing to role-play with | | | | learn what you need to find out. You flow with the |
| me using their script. | | | | conversation without feeling you're getting off-track. |
| After a few moments of listening, I gently stop them | | | | 4.Tape-Record yourself talking with someone you |
| and tell them they're sounding like a totally different | | | | know. Then Record yourself Reading your Script. |
| person from the one who called me and talked with | | | | Have you ever heard yourself calling a potential client |
| me so naturally about their sales issues. You know | | | | and reading your script? The answer is probably not. |
| what they always say. "Ari, you are so right. When I | | | | Most people who use scripts think they sound natural |
| use a script, I feel as if I can't be myself. I feel like a | | | | because they've never actually heard themselves |
| robot or an actor, and it's awkward and uncomfortable. | | | | before. If you do this simple exercise, you'll hear the |
| Is there any way I can be myself again?" | | | | same kinds of differences I hear when people |
| Here are five ways to throw out your linear selling | | | | role-play with me. |
| script and be yourself again: | | | | In our day-to-day relationships, we simply want to get |
| 1.Admit that Scripts Make You Sound "Scripted" | | | | to know and communicate with others. However, |
| When you begin your sales script, potential clients | | | | when we go into cold calling using scripts, we have an |
| detect the very subtle change from your natural voice | | | | agenda, which is to make the sale. People sense this |
| to your unnatural scripted voice within seconds. | | | | immediately and put up their guard. Between our |
| "Fine," you might say,"I'll just work on making myself | | | | hidden agenda and their reaction, there's no chance to |
| sound natural." However, that in itself creates a conflict. | | | | build trust through communication. |
| You can't "work at" being natural. Really, you either are | | | | 5.Set a New Goal for your Cold Calls |
| or aren't. | | | | Focus on simply opening the conversation rather than |
| 2.Start your Cold Call as a Conversation, not a | | | | trying to control it, so that potential clients feel |
| One-Way Pitch If you're used to scripts, you're | | | | comfortable telling you the truth about their situation. |
| probably wondering, "How the heck will I know what to | | | | We've been taught for too long that we have to |
| say without a script?" | | | | control the process. We never stop to think that |
| You might want to ask yourself why you think you | | | | scripts make it impossible for us to be flexible in how |
| won't know what to say, because the reason for that | | | | we communicate. |