Does this mean you need to do away with scripts altogether and rely on spontaneity alone? Certainly not.

Not every sales rep is a rock star who can spontaneously carry out crisp and meaningful conversations with strangers. However, even rock star reps need a script at some level. Seasoned salespeople may not be as dependent on a script as new reps, but they use scripts to organize their thoughts and then let the conversation flow naturally.  

Not every sales rep is a rock star 🎸who can spontaneously carry out crisp and meaningful conversations with strangers. Get #SalesTips to avoid sounding like you're using a script. #prospecting
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Either way, phone scripts are here to stay, and they belong here. The problem is not the writeup itself (not counting the poorly written ones). The issue is “sounding like you’re reading a cold call script.”

“I love it when I talk to a sales professional who sounds like a robot,” said no prospect ever.

Selling is an emotional as well as an intellectual endeavor, and robots do not emote, which is precisely the reason why prospects respond to personalization. Reading makes it seem like you don’t know what you are talking about and lack knowledge. So why should the prospect listen to you?

The trick is to ensure that only you can “see” the script. Never let the prospect suspect that somebody else authored what you’re saying.

Follow these 6 tips to avoid sounding scripted on your sales calls

Scripts often miss the very ingredients that make the sauce saucy. A communication experience must feel authentic. For that, the deliverer must be comfortable with the script. We have seen award-winning movie dialogues fall flat because of the way the actors delivered them and vice versa. Is the available text a good fit for you? Read aloud and see how it sounds. If it still falls flat, try our advice on how to follow a sales script without sounding scripted.

1. Practice your opening

Everyone knows the first few minutes of a sales call hinges on a great start. However, opening a sales call can be uncomfortable, as many “Um… so… how are you doing?” callers know too well.

No pressure!

A quick introduction must be immediately followed by the purpose when you start a conversation. It keeps you both on the same page. For this, have a loose, flexible script around which you can weave your magic.

And please, use their names a few times. Dale Carnegie once said: “A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest sound in any language.” You’re talking to them, not at them. Keep this in mind before you launch into your pitch.

2. Manage your modulation, pace, and tone

Who knew a sales job could prepare you for an alternative career as a voice actor? Now, while we can’t all sound like James Earl Jones or Maggie Smith,  during a phone conversation, focus on making the most potent use of the power of our natural voice. Your voice is your tool. There is a world of difference in how you sound to yourself and how you sound to others. Perform the script and record it on your phone. Listen to it. The more you fine-tune your voice, the better your performance will be. 

Buying is an emotional decision, and the rep’s script delivery has a lot to do with evoking positive/negative feelings in the prospect. In cold calls, it is the sales reps’ voice and the level of performance that eventually “sell” the product. The right tone and pace keep you from sounding phony and makes the conversation look raw and unscripted.

3. Minimize the interruptions, objections, and pain points – listen

During a call, particularly when you’re following a script, it’s easy to get carried away when you’re trying to make sure you cover all the points. When this happens, “listening” takes a backseat. Many salespeople pause while the prospects talk. But because they are eager to return to the scripted spiel, they tend to listen passively. They then continue with the script as if the interruption or objection didn’t happen. This is a mistake. 

You try to position your company as one that understands the prospect’s struggles and has resolved similar challenges in the past. For that, you need to listen – an integral part of sales processes. When you directly address or refer back to something the prospect said previously, you let them know that their issues are important to you. Prospecting is an active thing a rep has to do — and even the listening part of prospecting has to be active too.

4. Mind when the call goes off-script

There will be times when your conversation with a prospect takes an unexpected turn away from the general path of the script. You cannot always control the conversation. So, don’t think you can brush aside objections or interruptions, which you feel might disrupt the script. To the prospect, you are having a conversation. Forcing the discussion back to your spiel will reveal you are scripted. It also tells the prospect that this call was not about them and their story, but about YOU and your story. 

Sometimes it is better to improvise and go off the script to address the prospects’ concerns. You can always return to the script later if it makes sense, or jump to qualifying questions and cover other key qualifying points from the script.

5. Embrace the silences and don’t rush to fill them

The first and most obvious sign of nervousness is speaking fast. Sales managers always warn their teams against babbling for this reason. Your mile-a-minute ramble exposes your nervousness and uncertainty, which takes away credibility.

Does a simple “Hmm…” set your heart racing?

Relax! You’re not on a timer. When you ask a question, and the lead takes an extra few seconds to answer, it’s okay. Don’t panic and rush to close the conversation gaps. If they are taking time to respond, it means they are engaging with you and are taking you seriously.

Collect yourself and say to yourself, “It’s nothing to worry about. The prospect is most probably not following a script.”

6. Mind how you close the call

A small recap is in order. Nothing too elaborate, please.

Go ahead and say something like, “Okay, so we’re in agreement here. I’ll send the case study and whitepaper we have on the subject in an hour. If you have any questions, please send an email. I will call you back next Tuesday to talk more about [the product or service].” Be clear that everybody is on the same page.

By the time the call is ending, the prospect’s name by now should roll off your tongue. You read this earlier, but it bears repeating: “a person’s name is to him or her the sweetest sound in any language.”

“Thank you, [Name]” is timeless.

Cheers! This is all there is to conversing without sounding scripted. You have a framework worth following.

Are you ready to walk this talk?

Calling strangers can be intimidating, and scripts can be a lifesaver to many salespeople. It is comforting to know that you won’t miss any important point or fumble when explaining something. However, you also need to remember not to sound robotic or as if you are reading. The above tips can help to keep your scripts 100% authentic. It only takes a bit of familiarity with your script and active listening to make a memorable chat. Let the scripts be visible only to you.

