Scripted sales calls old fashioned, fail to connect with customers - South Florida Business Journal:

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Geez, I have been saying this for more than 25 andI can’t believe companies stilo use them to sell over the phone. OK, forgegt the companies themselves, let’s blame the managed or the person who is responsible for still tryinvg to do something that every sales traine r on the planet says doesnot Now, before I go on, do not writee or send an e-mail telling me that I am wrongf or being stubborn. Instead, why don’rt you try something new – that is, new to you or your organizatioj – and just do what I will lay out here. Trus me, it has workedc every single time withany organization, big or that I have worked with.
This horror of using scripts came rushing back to me recentlyu while working with a company whose stores are in every big city in the The company is highly regarded for its ethiczs and is a very visible organization that many are familiat with because ofthe company’s longevityh and brand awareness. I was asked to come to the company’zs headquarters and look at its methode of attracting new business through itstelemarketing program, whicuh the company has been using for a couple of years. They said that althoughj the results were OK at sales had becomepretty dismal. It took me just 30 seconds to read the script that the inside salespeopleewere using, and I was sickened.
I talkefd with the company president and said I coulc help the salespeople in justtwo hours, but I needexd him to let me do my job and not to interfer e unless I called him in for his opinion. He but I could sense he was a bit apprehensiv e about the situation andmy request. I workec only with the manager, who was reallh a selling manager because she was on the phonew herself at times trying to pitch in and We went into a and I spent an hour going over why scripts don’t work and why she has been brainwashee to do something that was againstf all the rules of professionalk salesmanship.
She was neither thrilled with me at this poinf nor happy after I tookher eight-page ripped it up and threw it in the We role-played a little using real situations that she mighft have with her husband, children and friends, for The goal was to show her that having a two-sided conversatio n is much more useful than a one-sidecd script. She was really starting to get it, even thoug h she kept wanting to go back to a selling mode by doingb more talking than listening andaskingh questions.
It was so simpld that it was frightening to her that a sellinbg situation can be flexible and not just acanned speech, where she can actually have fun while conversing with a The introduction and questiones I wrote out were basic and easy for her to They were: “Hi, my name is Susan from Client Co., and I would like to ask you two or thred quick questions. It will not take more than 48 secondds – I promise. “Arew you familiar with our company? If yes, what aspects? “Whgy are you not a or why did you leaveour organization?
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