Sales cold calls pretend to be the client. Cold calls

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Buyers don't need choice, they want a specific product or service

Joseph Pine

What is the principle behind a cold call?

Continuing the topic of cold calling, it should be noted that calling a stranger without a pre-drawn up plan is very difficult. After all, it is important not just to call, but to make sure that the conversation takes place.

And it just won’t work out that way. A cold calling script is required. An approximate diagram of such a call is as follows:

  • Be sure to capture the person's attention.
  • Clearly and competently introduce yourself and the company whose products are offered.
  • It is clear to explain the reason for the call.
  • The conversation should include an evaluative or interrogative statement.
  • A business meeting must be scheduled.

Of course, you don’t have to use a standard script, but while working in this direction, develop your own, individual one. After all, everything that comes with practice brings success much faster. There’s a show on TV, and it’s clear that the actors pass all their dialogues through themselves. There is no talk of any scenario.

Likewise, a successful sales agent must pass through the text of a cold call prepared in advance. Then the words will sound natural and convincing. Or a teacher who has been working in the same program for many years. He knows the basics thoroughly, but can make changes based on circumstances.

The purpose of this article is to help the sales agent develop a customized scenario. Then he will be able to have time to say everything that is necessary and at the same time, will have the opportunity to focus on the answer of the interlocutor, since it is the answer that plays the main role.

Detailed cold calling algorithm point by point

Be sure to grab a person's attention

It is necessary to start a conversation with a phrase, the purpose of which is to capture the attention of the invisible interlocutor. The subsequent answer depends on her. But what it will be, positive or negative, will depend on the correct question that will be asked at the beginning of the conversation.

That is why a sales agent must remember the truth: what is the question, so is the answer. Suppose a cold calling scheme begins with something like this: “Would you be interested in an offer to save a trillion dollars for yourself?” It is clear that the proposal is impossible, it sounds stupid and the answer will be just as stupid.

The conclusion follows from this: it is necessary to start a conversation with reasonable proposals to which you can get a reasonable answer. So the statement is visible, what is the question - this is the answer.

Recently, a stockbroker called the manager of a computer equipment manufacturing company and asked: “Mr. Ivanov, are you interested in investing in a product in securities?. The company was not interested in this and the answer was: “No.” The conversation ended before it even began. Consequently, the cold calling algorithm, the example of which is being discussed, had to be built differently.

But here's a completely different conversation. “Hello, Mr. Ivanov. A representative of the Life Insurance company, Alexander Tikhonov, is calling you. Have you insured your life? “Yes,” he hears in response. The agent asks another question: Would you like to change insurance company? and hears in response: No, I wouldn’t want to.” That's it, the conversation didn't work out again, no reason to ask next question- no, the agent hangs up.

But if he had shown a little imagination in advance and structured the conversation with a hint of curiosity in questions, for example, why the client insured his life with that particular company, the result would have been different. It is necessary to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain information and the ability to take advantage of it.

When offering their services over the phone, a sales agent must be able to talk, that is, not just silently listen to disagreement and refusal, but be able to avoid the pitfalls that most often await at the beginning of a conversation (the issue will definitely be considered separately).

Don’t forget the rule: what question is the answer. In addition, you should not seek permission to call again, it is not necessary. You can call as many times as necessary. But whether the interlocutor will pick up the phone or not is another question. Most people take a very long time to understand that the first conversation special significance no, this is the case. It is much more important to prepare scripts for cold calls subsequent to the first.

Appointing business meeting the agent should not resort to tricks and tricks, trying to deceive the interlocutor into a meeting. But some do just that, introducing themselves as a doctor from a clinic or reporting about a prize they have won. Such methods are not worthy of attention and will only cause irritation.

There is a known case where representatives of one company were trained to start a conversation by looking for the wrong person. For example, call:

This is probably his brother, connect with him.

And when the well-known Nikolai Ivanov uncomprehendingly picks up the phone, he is bombarded with a stream of pre-prepared information. Few people would like this, so this cold calling tactic causes a large number of negativity and irritation.