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Everyone (we hope) knows that a sales email does not need to be an essay on the sender, the product, or the brand. Yet, emails from salespeople tend to be long and contain too many empty words. They fill the page but seldom do anything else. Just like how fast food fills your belly but rarely nourishes… 

Sales emails from salespeople tend to be long and contain too many empty words. They fill the page but seldom do anything else. #SalesTips #prospecting
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We have talked quite a bit about “shitty emails” and shared steps on how to build reliable email templates for various occasions. Yet, email exchanges remain a puzzle to many sales reps, probably because you do not see the recipient’s reaction immediately (if at all). Possibly, this inability to see the recipient’s reaction is why terrible emails have been allowed to continue for so long.

Keeping the sentences crisp is only one of the not-so-secret codes to effectively writing the email. However, it is a good start – the kind that does justice to the adage ‘well-begun is half done’.

What empty words do to your prospect

Empty words make prospects “skim and skip”

Not everyone you’re emailing knows the products and features that you talk about every single day. Remove technical jargon from your email copy and avoid detailed product descriptions in cold emails as these are the biggest causes of  “skim and skip.” Save the details for face-to-face meetings. 

Empty words make reading the email seem like a waste of time

Prospects don’t care who you are. Who you are doesn’t matter to them at all until what you are offering piques their interest and addresses their pain points.

Yeah, ouch!

And they are not going to wait until the 4th line of the 3rd paragraph to find out what’s in it for them either.

Empty words dilute the impact you seek

Then there is the deadweight of introductions like ‘I hope you’re well. My name is XXX and I am from…’ You don’t really hope so, and even the prospect knows it. Ditch the dead weight.

How to eliminate empty words from emails

Empty words form empty sentences. Every email needs direction and a promise to make the reader sit up and take notice. Here are some fail-safe ways to keep your emails an empty-word-free zone.

What can you learn from this email?

——-

Hello,

Warm Greetings!

My name is ABC and I am writing on behalf of XYZ company. We are interested in entering a partnership with your company. We offer great customer experience and work with the best of the best companies, who are looking for that extra support to achieve and exceed their goals. Your organization deserves excellence and we can promise you that. Are you ready for someone to help you create smart marketing strategies that gets you more followers?

We have a diverse clientele and can adapt to your organizational goals easily. Let us connect for a quick chat and we can walk you through our products and services.

Have a nice day.

Regards,

ABC

——-

Does this email appeal to you enough to look up this person on LinkedIn? What do you think the sender was trying to convey? They work with good companies. That’s good. They offer customer experience. Erm, what kind of customer experience? You have no clue.

There is no mention of what this potential partnership could mean for the recipient’s company. It is not clear whether the sender even understands the recipient’s customer base. This is an extremely empty and dead-weight email at best!

Hunt for empty words and remove them forcefully

This will be uncomfortable at first. Removing words from an email you took so long to draft in the first place feels wrong! However, we don’t want to make the reader zone out, and one unwanted phrase here or an extra word there is all it takes.

For instance, ‘a really amazing book’ and ‘an amazing book’ means the same. Why say ‘5 different prospects’ when ‘5 prospects’ work better? Scan your email for redundancies like ‘actually,’ ‘just’, ‘very,’ and so on. Aside from making the email look needlessly big, they make your email look less confident.

Use clichés carefully

Doing away with clichés is not practical. There is a reason certain terms and words have become clichés; they worked. Phrases like ‘one-stop-shop’ and ‘user-friendly,’ among others are overused for this reason. They can still triumph over the contempt caused by overuse if you use it only when necessary. It’s all about keeping your email strategies fresh and current.

Treat white space like silver space

‘White space is silver space’ is one of the guiding principles of print journalism. Printing is expensive, you see. When digital media took over, the cost of space ceased to be a concern. However, it made people forget another important aspect – the reader’s attention span.  

A VP of Marketing or a CEO receives hundreds of emails, and the average reading time is usually 13.4 seconds as per the Litmus Email Analytics. What do you want the prospect to focus on and retain in this precious 13.4 secs? In other words, get to the point as you have less ‘space’ than you know!

Take time to read your sales email aloud before you send

Sometimes, there could be a world of difference between what we intend to express and what we actually express. The email medium is so comfortable that you often press ‘Send’ before reviewing. It is not easy to visualize how your email appears to the reader and how he or she might interpret every word, their meaning, or lack thereof. So, before you send, read it aloud. The results may surprise you.

Are You Making the Most of Every Word in Your Sales Email Copywriting?

In pursuit of making every word count, we often associate brevity with authority and leadership. That doesn’t mean you should write with a curtness devoid of courtesy. You do not want your email to come across as bland, cold and impassive. Pack in some zeal while sticking to an economical wordcount. The key here is that you become more aware of your choice of words and phrases, and how the final email reads.

Writing more engaging sales emails isn’t hard and is a skill worth perfecting.

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One of the most common reasons for any sales email to fail would be irrelevant content. ‘We are so-and-so. We have done A, B and C. We can do this for you.’

Imagine opening the email that starts like this.

It’s like going on a date with a presumptuous person who only talks about him-or-herself. Emails along similar lines are as annoying, if not more so, which is exactly why your message has to be about the prospect. Make it about their challenges, and how the integration of your product with their process will yield them the desired results. It’s always about the prospect and what you can bring to their table! A one-size-fits-all approach does not work here. Despite knowing this, sales professionals continue to waste leads by sending cookie-cutter emails with little to no personalization.

Writing a sales email is tricky. A single word in the subject line can make or break the fate of that email. Get 5 #SalesEmails tricks for personalization. #SalesEngagement
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You say you hear your prospects, but are you making them feel heard?

Email recipients are no longer happy with a customary greeting. Even putting the first name instead of ‘to whom it may concern’ is losing its luster as a “personalization upgrade.” Prospects are seeking acknowledgment and understanding of challenges specific to them, and it takes more than adding their names at the top of emails. They want to be heard. They need to know you are there to listen.

Email personalization at this level for every prospect in the lead list may seem daunting. But how else would you stand out among the cutthroat competition?

Here is how.

