I go through this horse manure 3x per year -- any suggestions?...

Tw, your information is out-dated, sorry to say. A script is only useful for training and learning the information, not for use in the field. Use in the field is passe' and largely ineffective. From one who has sold large and small ticket items for more years than I wish to count...and won awards in the process. I've also been a professional sales trainer and the results speak for themselves, TW.

Sandi Bowman

Every word of every movie you see is scripted... and yet...

The best movies have portions that were spontaneous changes that made the movie more real and believable to the audience. Jimmy Stewart was a master of improvisation when filming. Ask my husband...he used to play in westerns.

If you enjoy chatting with robots, and your customers do, too, then follow your scripts to the letter and see what happens. Odds are they won't like it...as your experience should prove to you. Scripts are for LEARNING THE FACTS so you can present the information, and sell, based on your customer's reactions and interests in a spontaneous, friendly, non-threatening manner...period.

Here endeth my input on this. No sense wasting my time on folks who aren't willing to learn from those who've been there, done that. I think you have real potential, TW, but you really need to get rid of your prejudices first.

Sandi Bowman

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by -TW

Every word of every movie you see is scripted... and yet...

Hi TW,

I think what Sandi is getting at is that people can "sense" when someone is speaking strictly from a script.

As you know, I'm sure, sales is in part about creating rapport with the customer. In order to do that, you have to have freedom to change what you say - to empathize with them when you need to, and to make light-hearted jokes when you need to. (Each person would do it differently, depending on their personality.)

So good salespeople make it "natural" - they "customize" what they say to fit the person on the other end of the phone line.

You can use a script as a guideline, of course. But I'd use it as a starting point. The goal is not to follow a script, the goal is to make the sale - and sometimes to make the sale, you have to deviate from the script.

I'm pretty sure that's probably what Sandi is getting at. (I have some selling experience too, though not as much as many of the sales experts here!)

By the way, the script you wrote initially sounds to me to be a bit too confrontational. In my opinion, being too confrontational doesn't usually work on the phone, since it makes people uncomfortable and they will just hang up.

In contrast, Glenn's script questions are non-threatening and non-confrontational, and in my opinion that type of approach would probably get a better response.

The only way to know for sure if it will work is to test it!

Best wishes,

Dien

[Ankesh]

Thanks TW.

I second Dien's recommendation of Glenn. He can be cryptic sometimes (which I think he uses as a barrier to get rid of boring folks), but his stuff is awesome. And his phrases help sell better.

Do take him up on his offer to help.

Don Alm's submarine technique of forming questions that help you close prospects is also good. You could ask him about it too (he has a report on it - but not sure if he still sells it or not. I think that Steve Shulenski has resale rights to it though...)

At the risk of seeming like my teacup is too full (I know, I know -- too late)...

Some of you are missing the point (or I am).

I'm not looking for sales techniques (although I, of course, want to end p with more sales). I'm merely looking for ways to ensure that I get respected. I don't really mind if it seems a wee bit confrontational. I want to make them see it's a two way street. If my process for doing so scares some of them away, so be it -- at least I won't have to spend so much on therapy. I'd rather starve to death than continue to relinquish my own dignity + sanity. There must be some way to get my point across to them.

Think of the oft-told tale of the Australian dentist, etc. etc. He found a way to plow under the jokers + time-wasters, etc. And everyone was better off for it.

There must be some way to accomplish that, politely, in this case! I will be a disrespected doormat no more.

Again, please keep in mind this is only about the INTERESTED prospects and the overjoyed previous customers. I must train them to RSVP at all costs! I must find a way to make them retain at least 2% of the initiative. Just enough to keep me sane.

-- TW

Dear TW,

Thanks.

You might use a few proven Script Questions to Find Out What each person WANTS. Then give it to them.

For example:

Please answer these 3 Hot Button Questions. Then I'll Adapt Your Answers to show you how to use Hot Buttons to link what THEY WANT to what you Sell.

- I learned How to Do This from a mentor - named Walter Hailey - who started, took public and sold 4 companies grossing 3 billion in sales.

QUESTION #1 - What do You ENJOY Most about the idea of turning Warm/hot Prospects into RED HOT Customers?


Q #2 - What do you DISLIKE Most about Losing OVERJOYED PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS?


Q #3 - IF You Had a MAGIC WAND and Could FIX This, what do you Want Previous Customers and Warm/hot prospects to do?


