What are sales scripts, how much do they cost, and how to write them correctly. Cold calls

Hello! In this article, we will talk about such a phone sales tool as a script.

Today you will learn:

• What is a conversation script with a client on the phone;
• How to write a sales script over the phone;
• What types of telephone sales scripts exist .

What is a phone sales script

A phone for a marketer is not only a means of communication, it is also an excellent channel for promoting and distributing products.

To understand how to sell a product using only a telephone conversation, you need to remember the specifics of telephone communication:

• Solution. As a rule, a modern person makes calls to find out or agree on something, in other words, to solve a problem;
• Brevity. A telephone conversation is always shorter than a face-to-face conversation on the same topic;
• Dialogue. A telephone conversation always involves a dialogue between two people.

Not every sales manager is able to briefly describe to the client his proposal for solving the problem that needs to be identified in the process of a telephone dialogue with the client. Therefore, in order for the conversation between the seller and the potential client to turn into sales, it is advisable to use pre-written dialogue scripts or scripts.

Script - a script for a dialogue between a sales manager and a client, designed to improve the efficiency of the former and attract the latter.

You need a phone sales script if:

• Do you sell by phone?
• Your office employs at least three managers for the implementation of telephone sales and telephone counseling for clients (a smaller number is easier and cheaper to train to work without scripts);
• You want to improve your overall phone sales performance. In this case, the effectiveness of individual managers may decrease.

If you agreed with each point, then we need to move on and decide what types of phone sales scripts are right for you.

In total, four types of scripts are distinguished, depending on the level of development of the client and the market in which the client is represented. Each type of script involves its own telephone sales technique.

Any of these types is based on the following principles:

• Equality. You and your client are partners. You should not persuade the client to take a targeted action or accept unfavorable conditions. Your job is to see the client's problem and offer a solution. The client's business is to refuse or agree. Otherwise, you will lose the client's respect for your company;
• Cooperation. You should not argue with the client, you should prove to him that he really needs your product and the purpose of your call is to help. To do this, you need to ask a potential client such questions, the answers to which you know in advance. For example, manager: "Do you use a lot of paper per month?" Client: "yes" Manager: "do you buy a new ream of paper every week" Client: "yes" Manager: "would you like our company delivered paper to your office every week at a convenient time for you?”

In this example, we offer a solution to the client's problem and in doing so we use the law of three "yes";

• Knowledge. The sales manager must know the specifics of the company, understand its products and services.

Script structure

Now that we have decided on the types of the script, let's decide on its structure. Since scripts for the consumer market are significantly different from scripts for the industrial market, we will analyze them separately. Let's start with the consumer segment.

Structure of the script for the consumer segment

To clearly show what is the difference between scripts for a warm and cold customer base, we will display the structure of the scripts in a small table.

Structure of a cold calling script for an industrial client

In this case, it would be advisable to omit the conversation script with the industrial client from the warm database. As a rule, it corresponds to the conversation script for the warm base of the consumer segment.

for industrial customers will consist of the following steps:

1. Preliminary. We send your commercial offer to the email of a potential client. This must be done half an hour before the call is made. Write down the goals of the conversation;

1. Search for a contact person who makes a decision in the client company on your issue;
2. Secretary bypass. As a rule, the secretary of the responsible person, who has his own script for refusal, will answer you first. You need to bypass it. To do this, adhere to the following rules:

• It is necessary to show by intonation and manner of speaking that the responsible person needs this cooperation more than you;
• Clear, correct, confident speech;
• The following phrase should sound in the conversation: “Who can I talk to about this issue” (“Contact me with the person responsible for this issue”).

1. Talking to the decision maker. The structure of the script for a conversation with the responsible person of the company will look like this.

An example of handling objections

At the end of the article, I would like to focus on this particular block, since it is the most dangerous in terms of losing a client.

In fact, there may be many more objections, we have given only the most common options. It is important to think through each and work through it so that the manager can give a clear rebuff and not lose the client.

Sample (example) script of sales by phone

And finally, here's the full phone sales script. Let's say we sell shampoo for dry hair to a cold customer base.

1. Greetings: Good afternoon
2. Performance: " My name is Anna, how can I contact you? I am a representative of the Volosatik company, we are engaged in the manufacture of natural hair care products. "Customer Name", we have a special offer for you."
3. Clarification of the circumstances:"Are you comfortable talking now?"
4. Clarifying questions:“Do you know the problem of dry and brittle hair?”, “Would you like to get rid of it?”.
5. Purpose of the call:“Great, we offer a natural shampoo for dry hair. The fact is that licorice, which is part of it, retains water, and the absence of sulfates allows you to preserve the structure of the hair. Did you know that 90% of shampoos in stores contain sulfates, which destroy the hair structure, slowing down growth and making them brittle? (No Yes). In the manufacture of our shampoo, we focused on the absence of harm to the hair. At the same time, the price of our shampoo corresponds to the average market price and is 500 rubles per 400 ml.”
6. Work with objections: examples of working with objections are given in the table above.
7. Goodbye: Thank you for taking the time to visit us, we look forward to seeing you in our store. Goodbye".

