Downloaded 1,143 times
Uploaded bySalesScripter
How to Build a Cold Call Script that Works
The document outlines strategies for creating an effective cold call script, emphasizing the importance of understanding the prospect's mindset and maintaining a conversational tone. It presents a structured approach to calls, focusing on minimizing jargon, asking questions, and balancing conversation time between the caller and the prospect. Key tactics include confirming availability, soft disqualification statements, and preparing for objections to build rapport and engagement.
More Related Content
Similar to How to Build a Cold Call Script that Works
More from SalesScripter
How to Build a Cold Call Script that Works
- 1. How to Builda Cold Call Script that Works Michael Halper Founder and CEO SalesScripter
- 2. Core Concepts Understand theProspect • Extremely busy • Gets a lot of sales calls • Likely not in buying mode • Guard will be at a medium level
- 3. Core Concepts Don’t SoundLike a Sales Person • Sounding like a sales person will increase guardedness • More important early in a call • Minimize product jargon • Try to use real, conversational language
- 4. Core Concepts Focus onthe Right Goal • Goal is not to sell the product • Goal is to establish or schedule a first conversation *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 5: Mapping Out Your Ideal Sales Process Initial Contact (First time to speak) Cold Call Inbound Call Email Event 2 to 5 minutes 80% on prospect 20% on you First Conversation (Appointment/Meeting) Phone Call Face-to-Face Discovery 20 to 30 minutes 50% on prospect 50% on you First Meeting (Presentation) Discovery Presentation Demonstration 1 to 2 hours 20% on prospect 80% on you
- 5. Core Concepts 80 /20 Rule • 80% of conversation should be on the prospect, 20% on you • Enables you to seems less sales-ish and helps you to extract valuable information • Use questions to get conversation focused on the prospect • Share enough about you to get to a first call *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 5: Mapping Out Your Ideal Sales Process Initial Contact (First time to speak) Cold Call Inbound Call Email Event 2 to 5 minutes 80% on prospect 20% on you First Conversation (Appointment/Meeting) Phone Call Face-to-Face Discovery 20 to 30 minutes 50% on prospect 50% on you First Meeting (Presentation) Discovery Presentation Demonstration 1 to 2 hours 20% on prospect 80% on you
- 6. Core Concepts Minimize TraditionalRapport Building Tactics • “How are you doing?” on first time speaking • Minimize personal discussion • You have not earned this opportunity yet • This can start as early as the second time speaking with someone *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 8: How to Build Rapport (YouTube)
- 7. Core Concepts Confirm Availability •Determine if normal busy or crazy busy • “Have I caught you in the middle of anything?” • Pattern Interrupt • Build rapport
- 8. Core Concepts Soft DisqualifyStatement “I am not sure if we are a good fit for you.” “I am not sure if you all need what we provide.” “I am not sure you are the right person to speak with.” • Decreases guardedness and builds rapport and curiosity *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 11: How to Perform the Perfect Takeaway (YouTube)
- 9. Core Concepts Name Dropping •Internal contacts – “I spoke with Tom White in accounting and now I am trying to reach someone in HR.” – “I am planning on meeting with Tom White in accounting and before I do that, I would like to talk with someone in HR.” • External clients – “We work with LumberLift and helped them to decrease inventory costs.” *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 7: How to Get Around the Gatekeeper (YouTube)
- 10. Core Concepts Prepare forObjections • A good script will include objection responses • There are only 10 objections that you will consistently face • Create an objections map that lists anticipated objections with responses *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 6: How to Deal With Prospect Objections (YouTube)
- 11. Call Script Formats TraditionalCall Scripts • Long list of paragraphs, statements, and questions • Hard to digest and use • Intimidating • Makes you sound scripted • Not flexible • Positions you to do most of the talking
- 12. Call Script Formats ColdCall Blueprint • Compartmentalizes a prospecting call • Provides a flexible, yet structured approach • Compartments can be filled with different content for different scenarios • Order of compartments can vary from call to call • Sections to use – Objective – Introduction – Attention Grabbing Statement – Disqualify Statement – Pre-Qualifying Questions – Common Pain Examples – Building Interest Points – Close Attempt
- 13. Call Blueprint Gatekeeper Introduction “Hello,I am trying to connect with the person that oversees sales. Can you point me in the right direction?” • Be direct • Don’t say your name or who you are with if not asked Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 7: How to Get Around the Gatekeeper (YouTube)
- 14. Call Blueprint Target ProspectIntroduction “Hello Mary, this is Michael Halper, from SalesScripter. Have I caught you in the middle of anything?” • We include a question to determine level of busyness in every target prospect introduction – Determines if normal busy or crazy busy – Catches them off guard – Shows respect and builds rapport Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement
- 15. Call Blueprint Value Statement “Purposefor my call is that we help sales managers to make it easy for their sales resources to always know what to say and ask.” Pain Examples “Purpose for my call is that we help sales managers and they are often having challenges getting their sales reps ramped up and always saying the right stuff.” Name Drop “Purpose for my call is that we worked with StrikeTech and help them to increase quota attainment by 40% for the sales reps.” Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 1: How to Build Your Value Prop (YouTube)
