Some sales professionals aren’t crazy about sales scripts. They might feel like they’re suppressing their ability to think on the fly. Others may worry about sounding robotic, using the same verbiage over and over again. The truth is, though, that cold calling scripts can substantially improve your team’s success.

Sujan Patel, the founder of Mailshake, says that sales scripts allow you to give your sales reps the tools they need to have consistently valuable conversations with prospects. It takes some finesse, but it’s not overly complicated to create your own sales script.

In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we outline Patel’s suggestions on how you can create your own cold calling script from scratch.

Get permission. It’s critical to get permission. Patel says that nobody owes you their time, attention or business. How do you get permission? Little by little. Just like you wouldn’t propose to someone on the first date, you don’t ask for the sale during the first conversation. Treat your prospects with respect and you can begin to earn permission.

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, Patel recommends researching call scripts and cherry-picking what is most useful to your promo business. Leave what isn’t relevant and then rinse and repeat. When you work at it over time, you’ll build a truly unique sales script.

Include time for relationship-building extras. People want to work with sales reps they like. That’s why it’s important to find some common ground to bond over. Patel says you could ask about their favorite sports teams, their alma mater or their kids. A little small talk or personalized gesture can go a long way, he says.

Let yourself stray from the script. This is how you can avoid sounding robotic. Try using bullet points throughout your script, Patel says, so it doesn’t sound like you’re reading word for word. Then, listen to your prospect and engage in a genuine conversation rather than trying to touch on each point.

Test different deliveries. Doing some A/B test variations on different elements of your script can help you improve it. To do this, Patel says you need to define a system of regular evaluation. Divide your reps into two teams, each using a different script, and then get them to input their feedback into a spreadsheet after each call. Remember that the variant scripts should be identical, with only one element altered each time.

Instead of seeing what comes up on Google searches or poring over a cold calling guidebook, create your own cold calling script. It will be unique to your promo business and can help your sales team engage in more productive discussions with prospects.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Sujan Patel is the founder of Mailshake, a sales engagement software.