Video about phone sales scripts

It is very difficult to make cold calls if you do not know what and how to say. But if you have a script written in advance, then everything immediately becomes much easier. And in this article, we will write a cold call script - a step-by-step conversation scheme for your specific situation.

And yes, of course, we will look at different examples of working with objections. So that you don’t just repeat this scheme like a robot, but you can adapt it to the situation. Then your results will improve several times.

How do I make cold calls?

I remember, 6 years ago, I was engaged in attracting clients to our translation agency through cold calls. I put off starting work for two weeks and looked for excuses not to call anyone. It was just very scary.

But when the money began to run out completely, I still forced myself to pick up the phone and dial the first number from the list. To my great relief, the other end of the line did not pick up the phone.

Then I dialed the second number, and they answered me quite politely that the head of the foreign economic activity department had just left, and asked me to call back in 15 minutes. I have already considered that for a start it is quite enough, and you can go to rest. But still I decided to clear my conscience to dial the third number.

It was a large industrial company in our city. And I knew for sure that they were already working with some kind of translation agency. Therefore, I assumed that the conversation with them would not last long.

What was my surprise when the person on the other end of the wire listened to me and offered to meet in an hour to show the current orders. On the same day we received our first order from them. And this company is still our regular customer. And it was all in one call.

Of course, I understand that I was lucky. Clients are not always so willing to agree to start working with you. But still, there are certain statistics - how many cold calls you need to make to get one order.

How many cold calls do you need to make to get one order?

If you think that there is some kind of magic scenario of a cold call, which, like a golden key, will open all doors for you, you are mistaken. There is no such script and cannot be.

And yet there is not and cannot be a seller who would make twenty calls and conclude twenty transactions. You can’t sell to everyone, no matter how hard you try, and no matter how wonderful the conversation scheme you prescribed.

Cold calling is a statistic. Statistics of refusals and consents to meet with you. You need to know your statistics, and just do it every day. For example, in most cases, you need to make about 20 calls to set up 2-3 meetings.

Further, out of 3 meetings (according to statistics), you will conclude one deal. That is, you need to make twenty calls and hear “no” nineteen times to close one deal. It is very important. Often, salespeople are trained to “press” everyone on the phone until they agree to meet with you. My experience is that this is bad practice.

Why being overly assertive is bad

If you are persistent enough, and you find your answer to any “no”, then in the end the person on the other end of the wire will still agree to meet with you. And as a result, you will only lose your time.

That is, your interlocutor after half an hour of playing "objection - answer" will say - "Well, you persuaded me, let's meet next Monday, at two o'clock in the afternoon." But he will say this only in order to get rid of you. Then you will not be able to get through to him (he will write down your phone under the name "Do not take in any case").

And when you arrive at the meeting, you will not find anyone at the specified address. That is, you will waste several hours, or even the whole day.

In fact, the purpose of a cold call is not to “persuade” everyone and everyone, but to correctly filter out those who you should spend time on and who you shouldn’t. The whole conversation scheme, which you will find below, is precisely aimed at making this filtering as fast and comfortable as possible.

It was very important for me to clarify this before starting to parse the circuit. Your task is not to get one “yes” at all. Your goal is to get nineteen valid nos. After that, you make a deal and calmly move on to the next round.

And yes, by the way, all of the above applies to a conversation with a decision maker (Decision Maker). But before talking with the decision maker, we will most often have to talk with the so-called "Gatekeeper". This is a secretary or assistant or someone else who does not want you to distract the boss with your calls.

With gatekeepers it is necessary to act a little differently. After all, there is no way they can give us a valid no. And that means they just need to be “pushed through”.

Scheme of a conversation with the "gatekeeper"

And so it happened. After much procrastination and looking for excuses, you've finally made up your mind to get on the phone and start calling the potential customers on your list. You sell antivirus for corporate computer networks. You pick up the phone, dial the number of the ACS department (Automation of Control Systems), and after a series of beeps you hear:

• OAO "Mashinstroyperestroy", I'm listening to you...

You answer:

• Hello, my name is Dmitry. I'm calling you from Peresvet about a new antivirus for your computer system. Can you tell me who I can talk to about this?

And in response you get:

• Thanks, we're not interested. Goodbye.

This is one of the standard gatekeeper objections. And if you bought into this “we are not interested”, then it is very in vain. Now I will tell you one secret. In fact, the secretary on the other end of the line has no idea whether they are interested or not.

It's just that your call is interfering with her work. If she lets you through to her beloved boss Arkady Petrovich, the head of the ACS department, and you offer some nonsense, she will get hit on the head.

And if you offer not nonsense, but a super-solution that will save the plant a million dollars a month, and her boss will be rewarded for this, then the secretary ... still will not receive any benefit.

All the laurels will go to Arkady Petrovich, because he "found", "offered", "implemented". That is, the secretary will either get hit on the head, or (at best) will not get anything. So why would she risk it? The easiest way is to immediately jump to the best option and get "nothing". That is, just do not miss your call to the boss.

But the secretary has his own problems and tasks, and you and I have our own. And the task number one is to break through the barrier of standard "objections-rejections".

Overcoming standard objections

Here are some of the standard objections a gatekeeper can usually make to you:

• We are not interested / do not need
• What exactly do you want to offer?
• Send us an email and we'll take a look and get back to you
• No (I won't connect you/he won't talk to you)

And here's how best to build a dialogue with such an interlocutor.