1. Give your prospects a voice within cold emails and make it count

Any communication mode is a two-way street; emails too. Face it; prospects are sick of receiving blind pitches, tone-deaf to their challenges. It’s shocking how little research on the recipient and his or her company goes into the emails. Have you considered embedding a short poll on specific pain points or possible solutions in the email itself? It may not be a common practice, but it can certainly give the decision-makers you’re emailing a voice and ensure some engagement.

A poll within your cold sales emails may generate interest and get some prospect insight that can accelerate the next phase in the sales process. This is just one method.

2. Personalize your communications to show how well you know your leads

Remember the craze around customized Buzzfeed quizzes? Why were so many people addicted to them, and still are? The quiz results told stories about the reader.

“Oh my, this is so me,” they exclaimed. The rest, as they say, is history.

Every brand strives to be excellent storytellers – but tend to focus on their own story. They forget the central character is the prospect/customer.

Consider how Adidas launched its ‘Originals line’ last year through its #ORIGINALis campaign. They succeeded in making their target audience come forward with ‘original’ stories, redefining the meaning of originality. While establishing itself as a firm fashion icon, it also encouraged people to embrace their true selves. This campaign used storytelling to boost their engagement, and it worked.

A deep understanding of the customer persona is crucial for campaigns like these. You can apply the sales personalization strategy to your emails too.

3. Personalized Call To Action (CTA)

Reaching out to a prospect via email is only a foundation to your final goal: you want them to register on your site, request a demo, subscribe, share or buy your product or service. The call-to-action is the most significant aspect of your email. An email with a feeble one is only a touch better, and the one with the wrong CTA can ruin your brand image. Your CTA must hit the right note. By clicking, it should take the prospect to a blog or video or product demo that they need.

Setting a telephone appointment too can be a CTA but it needs to be specific. For instance, ‘Looking forward to hearing from you soon’ is as good as not putting any CTA. Instead, something like ‘Would you be available for a short call on [Date & Time] so we can discuss a bit more about [Product]’ might work. Even better, you may give them two or three options in the same week.

4. Use sales email templates as a foundation to personalize

Templates, indeed, are huge life-savers for salespeople who send tons of similar emails regularly. Having a few sales email templates ready for various prospect types (common inquiries and responses) can be handy. However, a template should only form the basic outline to save you time and effort to think up the lines, core message, and format every time. You would still need to edit and make it ‘meatier’ to make the email reflect your relationship with the prospect or customer. Nobody wants to read an obviously automated and soulless email.

In fact, you can even add a CTA in your email signature, complete with clickable social media icons at the end. It is subtle and offers enough scope for your email to stand out.   

5. Reward loyalty to build more

A few years ago, receiving ‘Happy birthday’ emails was a big deal. However, nothing holds a candle to a real acknowledgment of a customer’s loyalty.  It could be in the form of a special discounted package or even a free trial for a certain period. When a customer receives such an email, he or she immediately knows it’s not some bulk email. These types of emails are a privilege to receive; it is a reward. If you’ve included the right subject line with the offer, then your open rate should be great.

It’s easy to set this up using the existing customer data – keep a few original copies of congratulatory messages and awards handy. Even a loyalty certificate would do.

Start Increase Quality Engagements?

When writing sales emails, personalization makes emails remarkably relevant and recipient-oriented, adding value to the relationship-building process. Focus more on building a one-on-one feeling, just as you do in face-to-face meetings. You have the demographic data, know the prospect’s history of engaging with your brand, and possess enough insights to use them in real-time email automation. Why hesitate to use this information when it can increase quality engagements that can lead to increased revenue? These five tactics might solve most of your sales email woes.

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Why Do You Need Queue-Based Lead Management?

A sales engagement platform that features queue-based lead management prioritizes and routes the next best lead, based on criteria set by management, for the next available sales rep to call. If the call goes unanswered, the system re-routes the lead back to the queue based on the lead criteria and sales cadence specifications.

Traditional, list-based CRM solutions hinder performance by forcing salespeople to hunt for the next lead to call from a list of leads or tasks. This results in many salespeople “cherry-picking” leads they deem high-value and ignoring the rest of the leads which results in a large percentage of sales leads never being contacted. With a queue-based approach, sales managers can set up their queuing priorities based on geography, the amount of time the contact has been waiting in the queue, and specific pain points, among other factors. The lead is automatically presented to the sales rep thereby avoiding the requirement to choose which lead to contact from a list. This automation translates into increased productivity and deeper list penetration on an individual level, ensuring minimal to zero lead wastage.

Benefits of a Queue-based Sales Engagement Solution

Above we discussed some high-level benefits of using a sales engagement platform with queue-based functionality. Now let’s dig a little deeper into seven more benefits.

1. Focus Minus Distractions

With a list-based approach, there is always a tendency (i.e. sales pressure) to rush through calls to finish the given list. The size of the list can be overwhelming, and reps will likely not have enough information to pay 100% attention to the best leads. A queue-based tool, on the other hand, presents a rep with only one lead at a time. They do not have to waste time filtering the leads and determining whom to call and what actions to take. With the best lead automatically presented, they do not need to spend time chasing low-potential prospects.

2. Greater Persistence

Lead status, call results, and lead age are a few fields in the queue-based system used to determine the priority of a lead. Thi data indicates how many times and how often the team has contacted a lead and when is the next best time to call. 

Sales professionals using a list-based system tend to be a tad hesitant to contact leads repeatedly, especially after the 3rd attempt. In fact, studies have shown that 80% of leads are never followed up on by salespeople – so they give up after one attempt. However, a Telfer Study substantiates that the number of contact attempts to arrive at a decisive outcome now stands at an average of six calls. A queue-based lead management system forces sales reps to stay persistent, which in turn reduces lead decay. Despite someone’s personal misgivings, the system helps team members develop the practice of following the desired cadence and never missing a follow-up opportunity. 

