PREPARATION AND SCRIPTING

Script building is one of the most misunderstood parts of selling. It is the essence of the sale and
will virtually guarantee your results, yet 99% of sales people don’t use them. Having well thought
out and rehearsed language patterns is critical to creating certainty in your prospects mind.

This module covers the following topics:

1. Introduction to script building and the power of scripts

2. Effective Straight Line scripts

3. Language patterns and writing your script

Introduction to Preparation and Scripting

Introduction to Preparation and Scripting

Preparation & Scripting

How to deliver the perfect sale every time.

Script building is one of the most misunderstood parts of selling. It is the essence of the sale and
will virtually guarantee your results, yet 99% of sales people don’t use them. There are so many
negative connotations to scripts, but when used properly they are enormously powerful!
This module covers the following topics:

1. Introduction to script building and the power of scripts

2. Effective Straight Line scripts

3. Language patterns and writing your script

Scripts are the well thought out essence of the perfect sale.

Your script is essentially all of your best lines, used in exactly the right order, for a perfect Straight
Line presentation. It allows you to:

1. Develop instant rapport

2. Maintain control of the sale

3. Deal with objections and ensure you sound like you know what you are talking about

Good scripts address each of the 5 core elements of the Straight Line which are:

1. Building certainty about your Product

2. Building certainty about You

3. Building certainty about your Company

4. Lowering your prospect’s Action Threshold

5. Raising you prospect’s Pain Threshold

Effective Scripts

The Power of Scripts

The Power Of Scripts

Having a well constructed and comprehensive script ensures that nothing is left to chance in the
sales process.

Great scripts move people emotionally AND logically. It doesn’t matter whether you are selling
face to face or over the phone, the effective use of Straight Line Scripting will transform your
conversion rate.

Constructing the perfect script obviously takes time, effort and preparation. You need to take the
time to understand your buyers and the market as well as your product.

The Importance Of Scripts

Scripts are critical because:

1. Effective scripts help you maintain control of the sale and your sales process in an
organisation. From an individuals’ perspective it keeps you in your comfort zone and
within the boundaries of the Straight Line. From a sales leadership standpoint, it allows
you to systematise your sales force and manage their sales in the same fashion, which is
crucial to a company’s uniformity. You can’t duplicate or scale your business unless people
do things the same way.

2. Scripts are important for ethical and regulatory reasons. In the absence of scripts, sales
people tend to veer off the Straight Line and say, not only stupid things, but also things that
are untrue. It’s not that these people are deliberately trying to be deceitful; it’s simply that
 without a script they run out of intelligent things to say and start making things up to keep
the conversation going.

3. Scripts make the sales process predictable from beginning to end. When you employ scripts
for every part of the sales process, you have complete certainty around what you will say
in virtually any situation. Rather than just writing a script for the perfect sale, you want to
create scripts for every possible rebuttal or objection your client might have. By doing this
you create a matrix of proven responses to help you take all of the guesswork out of the
process.

4. Scripts allow you to maximise the key forces of the Straight Line – the use of Tonality and
Body Language. Remember that only 9% of human communication comes from the words
you say. So when you don’t have to think about the words that you need to say you can
focus on the other forces of communication – tonality and body language – that ultimately
have more power to influence your prospects. At their very best, your scripts work
cohesively with these elements so that the overall impact of your sales communication is
maximised.
Effective Straight Line Scripts

Effective Straight Line Scripts

1. Use scripts that are formulaic in nature.

The key is having a basic structure in place that you can quickly and efficiently adapt to any
context.

2. Use scripts that sound natural and pleasing to the ear

If a script isn’t written the way people normally speak it will sound as though you’re reading. Such
contrived speech will take away from your sincerity and power when trying to influence the
prospect.

3. Use scripts that are not front-loaded

Truly compelling information should be saved for later in the scripting process so you have your
best stuff to work with if you need to handle objections and loop back and resell the 3 Tens. The
best scripts have stopping off points where you can run specific language patterns that build the
prospect toward.

4. Use scripts that can be spliced together with other scripts

There’s not one single script in a sale. Your scripts are part of a series that take you down the
Straight Line. Straight Line scripts drive the conversation toward a specific goal; yet they also give
you options to get to that goal depending on how the conversation goes.
5. Use scripts that are proven

Once they work, stick with them and lock them in. Certainty is essential. Knowing your scripts are
solid out of the gate minimizes variables and allows you to focus on other elements of the sales
process.