Secretary: And what did you want to offer (And on what specific issue are you?) (Are you on the issue of advertising?) (What kind of services do you have?), etc.

You: We are installing a new anti-virus program for computer networks. Who can I talk to about this?

Secretary: We're not interested (we don't need it)

You: Understand. You know, with about every fourth client, our cooperation began the same way. That is why I would like to ask a few clarifying questions to your specialist. Who can I talk to about this?

Secretary: Reset your proposal by e-mail. We will review and call you back.

You: We do not have a general commercial offer, there are a lot of options. I need to talk to your specialist, because we are committed to offering only what people need, not everything at once. Connect me please.

Secretary: We are doing well.

You: Amazing. Among our clients, most of the companies are successfully developing. That is why our services were useful to them. All I would like is to talk about whether we can be of service to you. So who can I contact about this issue?

Secretary: No (I will not connect you, he will not talk to you).

You: If it's so difficult to talk to him, maybe I can talk to someone else about this issue?

Two main points in the scheme of conversation

You methodically work out all the “no” and push through the gatekeeper so that he still risks connecting you with the person you need.

Notice two important points about this conversation pattern. At the end of each answer to an objection, ask to be connected to the decision maker. Usually people can't stand being asked for something several times and give up.

The second point is an explanation of the reason why you need to be connected with someone. In the famous book The Psychology of Influence, Robert Challdini describes an experiment where a person first simply asked to be skipped a line. And in the second case, he added “Let me skip the line, because I really need". And in the second case, it was missed 3 times more often.

Of course, in our example, we got a very "hard nut to crack". Usually secretaries give up after 1-2 objections. But there are even harder ones. They just tell you no.

What to do if you are still told "no"

If you can’t convince the gatekeeper to let you go further, then you can try to “make friends” with him.

And making friends with strangers isn't hard at all. Here's what the dialogue might look like after four or five nos.

You: Okay, I understand you. By the way, my name is Dmitry, I am a sales manager in our company. What is the best name for you?

Secretary: Maria.

You: Maria, what is your job title?

Secretary: Assistant manager (secretary/assistant).

You: Maria, please advise me. How can I best deal with this situation?

In such a simple way you have a person to yourself. You met him and asked him to help you. In this case, even the most stony heart will melt, and Maria herself will tell you how and with whom you need to contact.

And after that we move on to a conversation with Himself - the Decision Maker.

Scheme of a conversation with a decision maker

As mentioned above, the task of talking with decision makers is to filter out those who are not worth wasting time on now. To do this, we need to either get a reasonable "yes" or a reasonable "no". Both results will suit us perfectly.

Our conversation with the decision maker will consist of four stages:

1. Performance
2. Question-Engagement
3. Objection Handling
4. Making an appointment

After that, they either say “no” to us, and we calmly move on to the next contact. Or we are told “yes”, and we enter the time and place of the meeting in the diary. And let's look at the options for the conversation scheme with examples.

Stage #1 - Presentation

Here we just need to give our name, the name of our company, and explain why we are calling. The person on the other end of the wire is primarily interested in who we are and what we need from him.

Therefore, do not try to cheat and deceive someone. As a result, deceive yourself. For example, I am very annoyed by salespeople who call me under the pretext of conducting some kind of “survey”. I don't have much time, just tell me what you need.

You (we learned the name from the secretary). My name is Dmitry, I'm from Peresvet, and I'm calling you about a new anti-virus program for corporate networks.

That's literally all. You said everything directly and honestly. In this case, the interlocutor may not answer you. And we need dialogue. not a monologue. Therefore, we immediately proceed to the second stage.

Stage #2 - Question-engagement-pause

At this stage, we need to get an initial reaction to our proposal (most often the reaction will be negative).

You

We ask a question and shut up. This is a very important and very difficult moment. Most people cannot physically bring themselves to pause. Because pause is pressure. With our silence, we literally force a person to answer something to us. This will be the beginning of the involvement in the conversation.

We specifically formulate the question in such a way that it is “impossible” to answer no. Of course, most of the time the answer is no. But at the same time, your interlocutor himself will feel the whole strangeness of the situation.

He is offered to increase the level of protection, but he says “no” - I don’t want to increase anything, let our computers be hacked, the data is stolen. We'll lose customers because of this, and I'll be kicked out of my position, and I'll end my life under the fence with a bottle of Triple Cologne in my hand. Everything is super, it suits me.

You: Tell me, please, would you be interested in increasing the level of protection of your computer network?

decision maker

Let him say “no” out loud (to give up everything is the first normal defensive reaction of a person). But subconsciously he says yes. And this is much more important for us. And having received this “no”, which is actually “yes”, we move on to the next stage.

Stage #3 - Closing the Objection

There is one simple phrase that gets around most objections. That is, it will encourage a person who, at least theoretically, may be interested in your proposal, to agree to meet with you.

And if a person does not want to agree to any, it means that this is not our client yet.

decision maker: No, thank you, we are not interested in this now.

