In the first two parts of this series, we looked at how sales scripts can help your team succeed – as well as the first half of a typical long-form sales call. You want to build trust and understanding well before you ever make a pitch.
In today’s article, we’re tackling the second half of the sales script. This goes from the initial discussion of your service through closing the sale.
Remember that you’ve got to make this stuff your own. This is just a sales framework for you to fine tune for your own products and process.
Let’s get right into it!
Step 7: The “Ask” for Help
In order to get the sale, it’s important that your prospect asks for help, needs direction, and/or admits they can’t do it on their own.
Can I put my coaching hat on for a second?
{ANSWER}
{NAME}, it sounds like you’ve got a lot of potential here… So, I’ve got to ask – why aren’t you at ________ / month yet? What do you think is really holding you back?
{ANSWER}
Listen for these 3 magic statements before moving forward:
1) Inability to do it on their own
2) Unsure of what to do next
3) Overwhelmed and needs help
SOME POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING:
- “What do you mean by ___?”
- “Why’d you pick that?”
- “Tell me more about that…”
- “Can you talk a little more about ___?”
- “Why do you think this problem exists?”
- “What else have you tried to do to fix this? How long have you been dealing with this?”
- “You seem to have it figured out – so why do you need my help then?”
- “Oh, so why do you need my help then?”
=== DO NOT MOVE TO STEP 8 UNTIL THEY ADMIT THEY NEED HELP ===
Step 8: Get Commitment
Got it. Interesting. Okay, let’s go back to where you’re currently at. That’s __________ / month, right?
So, I know this might sound crazy, but why not just stay where you are?
{ANSWER}
And is this something you want to fix someday, or is this a “now” sort of thing?
{ANSWER}
Okay. I get it. I know that you want to fix this now, but on a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to making this happen?
(Unless they say: “10,” follow up with “but not a 10?” …And if they argue anything less than an 8, say: “Oh, so it’s not that important to you.”}
=== DO NOT MOVE TO STEP 9 UNTIL YOU RECEIVE A SCORE OF >8 ===
Step 9: Permission to Pitch
Do NOT skip any sections to get to this part of the sales script or rush the pitch. If you don’t have enough time to do a complete presentation, schedule another call.
Okay {NAME}, awesome! There’s obviously a lot of opportunity here. I mean, on this 45 minute call so far, we already found __________. So, look… Where do you want to go from here?
{IDEAL ANSWER: “Can you tell me about about what you do?”}
Step 10: Establish Credibility
Absolutely.
First, the people we work with are {DEFINE TARGET MARKET} who are typically looking to {GOAL}.
And some of our best results include: {EXAMPLES}
But, {NAME}, I’ve got to be brutally honest with you right now because this is where some {TARGET MARKET} get tripped up (and I don’t believe this is you)…
But some {TARGET MARKET} hope we’ve got a magic pill and can sprinkle some pixie dust to instantly {GET RESULTS} overnight – and I need to tell you, that’s absolutely not the case. If it were that easy, everyone would be {RESULTS}.
The truth is, those {TARGET MARKET} who achieved those results did so because they {SOLUTION} – that’s how you get to _____________ a month.
Does that make sense?
{YES}
Okay, {NAME}, so, would it make sense if I told you more about how we can help you?
{YES}
Step 11: State Your Offer
Explain your product/service at a high level, without getting deep into features or mentioning price. Discuss HOW you get the result they want and what it would be like to work with you in 2 minutes.
{EXPLAIN YOUR CORE OFFER IN 2 MINUTES}
Are you following me so far?
{YES}
Great, so we only have a few minutes left, so now it’s your turn to ask me a question…
{MOST LIKELY THE ANSWER IS: “How much does this cost?}
Step 12: Closing
I’m glad you asked.
The investment is $________________. {PAUSE} Is that a number that scares you?
IF YES: Is it a matter of not wanting {product/service}, or is it just out of your budget?
{BUDGET}
Pretend I can make it work within your budget, then what would you say?
{YOU’VE GOT A DEAL}
So, let’s make this work for you.
{OFFER A PAYMENT PLAN OR ADJUST DELIVERABLES AS NECESSARY – DO NOT DISCOUNT}
{And what exactly do I get for this?}
{EXPLAIN FEATURES AND BENEFITS IN 3 MINUTES – THEN REMAIN QUIET.}
{OKAY, SO WHAT’S NEXT?}
We can do a credit card over the phone if you want.
{WAIT}
So is that AMERICAN EXPRESS, VISA, or MASTERCARD?
{COLLECT DETAILS}
And congratulations, you have the sale!
But remember, the sale doesn’t stop once you collect payment… It’s now up to you to deliver an exceptional backend experience to:
a) Eliminate any post-purpose dissonance
b) Create a raving fan, so they keep coming back to you with repeat purchases
Those are the sales script guidelines for a powerful and persuasive conversation.
Now make it your own and enjoy!