This is not the most The best way start a conversation. And the intriguing phrase loved by many at the beginning, like: “I would tell you how to make a million...” also applies here. A smart person will not invent anything, but will simply say hello. And it really works. It would seem that it could be simpler, but many do not use it. But in vain.

If you analyze some telephone conversations, you can understand that the sales agent should concentrate his attention on the answer of the interlocutor and the direction of the conversation after the answer. In order for the conversation to continue, you need to be able to use the answer for your own purposes.

Therefore, the cold calling algorithm is initial stage The conversation is structured in such a way that the answer can lead the interlocutor to the desired result. And a simple phrase: “ Good morning..." will definitely give this necessary result.

The very first words should force the interlocutor to give an answer. The agent must foresee options for continuing the conversation after any answer and conduct it in such a way that the result is an appointed meeting. But this is not the most important point, because no matter what is said, the answer will still be heard, and you can prepare for it.

But the real important point of the conversation is the positive tone. After all, they react to it most often. And if the agent speaks intelligently, politely and calmly, they respond in kind. If, after the sales agent’s question, the interlocutor hangs up, this is a reason to think about what the reason is.

But this is also a kind of answer. Using the advice in this article, the agent will learn how to create cold calling scripts without using anything extra. Thus, less and less people will hang up.

Clearly and competently introduce yourself and the company whose products are offered

The bell rings, the man picks up and hears: “Good morning, Mr. Ivanov. This is Dmitry Petrov from the World of Miracles company. Surely, he will not understand who is calling and what kind of company it is. This means that the agent’s task is to present himself and the company’s services in more detail.

The conversation should sound something like this: “Good morning, Mr. Ivanov. This is Dmitry Petrov from the World of Miracles company, which is located here in the city. Our company is a large corporation providing any services. We cooperate with more than 200 other companies,” and so on. It’s much clearer and the likelihood of attracting the client’s interest increases.

It is clear to explain the reason for the call.

The third, important point that the cold calling scheme provides is the rationale for calls, most of which are made for the purpose of scheduling a business meeting. Having called a large number of people with an offer to set up a meeting, the agent will probably arrange it, and in more than one case. But if the reason for the call is not announced, then the meeting will not be scheduled. In other words, it is necessary to designate the signal.

An interesting case was when a girl, after walking around the city for a long time, got tired and sat down to rest on the steps of the church. It was very hot and she took off her cap and put it next to her. People passing by took this as a signal and began throwing money into the cap. And although her actions were aimed at something completely different, she involuntarily gave a certain signal. If you didn't put the cap in front of you, the girl wouldn't get anything.

Therefore, the agent, when making a call, is obliged to signal that a meeting is necessary. And approximately one out of twelve interlocutors will definitely agree, if only for the sake of interest, since they will not understand what they are talking about. He will need to satisfy his curiosity and agree to meet.

You can try to make this stage more productive. To do this, instead of the usual phrase asking for a meeting, you need to come up with something more enticing that will surely attract a potential client.

So, cold calling tactics at this stage should be clearly defined.

The sales representative is obliged to provide complete picture from the whole conversation. To do this, he indicates the reasons why he is calling, and the purpose of his call is not in his presentation, not in the questions he can ask, not in a specifically voiced request, and not even in concluding the deal itself. His goal is to make an appointment and that's it. It is extremely important to understand this.

The conversation should include an evaluative or interrogative statement

Evaluative or interrogative statements will play an important role during the conversation. It should flow smoothly from the initial phrases of the conversation and at the same time logically continue everything that has already been said. At the same time, the agent should not allow any hints of manipulation of his interlocutor.

Here is a cold calling script, an example of which clearly shows the meaning of such statements.

Mr. Ivanov, I am sure that the activities of your company are exactly the same as those of others with whom I work (it would be appropriate to name specific companies), ... And you are interested in more efficient work ...

In this case, the answer is likely to be yes, which is exactly what the representative is looking for.