You

That's all, this simple phrase firstly reassures Arkady Petrovich - they say, there are other people with whom I have already met, and they are all alive and well. Secondly, it explains the benefit - simplifying work and reducing costs.

After this phrase, we no longer need to pause. You need to immediately go to the final stage of the conversation.

Step #4 - Making an Appointment

It is very important to suggest a specific meeting time yourself. So the interlocutor is more likely to agree to meet with us. That is, either he will simply accept our conditions, or he will appoint his own. Here's what it all sounds like.

You: You know, Arkady Petrovich, other people working in your field told me the same thing before I came and showed them how our program can simplify their work and reduce costs.

Could we meet? Will Wednesday at two o'clock suit you?

decision maker

And if in this case the person repeats - “No! We don’t need anything,” you can congratulate yourself. You have already received one justified refusal. It looks like they don't really need to improve anything at the moment. Eighteen more such refusals and the deal is in your pocket.

To consolidate, let's write down the whole scheme of talking on the phone with the decision maker once again.

You: Hello, Arkady Petrovich (we learned the name from the secretary). My name is Dmitry, I'm from Peresvet, and I'm calling you about a new anti-virus program for corporate networks ( Stage #1)

You: Tell me, please, would you be interested in increasing the level of protection of your computer network? ( Stage #2 - Pause…)

decision maker: No, thank you, we are not interested in this now.

You: You know, Arkady Petrovich, other people working in your field told me the same thing before I came and showed them how our program can simplify their work and reduce costs ( Stage #3)

Could we meet? Will Wednesday at two o'clock suit you? ( Stage #4)

decision maker: Let's better on Thursday, at one o'clock in the afternoon. I will have half an hour.

Conclusion

We have discussed how best to build a conversation scheme for cold calls. I remind you that the gatekeeper must be pushed through, and the decision maker must receive a “reasonable refusal” or “reasonable consent”. The main thing is not to confuse.

Don't forget to download my book. There I show you the fastest way from zero to the first million on the Internet (squeezed from personal experience over 10 years =)

Happy hunting!

With their help, you can effectively sell a product, service, make an appointment for a subsequent discussion of the terms of the transaction. In some cases, scripts are used to make cold calls. What it is? What are the criteria for their effective engagement?

What are they needed for?

A bit of theory. "Cold call" - how is it different from "hot call"? Everything is very simple. It implies a conversation with a person or company with which the caller had no contact before (remote acquaintance). In turn, a "hot call" is the development of existing contacts in order to maintain contact with a partner or conclude a new deal with him.

Actually, what are the "cold calls" for, the scripts of which we are going to study? What is their practical effectiveness for business? Experts point out that the use of "cold calls" is one of the most accessible and effective. This technique is designed, first of all, to save the manager's time in relation to performance indicators. The involvement of many other sales channels (such as, for example, mailing lists) does not always give a comparable effect.

Many experts are sure that communication with customers as such, regardless of whether it is "cold" or "hot" calls, is one of the main criteria for business success. If only because this tool, unlike various kinds of electronic channels (social networks, e-mail), appeals to the natural need of a person - to talk with his own kind.

It's simple

Cold calling is easy. At least from a technical point of view, because almost all offices have a regular telephone. It is easy to do them also in terms of preparation. Even if a person is not used to talking on the phone, he has a faithful assistant - a ready-made script. Or, in other words, a script. A "cold call" with its help turns into almost a routine job, but at the same time incredibly exciting. If we apply a successful script, "cold calling" will help to make great money. But what is the probability that the scenario we are using will generate a sale?

secrets

One of the most common goals that a cold call script is designed to solve is scheduling a meeting between the caller and the person they are talking to. That is, probably with a potential client of the company. In some cases, the manager can use, by making "cold calls", pure sales scripts, persuading the client to buy something without a meeting. It all depends on the specific task and on the specifics of the product or service being sold.

Therefore, when choosing the optimal script, it is necessary to make sure that it is suitable for us, based on all relevant criteria. We read the script and decide whether it is optimal for a meeting or better adapted just for sales. After that, we study the structure of the script.

Chief required

In the practice of sales, the main emphasis is on the interaction between the manager of a company that produces goods and provides services, and a person who makes decisions on the side of the client company. Often this is a top-level manager, and it is not always possible to reach him directly. Adapted to the task that cold calls perform, scripts are sometimes divided into two subspecies. The first of them is best composed in order to achieve a conversation with the "boss". The second, in turn, contains instructions applicable to the conversation with the decision maker. In the first scenario, the sales manager, whose status in relation to the "boss" is initially unknown. Accordingly, mechanisms can be written in the script by which the caller finds out information about the official with whom it is desirable to talk.

Thus, based on the specifics of the task, we determine which part of the script to use - the first or immediately the second. After that, we begin to closely study the content of the script. We analyze how effective it will be.

Criteria for the effectiveness of scripts

We have a script. "Cold call" is the main tool. How to ensure results? What are the criteria for the effectiveness of the script? Let's agree that the task before us is a conversation with a decision maker. We got through to the "boss" or we have his direct phone number.

1. A ready-made "cold call" script should, first of all, contain a link to a significant appeal to the company. Experts believe that a good script should not explicitly state the purpose of the call, which is a sale or a meeting with a decision maker. It is important that the script contains a phrase that will at least ensure that the manager's interlocutor is not indifferent to the conversation.