- 16. Call Blueprint Disqualify Statement “Iactually do not know if you need what we provide so I had just a couple of questions.” “I am not sure we can help you in the same way.” “I am not sure you are the right person to speak with or not.” Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 11: How to Perform the Perfect Takeaway (YouTube)
- 17. Call Blueprint Qualifying Questions 1.Do you feel like it is challenging to get new sales hires ramped up and performing? 2. Are your resources using any type of script or sales tools that help them with what to say and ask? How do you feel that those are working to help get your team to perform at a high level? 3. Are you concerned about the amount of under- performing sales resources that you regularly have? • A couple of questions that help to determine the level of fit – Identifies whether it makes sense to keep talking – Decreases the prospect’s guard – Makes the call more conversational Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 4: How to Effectively Qualify a Prospect (YouTube)
- 18. Call Blueprint Common PainPoints “Oh I see. Well a lot of sales managers that I work with are concerned about: • it takes a long time and is difficult to get new sales resources trained and ramped up • if the sales resources are saying the right stuff when talking with prospects • always have too many under-performing sales resources • not real sure how to get all sales resources trained and saying the right pitch when prospecting” Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 2: How to use Prospect Pain to Generate Leads (YouTube)
- 19. Call Blueprint Building Interest •Product details • ROI • Name drip • Differentiation • Threats of doing nothing Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 8: How to Build Interest (YouTube)
- 20. Call Blueprint Close “But Ihave actually called you out of the blue so I do not want to take any more of your time right now. Trial Close: • What do you think about what we have discussed so far? • Is this something that you are interested in discussing in more detail? Soft Close: • A great next step would be for us to schedule a/an brief 15 to 20 minute meeting where we can discuss your goals and challenges and share any value and insight that we have to offer. • Is that something that you would like to put on the calendar? Hard Close: • How does your calendar look next Tuesday or Thursday morning for us to schedule a/an brief 15 to 20 minute meeting where we can discuss your goals and challenges and share any value and insight that we have to offer. Gatekeeper Introduction Target Prospect Introduction Attention Grabbing Statement Qualifying Questions Common Pain Examples Building Interest Points Close Disqualify Statement
- 21. What You Needto Do • Identify you value / value statement • Identify the pain points that you resolve • Build some building interest point • Optional: Develop a name drop example *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 1: How to Build Your Value Prop (YouTube) *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 8: How to Build Interest (YouTube) *See Sales Prospecting 101 – Module 2: How to use Prospect Pain to Generate Leads (YouTube)
- 22. SalesScripter www.salesscripter.com What do yousell? ___________ How does it help? ___________ What problems do you fix? ___________ What questions should you ask? ___________ 1. Asks all the key questions 2. Maps answers to document library
- 23. If You WantMore Help • Books / Ebooks – The Cold Calling Equation – Problem Solved – Do’s and Don’ts of Cold Calling – How to Get around Cold Call Objections – How to Build a Value Proposition that Generates Leads – How to Build Sales Campaigns that Sell – How to Build Email Drip Campaigns that Convert Sales • Videos – Dozens of how to videos and slide decks • 10 week web-based training program • One-on-one sales coaching and consulting • SalesScripter – www.salesscripter.com – Walk-through services available
- 24. Contact Us Michael Halper Founderand CEO SalesScripter mhalper@salesscripter.com @salesscripter
Editor's Notes
- #10 When a gatekeeper answers your call, he or she is instantly trying to screen you out and determine if you are a friend or a foe. A friend would be someone who is already connected with the company in someway like a current vendor or business partner and a foe would be someone who is an outsider trying to get in, like one of those cold callers that is calling to try to get in and sell something. What we want to do is try to get the gatekeeper to see us as a friend so they will less likely to screen us out and one very easy way to do that is to use a tactic of name dropping. For example, we can say something like, I spoke with Tom White in accounting and now I am trying to reach someone in HR. This presents the image that we are already engaged and not a complete outsider and this minor tweak can often be the difference in the gatekeeper letting you in. And if we have not met with Tom White in accounting, we could still name drop his name by saying something like, I am planning on meeting with Tom White in accounting and before I do that, I would like with someone in HR.” Nothing misleading there as we likely are planning on meeting with Tom at some point and by sharing his name and our plans, we give off the image as we are not a complete outsider. We can also name drop external clients that we work with to establish some level of credibility. That is not going to be as strong as sharing internal names and is probably only going to really help when talking with more senior gatekeepers like executive assistants.