Cold calling scripts are undoubtedly one of the essential tools in the sales process. According to a LinkedIn survey, 27% of sales representatives agree that making cold calls using scripts to new and prospective buyers is exceptionally effective. When utilized correctly and written in the right way, they can help you gain more opportunities, grow your revenue, and drastically reduce your sales cycle length.
The best practices of creating scripts meant for cold calling have changed due to the advancement in new technologies. Luckily, the principles of human behavior that govern an effective script have not changed. Thus, this guide will delve into the latest and most effective tips for creating cold calling scripts with samples to get you started.
Creating Your Cold Calling Scripts
A compelling script for cold calling must be likable, engaging, and intriguing on the phone and build rapport with your prospective customer. A well-designed script enables you to hit all the necessary hallmarks to turn a cold call into a warm one. Here are the scriptwriting tips that will enrich your cold calling prospects, whether B2B or SaaS sales.
- Identify Cold Calling Prospects
It's essential to identify the ideal prospects to call beforehand to improve your cold calling prospects. Doing your research upfront ensures that you don't waste your time cold calling prospects that aren't a good fit for your products. Look for prospective customers who have common attributes to those you've had success with in the past.
LinkedIn is one great resource that you can use to find out a little about your prospect. Look at the university they went to, see whether you have mutual connections, and their job titles to find something you can talk to them about when you call. Identifying cold calling prospects beforehand will increase your chances of making a successful cold call.
2. Break the Ice
The first cold call you make is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and why a prospect should purchase from you. Thus, make sure the connection counts, offer something special immediately, and highlight how you add value to your prospect's organization. In addition, use a credibility statement, give specific and detailed information, describe your product, or throw in their competitor's name in your conversation to warm up a cold call.
Three Cold Calling Scripts You Can Customize
Here're three cold calling scripts that you can customize according to your situation to break the ice with a gatekeeper:
Credibility Statement: "Hello, my name is [Your Name], I am calling from [Your Company's Name] here in New York. I specialize in developing .NET software for financial companies here in New York City."
Give Detailed Information: "I noticed that you were recently appointed the manager of analytics in your company. Therefore, I'm giving you a call because our software directly connects with your CRM to display key performance metrics and business intelligence driven by your manufacturing process' data."
Describe your Product: "I'm calling because our company offers self-run and fully self-managed cleaning services that are 100% OHSA compliant for your restaurant, which includes kitchen, dining, and bathrooms, all in one service that doesn't require work for you or your staff."
3. Ask Open-Ended Questions
When writing your cold call script, it's important not to assume your prospects' profile. Instead, it would be wise to find a creative way to get your prospective customers to open up and reveal their profiles. Open-ended questions allow your prospects to fill the void in your knowledge, which helps you tailor your sales process to address their pain points.
Here are some of the open-ended questions that you can incorporate in your cold calling script:
- What's the main problem that your company is facing at the moment?
- What would be your ideal solution?
- What are the KPIs you consult before making a purchase?
4. Anticipate and Embrace Objections
Objection and rejection are part and parcel of the cold calling process. Nonetheless, most prospective customers raise objections around the issues of pricing, budget, and competitors. Thus, when designing your cold calling script, you must prepare your responses to objections in advance to ensure you make a close.
Even though rejections can be a morale-bruiser, you shouldn't take them personally. Just focus on making the close. Here's a script of how you can respond to rejections:
Prospect: I'm not interested at the moment. I don't think it can work for us.
You: I fully understand. But, I'm curious to know why you feel that way since we have had much success with [Another Company]. Could you help me understand why you don't think it fits your company?
5. Concentrate on Your Value
Your script meant for cold calling must conclusively explain in detail the value that your products or services bring to the table. Thus, the script must demonstrate how your solution will help the prospect, the benefits that they can expect by working with you, and, essentially, why they should care. Ensure you put across your value regardless of whether the prospect is happy with your solution or not so that you can close the deal.
To communicate your value effectively, call your prospect by name in a welcoming tone and explain to them the reason for the call. More so, build a bridge by connecting the reason for the call and why they should give you their ears. Consequently, ask the prospect for what you want and keep quiet.
Wrapping It Up
It's worth noting that a cold calling script is just a guide that helps you be effective in the cold calling process. Luckily, these scripts aren't meant to be rigid sales tools that dictate how your cold calling should flow. Making them as conversational as possible will significantly improve your chances of creating a meaningful connection with your prospect.