A short example of a cold call script that can interest the person on the other end of the line: "Good afternoon. Our company sells innovative methods for storing large amounts of computer information. Could this be of interest to you?". In fact, we sell flash drives in bulk. But if we immediately admitted: "I want to offer you to buy flash drives," then the interlocutor would probably refuse to continue the conversation, because the news feed is clearly not "catchy."

2. The script must provide for a dialogue, not a monologue. The thing is that the interlocutor, if the conversation has begun, as a rule, has questions, opinions, judgments. Including those related to competitors. He can say: "Oh, I don't need flash drives, I use devices from Alfabeta Electronics, they suit me quite well." It is absolutely unacceptable that the script contains hints like: "What are you talking about, Alfabeta is the last century!". It is necessary to respect the opinion, and, importantly, the choice of the interlocutor.

An example of a cold call script with the correct option: "Great choice! Would you like to see a device with improved characteristics compared to the products of this brand?"

3. Following the instructions of the script necessarily leads to the result. To one of three. The first is rejection. And do not confuse it with the objection, which most often sounds like this: "There is no time, sorry." The second is a meeting. In order to show flash drives that are head and shoulders above competitors in terms of characteristics. The third is an agreement to talk later.

These are, of course, just a few basic criteria. Now we will move on to more detailed examples of using ready-made telephone sales scenarios. Each of them uses a technique that can positively influence the decision of the interlocutor. That is, the logic of the script is built with an emphasis on one or another aspect that expresses the benefits of the product or service being sold.

Mutually beneficial cooperation

So, let's consider a possible cold call script (sample). We call the owner of the bakery and offer him to buy croissants from our own private bakery. The main thing we will motivate our future partner with is the prospect of mutually beneficial cooperation.

We call and immediately lay out the essence of the matter: "We offer you mutually beneficial cooperation." But that's not all. We immediately justify: "The proposed croissants, and this has been proven by the example of dozens of our partners, will increase your revenue by 15%."

The profitability of bakeries is now relatively low - there is a lot of competition. And because the owner of the institution at least listen to the details. Which, of course, "we will discuss with you at a personal meeting." All. Then offline sales techniques come into play. The cold call script, the sample of which we have just reviewed, has served its purpose.

The sales manager, most likely, will show graphs that will show: croissants, in terms of their price segment and consumer qualities, fit perfectly into the bakery menu. And therefore they will be actively bought together with other types of pastries for tea, which ultimately should increase sales.

More clients

The next scenario that we can give as an example is motivation based on the prospect of attracting more customers. A cold call script template can contain the following phrases. "We offer a product that will significantly expand your target audience," - state the essence of the matter to the owner of the bakery. We do not forget to once again refer to the successful experience of numerous partners. Next - a meeting to which an experienced manager goes. We used a script, the "cold call" worked out.

Most likely, the manager, when meeting with the owner of the establishment, focuses on the fact that with the appearance of croissants in the menu of the bakery, the client groups will be replenished with people who appreciate high-quality sweets - these are children, people of the older generation. In principle, due to the same mechanism, revenues are likely to increase as well.

I know everything about you

And one more interesting option. It is based on the ability to pleasantly surprise the interlocutor with knowledge of the facts about him. At the same time, their reliability may not play a role. Why? Let's see an example.

"Hello. We were told that your bakery specializes in selling fresh croissants on yeast-free dough. This is a very rare segment. Would you like to exchange experiences?"

The owner of the bakery, who had no idea that his company bakes croissants without yeast, will be surprised to say the least. But with a high probability he will agree to a meeting, since the interlocutor at it will be a person who seems to own this technology. It will be great to learn how delicious croissants are baked! There will almost certainly be a meeting where the sales manager of our bakery will give the baker a taste of croissants, but will never tell him the recipe. However, the contract for the supply of baked goods will definitely be signed.

Sales examples

Above, we considered the option in which call scripts are used to set up a meeting. This is where the emphasis is. Now let's try to study the situations in which (if it is decided to practice "cold calls") sales scripts are involved. That is, the purpose of the conversation is not a subsequent meeting, but the conclusion of some contractual agreements by phone.

Take, for example, a segment such as the Internet. This service is one of the most demanded in Russia. The competition is quite high (although the positions of monopolists are strong), and many subscribers often change one provider for another, having heard that somewhere the tariffs for the same speed are cheaper or the connection is of better quality.

The main recommendation here is to immediately focus on the competitive advantages of the offer. If the provider accurately guarantees, for example, that the price will be lower than the market average by 20%, this fact should immediately be announced. If the interlocutor indicates the name of his provider, it is not necessary to specify that this provider loses in the price of our company. It is worth limiting yourself to the diplomatic phrase "your provider works within the framework of the average market rates." The client will be able to draw a small logical conclusion himself, while the caller will show respect for the previous choice: if a person has previously found a provider with average market prices, then what's wrong with that? However, we will offer cheaper. If this, of course, is our main Component, which should never include a "cold call" script intended for use by managers in the communication services segment - advertising. There should be a specific proposal - to connect. Or leave contact details for the application.

