Sales script guide: Examples, benefits, and how to write one

We’ve all been the victim of a bad sales script. Whether in a cold call or a company follow-up, it’s painful to sit there while an uninformed sales rep fumbles their way through information you don’t need until you hang up out of mercy.

Sales scripts have a bad reputation. But the fact is, a strong sales script can be a game-changer for your company and your sales team. In this piece, we’ll cover everything you need to know about building sales scripts: what a sales script is, how to write one that works, and how to apply scripts to situations outside of cold calling.

Why use a sales script?

Any sales rep knows that consumers aren’t carbon copies of one another. Different people require different sales tactics; sales reps must cultivate the ability to shift gears at a moment’s notice. In every interaction, however, reps must consistently and accurately convey company and product information. A good sales script eases that process.

By giving sales reps a foundation of knowledge to work from, an effective sales script can:

• Decrease sales rep stress
• Boost sales efficiency
• Increase rapport between the sales rep and the lead
• Improve the overall consistency of company messaging
• Drive lead generation

Of course, a bad sales script can hurt your company more than not having a sales script at all. Before you start handing out your script to your sales reps, you’ll need to know how to write one that works.

How to write a good sales script

Sales scripts must be informed, concise, and tailored to a specific audience. Below are our seven steps to creating a great sales script.

1. Choose a single focus

   You can’t sell a consumer on every product or service at the same time. Sales scripts need to be specific. Chances are that if this is your first interaction, you probably aren’t even looking to make a sale. A sales script should establish the objective right away—this will inform how your sales reps proceed with the interaction.

   Pick one product or service, and determine what you want the prospective customer to do to reach the next step in the sales pipeline. Persuading them to sign up for a free trial or schedule an initial meeting is just as much of a victory as a final transaction.

2. Know your target audience

   Demographics aside, you wouldn’t talk to someone who’s at the beginning of the pipeline the same way you would to someone who’s close to making a purchase. If a sales rep starts introducing the product to a buyer who’s already had an initial meeting, that person is lost because they assume the company didn’t bother to remember them.

   Even if a prospect is being passed between multiple sales reps throughout their journey, you need to know how past interactions have gone and what information that prospect received. To easily keep track of all the prospective customers in your pipeline, use a robust CRM like Zendesk Sell.

3. Introduce yourself

   The first piece of information every sales rep should give is their name and the company they work for. This gives the lead a point of contact and an immediate understanding of who they’re talking to. You want their questions to be about your products or services, not about your sales reps.

   If a prospect is further down the pipeline, you can include a follow-up. For example:

   “Hello, my name is Stephen and I’m following up regarding your interest in Worldwide Marketing.”

   This script opening also acknowledges that it isn’t the first interaction with the prospect.

4. Build rapport

   This is where lead qualification is essential. Your sales reps can’t build relationships with buyers they know nothing about. By putting in the time to research leads, your reps can immediately zero in on problem-solving.

   For example:

   
   Sales rep:
   
   
   Mr. Smith:
   
   Sales rep:
   
   
   Mr. Smith:
   
   Sales rep:
   
   
   Mr. Smith:
   
   Sales rep:
   

   
   “Hello, this is Stephen with Worldwide Marketing. I’m looking for Mr. Michael Smith.”
   
   “This is he.”
   
   “Hi, Michael. Wonderful to speak to you. I absolutely loved [The name of company’s latest product].”
   
   “Thank you.”
   
   “I’ve recommended it to friends and family. I was surprised they hadn’t heard of it, but I suppose I haven’t seen a lot of ads.”
   
   “Our marketing budget is tight.”
   
   “I’ll bet. A product that great shouldn’t be forgotten, though. Have you looked into Worldwide Marketing’s scalable advertising plan?”
   

   This is a personal conversation that hones in on a real problem for the prospect that can be solved by the seller. This is why nine in 10 companies use two or more lead enrichment tools to learn about their prospective customers.

5. Ask questions

   Your prospect is the most important part of the sales conversation. It’s easy to write a script that focuses on the technical details of your product, and it makes sense why you might want to: Your company has worked hard on it! But you’re not selling a product—you’re selling a solution.

   A recent analysis found that successful salespeople only talk for 54 percent of an initial call. Maintain that ideal ratio by asking your prospective buyer pertinent questions.

   If we look back at Michael, we see that his product is struggling because of a tight marketing budget and minimal marketing. A good question for him might be, “Do you feel you’ve lost opportunities in the past because of a lack of marketing?”

   The question addresses the pain point of lost revenue while also hinting that this could be a recurring issue. You are the solution. A marketing investment can solve the problem not only for the current product but for all future products.

6. Use a positioning statement

   A positioning statement shows that the sales rep understands the prospective buyer’s challenges and has experience in solving those problems for similar clients.

   Depending on your sales style, this is also an ideal place to mention one of your prospect’s known competitors. If your prospect knows you’re working with the competition, they might see that as an opportunity to get ahead on what other companies are doing.

7. Close with a call to action

   No matter how you believe the interaction is going, never forget your call to action (CTA). Refer back to your objective—if you want the prospect to schedule an appointment, now’s the time to ask them to do so.

   Remember, your prospect is unlikely to take the initiative to move forward on their own unless they’re near the end of the pipeline. It’s not that they’re uninterested—they’re just busy. Suggesting a clear next step is the best way to grab their attention and take control of the process.

Free guide: How to simplify your sales tools

Remove the guesswork from sales software so your team can focus on building relationships and closing deals.

Free sales guideFree sales guide

Sales script examples

Now that we know how to create a strong sales script, let’s explore a few examples.

Sales pitch script

Your sales pitch script can serve your sales reps in any interaction, no matter where the prospect is in the pipeline. Whether you want to focus on key points or write out a script word-for-word, here’s what your sales pitch script should include:

Your reps aren’t necessarily going to use every single point on this chart in every interaction. But having this information lets them focus on the important aspects of the sales pitch for each individual lead.

Sales role-play scripts

Prospective customers will never hear your sales role-play scripts. Instead, these scripts are for training your reps on a variety of possible sales scenarios.

You can decide what’s most relevant, but you definitely want to cover objections.

Sales reps won’t necessarily be able to overcome every objection, but practicing answers and solutions will prepare them to hold their ground in sales conversations.

Sales introduction script

Sales introduction is sometimes used interchangeably with sales pitch, but there are differences between the two. A sales pitch contains critical information to let a buyer know about a product and how it can solve a problem. A sales introduction is usually more personal and relationship-centric.

Here’s a sales introduction prospecting email from content marketing consultant Ryan Robinson.

You’ll notice that information about his product doesn’t appear until the third paragraph. Only then does he open the door and invite the prospect to chat and hear the full pitch.

Sales call script examples

When you think of sales calls, cold calling likely comes to mind, but that’s not always the case. There are different types of sales calls—such as discovery calls and follow-up calls—and each has its place in the sales cycle. No script is going to cover every aspect of a sales call conversation, but let’s take a look at some important points for inbound and outbound sales calls.

Develop strong sales scripts with a powerful CRM

You can’t create effective sales scripts without tracking your leads and your pipeline first. Investing in a modern sales CRM like Zendesk Sell enables you to keep tabs on your conversations, improve your pipeline visibility, and view customer interaction history. With our solution, you can also compile call lists, log and record every call, store call scripts and notes, and monitor emails.

Request a demo of Zendesk Sell today so you can move forward with qualified leads and informed sales reps.