3. Enables Proactive, Natural Followup

In this increasingly competitive marketplace, we cannot stress enough the importance of timely, proactive followup. Past studies have emphasized the need to follow up with inbound leads within 5 minutes of inquiry. However, the aforementioned Telfer Research, which is more recent and based on a substantially sample size, refutes this through various illustrations and data. The Telfer Study proves that the best time to make the first contact attempt is within ten-to-60 minutes after receiving a web lead. Incoming web leads or buyer intent signals can drive the queue to push those leads right to the top, where speed-to-lead dramatically increases the chances of success.

4. Eliminate Cherry-picking

Sales reps often ignore leads from marketing and tend to call leads based on personal bias or a perceived opportunity. This precedent(what we call cherry-picking) is not only mentally exhausting but may also result in neglecting some leads. A queue-based lead management solution can put a stop to that by queuing up leads objectively. 

Sales reps get the lead ‘closest to the money’ and can contact the leads in that order. 

They no longer have to rely on guesses or their ‘gut’ about what leads to work next. Based on the response to the call (voice mail, request for a callback, no answer), the lead assumes a position back in the queue and presents to the salesperson again as prescribed by the cadence. 

5. Precise Lead Targeting Possible

Granular lead scoring based on the title, lead age, geo-location, and lead source among other data points, ensures the leads you want to call make it to the top of the call list first. Even in case of a conflict (a fresh lead or a follow-up?), a queue-based lead routing system uses various metrics to assess opportunity size, industry priority, and timing or time of day to prioritize.

6. Better Management Control 

A queue-based sales engagement solution puts control of lead flow criteria squarely in the hands of sales management. As managers adjust and readjust intellective routing filters and other criteria, the sales team continues to work leads. They experience no disruption in their sales call activities. However, they are now working leads based on management’s refined variables.

7. Maximized Lead ROI 

Sales teams are swimming in data from purchased leads, inbound web inquiries, phone calls, social media followers, and more. For a salesperson, ROI is all about translating this data into actions that yield profits. Queue-based lead routing systems bring focus to the sales process by ensuring that your team calls the best leads at the right time per your standard cadence. Queue-based solutions also provide more and better conversation opportunities that can create a more significant pipeline from the same number of leads.

Selling isn’t easy and sales management is one of the toughest jobs out there. However, a fine-tuned sales process powered by a queue-based sales engagement platform can make a sales manager’s job much easier. It can also make a sales team much more successful and productive. Queue-based selling has proven to be ground-breaking for many a sales team. The above benefits not only improve the productivity of every team member but can also ensure a smooth workflow for the entire team. 

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An introvert might be the last person you would expect to find in a sales career, let alone finding one who is having success. We tend to believe all extroverts are the ‘life-and-soul-of-the-party’ and hence make great candidates for most sales positions. However, introversion and extroversion have more to do with how people draw their energies rather than personality differences (or clashes). The sales profession has room for both personality types to succeed in sales. Rather than focusing on the differences, we should focus on how people from two sides of the spectrum can co-exist and learn from each other.

Introverts and Extroverts: The sales profession has room for both personality types to succeed in sales and they can learn from one another. #SalesTips #introverts #Extroverts
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What Can Introverts Learn from Extroverts?

Embrace Social Settings and Small Talk

Introverts aren’t as invigorated by social settings as extroverts. If you’re an introvert working in sales, try inching out of your comfort zone. Start with acknowledging people with a ‘hey’ and a smile. For introverts on the shyer side or those who find social interactions draining, this is a simple yet effective way to build social stamina. In sales, there will always be a tradeshow or networking event to attend. So, introverts can learn how to better engage in small talk by shadowing extroverts and understanding what works best.

Take Charge and Guide the Conversation

Not all introverts working in sales lack confidence, but they may find back-to-back interactions draining. If you need breaks and time away from the crowd and noise, take them. You also do not always have to take charge immediately on a sales call. However, some potential customers may need you to guide them and take charge of the situation sooner than later. So, rather than thinking it through and coming back to them later, learn from extroverts and take ownership of the conversation early on if the situation calls for it. They may be looking for your expertise and advice, so don’t be shy.

Ask for Help

Introverts can sometimes attempt to take on everything and try to do it all themselves. It is one thing to have a packed calendar; it’s another thing to be overextended. Learn to ask others’ opinions and brainstorm with others to talk through ideas and situations that arise. If you’ve got a lot on your plate, lean on your teammates, and delegate tasks to them to help. It not only keeps you productive but also helps you gain more practice in dealing with people.

Grow A Thicker Skin

Don’t let a cold call with a rude prospect ruin your day or week. Easier said than done, right? While we are on the subject, introverts are sometimes more sensitive to rudeness and rejection compared to extroverts. Maybe it is because they ponder and self-analyze more, while extroverts probably vent and move on to the next prospect.

It may help to remember that you will probably never come across that rude prospect in real life. Brooding doesn’t add much value to your growth anyway. I hate to say this, but with time, you will develop a thick skin and learn to weed out such unpleasant aspects of your job.

What Can Extroverts Learn from Introverts Working in Sales?

Listen More than Talk

Most extroverts thrive in social situations and enjoy the art of conversation; this can sometimes lead to more talking than listening on sales calls. Introverts working in sales are more focused on listening to what the prospects’ needs are, so they can determine if their solution is a good fit and will resolve a prospect’s problems. Follow the introvert’s lead and work on those listening skills.

Remember, you have only limited time to engage the prospect. If you can listen (like an introvert) rather than talk – let’s keep it a rough 70:30 listening-to-talking ratio – you have won more than half the battle already. The more you learn about the prospect’s pain points, the easier it will be for you to present your product as the superior solution.

Take Time-outs for Reflection

Introverts are good about embracing downtime to reflect and think through things. Their efforts are often rewarded with productive conversations and great insights about the prospect. Extroverts can learn from this approach and take time to refocus on the quality of conversation rather than jumping from phone call to phone call. Taking some time to reflect is important for self-care as well as for honing critical thinking (vital in sales). It helps you anticipate possible objections and how to craft responses better.