Who else can be greatly helped out by "cold calls", scripts? Realtors, of course. True, to a greater extent for one segment - commercial real estate. For questions about buying apartments, people, as a rule, call themselves. Similarly, we focus on the competitive advantages of production facilities or offices. These may be the location in the city center, close to the metro, near shops, etc. Since it is not, as in the case of providers, about opposing their offer to another brand (as a rule), the seller may well tell the client everything that he thinks about the current leased premises. And how to praise your own.

Good Scripts

Whatever the purpose of the sales manager, it is extremely important to maintain tact and courtesy in communicating with the interlocutor. Even if he himself does not have it, preferring to answer with harsh phrases. In most cases, the interlocutor can be completely rebuilt in the right emotional way, which contributes to a more constructive dialogue.

What else could be a sign of good taste in "cold" Correctness of wording. It is more correct to say not "let's try", but "we offer you". Not "you want", but "you may want", etc. Before using the script, you should check it for diplomatic language.

It is important to end the conversation as correctly as possible, even if it did not lead to the desired result. It is likely that the same person will have to call again with a similar offer, but with a new approach or with a different idea. It will be great if the full name sales manager will be associated with courtesy and tact.

Thus, quality scripts should follow the recommendations above. The main condition for their use is the maximum automation of the communication scenario. The sales manager, in principle, should only follow the text, read it out in the right intonation. The script is mainly intended to make the job of the salesperson easier. This is not a theoretical guide, but a practical tool designed to give results.

The job of an active sales manager is complex and has a lot of nuances. Among the methods that this specialist regularly uses, one of the most important is the cold call script. What it is and how to compose it - our article will tell about this.

In the field of active sales, phone calls are divided into two types: cold and hot. Under understand telephone conversations with those clients with whom business contacts are already established. Cold-type calls are more difficult because the communication is with an organization or individual with whom there was no contact before. The addressee is not prepared for communication and may react negatively.

How to have a conversation

It is not difficult even for a beginner to do it, the main thing is that the manager has a compiled script at hand (in fact, this is a conversation script). Before writing a script, you should decide on two things:

1. The expected result of the call. An active sales manager must clearly understand what a person needs to be led to. It can be a sale, sending a commercial offer (or any of these options).
2. The second important point is the reason for the call (that is, what is the essence of, and what benefits does it promise to a potential client). Depends on the specifics of the company: conducting an audit, diagnostics, introducing a free method, etc.

After that, the specialist proceeds to write the text itself. It should be borne in mind that at the beginning of the conversation you can get to the so-called blocker. This is the name of the person who answers first, but is not the goal of the manager. These are executive assistants or random employees who are near the phone.

Popular script

The scheme of the conversation will vary depending on many factors (with whom the conversation is being conducted, how much the person is configured to communicate, etc.). The most popular looks like this:

1. A short opening speech.
2. Introducing yourself and your company.
3. Information about the purpose of the call and the offer to the person.
4. Questions to the client.
5. Competent responses to objections.
6. End of conversation.

The scheme of the conversation will vary depending on many factors (with whom the conversation is being conducted, how much the person is configured to communicate, etc.).

This pattern is classic, but the specificity of cold calling is such that it is not suitable in all cases.

For example

Now we will take a closer look at each item from the scenario using an example and tell you how to apply them more effectively in practice in a cold call.

1. First, greetings are spoken in a friendly voice. Examples: "Hello, Ivan Anatolyevich" or "Good afternoon, Valentin Stepanovich." After that, a short pause is maintained by the manager so that the person can respond to the greeting. This allows you to show a sense of tact and make sure that the subscriber is listening to you. If it was not possible to find out the name and patronymic of the decision maker (decision maker) in advance, you can ask the question: “Hello, who can I talk to about the supply of porcelain stoneware?”
2. You can represent your company in a variety of ways. In some, the scope of the company's activity is worth mentioning, in others it is not. For example: “My name is Sergey, I represent company X” or “My name is Sergey, construction company X”. These speech modules depend on the assumption whether revealing the scope of the company's work in this case will increase the effectiveness of the call or not. The extended view makes sense if it is known for certain that the company may need the proposed product / service.
3. Telling the client about the purpose of the call can be done using several techniques. The first is called "We-you" and is aimed at creating a sense of connection between the client and the manager. Example: "Your company specializes in wedding events, and we provide a banquet hall for rent." Less often, the cards are revealed immediately. That is, the manager, without preludes, directly announces the purpose of his call. Statistically, this is more often met with resistance.
4. Questions will be required if the manager wishes to make the client . In this case, clarifying questions are reasonable. If the purpose of the call is a meeting, then you should not ask unnecessary questions. Focus on the essentials.
5. may be as follows: “It's expensive!”, “We need to think”, “The offer is not of interest.” The manager prepares in advance a whole block of 10-20 points dedicated to answering these objections.
6. Many people agree with everything in order to end the conversation faster. Therefore, before completing the communication, you need to bring the client to an oral agreement. Remember that people never keep promises to call back.

Such an algorithm helps the active sales manager to adapt to a specific person or company. Therefore, it is a responsible task and requires a lot of attention. Often leading experts do this, and beginners are taught from ready-made texts.

