In sales, we talk a lot about scripts, but it might be helpful to answer the question of what is a sales script? This can be helpful because there are many different sales scenarios and types of communications for a salesperson. With that, it can be unclear exactly what a sales script is and where it fits.
The Sales Pitch is Not the Sales Script
One place to start with this and answering the question of what is a sales script is to talk about what it is not. And the first thing to point out is that the sales pitch is not a sales script.
The sales pitch is the collection or organization of the key points you want to communicate when selling something. This will be the total set of talking points and questions to ask. You can then use the points from the sales pitch to create the sales script.
The Sales Script is the Outline of What to Say
Once you have your sales pitch and the full set of what to say and ask, you can organize it into an outline for delivering and structuring those different talking points and questions. This organization and outline is what a sales script is.
There are Different Types of Sales Scripts
Because we interact with prospects in different ways and at different points in the sales process, there are actually many different types of sales scripts. In other words, depending on when you communicate with a prospect, you will use a different type of sales script.
With that, here are some of the different types of sales scripts you might want to create for yourself or your sales organization.
Cold call script
Of course, if you are doing cold outreach and calling prospects, you can definitely improve performance and results by having a cold call script. This is a sales script optimized for a short, 2- to 5-minute phone conversation with a sales prospect. It is a trimmed-down outline of the key points to discuss to pre-qualify the prospect, build a little interest, and close the prospect on moving forward.
One point to address regarding a mistake a lot of salespeople make with their cold call script is that a lot of salespeople focus on closing for the purchase. Even if they cannot take the order right then, they still focus on the purchase by asking the prospect if they need or are interested in the product or service they sell.
This is not optimal because, in most situations, the next step is simply to talk more and have a longer conversation in the form of an appointment, meeting, or call. And this is what the cold call script should be designed to close for.
Follow-up call script
Another scenario you might find yourself in is making follow-up calls, where you are either following up after meetings, purchases, or other cold calls. These are typically warm calls, so they can be easier, and most salespeople wing it and improvise.
Even though they are easier and warmer, you can still benefit from using a sales script for this scenario that outlines the key points to cover and questions to ask.
Voicemail script
The most likely outcome when you call someone in B2B sales is to get their voicemail. With that in mind, you can definitely benefit from using a voicemail script.
Most salespeople just wing it with voicemail messages, typically just mentioning who they are and asking for a callback. And there is tremendous room for improvement with that approach.
Not only will you sound better if you use a sales script when leaving a sales-related voicemail message, but you can be more organized with how you use that short 20 to 30-second window of time.
First appointment script (outline)
Most salespeople just show up and improvise with their conversations and talking points. But you can benefit tremendously by having a sales script for what to say and do in your sales appointments with prospects.
It might sound crazy to show up to a sales appointment with a sales script, but you should at least have an outline of topics to discuss, talking points, and key questions to ask. This will not only help you be more productive but also improve the impression you make.
Objection responses
You are guaranteed to face objections when cold calling and also throughout the sales process. A lot of salespeople will improvise and wing it when trying to figure out how to respond to those, but you can greatly improve your ability to get around those by having a sales script with objection rebuttals and objection responses.
Presentation script
One of the last types of sales scripts to outline is a presentation script. This would be a script or outline for what to say when presenting or demonstrating your product to a customer. This will ideally align with a slide deck or what you plan to demonstrate.
We hope this helps answer the question of what is a sales script for you and give you some new ideas for creating your sales scripts!
