An Effective Business Development Sales Prospecting Script Keeps You On Course...controlling the progress and often the outcome of your call.
But how to do it?
What do you say?
Where to begin?
Use a prospecting script.
It keeps you focused and in control of the call.
Make your introduction short, simple, to the point --- something you can deliver in twenty seconds...without being rushed.
Relax and be yourself. After that, the rest is easy!
Remember, the phone is a great way to build prospect lists, increase customer loyalty and win sales.
The secret is to keep your call relaxed, almost informal tone.
Be Yourself and the rest is easy
A business development sales prospecting script you write yourself and are comfortable using will help you accomplish this by giving you confidence and the ability to control each call.
Say exactly who you are: The prospect you are calling is at a disadvantage. He or she does not know your name or anything about you.
Prospects will refuse to speak with you unless you immediately confront these issues. State the exact reason you are calling. Make your introduction specific and brief...twenty seconds or less.
You are calling to get information.
Effective business development by phone is about information gathering.
That means finding out if the person you are calling is a qualified sales prospect.
Your business development sales prospecting script guides you into asking specific questions that properly qualify ---or disqualify--- each prospect.
OK to read my Script...or memorize it?
A: Reading is fine. The secret is making your delivery appear unrehearsed.
Follow Winston Churchill.
His speeches are among the greatest in the English language.
He toiled endless hours over their every detail.
Yet when delivering them he appeared completely at ease... almost casual in his presentation.
Hence, his quip that “The very best impromptu speeches are the ones written well in advance.”
Picture a crowded room.
Your goal: find the folks interested in your offer.
How to do it?
Ask for a show of hands.
There, that's the goal of your cold call --- (1) finding the right prospects; (2) separating them from the crowd; then (3) qualifying their interest level.
- Immediately hit upon a benefit to your prospect. A benefit can be a key word or phrase. It should trigger an interest in your prospect --- i.e., make your prospect want to learn more about you.
- Be provocative. Ask open ended questions that cannot be answered "yes" or "no". Your goal is to promote interaction...and get your prospect to reveal information.
- Don't interrupt. Let your prospect do most of the talking. Develop your lead generation sales script using questions you want answered.
- Take "No" for an answer. The number one complaint of B2B telemarketing prospects is that salespeople will not take "no" for an answer.
- Conclude your introduction with a simple "yes" or ""no" question. How your prospect answers will indicate if they are a qualified prospect...or a prospect you want to drop. Used early in your call this simple question helps you spot good prospects from the not so good prospects.
- Qualify your prospect for future contacts. Ask them to suggest what they would like you to to ---- "when do you want me to contact you again?". Drop those prospects who will not suggest a call-back date. Your call is designed to generate a sales lead ---- a prospect you can add to your sales funnel and recontact with a follow-up call.
- Sales prospecting is a form of direct marketing. And building a highly targeted database is the key to any successful direct marketing campaign.
- Therefore, view each call as a means for fine tuning your sales prospecting database. It's a work in progress that never ends!
Recommended reading:
100 Best Business Development Books of All Time
Seven Must read classic business books
Forbes: New Rules for Prospecting In The Age of The Customer
Also: Harvard Business Review reports on benefits of cold call lead development.
From Harvard Business School On-line: This On-line learning course sounds interesting
