How To Write a Sales Script - Step By Step Instructions, Examples, Structure And Types Of Scripts

Hello! In this article, we will talk about how to write a sales script.

Today you will learn:

• Why do you need a sales script;
• How to write a sales script;
• What does the finished script look like?

How to write a sales script

Telemarketing is gaining popularity day by day. Attracting consumers through telephone conversations does not require large expenses from the company and specific knowledge from employees.

As a rule, telephone sales are carried out using special scripts - telephone sales scripts . In this case, the manager can only memorize the phrases that guide the dialogue.

Thus, almost all responsibility for the effectiveness of sales falls on the script. In addition, cheat sheets are also actively used by managers working in personal sales . In both telephone and personal sales, the script eliminates the human factor, which is good in itself, but creates the problem of creating a good script.

First, let's figure out what a “good sales script” should look like:

• It should reflect the specifics of your business . The script should be written taking into account the characteristics of the target audience of your company. It is best to create several scripts for each segment separately, because it will depend on the client whether everything goes according to the script or not.
• The cheat sheet should contain several options for the development of events. For example, the interlocutor may agree or refuse your offer. Both outcomes must find a solution in the script.
• The script should not regulate the entire dialogue, the manager should be able to personalize communication with a potential consumer.

A script written with these rules in mind will allow you to standardize successful salespeople, increase your sales success rate, and make it easier for new salespeople to learn .

Types of scripts

There are a fairly large number of script classifications, but we will analyze the one that is of practical value for writing it.

Let's distinguish between scripts:

• For retail stores . As a rule, for retail sales of physical goods, just one script is enough, but it will be quite voluminous: you need to describe all possible options for consumer behavior. Make sure that the manager learns the cheat sheet, as he will not be able to peep. The purpose of the script for retail stores is to sell, and here and now.
• For the service industry and telephone sales . This script is intended for all those areas of business where the first contact with the client occurs during a telephone conversation. For example, you must first sign up for a hairdresser. It can be both incoming and outgoing calls (the scenarios will differ only in the beginning). The purpose of such a script is to bring the client to the company. Such cheat sheets must be written for each segment separately. They should not be long, a telephone conversation should not take more than 3 minutes.

Sales script structure

Any scenario consists of five main informative blocks. This is the skeleton of our script, guide phrases will fall on it.

• Greetings . Regardless of whether you are talking to a client in person or on the phone, you should say hello. Also, don't forget to introduce yourself and ask for the client's name. This will set him up for further conversation. Example: “Hello! My name is “name”, how can I address you?”.
• Definition of needs . Here the manager must study the needs and problems of the client more deeply. In this case, the seller should already have an idea of ​​​​what a potential buyer needs. Questions for clarification might be: “Are you looking for a suit for work or a red carpet?” , "What shade would you like the shirt to be?" .
• Product presentation . At this stage, the manager will have to talk about the product. At the same time, the presentation should take into account the needs of the client, which we identified at the previous stage. This means that the script must contain several options for the presentation of the product (for each need that it can satisfy). For example, someone buys curtains as an addition to interior design, and someone just needs to protect themselves from the sun in the morning. Presentations of the same product in the first and second cases will be different. The script for personal sales should provide for possible questions of the interlocutor during the presentation. For example, a manager describes trousers: “These are light linen trousers for hot summer weather…” , the client immediately asks a question:“Do they wrinkle a lot when worn?” . The manager should be ready to interrupt his speech and answer questions about the product. In this case, the script should contain options for questions and answers to them.
• Reply to objections . The emergence of questions and objections from the client is a sign that he is interested in your offer. In personal selling, the objection-response phase begins as early as the presentation of the product. This is the largest part of the script. It should contain all possible questions of the client and answers to them.
• Deal closing .

Step-by-step instructions for writing a script

Step 1. Collection and analysis of information for writing a script.

In order to create an effective sales script, you need to do the following work:

• Determine the purpose of the conversation with the client . This may be the sale of goods, obtaining contact information, an invitation to a meeting ;
• Create a consumer profile . Most likely, you have identified segments within your target audience. Now describe each segment: highlight needs, interests, problems, determine the average income, social status, marital status. You must take out all the information that somehow affects the buying behavior of the segment. In the future, it is on this information that the variability of our script will be built.
• Learn the tricks of your competitors . You can come to competitors as a buyer and see how they sell. Record the process on a voice recorder. In the future, this will allow you to prevent the mistakes of your rivals and take advantage of successful techniques.
• Get the manager to study the product they will be selling . Remember that the script only gives direction to the dialogue.
• Decide on script flexibility . In the event that the purpose of the dialogue is to sell one specific product, then the script will not be flexible. In other cases, the script will be a “fish” that will not allow the manager to forget to mention the most important points.