Having A Rough Script Ready

Extroverts rely on their spontaneity and wit to move a conversation forward, whether on the phone or when networking. Adlibbing with a dash of humor does make an impression. However, there are times when you may not have that kind of time or when you must cover a few points within the given time. Here, the classic introvert approach can help you – having a rough script. Introverts usually keep such talking points ready for various situations, both personal and professional, as they engage one-on-one or network.

Seek To Go Deeper In Conversations

Extroverts are good at small talk but not always the best at going deep with conversations. Introverts are good at digging in and seeking out the more meaningful aspects of conversations to form deeper connections.

Nothing pleases a prospect more than individual consideration and attention. According to an Oracle study, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for excellent customer experience. Another study from Accenture reported that 58% of consumers were willing to re-allocate at least half or more of their spending to a brand that excels at personalizing experiences without compromising trust. There is no reason why your prospects should be any different.

So, how about building a team culture that encourages team members to learn new skills and tactics from each other? Ultimately, you need a sales process and system that incorporates all your team members’ unique gifts and helps them hone skills where they may be lacking. When you coach your sales reps and help them achieve sales success, your company can see improvements in sales performance.

Want to hear from a highly successful introvert? Listen to this podcast conversation between self-described introvert Darryl Praill, hailed as one of 2019’s Top 50 Keynote Speakers by Top Sales World, and Mike Kunkle, a celebrated Sales Trainer on ‘How To Succeed Despite Yourself.’ It’s animated and unfiltered, laced with brutal honesty rarely found in the sales world.

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A Script Should Be an #InsideSales Tool – Not a Salesperson’s Crutch
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Inside Sales Scripts: 3 Tips for Using Them Effectively

Take a look at the inside sales script your team uses. Does it contain a laundry list of “things to tell” or is it full of qualifying questions that help reps sell? Sales call scripts that help reps uncover pain points during discovery calls and determine if a prospect is a good fit are pure gold.

However, a terrific script alone isn’t enough. You’ve got to ensure your team understands how to use cold call scripts effectively. Great scripts should empower your inside sales professionals to be good listeners, not just good readers. When used effectively inside sales scripts help salespeople build rapport with decision-makers and bring consistency to the sales process.

Here are three areas to keep in mind when creating scripts and training reps using them. 

Inside Sales Scripts Should Focus on the Prospect, Not the Product

The most important thing to remember when developing inside sales scripts is this; you have to address “what’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) from the prospect’s perspective. 

Nobody enjoys the aggressive blowhard at a party who brags too long and too loudly about him or herself. That person likely ends up in the corner alone – or worse, chasing down people all evening who don’t want to be bothered. Don’t allow your script to make your reps sound like the inside sales equivalents of that idiot. Instead, your script should help reps focus on what is most important to the people whom they’re calling. 

Remember this saying: selling isn’t telling as you read through your script. If you are telling prospect more things than you’re asking them about, you should carefully consider making some changes.

Inside Sales Script Should Prompt Reps to Listen More Than They Talk

Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, has a great blog post about a magic button on your phone that can help you become a better salesperson. Any guesses what that button is? 

It’s the mute button. Why is it so magical? Because it can stop you from accidentally talking yourself out of a sale. It forces you to be quiet and listen.

A great sales script has questions that help you uncover information about your prospect and his or her needs. What good are those questions, though, if you don’t pause to let your contact fully answer? 

Mike points out that by using the mute button after posing a question, you give the prospect time to elaborate before you jump back in with your next question or answer.

Here are three scenarios where he recommends using the magic mute button:

1. When asking about the prospect’s current vendor. Press mute after you ask about their current vendor to allow them time to elaborate.
2. After providing pricing information and a related follow-up question (ex: “how does that fit in your budget?”). Press mute to give the contact time to answer and provide feedback. This action lets you know how that answer landed with the prospect.
3. After asking a prospect to elaborate when they’ve give you an objection (ask them to clarify, for other questions, etc., then hit mute). Press mute after asking for clarification to let contact more fully explain the objection.

When you force yourself to listen instead of trying to fill dead air while your prospect formulates a response, you can uncover more details that makes your job of selling a lot easier.

The Best Inside Sales Scripts Guide Conversations – Not Force Them

Finally, the purpose of a sales script isn’t merely to provide a set of words that every rep must say on a sales call. A script isn’t a magic incantation that secures a sale when said correctly. No, a script is a powerful tool that helps a well-trained sales rep masterfully guide an interested prospect to purchase. 

A great script should help your inside sales team listen by incorporating the right questions. It should help reps consult and advise by providing answers to potential product or service questions, as well as objections your prospects may have.

Managers should spend time during sales training programs with new hires to role-play while using sales scripts. Additionally, sales managers should take time to perform quality assurance checks by listening in on sales rep calls – how well are they performing with the script? 

• Do they give prospects a chance to respond to questions? 
• Are they listening before they respond to prospects’ questions? 
• Are they just reading? 

Figure out if it’s time to do a refresher with reps on using scripts as a sales tool and not a sales crutch. Remember to reinforce this idea with them: reading aloud is for bedtime stories. You don’t want to put your prospects to sleep. You want them to take action.

Put the 3 Sales Script Tips to Work

As we’ve uncovered, getting the most out of a script relies on several things. First, you have to get the message right. Second, you need to learn how to listen and ask follow-up questions that generate feedback. Third, you must train salespeople on how to effectively use a script to make more sales. 

While tip one requires a talented scriptwriter, points two and three are enhanced by both training and technology. 

Start a free trial of VanillaSoft today to discover how logical branch scripting and record and monitor features can help you elevate your use of scripts with your inside sales team.

The post 3 Tips for Using Inside Sales Scripts Effectively appeared first on VanillaSoft.

How can you make more insurance sales over the phone? Listen and engage your prospects without using too much jargon. Be prepared with a script and a closing statement. Make sure you have everything you need for the call in front of you before you pick up the phone. And remember, don’t give up.