A business meeting must be scheduled

Don't be afraid of specifics. Let's assume that the answer is affirmative. The client is ready to schedule a business meeting. This must be done in the following way: “Great, Mr. Ivanov, then we just need to meet. Will Wednesday suit you at four o'clock in the afternoon?"

In other words, the phrase should be brief and specific, with a mandatory indication of time. Only then will everything work out. If the agent starts offering options, this will not lead to good results. Many people admit serious mistake, afraid to directly make a specific request for a meeting. Only in this way, clearly, directly and specifically, can you benefit from your actions. And again the statement arises: what is the question, so is the answer.

Sample script for one cold call

Agent: Good morning, Mr. Ivanov. This is Dmitry Petrov from the World of Miracles company, which is located in our city. It is the largest service provider in its field and more than 100 similar companies cooperate with us.

I would like to make an appointment with you and tell you about new programs that can improve the efficiency of your employees. I am sure that you, like the Filibuster company, are interested in the efficient work of your employees.

Ivanov: Yes

Agent: Great, that means we need a meeting. Will Wednesday suit you at four o'clock?

And here is an example of how not to structure the text of cold calls, the purpose of which is to set up a meeting.

Good morning, Mr. Ivanov. You are worried about Dmitry Petrov from the World of Miracles company, which is located in the city. I'm calling you because I think you will be interested in our company and want to know more about it.

With such a beginning, a completely natural answer will sound:

Of course, send me some brochure or something...

The goal was not achieved and the meeting was not scheduled. But this is the main thing when calling. Everything else should be kept silent, otherwise problems will arise.

When should you call?

This is a very common question that concerns many sales representatives. Of course, here everyone chooses a convenient time. But the agent must remember that it should be convenient not only for him, but also for potential clients. You can call in the morning, before the start of a busy working day, or in the evening. But statistics show that calls made in the first half of the day are more effective.

Many who decide to work as a sales manager are faced with the need to make cold calls. However, not everyone understands what this is and does not know the rules by which they should be implemented. On the background of great importance In such activities, inability to make sales over the phone can lower the employee’s authority in the eyes of management.

The essence

It is not difficult to understand what cold calling is in sales. Their technique involves calling potential clients who are not yet familiar with the company. The goal is to interest a person and encourage them to contact the organization to purchase a product or service, as well as expand the customer base.

Some people think that cold calling techniques are quite simple. However, this is not at all true. To achieve success in this area of ​​activity, you should study a huge number of nuances and pitfalls. That is why managers who master this technology are in demand among employers.

There are three characteristics that an employee must have in order for the effectiveness of cold calls to be quite high: a sufficient level of self-control, complete knowledge of information about the goods and services offered, knowledge of the tastes and preferences of potential clients.

Shortage of professionals

Specialists who understand how to make cold calls are in high demand. However, their number in the labor market is very small. The reason lies primarily in psychological factors.

Many people cannot overcome themselves and call a stranger. They are afraid that a potential client will simply reject them and refuse to talk, because no one likes when they call stranger and at the same time trying to sell something. That is why cold calling can become a very serious test of strength for a specialist.

However, a manager should not be afraid to hear “no.” All objections can be predicted in advance, so when correct behavior you can try to prevent them. At the same time, it is important to conduct the conversation not with template phrases, but to develop your own answers in accordance with the situation. It is also necessary to learn to determine the intonation of the voice and respond to it adequately.

Rules

There are a number of rules that must be followed by managers making cold calls. Telephone sales techniques involve following the following principles:

  1. You shouldn’t immediately try to sell a product or service during the first call. It is even useful to emphasize that the manager’s goal is not bargaining. It is much more important at this moment to collect information about a potential client and gain his favor.
  2. It's important to ask the right questions. This will create an impression of both the specialist and the company he represents. Competent dialogue increases the chances of attracting the interest of a potential client. That is why you should prepare very carefully for the conversation. If a manager has information about the company and navigates the market situation, he will create an impression of himself as a competent specialist. The purpose of the first call is to collect as much useful information as possible about the problems the potential client has, so that during the next conversation we can offer him effective solution similar difficulties.
  3. It is important to try to arrange a personal meeting. If the manager manages to do this, the chance of converting a potential client to permanent status will increase significantly.

