Writing Effective Cold Calling Scripts

Thursday, January 12, 2012 by Frank Rumbauskas

If you have been making calls selling a product or a service, or you are just arranging for an appointment for estimates, you know that at first you will have to use cold calling scripts to guide you in the process. For the beginners, a script will be helpful to achieve the goal of relaying the right information and asking the right questions during the call. However, in most cases, the script makes the caller appear like a robot who just utters whatever is written on the script. This, in effect, is what makes recipients resent the offer. In other cases, a well-written script can initiate a good conversation that can encourage interest in the product or service. It will just serve as a guide to make sure that the flow of conversation will be controlled and will be directed toward the objective set for telemarketing.

Writing cold calling scripts is straightforward. You can apply the following rules and guidelines in writing one to get the best results for selling a product or service.

1. Include an introduction of the caller and the company he is representing.

It is important for the person you are calling to know who is talking at the other end. Mention your name and your company before going to the body of the script. You also have to call the other person by his or her name, preferably through a more formal address like Mr. Smith or Ms. Robinson. This communicates respect for the person. If the call starts with a good tone and the appropriate respect, it can be welcome and people might show interest in what you will say.

However, while showing respect for the prospect, you also have to avoid sounding a bit too formal, since that will be a red flag that this is a sales call. So use the formal Mr. or Mrs., but do it in a way that your conversation has a certain lightness about it and doesn’t make the recipient of your call feel uncomfortable.

2. Cold calling scripts should be brief and concise.

A general introduction of the product or service may be necessary. Either the script will contain a short statement of the offer or it can start with an inquiry if there is an interest in what needs to be offered. Too much information can mean getting more time from the person you are calling. This can discourage the person at the other end to listen. Hence, instead of closing a deal or getting a prospect, the call can be rejected.

When writing your call script, it’s tempting to use the typical sales talk of a “value proposition” or an “elevator speech.” But watch out when you do this – these types of “canned” sound bites can easily put a prospect into sales resistance mode, and your call and your script will fail. Know what you’re going to say and have it written out – it is a cold calling script, after all – but keep it conversational and real.

3. Get complete information.

Effective cold calling scripts should include information gathering. If the script is for setting an appointment, the exact date and time should be asked to make sure that the details are completely understood. Also, it is important to verify the correctness of the information to avoid confusion or misunderstanding.

If you set an appointment and have to call back beforehand because you don’t have the full address, or the suite number, or the correct time, you’re going to look unprofessional, so when putting your script on paper, include questions to be asked after the appointment is set. Many salespeople assume the cold call is over when the prospect agrees to meet with you, but in reality that’s where the real selling is just beginning.

4. End cold calling scripts with courtesy and respect.

Regardless of the result of a cold call, it is important to show telephone courtesy to the person being called. A sense of gratitude for receiving the call and listening to what the caller has to say are enough reasons to thank the person at the other end. This courtesy will reflect the level of customer service that the company gives to its potential and existing clients.

It’s inevitable that some people are going to be rude to you. That’s just the reality of cold calling nowadays – it isn’t the best way to reach prospects, and many will be upset by it. But if you have to make cold calls, be polite, even in rejection. The person who is yelling at you now may want to buy from you in the future, and if you respond to their rudeness with anything other than courtesy, respect, and politeness, you’ll lose any chance to make the sale down the road.

When cold calling scripts follow the simple guidelines above and when the telemarketer is able to create a conversation when the call is made, there is a high likelihood of getting positive results from the call.

Tagged: call capture, call scripts, caller, calls, challenge, cold call scripts, cold calling, cold calling scripts, effective cold calling, lot, make call, pain, sales call, script, square dance, telemarketing, telephony, writing     Posted in category: Cold Calling Scripts