To script or not to script… the controversy continues…

Last week I had a conversation with a business owner who told me that he did not believe in using sales scripts. What he actually said was that he did not believe in, “canned scripts.” And I would have to agree.

For some reason, to many people, scripting means being “canned.” I’m not sure where this comes from, but many seem to believe that if you are using a script, you cannot possibly be yourself or be authentic.

On the other end of the spectrum, I often receive emails from readers who ask me if I can recommend a “good, generic script.” I always laugh when I get these emails. You see, what you or say to a prospect has to be relevant. Generic simply won’t cut it.

So, what does it mean to be relevant and use a script?

It simply means that you think before you speak and that you are prepared.

The market has changed. Prospects today are busier than ever. They are stressed out. They are doing more with less. They may be working from their kitchen table. They may or may not answer their phone. If you want a prospect to pay attention, you better have something compelling to say. This requires preparation. BTW: This is true for cold outreach. It is also true for warm inbound leads.

There are two types of preparation: The first is understanding the market and the relevance of your offering to that market. The second type of preparation is taking that relevant information and putting it together in a clear and compelling way. Prospects need to quickly understand how you might be able to help them. This is your script. In today’s world, there is simply not a lot of time and if the prospect doesn’t understand or doesn’t see the relevance, your sales conversation will be over before it has even started. And if you are emailing, texting or leaving voicemails, and the prospect does not see the relevance, they will simply delete.

Scripting is not a “canned presentation,” something that you say over and over again no matter what the prospect says. Scripting is about being relevant, quickly. Scripting is about being the best “yourself” that you can possibly be in order to get your prospect’s attention and willingness to engage and move forward and say, “yes.”