First difficulties

Anyone who decides to use cold calling techniques will have to face a lot of difficulties. Most of them appear at the very beginning of a conversation.

The first problem is that most large companies All calls go first to the secretary. He recognizes very quickly standard circuits sales by telephone. Many secretaries have learned to competently interrupt calls before the manager has time to convey any information.

The next difficulty is that clients usually do not want to communicate during a cold call. In this case, the manager must arouse some interest in the opponent. However, this is difficult to do because the potential client rarely wants to talk. Many cold calls last no more than 60 seconds. The manager should not delude himself if he was asked to send a commercial proposal and was even given an email address. This hardly means anything yet. The fact is that most of the offers from unfamiliar companies are deleted without reading them.

Reasons for not liking cold calling

The phenomenon of the cold calling technique is that it is unloved by both sides of the process. Managers are afraid to use such technologies and try to avoid them in every possible way. Clients listen to a lot of cold calls from specialists. Moreover, often those who sell are not even able to properly make an offer. However, those managers who are truly interested in what cold calls in sales are and how to make them correctly are able to overcome all the difficulties of this complex technique. To do this, one should study the technologies on which such negotiations are being conducted. It is important to gradually let go of the need to follow a script.

How to increase your chance of success

Cold calling technology can be very effective if certain rules are followed. It’s worth starting the conversation with a question that will help you quickly find out whether the company receiving the call can be classified as a target audience. The reason should not be the desire to sell or impose a product or service. In this case, the conversation is unlikely to last long enough. It is much more effective for the manager to offer a free trial service or seminar. At the same time, he should not be afraid of refusals. They are inevitable. Only by going through them can you achieve success.

Call script

Any business event will be much more effective if you prepare for it in advance. In this regard, there is wide scope for creativity for managers making cold calls. Telephone sales mean that the interlocutors cannot see each other. This means that you can lay out various cheat sheets, diagrams and tips around.

A pre-drafted conversation script will help you overcome fear and make your speech more confident. He is in mandatory must contain the following blocks:

  • The greeting should be in the form of “Good morning!” or “Good afternoon!”
  • Introduction: you need to state your name and the name of the company that the manager represents.
  • The purpose of the “acquaintance” block is to find out the name and position of the person who is dealing with the issue of interest.
  • Presentation: briefly outlines the scope of the organization's activities.
  • The proposal is to indicate the purpose of the call. This could be an invitation to a seminar, a story about discounts and promotions.
  • A question that helps test whether a company belongs to the target audience.
  • The final. Ideal option will make an appointment.

It should be understood that it is not always possible to fit a cold call into this scheme. This example is approximate, it may change depending on how the dialogue unfolds.

Stephen Shiffman

There are a huge number of authors who study cold calling techniques in their works. Shiffman Stephen is one of the most famous. His books contain not only descriptions of techniques, but also practical advice on their application. The author is a fan of telesales research. He carefully breaks down all the mechanics of calls and gives a huge number of recommendations. One of the principles that Stephen Shiffman advises to adhere to is that cold calling should not be annoying and repetitive. The books give specific advice on how to respond to customer objections.

Objection processing

An important step in the sales process, including over the phone, is handling objections. Managers who have not studied methods of working with them most often get lost during a conversation, begin to stutter, and behave insecurely. Here are a few examples that can help a merchant answer the most common objections of potential clients.

In the case when a manager hears a routine phrase asking him to send an offer to email, he must understand that this is just an excuse. It is best to state that the company’s assortment is huge and try to persuade the client to meet in person for the purpose of presentation. In response to the phrase “I’m not interested,” we can say that there is not a single person who is interested in what he does not know.