Selling insurance over the phone can be hard work and requires perseverance to continue after getting a not so desirable response. You will not be able to close a deal on every call. Some prospects will take a little more work to turn into buyers. However, with a little know-how and the assistance of modern technology, you can bump up your sales numbers.

7 Tips to Closing the Deal when Selling Insurance Over the Phone

1. Listen carefully and engage them. Every time you call a prospect or current client listen carefully for new opportunities. Ask questions about their hobbies (do they need motorcycle insurance or boat insurance?), if they have any children (would it be beneficial to mention life insurance?), do they have investment properties (do they need liability coverage?). By giving them time to talk and asking open-ended questions, ‘you’ll have the opportunity to address their concerns. It will also help in engaging them instead of pitching them for the entirety of the call. You also want to pay attention to clues about what will affect their purchase decisions. Not all prospects are looking for the lowest price. Some are more concerned with ratings or current technology options. Consider taking notes during the conversation as you likely ‘won’t remember everything.
2. Avoid jargon and slang. It’s a turnoff to be speaking with a salesperson who is talking in another language. Save the industry-specific jargon to conversations with your colleagues and speak in terms buyers can understand. Use professional language and avoid slang when calling a possible client. If it were an in-person meeting, you would be in business casual attire at the minimum, present yourself with the same decorum over the phone to boost your credibility. People want to buy from intelligent and confident individuals.
3. Be prepared for the call. Practice your pitch, understand where you stand against competitors, read everything you can get your hands on about sales, and ask more experienced insurance salespeople for advice. Check out this blog post for more tips on improving your inside sales pitch effectiveness.
4. Don’t give up. You may be able to sell some insurance policies in one call, but be prepared for a second or third call. Your prospect may want to do some research to compare your rates, they may need to consult with their spouse, or they may not trust you after one call. ‘Don’t take it personally, but be persistent. If you get a hard “no” ask if you can call again at their next renewal date.
5. Being organized is key. Have everything you need to make the sale available at your fingertips. ‘It’s a good idea to open any relevant files you might need before dialing, so ‘you’re not fumbling around searching for documents during the call. Underwriting guidelines are an important one ‘you’ll want to have easily accessible.
6. Script your pitch. Have a written sales script of what you need to say to your prospects. You can change the script around to match the tone of your contact once ‘you’re on the phone, but know your pitch so you can add inflections into your voice and not sound like a monotone recording.
7. Create a backup closing statement. Is your prospect still on the fence? Have a “backup” closing statement handy. Tie this back to tip number four, and ask if it’s okay to call again at their next renewal time or even if you can send them a comparison of quotes. Sometimes having a visual instead of just hearing the numbers gives the buyer a chance to understand the value of your services.

Technology for Selling Insurance Over the Phone

Gone are the days of spreadsheets with multiple tabs and columns to track your insurance leads. Modern technology provides many tools that can assist in the sales process to make insurance ‘professionals’ lives easier. ‘Let’s review a few of the tools every insurance salesperson should be taking advantage of.

1. VoIP – Allows you to have everything in one place. Calls can be made from a click of your mouse, making sales representatives more productive.
2. Sales Engagement Software – the VanillaSoft sales engagement platform uses queue-based routing to reduce manual tasks and ensure your sales reps will call the right lead at the right time, every time. Combined with VanillaSoft’s email/text marketing and sales lead tracking, you’ll ensure that your team is handling every lead with maximum efficiency.
3. Website – I know this one sounds basic, but a site with content can be a significant lead generator. Content should be available for each stage of the ‘buyer’s journey to have a higher chance of capturing leads.
4. Quoting Software – A program that compares quotes across several carriers is needed to provide the best option for your prospects.
5. Multiple Computer Screens – With more than one screen ‘you’ll have easier access to any programs or files you may need without too much clicking around.

Dealing with Objections

When selling insurance over the phone, ‘you’re likely to hear a few objections repeated by different prospects. Do you know how to counter these concerns and turn a no into a yes? Here are a couple of common objections and considerations you should make when crafting your rebuttals.

“I’m happy with my current provider,” or “Why should I change what I have?”

Ask them when the last time was that they shopped around. Changing markets and demographics of the insured can influence rates and should regularly be reviewed. Many insurance pros will do the work for the initial sale and ‘won’t follow up in the future to see if any changes have occurred that could affect the premium. Use this as your foot in the door. Provide your quotes and let the prospect make the best decision for them.

Using the phone to sell insurance requires intelligence, confidence, professionalism, and a handful of supporting tools. Set your insurance salespeople up for success with a product like VanillaSoft that combines lead management and telemarketing applications with basic CRM.

What advice can you provide for new salespeople selling insurance over the phone? Let us know in the comments below.

The post How to Sell Insurance Over the Phone appeared first on VanillaSoft.

Did you miss the #InsideInsideSales podcast episodes from August? We had @thealisonedgar, @iannarino, and @MindsetForSales on the show. Catch the recap! #podcast #SalesTips
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Ep 38: The Benefits of Using a Customer Service Mentality

“Sales and customer service is the same thing.” That was Alison Edgar‘s bold leading statement during Episode 38. Do you agree? I figured many of you wouldn’t, so I prodded a bit to find out why she felt this way.

She says that when you believe in what you’re selling, and you know it can reduce the pain for your prospects, you’re not really selling. You’re providing a great customer experience.

We talked about what a customer service approach to selling looks like and how William Moulton Marston’s DISC behavior model has a role in the way you engage with people. Allison says to “treat people how they want to be treated – not how you want to be treated.” She talked about how salespeople need to “lead the dance,” while acknowledging if you’re working with an introvert or an extrovert.

She also argued that asking a lot of questions like a nosey three-year-old is a good thing. Think like a child by asking a lot of open-ended questions.

Tune in to the podcast episode to find what tools she recommends using to connect with your buyers in a customer-centric way.