ACTION SUMMARY:

Ok-dokey.

Please gimme your answers to the above 3 Hot Button Script Questions. And I'll show you how to LINK your answers back to something you want to sell them.

Based on what THEY think is IMPORTANT. Not what you think.

Thanks,
Glenn

P.S. - Once I know EXACTLY what you want your PREVIOUS Customers and Warm prospects to do. Then I'll write a script -RIGHT HERE- you can Test with your recalcitrant clients.

100's of my customers make MUNNY with variations of this Hot Button process.

Should work for you too.


-- TW

PS: Again, I don't have a problem with totally COLD prospects ignoring me -- it's the ones who EXPRESSED AN INTEREST and/or OVERJOYED PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS who ignore me that boggles my mind. The warm-hot prospects.[/quote]

I'm not really having a problem identifying what the cust's want. I'm not having trouble convincing them that I have their solution.

That's all sales stuff.

I'm trying to improve the GAME (the selling INFRASTRUCTURE itself).

I have the right music + lyrics.

I'm trying to improve (or redefine or reinvent) the DANCE.

All I'm trying to do is train them to RSVP.

That's all.

Cheers.

-- TW

Imagine this...

As a result of your marketing methods, 100 people raise their hand -- in the for of contacting YOU (not you contacting them) to express their interest. They give you their contact info, etc.

Then, as a dutiful sales servant, you contact them (you're responding to the interest THEY expressed).

Then you eventually discover that NONE of the 100 respondents show any initiative and NONE of them call or email you back -- EVER.

Then you discover that trait of not calling back is NOT an indicator of whether they are truly interested or not.

You also discover that if you DON'T keep all the initiative (read: you sit back + wait for them to finally call), it will result in NO sign ups.

There's the conundrum.

What would you do?

How to break the cycle of the marketer having to keep a FULL 100% of the initiative -- even (especially) amongst those prospects (+ previous customers) who have raised their hand(s)!

Just trying to clarify.

-- TW

TW,

Thanks for asking some more.

What do I think?

I wouldn't get to the end of this call. I would've hung up - and - made a mental note to NOT use your services again.

The problem is... you are trying to get them to give a flying farangi about you and your need to have closure of some kind. And that Ain't gonna happen in a month of Sundays. And you'll go crazy trying to make it happen - crazy like the photographer who tried to get a closeup of the horizon.

People care about themselves - not you and your wants. They are unreliable to others. They do not do/mean what they say nor say what they mean. They tell lies (ever sold a car... I'll come around, and what happens?). They have no respect for other people's property (ever lent a tool? got any dings from shopping carts and a note was left?). They are oblivious to what is going on around them (see people Stop at the top of escalators). Etc., Etc.

I doesn't matter what Flash was going through their head when they put up their hand and expressed their interest. It doesn't matter if they are past customers. It doesn't matter if you go to each others house for BBQ or meet once a week for Hot Chocolate at Denny's Diner. None of that matters.

And you need to learn to Let Go. Sure it's frustrating as heck - specially considering it's putting food on your table. But if it wasn't putting food on your table, you wouldn't be so... Desperate... to Make Them come to your way of doing things, would you? Let's face it... if you were on Hourly Rate your care factor would be zero. On hourly rate you'd still make the calls or whatever, because that's your job. But your vocal tonality would be different. Your sense of desperation/frustration would not be there. You'd be more neutral.

You want a script for past customers? Use this...

It's TW the xxxxxx. It's been 6 months since you last had yyyyyy and you're due again. Would like to schedule another service or wait another six months?

Now, despite claims of Make The Sale cause all you'll get in 6 months is another No... this gives them an Out. An out they can use back at you without needing to give a reason why, make up BS or just dodge the issue. (The same basic Script can be used in a Reminder Letter. But with a letter, just let them know they are due again and IF they think they need another service, to give you a call.

Dear Bob,

This is a friendly reminder letter to let you know your xxxxx is due again. If you think they need servicing again, please call me on 555-5555 to make an appointment.

Sincerely,

TW

I don't use tricks to make it appear urgent. Like... spots are filling fast so call me as soon as you see this or you may miss out. I don't use them because... I don't want them used on me, because we all know it's complete BS. (Same reason I give an out on the phone - because I don't want someone trying to get me to make a firm commitment right there and then.)

Michael Ross