An interesting thing is the use of the boomerang method. It means that objections should be returned to the client. In the event that he declares that he does not have time to talk, you can answer the following: the manager seeks to save his time and for this very purpose offers a certain product or service. It is best to prepare possible objections and answers to them in advance, write them down on a piece of paper. It is important not only to learn them, but also to keep the list at hand just in case. If a new objection is identified during the call, it is worth writing it down. Subsequently, it will be possible to come up with the most successful answer.

Probability theory

Every manager must understand that there are no ideal sales techniques. Regardless of what methods a specialist uses, failures cannot be avoided. However, there is one principle that is important to know when using cold calling. Conventionally, it can be called the theory of probability. The first call is unlikely to lead to a deal. However, the more contacts a manager makes with clients, the higher the chance of concluding deals. This is why you should regularly make calls in large numbers.

Customer knowledge

Important terms successful sales over the phone is knowing the client. That is why the manager must first collect as much information about him as possible.

First of all, the Internet can help in collecting data. A huge amount of useful information is contained on the company’s website, as well as various official resources. At the first stage, you should find out the need for the product and services of this particular company. It will be useful to know the name of the leader. This will make an impression and increase the chance of achieving a positive effect.

Keeping in touch

Once you manage to establish contact with a potential client over the phone, it is important to maintain him subsequently. We must not let them forget about the company’s proposals. There are several ways to regularly remind yourself by sending the following elements:

  • news booklets that should be of interest to the client and relate to his occupation;
  • invitations to events, seminars and exhibitions;
  • greeting cards and small gifts for the holidays.

All this helps maintain a positive impression of the company.

Without training and gaining experience by making a huge number of calls, it is impossible to achieve significant results. However, following a number of recommendations will help improve and speed up the result. Let us summarize them at the end of the article:

  1. The conversation script should be drawn up in advance. It should be carefully thought through.
  2. During the conversation you need to be calm and confident. The manager must be able to overcome anxiety. A trembling voice will not bring a positive effect.
  3. Don't get involved in conflicts.
  4. If the client states that he does not have time to talk, it is best for the manager to clarify when it is most convenient to call back and politely say goodbye.
  5. If in response to an offer you receive a categorical refusal, you must apologize and say goodbye.
  6. It is important to mention promotions and discounts and offer product samples.
  7. You should listen carefully to the client without interrupting. Any objections can be raised only after he finishes speaking.

It is possible to achieve success in cold selling. But this is quite difficult and will require some effort from the manager.

Hello! In this article we will talk about “warm calling”.

Today you will learn:

  • What are “warm calls”?
  • Who should make warm calls;
  • How to create a warm call script.

What are warm calls

Telemarketing is one of the channels for distribution and promotion of products. With this tool, you can increase the company's sales volume, or remind your old self. Moreover, the achievement of one or another goal depends on the one chosen for telephone sales.

The type of telephone calls also depends on the target audience:

  • – conducting negotiations with a potential client who is not familiar with your products and company. His need has not yet been formed. The purpose of such calls is to find new clients.

Companies in the service sector often use cold telemarketing. They buy databases of customers with certain characteristics and make random calls offering their product.

  • Warm calls– a conversation with a potential consumer who already knows about your company and product. He was probably once a customer of yours or was interested in the product.

For example, let's say you sell mobile phones. A week ago you bought a smartphone. You can call the client and offer him headphones at a special offer with a discount for the purchased model.

  • Hot calls– conversation with potential consumers who themselves show interest in your product. They have already made their choice, all that remains is to bring the matter to its logical conclusion - sale.

In this case, your potential consumer, for example, has already left a request to purchase a product, all you have to do is call him and agree on the terms of the transaction.

If in the first and third cases the goals are clear and understandable - to find new customers and sell goods, respectively, then with warm calls everything is not so simple.

Warm calls are designed to remind the company about itself. To a greater extent, they perform the function of promoting a product, but often lead to sales.