Finally

A manager who specializes in cold calling needs to be well versed in cold calls because they are aimed at attracting new customers and establishing strong bonds with them. Sales technique is diverse, it takes all the best from psychology, sociology, economics and other sciences. Ready-made scripts and templates are convenient because they allow you to automate the process of communication with the client as much as possible.

There is no business without sales. An employee who owns effective cold calling techniques is valued by the company's management and receives a good salary.

Cold calling is one of the most difficult yet effective sales methods.

What are cold calls on the phone

Cold calling is the initial phone call to potential customers who have never worked with your firm before, in order to attract them into the ranks of your buyers.

The client is not waiting for a call. The call is called "cold" because the interlocutor on the other end of the wire treats him coldly. Even if he needs the offered service or product, he needs to try hard to get him interested.

The cold sales technique is complex and requires effort, experience, and good knowledge of the product or service being offered from the salesperson.

Video - how to make cold calls, examples for a manager:

Mastering the technique of cold calling is not easy due to the many barriers that must be overcome in order for the call to end effectively. Often you have to listen to the refusals and objections of the interlocutor, unwillingness to talk.

All this affects the mood of the manager making cold calls. To make such calls more effective, you need to constantly train and improve.

In what cases are used

This active sales tool is essential for B2B sales. Recently, cold calls have become more often used in working with ordinary people.

Cold calls are needed:

• to constantly increase the number of new customers;
• when launching a new project, to inform the market that a new organization has appeared;
• to update a large database of potential customers: when there is a list of potential customers, and those that are most beneficial for work are selected from it.

Cold calls in Russia are more often used in the following business areas:

• forwarding companies - advertising rarely works, and customers are scattered throughout the country and abroad, there is no possibility of a personal meeting;
• advertising agencies, magazines, print publishers - use calls to find new advertisers;
• manufacturing companies selling goods for business - to find new markets, expand the customer base;
• wholesale companies selling goods for organizations;
• real estate agencies - for the purpose of selling commercial real estate.

Conversation scheme

In order for a cold call to be successful and give the desired result, you should prepare in advance for the conversation and draw up an approximate scheme. The conversation itself can be divided into the following stages:

• call to the secretary, switching to the decision maker (DM);
• getting to know the decision maker, representing your company, establishing contact;
• clarification of needs, presentation of the company, product or service, processing of objections;
• end the contact and make an appointment.

Video - how to overcome the fear of making cold calls:

Do not call all customers in a row indiscriminately. Before calling, you should study in detail the potential client, his portrait, possible needs. According to only 20% of customers give 80% of the profits.

How to bypass the secretary

In working with organizations, there is often an obstacle between the sales manager and the person who makes the decision - a secretary or a personal assistant. A lot of calls pass through it throughout the day. Often people who call offer something.

In order not to distract the manager, the secretary does not connect with him, but answers that nothing is needed and hangs up, even if the product and service are really useful for the organization. The larger the company, the more difficult it is to get around the secretary.

In such cases, techniques are used to bypass the secretary. Here are some of them:

• first find out the name of the decision maker and when calling the secretary, ask to contact the right person, calling him by name and patronymic. The secretary will decide that the call is repeated and will connect without asking unnecessary questions;
• use swiftness and suddenness, in a confident tone, say: "Hello, connect with the commercial director." Further questions should be answered briefly and confidently. For example, to the question: “Who are you?” we answer: "Serey Ivanov." "What company?" - "Company A";
• make sure that you call not the first time. You can say: “hello, company A, switch to the purchasing department”;
• call at a time when the secretary is not in place. It can be lunch time, the end of the working day, or 30 minutes before the start.

To get the result, you should follow the following rules in communicating with the secretary:

• speak confidently;
• no need to tell the secretary about your proposal, as he does not make decisions;
• before calling the manager, you should find out his full name, this will help to bypass the secretary much faster.

Video - how to get around the secretary when cold calling:

How to start a conversation with a decision maker and get him interested

The conversation with the decision maker is the most important stage of the call. The overall result and prospects of working with this company depend on how it goes. When you first call, you should not try to sell. The main purpose of the first telephone conversation is to collect information to draw up a profitable offer and an appointment.

Here is an approximate scheme of a conversation with a decision maker:

At the beginning of the conversation, you should introduce yourself, designate your company. Briefly describe what she does. It is better not to mention the position of a sales manager, as it causes unnecessary associations in decision makers, the fear that something will be imposed on him.

After the introduction, it will be right to clarify whether the person has time to talk. You can start like this: “Hello, my name is Sergey, I represent company A, which produces raw materials for companies like yours. Are you comfortable talking now?

If the decision maker says that he has time, then we continue the conversation on the sales script. If not, then you will have to clarify what time it is convenient to call him. You should offer the person several options for the time of the call so that he can choose from them. We call back at the agreed time.

At the first conversation, you need to arouse the interest of a person: tell about your company, the benefits of working, say that you work with the same companies as the one you are calling. Try not to talk about numbers and a specific proposal, this information should be left for the meeting.