Step 2. Scripting.

It is best that your own sales manager take up the scripting. Most likely, he is familiar with the most effective techniques in talking with clients and it will not be difficult for him to repeat them on paper.

Also, any employee of your company can become the author of the script. To do this, you will have to record several dozen successful sales on a voice recorder, and then take notes on the most successful answers and possible directions for dialogues.

Sellers themselves can also create a script for themselves. But this option is only suitable for telephone sales. To do this, create a spreadsheet in any program convenient for you.

The table must contain the following columns:

• Serial number;
• Client's phone number;
• Needs / groups of goods of interest;
• Previous purchases;
• Information about the client: name, surname, additional contact details;
• Objections and questions;
• Appropriate answers to questions and objections;
• Appropriate customer response;
• Summary of previous contact. This method is suitable not only for compiling a new script, but also for optimizing existing ones. Allow staff to make adjustments to the script, but always discuss the reason for the change.

By the way, what should be the length of the script? Remember that the average duration of a conversation between a seller and a buyer in personal sales is on average 5-8 minutes, which corresponds to 1 printed page of the manager's remarks (12 font). Cold sales by phone last no more than 3 minutes, but in this case the initiative will be entirely with the manager, whose remarks should take no more than ½ of a page. But warm sales by phone imply the initiative of the buyer, so the volume of the manager’s speech will fit on 1/3 of the page.

Step 3. Sales script optimization.

After you have written the script, you need to test it. Make dozens of calls, find gaps and errors in your script.

When writing without testing, it is impossible to take into account most of the responses of customers, be sure to enter into the script those dialogue development options that you did not take into account during the conversation. They also need to be worked on.

Pay attention not to those phrases that several times led to the breakdown of negotiations. They must be excluded from the script.

Amendments to the script can be made throughout its use, but most of the changes occur in the first 2 months of operation. Be sure to discuss with your managers the problems that arose during a conversation with a client. This will allow you to optimize the script.

Scripting Tools

As mentioned earlier, you can create sales scripts in applications that allow you to create tables. For example Excel. But in the event that your script is quite voluminous (as a rule, these are scripts for personal sales ), the tabular method will not suit you.

We would like to offer you a more convenient program that was created specifically for writing scripts. It's called HyperScript.

Benefits of the program:

• Allows you to create a voluminous script, while all options for the development of events will be before the eyes of the manager;
• Allows you to make adjustments in real time;
• In the event that you yourself made an amendment to the script, all your managers will be informed about this. The script will automatically change to the updated one in their gadgets;
• Allows you to work in stages. The manager only needs to enter the client's answers / objections / comments in a special field and the program itself will issue answers for the manager (if, of course, they are included in the script);
• Allows you to track conversions in real time. You will see all successful and unsuccessful negotiations of your managers;
• Allows you to identify at what stage most of the negotiations fail.

Script example

Finally, here is the script template. You can use these phrases in your script.

Stage

• Acquaintance
• Identification of needs. Question options.
• Before you ask a question, justify it.
• Example: “You are interested in a “product”, let me help you find it.”
• Product presentation
• Answering objections/questions
• Completion

Phrases

• Good afternoon! My name is “A”, I am a representative of company “B”. How can I contact you?
  Hello! I am “A”, your personal manager from company “B”. “Client Name”, right?
  Hello! We have a new arrival “a product that interests the client”, let me show you / tell you”

• What would you like…?
  What do you think about….?
  How often….?
  What would you like to get from our cooperation?
  Is something bothering you?

• The structure of the product presentation is as follows: “A feature of the product and the benefit that this feature gives to the client.”
  Example: “These are trousers made of natural linen, thanks to which you will not feel hot even in the Moscow office”

• Structure: “Yes, but”, that is, we first agree with the client, and then we give an argument that neutralizes the dissatisfaction of the interlocutor.
  Example:
  Customer: “These trousers wrinkle quickly”;
  Seller: “Yes, but they also smooth out quickly and easily even at low temperatures. To do this, you only need a small steamer, you can smooth out the flaws right on yourself, the temperature allows. It is very comfortable".

• “The only thing left to do is make a deal?”
  “Designing?”
  “Will you deposit the full amount at once?”