From time to time readers of this newsletter or visitors to the web site will email scripts to me to ask for my comments. Here is a script I recently received. Beware. Do not let this happen to you:
Script: Hello (Prospect’s Name) this is (Name) with (Company Name). Did I catch you at a bad time?
Wendy’s Comment: Everyone is incredibly busy these days. The most likely response to this question is, “Yes.” Why set yourself up for failure in your first breath?
Script: Once again, my name is (Name) with (Company Name). The purpose of my call is to simply schedule a brief 10-15 minute phone conversation early/late next week. Can we carve out a few minutes next (Tuesday at 1:30 pm) or (Thursday at 1:30 pm)?
Wendy’s Comment: This is all about what the caller wants. The caller wants to schedule an appointment. He doesn’t even say what it’s about and yet expects the prospect to jump up and down with excitement and say, “Yes!”
Script: The agenda of our appointment is to introduce myself and (Company Name) …and the work we’re currently doing). And learn a little bit more about your (Company/Department) I only need 10-15 minutes. Can we carve out a few minutes (Day) or (Day)?
Wendy’s Comment: This caller has yet to say why the prospect should be interested in speaking with him, interested in the company or interested in the work they’re doing. In addition, prospects today have no interest in wasting their time teaching sales people about their company. They expect sales people to have done their homework, something this caller clearly has not done.
This caller was struggling and it’s not surprising. He was missing out on the very first rule of prospecting. He needs to answer the question: Why should your prospect be interested?
This script is all about the caller, what he wants and what he expects from the prospect. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work these days. These days it’s all about the prospect. Forget that at your peril.
© 2019, Wendy Weiss