Ep 39: 9 Ways for Salespeople to Find Fast Success

On Episode 39, Anthony Iannarino and I discuss how new salespeople can find success. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Anthony is an international speaker, best selling author, sales leader, entrepreneur, and podcaster. His eleven-year-old blog is killer, and you definitely want to sign up for his weekly newsletter.

During our conversation, we dissected one of his recent blog posts, and he shared nine tips that any new salesperson can apply to achieve success quickly. Here are the first four steps. You’ll have to listen to the podcast or read the transcript to hear more and learn what he had to say about the other five steps.

1. “Develop the right mindset,” including being disciplined, optimistic, caring, resourceful, and competitive. Anthony says, “Who you are matters more than what you do.”
2. “Acquire the skill sets” to sell effectively — for example, prospecting, storytelling, negotiating, and closing.
3. “Become a subject matter expert” at what you do. You should be able to have a first or second level conversation about what you sell, but it’s not necessary to know every technical detail.
4. “Become world-class at prospecting.” Anthony notes that the more time you spend prospecting, the quicker you will succeed.

Part of being successful as a sales development representative (SDR) or any other sales professional is “you have to lead even if you aren’t a leader.” Guide the people at your company and your client’s team to take actions that enable your client to get the most out of the product or service they purchased.

If you’re new to sales or in need of a quick pep talk, don’t miss this episode. Anthony’s advice will help you to become a world-class sales expert in 32 minutes.

Ep 40: Home of the WOPPA

Steve Knapp, Founder of The Sales Mindset Coach, joined me for Episode 40 to discuss the WOPPA. No, not the hamburger. Steve’s “WOPPA” is a five-step approach to a salesperson’s pre-call planning.

He mentioned that not much is controllable, but you can take the time to plan properly. Most salespeople do their pre-call planning in their mind, and if a curveball comes into play, it throws them off from their original plan. Questions are forgotten, and although they may come to an outcome, it’s probably not the one they were aiming towards.

By writing down your plan, Steve says it allows you to reconnect and verify “you’re delivering on the value you’re trying to create.” Here’s a look at Steve’s WOPPA recipe for your pre-call plan:

Why – Identify why you are having a conversation. Is it to schedule a meeting, sell a product, follow up, etc.?

Objective – What do you want to achieve during the call? Be specific and note any measurable outcomes.

Premise – What do you know about the prospect as it’s relevant to your objective?

Plan – How do you plan to reach your objective? What’s your game plan?

Anticipate – Think through any “what ifs” and figure out how you’ll respond.

Steve says that when you have a plan, the “granular level of thinking is sometimes the piece that gives you the confidence and the correction if the client is taking you down another route.” Don’t try to wing it. Think it through and write it down.

Tune in to August’s Episodes to Advance Your Sales Career

August has been a hot month, even here in Canada. Heat up your sales career with the tips shared in the three INSIDE Inside Sales episodes reviewed above. Do you have an idea for a future podcast episode? Reach out to me with your suggestions via Twitter or LinkedIn. You can also leave a comment below!

The post INSIDE Inside Sales Podcast Recap for August 2019 appeared first on VanillaSoft.

I hope you’re having a great day! My name is Scott Amerson, and I am VP of Sales for VanillaSoft. In this post, I would love to share with you 6 ways to write the best sales emails. Do you have a few minutes?

Let’s face it – if I sent that email to you, you would have deleted it by now, right? Such a snooze fest. This is not the beginning of a winning email. In fact, it sounds a lot like the beginning of a thousand other generic emails I’ve received. Instead of copying the same old shtick that every other salesperson uses, try these tips instead when writing a sales email.

6 Tips for Writing the Best Sales Emails

1. Cut the disingenuous niceties in the body copy

Whether we are the customer or the seller – emails that start with “I hope you’re doing well” or similar sentiments aren’t all that sincere. You probably didn’t spend time thinking, “What’s going on with John Doe today? I hope he’s really giving ‘em hell and making a difference! If not, just wait until he sees my well-wishes!” Now, I’m not saying you aren’t a nice person. In a general sense, we all likely do hope the recipients of our emails are having great days and doing well. We aren’t monsters! However, we have a job to do, and that job is the primary reason for our outreach. You know that. I know that. The prospect knows that.

2. Personalize your outreach

While people may not care how concerned you are about the type of day they are having, they do like it when you know their names and concerns. Effective sales emails include personalization.

When you write your email, consider using the prospect’s first name in the subject line. According to Campaign Monitor, personalized email subject lines have a better email open rate; they are 26% more likely to be opened than emails without subject line personalization. Reference the person’s potential pain points and how you can help. A general template email can be a great tool so that you don’t have to start from scratch. Just remember that it’s a tool — not the finished product that you share with your customer.

3. Get to the point

You cut the warm and fuzzy fluff mentioned above. Now what? Easy — get to the point.

People are drowning in email. According to the report, Email Statistics Report, 2019 – 2023, from The Radacati Group, Inc., around 293 billion emails are projected to be sent and received PER DAY in 2019. PER DAY! That number is expected to reach 347 billion by the end of 2023.

While your specific prospects didn’t get all of those billions of emails personally, you can bet they each received way too many for a single day’s thorough read. Don’t make your potential customers work hard to figure out why you emailed them.

When you send an email, write a clear and meaningful subject line. If you met at a conference, reference the conference. If the contact requested information about a product, refer to the question. Make it easy for the person to think, “Yep, this is an email I want to read.”

Write a clear and meaningful subject line on your sales emails. Make it easy for the prospect to think, “Yep, this is an email I want to read.” #prospecting #SalesTips
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Once they open the email, thanks to your well-written subject line, get to the point. There is a lot of work and a ton more emails this person has to deal with today. Be concise — it will let your prospects know you respect their time.

4. Avoid sounding like the stereotypical salesperson

The stereotypical salesperson wants to immediately begin talking about himself or his company instead of the prospect. Re-read the silly example that opens this blog post — “My name is Scott Amerson, and I am VP of Sales for VanillaSoft.” Most prospects will think, “big whoop.”