In more detail, the goals of warm calls can be expressed as follows:

  • Returning lost customers or those who have not purchased goods from you for a long time. The period of time allowed for the absence of purchases is the time of use of the product. For example, for mobile phone this period is a period of time from two to three years, and for a carton of milk two to three days.
  • Providing information to the client about new products and services. If a consumer bought a product from you or was simply interested, you can recommend something from your range and tell him about new products that are suitable for solving his problem. It is very important to personalize your message here. You must offer products that will satisfy the needs of a specific consumer.
  • Company promotion. In this case, we simply remind the client about us.
  • Determining needs. This goal is the most difficult to achieve: you must, as a psychologist, identify the consumer problem that your product can solve.

If you compare cold and warm calls, you can find several quite significant differences.

Let's name the advantages of “warm” calls over “cold” ones:

  • Aimed at building long-term trusting relationships with consumers;
  • More often lead to product sales;
  • Do not cause a negative reaction from potential consumers.

How do warm calls work?

As a rule, calls to a “warm” base do not cause as many difficulties as “cold” telemarketing. But still, they are not as simple as “hot calls”.

When you dial a customer's phone number without their desire (as happens with hot calls), you risk a negative reaction. Account managers need to understand this.

Before you make a call, you need to determine the client's need. This call should be useful for him. In addition, you should clearly indicate to yourself the frequency of calls. You should not bother the client, you should help solve his problem.

The frequency of reminders from the company about itself, as a rule, depends on the period of use of the product. Distinguish following types goods: everyday goods, durable goods (1-3 years), durable goods (more than 20 years).

It makes no sense to offer the client to buy washing machine, if he purchased it a week ago. The likelihood that he will be interested in your proposal is very small; most likely, you will cause irritation and indignation. In this case, you can remind the client about yourself with the help of related products.

Identifying a need is also very important stage when making “warm” calls to clients. Primary analysis can be carried out even before talking with the client. Look at what purchases your interlocutor made and what interested him. This will allow you to set right direction conversation.

In general, there is a general scenario for making warm calls. Such a scenario is called in professional language. It allows you to standardize successful conversations and improve the efficiency of telesales.

Stages of a warm call:

  1. Greeting and introduction. Remember that you have already been in contact with this client, so there is no need to get acquainted;
  2. We ask if it is convenient for your interlocutor to continue the conversation. If not, we will find out when it will be possible to call back;
  3. We clarify the previous fact of cooperation;
  4. We present the product;
  5. We respond to objections. It is better to prepare answers to possible questions and objections in advance. Analyze the products you are going to offer to your consumer. Find the shortcomings and justify them with advantages. For example, high price can be explained best quality or greater product effectiveness;
  6. We record the purchase (or refusal) and say goodbye.

To make “warm” calls, it is best to choose employees with experience. Since there is a high probability that he will have to improvise and deviate from the script.

Yours must have the following qualities:

  • Be sociable, be able to win over your interlocutor;
  • Be able to navigate in non-standard situations;
  • Be literate;
  • Prevent departure from main topic conversation.

Example of a warm calling script

  1. Good afternoon, “Client Name”! My name is “your name”, I am a representative of the company “Custom Shirt”.
  2. Can you talk now? (If the client answers “no,” then we ask the second question: “When can I call you back to continue the conversation?”)
  3. You recently ordered a blue children's shirt from us.
  4. Today we started a new promotion “Get your child ready for school with a 10% discount”, we would like to offer you skirts and trousers for girls at a discount in addition to the shirt. We can send our catalog to your email so that you can familiarize yourself with the range.
  5. Let's imagine that the client said that he is already familiar with the assortment. We say: “This is a new arrival for the new school season, for now we are offering it only to our clients, since the supply is limited.”
  6. Goodbye! We look forward to seeing you again in our store.

Hello! In this article we will talk about such a telephone sales tool as a script.

Today you will learn:

  • What is a script for talking with a client on the phone;
  • How to write a telephone sales script correctly;
  • What types of telephone sales scripts exist? .

What is a telephone sales script?

For a marketer, a telephone is not only a means of communication, it is also an excellent channel for the promotion and distribution of products.

