No matter how well you think you or your sales force know your products, it is always a good idea to have a marketing script if you want to maintain good flow within your sales cycle.
My goal today is to teach you how to lay the right foundation so that your marketing script is something you can build upon and not have to rebuild from scratch each time. If you let your scripts evolve over time, your sales efforts will be a lot tighter and your closing rates will increase.
Get Right to the Point
No matter if you are cold-calling, approaching prospects at a trade show, developing a video sales letter, or going door-to-door, you literally have just a few seconds to capture their interest. Drop the ball here, and it’s all over. Make your opening question one that causes the prospect to return volley. Yes and no questions work well in this regard, because it only gives the prospect the floor for a second.
“Mr. Jones, if I could show you proof that your carpets and upholstery are retaining seasonal allergens in your home long after allergy season is over, you would want me to show you how to get rid of them, too, wouldn’t you?”
In a VSL or sales letter, the same rules apply.
“It’s no joke. No matter how well you keep up with cleaning your home, you’re still living with microbes, spores, and allergens that could very well be making you sick. In a few minutes, I’m going to show you exactly how you can get rid of them, start breathing easier, and maybe even live longer.”
Present Both Open- and Closed-Ended Questions
As you sit down to write your script, think of all the information that you will need to obtain from your prospects and start writing questions around it. Try to pace each closed-ended question with a corresponding open-ended one, like this:
“Have you ever given your carpets, floors, and upholstery a professional, hypoallergenic cleaning before?”
If yes: “Can I ask who has taken care of that for you in the past?”
If no: “Is there a reason why you haven’t considered it until now?”
In written formats, you can do the same thing framing the questions rhetorically. Make the prospects think about why they need your service and keep the problem in their heads.
“Now be honest: When was the last time you gave your floors, carpets, and upholstery a thorough, hypoallergenic cleaning? Is that even a thing you’ve considered until now? Have you ever wondered why you’re sneezy and sniffly all year round while others around you seem to feel so much better?”
Anticipate Objections
This is your best line of defense when writing a marketing script. There will be objections and plenty of them. Anticipating the most common ones can be the difference between breaking down your prospect’s barriers and running headlong into them.
“It sounds expensive.”
“Mr. Jones, we understand that money is tight, which is why we’ve recently reduced prices for our services in your area by 20%, and we are prepared to offer you that rate for the next two years.”
Video scripts and sales letters give you even more of an edge. Why? Because you can work the objections right into the conversation.
“Some people are so shocked at how little it costs to maintain a clean, healthy, allergen-free living environment, they start wondering if it’s all it’s cracked up to be. Here’s what we do…”
Prepare a Solid Close
Rule #1 of selling: You don’t make the sale if you don’t ask for it. Here’s the point where you draw the customer in and try to get a commitment to buy. Start by asking, “Does this seem like the kind of thing that could help you?” If the answer is yes, you’re in. If the answer is no, that’s when you refer to your arsenal of objections. If you get a new one, catalogue it and make sure you come up with an answer you can use when you hear it again.
In terms of video or long-form sales letters, the best approach is to refer to the problem or “pain points” that you brought up in the beginning and drive the point home that your product or service holds the solution – not just one possible solution, the solution. Make that point abundantly clear, then ask for the sale. In these instances, it’s sometimes very effective to integrate the objections into the close. Deal with one or two at a time, and keep repeating your call to action to “click the Buy Now button below.”
Be Prepared to Answer Questions
Not only that, but be prepared to answer them the right way. If you really want to suss out whether or not you have the sale, make the prospect tell if you do or don’t.
“Will this treatment work on oriental rugs?”
“Do you have oriental rugs that you want us to clean?”
“Yes.”
You just made the sale. Stop what you’re doing and schedule the appointment.
Most effective VSLs and long-form sales letters include a frequent questions segment at the very end of the presentation where you can handle objections and provide answers. Do your homework and anticipate all possible “nos.” This is your last-ditch effort to capture that click.
These are the most basic elements to writing a good script. If you still feel stuck after reading this and need someone to give your script a good once-over, rework it, or just write one from scratch, that’s why custom writing services exist. Don’t be afraid to at least talk to a professional about your project.