Another issue is that a new or less-than-stellar salesperson may simply not understand how unimpressive her generic or unresearched statements and questions are. “Do you need widgets?” “I was reading your website . . . .” BORING and lazy.

“What’s in it for me” (WIIFM) should apply to the potential customer, not you as the salesperson. The above examples demonstrate that the sales rep only cares about WIIFM from his or her perspective.

WIIFM that your contacts will care about include:

• mentions or congratulatory notes about recent company news or events
• comments or insights related to a recent blog post or social post the prospect shared
• a mutual connection’s introduction or recommendation of your service or product to the prospect
• information on how you can help resolve a known or potential problem
• details about how you can help the person become a hero by helping the prospect solve a company problem

5. Be clear about the call to action

It’s so tempting to stuff as many options into an email as possible, isn’t it? “Suzy may not want to set up a demo, so I need to also give her a link to the video. Maybe I’ll include information about our free trial, too, as well as our latest blog post.”

Well, you certainly covered your bases with all the possibilities of what Suzy may want to read, do, or see. However, Suzy is sitting there thinking, “what is it that this joker actually wants me to do?”

Do you want Suzy to request a demo? Then that’s your call to action. Follow up later with a different option if she doesn’t respond to your offer for a demo.

6. Use a well-crafted email signature

Your email signature doesn’t need billboard-sized graphics, and you don’t need to go off the rails with your various contact options. Next of kin information is not required. Here is what you should include:

• Name
• Title
• Company
• Phone number
• Links to your most active social profiles

You may also consider adding a link to an upcoming event, offer, or recent blog post, but be judicious. Remember — you don’t want competing calls to action. If your link relates to your call to action and reinforces the action you want the person to take, include it.

What Are Your Sales Email Pet Peeves?

The six tips above are just a few areas that can help you write your best sales emails. There are other, more obvious tips — such as using spell check before sending, remembering to actually attach the document you referenced in your email. What do you find most annoying in a sales email? What makes up a perfect sales email in your opinion?

Watch Our On-Demand Webinar to Improve Your Sales Emails

Often to do things right, you need to have a very clear understanding of doing things wrong. View our on-demand webinar, Shitty Sales Emails, to ensure you and your sales team aren’t making costly mistakes with emails in your sales process.

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Phonathon managers must examine – and recreate – their scripts, email templates, and other communication content on a regular basis. #fundraising
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The conclusion of each campaign represents a crucial opportunity to draw breath, re-assess, and consider how the next campaign could be rendered even more successful than the last. So, let’s consider three ways that phonathon managers can make impactful changes to their phonathons.

1. Add Personalization

It is becoming increasingly important to personalise your phone campaign approach to the prospect or donor in question whilst also finding new ways to bring additional value to your alumni over the phone. Ensuring your alumni feel like this call is about them and for them is crucial when it comes to improving your overall donor experience. Creating tailored scripts for your donor segments or constituent groups goes a long way to making sure the prospect has a more personal, positive interaction.

Adding more conversation into scripts does two things: 1) it helps eliminate the sense that the alumni are only being called for money, and 2) enables your callers to collect more information about your donor base. By asking more questions and collecting more data from your pool of contacts, you can define more accurate personas for focused campaigns in the future. For example, a follow-up email campaign about current research into biotech or environmental programs could generate greater success when targeting alumni with a specific interest in the environment. In this regard, refreshing your scripts and other associated campaign materials offers a quick and easy way to breathe new life into an otherwise tired phone campaign.

2. Review Your Tools

At the heart of your phonathon are your callers. What tools are they using to manage call lists, understand their prospects, and record valuable information about them? How easy are these tools for them to use?

The right contact management and calling software tool is the foundation upon which successful phone campaigns can be built, modified, and executed. An effective calling solution should provide all the information your callers need in one interface, such as contact details, scripts, follow-up email templates, and gift processing.

It should also be easy for your callers to be trained on and ultimately use. Since many callers are new each campaign, they are likely learning the systems and processes for the first time. The time lost training new staff, the time lost by your callers as they try to remember processes, and time lost correcting preventable errors pose a significant setback to the success of many campaigns.

Probably the most important feature of any prospect management or engagement software is automation. Your calling software should be able to consistently route the best available prospects to your callers, automate the sending of emails and stewardship pieces, and manage the scheduling of follow-up calls.

The ideal phonathon tool will also help you to drive up contact rates, ensure consistent application of your outreach best practices, and support dynamic and light-hearted conversations with your alumni.  It should also save campaign managers as much time as possible, allowing them to invest this time in strategic and creative thought that optimizes the overall phonathon approach.

3. Collaborate with Colleagues

Drawing inspiration and insight from your peers can help you return to work rejuvenated and full of creative new ideas and strategies to apply in the year ahead. CASE conferences and other comparable events allow phonathon managers to seek advice and insight from their peers at other institutions. It also helps keep them on top of the latest trends and expert advice in marketing communications, fundraising, and other related topics.

Phonathon managers must not allow themselves to become complacent or to fall into the pattern of recycling tired phonathon materials. Instead, every campaign, shift and call, should represent an opportunity to hone and refine your phonathon approach so as to maximise engagement and participation over time.

We would love to hear your thoughts on how you keep your phonathons fresh and successful! VanillaSoft will be sponsoring the Fundraising Track at the CASE Europe Annual Conference August 27-29.

Please stop by our booth or attend the sessions hosted by our tele-fundraising expert, Rachel Spencer:

• My Phonathon Journey (And Lessons Learned Along the Way!)
  Wednesday, August 28 from 10:15-11:00 in the Storytelling Corner
• Transforming Your Telephone Campaign ROI
  Thursday, August 29^th from 15:15 – 16:00 in the Session Showcase

And, if you would like to book some one-on-one time with Rachel at the conference, please click here to access her event calendar.

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