To understand how to sell a product using only a telephone conversation, you need to remember the specifics of communication over the phone:

  • Solution. Usually, modern man makes calls to find out or agree on something, in other words, to solve a problem;
  • Brevity. A conversation on the phone is always shorter than a conversation on the same topic in person;
  • Dialogue. Phone conversation always involves a dialogue between two people.

Not every sales manager is able to briefly describe to the client his proposal to solve a problem that needs to be identified during a telephone dialogue with the client. Therefore, in order for a conversation between a seller and a potential client to turn into sales, it is advisable to use pre-written dialogue scripts or scripts.

Script – a dialogue scenario between a sales manager and a client, designed to increase the efficiency of the former and attract the latter.

You need a telephone sales script if:

  • Do you sell over the phone?
  • Your office employs at least three managers to implement telephone sales and provide telephone consultations to clients (a smaller number is easier and cheaper to train to work without scripts);
  • You want to improve your overall telesales performance. At the same time, the effectiveness of individual managers may decrease.

If you agreed with each point, then we need to move on and decide what types of telephone sales scripts are suitable.

In total, there are four types of scripts, depending on the level of development of the client and the market in which the client is represented. Each type of script involves its own telephone sales technique.

Warm customer base

Cold customer base

Consumer segment

A “warm” script is used if you call a potential client who has recently performed a targeted action in relation to your company: made a purchase, registered on a website, visited a store, and so on. That is, you know that this client is interested in your product.

The manager’s goal is to remind about the company, offer products that may be of interest to this consumer, and convince him of the usefulness of this product

In this case, you are calling “blindly”. Your interlocutor probably doesn’t know about your company or product at all.

The manager’s goal is to inform the interlocutor about the company, identify the client’s problems and offer solutions to these problems. That is, the manager must get a completely new client for the company

Industrial segment

Any of these types is based on the following principles:

  • Equality. You and your client are partners. You should not persuade the client to take the target action or agree to unfavorable conditions. Your job is to see the client's problem and offer a solution. It is up to the client to refuse or agree. Otherwise, you will lose the client's respect for your company;
  • Cooperation. You should not argue with the client, you must prove to him that he really needs your product and the purpose of your call is to help. To do this, you need to ask your potential client questions to which you know the answers in advance. For example, manager: “Do you use a lot of paper per month?”, client: “yes”, manager: “you buy a new pack of paper every week”, client: “yes”, manager: “would you like our company delivered paper to your office every week at a time convenient for you?”

IN in this example We offer a solution to the client’s problem and at the same time use the law of three “yes”;

  • Knowledge. A sales manager must know the specifics of the company and understand its products and services.

Script structure

Now that we have decided on the types of script, let's decide on its structure. Since scripts for the consumer market are significantly different from scripts for the industrial market, we will analyze them separately. Let's start with the consumer segment.

Script structure for the consumer segment

To clearly show what the difference is between scripts for a warm and cold customer base, we will display the structure of the scripts in a small table.

Warm base

Cold base

Greetings

Introductory phrase: good afternoon (evening, morning)

Introductory phrase: good afternoon (evening, morning)

Performance

“Client name”, my name is “manager name”, I am a representative of the company “company name”

“My name is “manager name”, how can I address you? I am a representative of the company “company name”, we are engaged in ....”

There is no need to mention the client's name, even if you know it!

Finding out the circumstances

We find out whether it is convenient for the interlocutor to talk now (if not, then we discuss the time when it will be possible to call back)

We find out whether it is convenient for the interlocutor to talk now (if not, then we discuss the time when it will be possible to call back)

Clarifying questions

We remind the client that he recently purchased our product or performed another targeted action. For example: “last week you purchased our product “name”. Did you like him?

We identify the client’s need: “Are you familiar with the problem...?” “Would you like to get rid of her?”

