Selling Lesson Number Three: Learn by the script, but don't live by it

Once upon a time, I was hired to be a sales professional. During my first week of training, my boss gave me a script to guide me through the process of what to say when making cold calls and when hosting online demonstrations of our services. Being new and not wanting to making any mistakes, I was thrilled to have a script to guide me.

By the end of the first two weeks, I had grown very comfortable using the script and felt ready to face cold calling and hosting demos all by myself. Following the script made sense. My demos had a beginning, a middle and an end. I remember thinking “this sales thing seems easy.” 

Then, the unexpected happened. While giving a web-based demo and delivering my pitch via speakerphone to a team of top managers from a company considered to be a very hot prospect, the executive director —the key decision maker—asked to see a feature of our software that, according to the script, I was not to cover until near the end of the presentation.

I literally froze in my seat as the realization hit me: He had asked me to stray from the script. My script was the GPS that led me to closing a deal. How would I get there without it? Did I even know how to  navigate to that portion of the demo without getting totally lost?

The next few moments passed slowly. I was afraid to stray from the established path. In my mind, the workflow had to be this way or no way (certainly for demonstration purposes—after all, that's how I was trained!). I fumbled along as my confidence level lost speed.

I promised the director I'd get to that portion of the demo soon. Again, he urged me to change course. I realized right then I had to do what he wanted or I would lose any chance of making the sale.

Taking a breath, I gripped the mouse and clicked. I veered off-course, navigating a new route to our  destination. We arrived safely, exactly where he wanted to be. He was happy and asked me to send him a contract. A week later, the sale was a done deal and his company became one our top performing clients.

Years later, when I shared that story with my colleagues, I discovered they had all “been there, done that.” I had no idea. I was sure I was the only one who had become lost on the way to a sale. A sales script is a terrific way to set the course for success in selling, but know that, at some point, you will have to change direction and navigate your way on your own.

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Earlier posts in the Lessons on Selling Series: Selling Lesson Number One: Knock on Doors, Selling Lesson Number Two: There are no Dudes.

Comments

[Barry W]

Kelly ...
Very nice article. I'm glad you learned this lesson early.

Many times my prospects want me to change course also. I'll be 1/3 into my presentation and they say "So how much does it cost?". I've been thrown by this many times and I'll have to say I don't think I've learned a good way to handle it. If I jump to straight to the price, I've missed the opportunity to demonstrate how our service relates to their business, their bottom line, their pain. If I side-step or skip past the issue, I may have lost the decision-maker's attention altogether.

I know I've lost sales because I've changed my course, mentioned the price, and then was forced to back-pedal into a defensive posture on how our program was "Worth it!".

I'd love to hear advise/experience from you and your readers regarding this situation.

Thanks for your post!

[Z. Kelly Queijo]

Oh, Barry, I've been there, too. When the prospective customer wants to know the price, of course you have to tell them, but along with that comes the value statement. For example: "For a monthly subscription fee of XX, you gain access to critical information that can help you make future buying decisions, keep a pulse on selling trends...track the things that impact your bottom line. Wouldn't you say it's worth XX/month to have an impact on that bottom line a year from now?"

Another approach is straight on -- "Our services are XX per month. How do you feel about that? Do we seem low or high compared with the competition? Of course, you'll have to ask yourself, is the value of our product worth more to you than the cost? We think so, but I'd like to hear from you."

To improve, I kept notes on questions prospects asked and reviewed them before my demos. This helped me be better prepared. Of course, it's awful in an online demo when you mention the cost and then all you hear is silence. Humor is always helpful at a time like this. I sometimes asked "I can't see your faces, are you smiling or crying?"

I hope others will comment and share their stories too!