The Three Elements Of A Script: The Introduction

The Three Elements of a Script: The Introduction

There are three main parts to any script:

1. Introduction

2. Body

3. Close

The introduction to your script should be short. Within your introduction you should:

1. Introduce yourself

2. Give the reason for your call/visit

3. Ask if they’re interested in what you have to offer

4. Ask for permission to qualify them

Tips for writing your introduction:

 1. Be enthusiastic from the start

2. Always use the familiar

3. Introduce yourself and the company very quickly

4. Re-state the name of your company a second time

5. Use powerful words

6. Use justifiers (so, the reason, because)

7. Ask for permission to commence the qualification period

8. Listen effectively

At the end of the introduction you have a transition to the main body e.g. ‘Based on everything
you just said to me this is definitely a perfect fit for you.’

The Main Body

The Three Elements of a Script: Main Body

After the transition from your Introduction comes the main body. Tips for writing the body are
below:

1. Don’t front load – don’t provide all of the positives of your product up front as you’ll be
left with nothing to say later in the sale

2. Keep it short – no more than ¾ of a typed page (also make sure that you sell benefits not
features – no more than 3 powerful differentiators of your product)

3. Flow must be seamless

4. Use colloquialisms or talk in layman’s terms

5. Practice – either alone or with another person to ensure that the script, and your delivery
of it, sounds great and is pleasing to the ear

6. Remember you are always closing

7. Ensure scripts are ethical

Your script should encourage people to be saying YES to the questions that you ask – this is the
principle of consistency. You can’t move on down the Straight Line if your prospect is saying NO.

The Close

The Three Elements of a Script: The Close

The body of your presentation flows right into the close. This is of course where you ask for the
order. Most often, when a sales person isn’t doing well it’s because he or she does not ask for the
order very often, or at all.
How many times should you ask for the order? It’s certainly not once. Sometimes you may need
to ask up to seven times. Clearly, you need to have well-rehearsed scripts and language patterns to
do this elegantly.

Using the appropriate tonality when you are asking for the order can make all the difference in
how successful you are in closing the prospect. Adopting a sincere, calm but certain demeanour
and using the reasonable man tone will help ensure your success.

The final thing to remember about closing is that it’s not a once-off in every conversation. You are
ALWAYS closing. It’s not always on the sale itself, but you are constantly closing all the way
through your script; closing the prospect with every paragraph.

Language Patterns

Language Patterns: Opening

Language Patterns: Opening

Having well thought out and rehearsed language patterns is critical to creating certainty in your
prospects mind.

It is useful to have five to ten language patterns for each of the three tens – The Product, You and
Your Company to draw on.

Some examples of opening language patterns are:

1. Hi < prospects name>, It’s < your name>. How you doing today?

2. If you recall, we met over at the… Does that ring a bell?

 3. Great, well the reason for the call today is… (justifier)

4. Just a couple of quick questions, so I don’t waste your time…

5. Well, … based on everything you’ve just said to me, I think this will be a perfect fit for
you (The transition)

Language Patterns: Main Body

Language Patterns: Main Body

Main body language patterns should be no more than one short paragraph each. The main body is
very specific to the product and/or industry that you are in thus, you will need to come up with
your own specific language patterns to suit. As a guide however, the language patterns in the main
body should focus on a benefit (not a feature) of your product or service.

Some examples of language patterns to be used at the beginning and end of the main body are:
1. Now, really quickly, I’m from…

2. How does that sound?

You can put 2 or 3 language patterns about the benefits of your product in between these two
statements above.

Remember; don’t move forward along the straight line if the prospect has not agreed with you!

Language Patterns: Close

Language Patterns: The Close

The close always starts with a transitional pattern that explains how to get the buying process
going. It’s important to make sure that the prospect is not made to feel that it will be difficult or a
lot of effort to buy your product – this is an important psychological barrier. Thus the transition
needs to highlight that it is a simple/easy process.

Of course if there are some complications to buy your product or service you can’t lie or underplay
these, however its best to try and make the process as simple as possible for customers and frame
the process in positive manner.

For example:

“Now, getting started is very simple, it’s just a matter of getting some basic information. We do
everything else for you.”

“We’ll hold your hand every step of the way”

Remember to match your Tonality and Body language with the words you are saying.
Preparation & Scripting Close

Preparation & Scripting Close

Practice, practice, practice! Print out your scripts and practice reading them aloud. Practice in the
following ways:

1. Record yourself in front of a camera. Observe what you did right and what can be improved
upon. What are three ways that you can improve your script content and delivery?

2. Practice in front of a co-worker, friend, or family member. Make note of how it felt
different to deliver your script to a person. What are some of the observations that they
had? What can you do to improve your content and delivery?

3. Continue to make small refinements to them as you notice what works and what doesn’t
and change your approach