Purpose of the call

We indicate the purpose of the call: “Yesterday we received a new product that complements the “name of the product that was already purchased earlier.” It will allow you to achieve a double effect and save you from the problem for a long time...” Here the consumer either purchases the product or objects

We offer our product/service to the client. If the client objects, we move on to the next stage

Reply to an objection

We use all the positive characteristics of a product or company to convince the consumer of the need for this product

We identify the reason for refusing to purchase the product. We solve the problem for which the consumer refused, as a rule, it is necessary to solve three such problems

We say goodbye

“Thank you for your time, we will be glad to see you in our store. Goodbye"

“Thank you for your time, we will be glad to see you in our store. Goodbye"

Structure of a cold calling script for an industrial client

In this case, it would be advisable to omit the conversation script with the industrial client from the warm base. Typically, it matches the conversation script for the warm base of the consumer segment.

for industrial clients will consist of the following steps:

  1. Preliminary. We send your commercial offer to the potential client by email. This must be done half an hour before the call. We write down the goals of the conversation;
  1. Search for a contact person, who makes a decision in the client company on your issue;
  2. Secretary's rounds. As a rule, the secretary of the responsible person will answer you first, who has his own script for refusing people like you. You need to get around it. To do this, adhere to the following rules:
  • It is necessary to show by intonation and manner of speaking that the person in charge needs this cooperation more than you;
  • Clear, correct, confident speech;
  • The following phrase should be heard in the conversation: “Who can I talk to about this issue” (“Contact me with the person responsible for this issue”).
  1. Conversation with the decision maker. Structure of a script for talking to responsible person company will look like this.

Stage

Action

Greetings

Introductory phrase: good afternoon (evening, morning) “Name of interlocutor”

Performance

Say your first and last name

Clarification questions and product introduction

Do you use communication services from our company “name”? Now we have a new offer, for regular customers it will cost half as much. It will allow you to “name those benefits that are of interest to your interlocutor.” For example, for the boss - cost reduction and profit, for ordinary employees - simplification of work

Work with objections

We identify the reason for refusing to purchase the product. We solve the problem for which the consumer refused. Typically, there are three such problems that need to be solved

We say goodbye

Thank you for your time, we will be glad to cooperate / see you / tomorrow our specialist will come to you at the appointed time

An example of working with objections

At the end of the article, I would like to focus on this block, since it is the most dangerous from the point of view of losing a client.

Objection

Answer

We don't need this product

“The product can solve the problem with...”. Doesn’t help, you can offer an alternative product and name it useful qualities for client

I have no time to talk (after the clarification stage)

“It won't take more than 10 minutes. I can call you back at another time. At your convenience?"

We already have a supplier, he suits us

“We do not propose to replace your current partners, we propose to supplement them so that everyone can work comfortably and problems such as “listing the client’s problems” do not arise.

Expensive

Many of our customers pointed out the high price, but all questions were resolved after they tried our product. Let us give you a 20% discount on your first order so you can be sure of this

In fact, there may be many more objections; we have given only the most common options. It is important to think through each one and work it out so that the manager can give a clear response and not lose the client.

Sample (example) telephone sales script

Finally, here is a complete telephone sales script. Let's say we sell shampoo for dry hair to a cold customer base.

  1. Greetings: Good afternoon
  2. Performance: " My name is Anna, how can I contact you? I am a representative of the Volosatik company, we are engaged in the production natural remedies hair care. “Customer Name, we have a special offer for you.”
  3. Clarification of circumstances:“Are you comfortable talking now?”
  4. Clarifying questions:“Are you familiar with the problem of dry and brittle hair?”, “Would you like to get rid of it?”
  5. Purpose of the call:“Great, we offer natural shampoo for dry hair. The fact is that licorice, which is included in its composition, retains water, and the absence of sulfates allows you to preserve the structure of the hair. Did you know that 90% of shampoos in stores contain sulfates, which destroy the hair structure, slowing down growth and making it brittle? (No Yes). When making our shampoo, we focused specifically on the absence of harm to hair. At the same time, the price of our shampoo corresponds to the market average and is 500 rubles per 400 ml.”
  6. Work with objections: Examples of working with objections are given in the table above.
  7. Saying goodbye:“Thank you for your time, we will be glad to see you in our store. Goodbye".

Video about telephone sales scripts

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