Basic rules for talking to a decision maker:

• the main purpose of the first call is not to sell, but to get to know each other, to interest and make an appointment;
• the recommended duration of the call is no more than 5 minutes, as the time increases, the effectiveness of the call decreases;
• you need to speak confidently, smile when talking, as the client feels the mood of the caller;
• your interlocutor should be called by name;
• The key to successful sales is to feel the mood of the client and be able to adapt to it.

To make a presentation that might be of interest to the decision maker, offer something interesting that makes the product stand out from the mass of other offers and explain how the client will benefit from the offer. It could be:

• promotion or super offer;
• cost reduction;
• increase in sales;
• time savings.

Dealing with customer objections

At the very beginning of the conversation or after the presentation, objections can be heard from the interlocutor. The main types of cold calling objections are:

• “we already have everything”;
• “we are not interested in the offer”;
• "I don't have time to talk to you";
• "Submit an offer, we'll consider it."

Having heard such phrases, you should not convince the client of the opposite and prove the benefits of your offer. This is a common mistake and can lead to termination of the conversation.

To avoid objection:

• from the beginning of the conversation, try not to give reasons for objections, ask more, be interested in the situation of the interlocutor, his concerns, which can be solved thanks to the product or service you offer;
• if an objection has been raised, it is necessary to answer them easily, causing the interlocutor to be interested in continuing the conversation.

To the client’s answer: “We already have everything,” you can answer: “I understand that you don’t want to change anything, everything is debugged and works great for you. But we can make an offer for your company that will be profitable, because new is development.”

Video - how to deal with objections:

How to make an appointment

Once the objections have been worked through, it is necessary to end the call with an appointment, which is the main goal of the first cold call. You can offer several options for the time so that the client does not have an alternative - to meet or not. You should also clarify the nuances:

• date and time;
• place;
• meeting participants;
• discuss the purpose of the meeting;
• get confirmation from the client.

At the end of the conversation, you need to leave your contact phone number, once again talk about the meeting and say goodbye on a positive note.

Cold calling scripts

A call script is a pre-thought-out or programmed sequence of a conversation with a client, established by the company. It is convenient to use ready-made modules during the initial call to the client. Distinguish between rigid and flexible scripts.

Video - 24 tips on how to create your own cold calling script (part 1):

Rigid- are used when selling a simple product, where there are not many options for customer responses. Such a script does not require a lot of knowledge and skills from the operator.

Flexible- used for complex products that involve ambiguous offers. Such scripts require managers to be creative and prepared.

Video - 24 tips on how to create your own cold calling script (part 2):

When developing a script, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the industry, the peculiarity of customers. Standard familiar phrases annoy people, cause rejection, so you should develop a unique script that is different from other organizations, which will arouse the opponent's interest.

How to organize: full-time managers or a call center

An entrepreneur may face the question - what is better to organize: cold calls based on their organization and include them in the functionality of their managers or provide a call to the call center. To determine this issue, allocate and consider all the pros and cons of these options.

The main advantages of transferring cold calls to call centers:

• there is no need to recruit and train your staff, in the call center the staff is already trained in such calls and has experience in conversations;
• no need to write sales scripts;
• receive a full report on the work done.

The disadvantages include:

• lack of personal control;
• lack of specific knowledge of your particular product. Call center specialists manage several projects in parallel, their employees manage only your order and know everything about it;
• minimal focus on results. Own staff, if motivated, is more focused on results than call center specialists.

Contacting a call center is beneficial when justified by calculations and cost-benefit ratio. In small organizations, where it is unprofitable to hire an additional employee and train him, it is worth contacting a call center to increase sales.

Video - an example of a cold call according to the scheme:

If the organization has a lot of employees who communicate with customers, then investing in systematic training and motivation of their own staff brings good results over time.

In this case, it is better to choose the option of training your own staff and including cold calls in the functionality of your employees. At the same time, managers should be financially motivated to achieve good results.

Pros and cons of cold calling

The main benefits of cold calling are:

• saving time and money, due to the absence of the need to travel when first meeting with the client;
• faster communication by phone compared to correspondence;
• the ability to understand the client's reaction on the phone to the information received;
• the opportunity to ask clarifying questions in a conversation, to eliminate misunderstandings;
• the opportunity during a telephone conversation to lay out cheat sheets and the necessary documents in front of you and look into them if necessary.

Cold calling also has limitations that need to be overcome:

• the interlocutor perceives the call as a hindrance, distracting him from his affairs;
• it is easier for the client to refuse or come up with excuses over the phone;
• the opponent can end the conversation at any time and hang up;
• it is impossible to track the reaction of a person, since gestures, facial expressions are not visible, it is possible to draw conclusions about the reaction only by intonation;
• there is no way to back up the words with graphs, images;
• when making a phone call, there is a high probability of misinterpretations.

Conclusion

Mastering the technique of cold calling does not come to most managers immediately. This requires experience, patience, constant learning and motivation.

Having learned the technique of conducting such sales, writing scripts, methods of working with objections and other elements of a cold call, an employee improves his financial situation and increases the profit of the company in which he works.

A short summary will help you understand the difference between the two.

What should you pay attention to when the act of acceptance of work performed.

With the help of cold calls, it is unlikely that it will be possible to sell equipment for the production of self-tapping screws; in such cases, several meetings will be required.

Video - examples of real cold calls by phone for the purpose of scheduling meetings: