Constructive Criticism - Calling Scripts

by 25 replies
31
After reading a ton of stuff on here and buying Claude's book and reading that last night I tried to write up a new script for my appointment setter. She makes some calls for us when we can't since we work the business plus have regular jobs. I had written a script previously for her but found out she decided to write her own but sounds too salesy to me. She is actually good on the phone but what I'm finding is that she is trying to talk people into our services rather than finding the ones that want our services and probably spends too much time per call rather than letting them go when they say no. The script below that is the new one along with reasons as to why she needs to stick to it. Also, I have my own script similar to the new one but it identifies me as the actual owner of the business. Any thoughts on all this is really appreciated.



_________________________________________

New Script with explanation


Hi Prospect? (Rather than ask "Can I speak to Bob"...if you are calling a male owner and a man answers just automatically say "Hi Bob?" likewise for a woman)


Is it a bad time or do you have a minute? (Always ask if it is a bad time. This is important because if it's not a bad time you are getting permission to keep speaking. If it is a bad time you don't want to be remembered as the person that bothered them during a crappy time. Just thank them and say you will call another time)


Here is the main part. Remember you just want to have a conversation with the business owner and "hook" him in order to make him want to have another conversation. The sales process should take place during the sales appointment, not during the appointment setting. If someone isn't interested just say ok and let them go...they are not your target market. Your target market are the ones that need and want the services and they are out there. Don't waste time trying to convince someone because you will end up with a bunch of appointments that go nowhere. (If the say no, read below what to do.)

This is Amy $&%&^% from DPM. We are a newer local business and work exclusively with skilled service businesses to make sure your business is found by new customers as well as retain current customers and get them coming back. Would you like to know more?




Common Responses:

Ok, I believe our business can really help you could I just send you some free information?
(try to get email address, while they said no at this time, they may be ready to buy after reading some info but do not force them to listen to a bunch of benefits, statistics and such...it will turn them off. Just let them go for now)

Great, would you have time this week to either sit down with our owner Jennifer, or have a phone appointment with her so she can learn a bit more about your business and let you know what the best options are for your particular company?
(Again this is giving them the option and letting them know that you aren't a cookie cutter business and take each individual business into account when making marketing plans)

We make sure that you are found online by the 85% of people searching for local businesses and we make sure you are found ahead of your competition.

We make sure that you are found online by the 85% of people searching for local businesses and we make sure you are found ahead of your competition.

Actually we built our business model to make it extremely affordable to business owners and we can work with you on that every step of the way.
#offline marketing #calling #constructive #criticism #scripts
  • STICK WITH SOMETHING.

    If you keep running around looking for the magic bullet you'll never get anywhere.

    An increased number of bad conversations is not going to help.

    Changing every variable you can think of all at once is not going to help.

    P.S. asking for script criticism is like asking for copy criticism. Two carpenters in a room will argue about how to do a job.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Ok, I'm certainly not running around looking for the magic bullet. I am simply trying to find the best approach to introduce our services to business owners and get legit appointments. The script my appt setter changed to was very sales oriented so I am trying to give her something that she is comfortable with but is gets the prospect to either say no or interest them in an appt.

      We just truly started out so I am just trying to find the best route to take at this point. There is so much info here and other places it's extremely difficult for newbies to know which way to turn. I wish I had the money to spend to work with a sales trainer but at this point I do not so I'm trying my best to navigate all of the info.
  • Below is a script that gets to the point in the 30 seconds you have to connect with the prospect. Its just one of many many ways to go about intro scripts. I'm sure others can chime in on effective scripts that worked for them as well. Hope this helps.

    Catch their attention immediately with something amazing, in this case its sales revenue.
    Name drop another local business to build trust.
    Set expectations for the appointment.
    Introduce the Owner.
    Thanks them for their time.

    Good day, is this "Prospect name"? This is so and so from XYZ media and we just helped ABC Plumbing over on 123 Main street land 3 new customers which turned into $10,000 in sales revenue in just one week. They mentioned you may be interested in speaking with us when you have some free time. It will take 10 minutes of your time which I'm certain you will want to hear more about how we can help you out. Jennifer, our owner, is well respected among our customers and has some openings today or tomorrow, what does your schedule look like? .....Thanks for taking my call I promise you will want to hear what Jennifer has to share with you.
    • [2] replies
    • So...what about when you don't have a track record?

      What if you don't have a local client?

      Did you really get the referral?

      Do they have "free time" to listen to some mystery info?
    • But what if you don't have many clients yet? We do have some but I'm not going to say that someone referred another to me if they didn't. The clients we have are in 3 different states and different towns in those states and only one has referred so far and we already took care of that referral.
  • I personally did try calling business owners in the beginning offering a free report to introduce them to our business. However, what I found is these guys within my niche are more matter of fact and wanted to know what my business did and what we offered. They didn't want a report they wanted me up front and to know why I was calling. So yes I have tried another avenue but found out relatively quick they just wanted straight forward info. That is why I thought more of a hook would be better. I do realize everyone has different thoughts and opinions on everything but that's why I was asking so I could get opinions. Thanks for all the help guys, I appreciate it so much
    • [1] reply
    • Or another way of looking at it is, some of those you called took control of the call and you didn't know how to get it back on track.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [3] replies
  • Jennifer,

    I can relate very well to this scenario as I was in this same situation. The niche I am calling into are busy office environments where absolutely no one has time to talk.

    ....So I use this as a pain point and how it aligns with my solution.

    I won't get into the details of our product (SMS Alert Messaging), but often times instead of delivering a preconceived pain point, which they may or may not have, I will key-in on their restlessness and mention quickly that we "help" them with the problem of being too busy. Definitely need to feel them out, but I am convinced that a more short and to the point message, delivered concisely and confidently, is what garners attention.

    When I drift off into too many questions-ville I can get off track and lose the call. And that happens very quickly (like you don't even notice it).

    So, when a DM is on the line I am delivering something short and to the point:

    "Hi John, Amy sounded super busy today. <you may get confirmation from this. Listen and react!>

    This is James and I am calling because my business has had a lot of success helping <niche name> offices save an average of $900 each month by reducing the time staff spends on the phone with customers. Instead of 1 call at a time, Amy can get the message to 50 customers at once.

    Do you think this is something worth talking about with me for a minute or two?"


    Bottom line: I don't get into reports or offers, I just want to:
    1. Get to deliver a 30 sec commercial and monetize the pain points.
    2. Get an appointment to demo our product or do it right then.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Edited: TMI
    • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • I would eliminate the word "newer".
    Remove the shut down because you're new.
    Not saying you hide the fact - you just don't want to get shut down early.

    Putting myself in the shoes of a busy, multi-tasking decision maker, it's confusing
    that you would help me get found and retain current customers.
    I find myself wondering if you provide websites or some kind of consulting.
    It does not make me want me to find out more. It makes me want to leave
    because it sounds complicated, confusing, and like you're not sure about
    what you do.

    perhaps:
    "This is Amy $&%&^% from DPM. We are a local business that helps
    skilled service businesses get more new customers."
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • MidasMan09...I think that is a great approach. I like to use Dani Johnson's script book. They're easy to just turn into your own.
  • So you got resistance and changed the script and became more direct and... now you're still looking for a script that gets appointments from interested people.

    Not for nothing, but that doesn't put you in any position to disagree with my assessment or anyone else's, really.

    Especially since you say you're new at this. You haven't earned the right to disagree.

    So pardon me for being more like the people you call i.e. "very matter of fact" and not wanting to "beat around the bush."

    Giving you suggestions may be a waste of time but Mr. Stewart appears to only count the posts where I don't give further advice and ignores the ones where I do and I wanna make him a happy chap. So...

    1. If the person you have calling keeps on not following your directions and what they do instead doesn't get results for you - FIRE HER.

    2. Stop being so protective over the script YOU use (the one which states you're the owner, the one you say works so well). If it's working, rewrite it so your phone person can use it.

    3. "This is Amy $&%&^% from DPM. We are a newer local business and work exclusively with skilled service businesses to make sure your business is found by new customers as well as retain current customers and get them coming back. Would you like to know more?"

    ...is in my humble opinion terribly weak and vague and tries to reach too much. Doing that practically is asking for people to say no. You have to trigger them to say yes, correct? You have to say things which builds, compounds, makes sense, sounds real and gets them wanting it.... then they're more likely to say yes to an appointment. And that could be done in two sentences.

    The conclusion I'm drawing based on what you've written about yourselves, what you've described, et al, leads me to feel the reason people were 'very matter of fact not wanting to beat around the bush not interested in your free report' was most probably because there wasn't any certainty, conviction, fire or confidence behind your delivery. They sensed it was a bill of goods - and called you on it. That's what you need to work on: the chops, probably more than the script itself.

    Good luck.
    • [ 3 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • Misterme! You're back! I take it you slept well?

      :-)

      In all fairness, you may be right. I was simply going by what I've seen, and not just from you either. Some people just seem to have little or no patience with newbies. I've had a tendency to stick up for the underdog, but I also understand becoming impatient when having to answer the same questions over and over. I just felt that it's unfair to give people half an answer, that's all.

      I'll scan through some of your older posts as well. I'm certain that there's value to be had.

      100% agree.

      Once again, 100% agree.

      No! Click...

      He's right. I'd be interested in seeing an example of it being done in two sentences, if you wouldn't mind? That could be helpful to me and others as well.

      He's right. THIS is constructive criticism and should be taken to heart. Of course, it's still difficult to give a 100% accurate critique without actually hearing you deliver the pitch, but I do agree with what he's saying.

      Thank you, Misterme.
      • [1] reply
    • Wow, the first half of your post...do you really need to be so annoyed by me being new because that is the way it feels? Sorry I'm a newbie and confused but I thought that is what this forum was for. I apologize if I was wrong about that. I disagreed with you because I felt you were incorrect about one aspect. I do have a script that works for me but I didn't feel it would work for her, that is why I needed help. You are entitled to your opinion but I don't think you should be so negative to someone asking for assistance. The second half or your message was all I was looking for and what I needed to help me out and I do appreciate your help there so thanks.
  • I'm not annoyed by you being new.

    What's annoying if anything is that you're the one having issues and you're the one saying you don't know which end is up. Then I offer some insight which you don't have and could use - and you disagree with me.

    Instead you should really consider that since you're the one with the problem, that maybe the way you see your situation is the incorrect view.

    But I'm noticing several things here. And it's disturbing to me.

    One is the way you just now spinned the annoyance you sensed as about you being new.

    Then I see you write this:

    And that right there... that's like a victim response, you know that? That's the classic passive aggressive response.

    You're not "confused" about the forum at all, you're feigning confusion to elicit sympathy. That "I apologize if I was wrong" - I know that's you trying to manipulate me.

    I recognize that behavior. I understand you don't.

    You're only strengthening my perception that you're a person who doesn't have the mettle to deal with a push back.

    That's why so many of your calls - "all of them" I think you said - dominated you.

    That fact didn't raise a flag for anyone here but me?

    I admit that earlier I was acting a little hard on you, and for a very good reason:

    To see how you'd handle it. Because I suspected you can't.

    Now I know why.

    Maybe to get to the answer to your question, the person who should post next is the person you have working for you so that she can explain in her own words, in confidence, why she feels she needs to buck your direction and make an attempt to handle things her way instead of yours.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Then I see you write this:

    Quote:
    Sorry I'm a newbie and confused but I thought that is what this forum was for. I apologize if I was wrong about that.

    And that right there... that's like a victim response, you know that? That's the classic passive aggressive response.

    You're not "confused" about the forum at all, you're feigning confusion to elicit sympathy. That "I apologize if I was wrong" - I know that's you trying to manipulate me.

    I recognize that behavior. I understand you don't.

    You're only strengthening my perception that you're a person who doesn't have the mettle to deal with a push back.

    I admit that earlier I was acting a little hard on you, and for a very good reason:

    To see how you'd handle it. Because I suspected you can't.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
Join the discussion

Next Topics on Trending Feed

  • 31

    Constructive Criticism - Calling Scripts

    After reading a ton of stuff on here and buying Claude's book and reading that last night I tried to write up a new script for my appointment setter. She makes some calls for us when we can't since we work the business plus have regular jobs. I had written a script previously for her but found out she decided to write her own but sounds too salesy to me. She is actually good on the phone but what I'm finding is that she is trying to talk people into our services rather than finding the ones that want our services and probably spends too much time per call rather than letting them go when they say no. The script below that is the new one along with reasons as to why she needs to stick to it. Also, I have my own script similar to the new one but it identifies me as the actual owner of the business. Any thoughts on all this is really appreciated.