Example script to follow for prospecting
In prospecting, the phone is certainly the most formidable tool: it allows you to present a company's values, address various objections, and provide reassurance. That’s why companies cannot do without phone prospecting in their development strategies. However, while a well-executed call can be highly effective and secure a new client, a poor-quality call can act as a real deterrent. So, how can you prospect with mastery and ensure you achieve your sales goals? Here’s an example script for telemarketing firms: which will enable your telemarketers to succeed in their outreach and other forms of phone prospecting, both B2B and B2C.
Introduction
Hello [Prospect's Name], this is [Name of Telemarketer] from International Recruitment.
Am I bothering you?
The values of your product
- Perfect. I’m calling because we help HR Directors to:
[Insert the values of your product here]
(Optional) Potential disqualification
- I’d like to ask you 1 or 2 questions to determine if what we offer will meet your needs.
- (Take a pause or ask if you may continue)
- Do you have 2 minutes?
Qualification Questions
- Quickly,
[Insert your questions here]
Example of Known Issues
- Oh, okay. We’ve spoken with other HR Directors, and they often mention:
[Insert the difficulties here]
- Are you facing these issues or challenges as well?
Product and Company Information
- I think it would be useful for us to discuss this in more detail.
- As I mentioned, I’m from International Recruitment, and we:
[Insert a few brief details about your product, service, and/or company]
Conclusion
- Since I’m calling you unexpectedly, I don’t want to take up more of your time.
- You’ve asked some interesting questions, and my manager would like to share more information with you.
- He would also like to learn more about your needs.
- Are you available for a quick 15-20 minute meeting next week?
- You’ll discuss your goals and challenges with my manager.
- He will explain how we’ve helped some companies build highly qualified teams.
- Feel free to contact us if you need assistance with writing your scripts.
- This example telemarketing script is very effective, but you should first do a bit of research and prospect identification...
Developing a telephone prospecting script
It’s all about... targeting. First, identify 2 or 3 segments. Don’t scatter your efforts on targets that don’t meet your criteria and aren’t a good fit. It’s very likely that your offer won’t interest them, in which case you’ll waste your valuable time calling them.
With which types of clients have you already had success? Ask yourself this question; it’s essential and will save you time, energy, and money. Identify the commonalities among the companies, as this will help you clarify your target sectors and companies. Once this research is done, you can move on to the next step...
Now you need to identify your prospects (select 20), and LinkedIn is your ally. Let’s say the sector you're interested in is hotels, and you want to offer them fitness sessions. In this case, search for "people working in hotels" or "general manager" with the filter set to "hotel." A helpful tip: you can also filter by region. Generally, prospects prefer working with companies that are geographically close to them.
Once you have your list of 20 prospects, take some time to review their profiles. This brief review will help you understand them better. You’ll learn what they do exactly, what their companies do, if you’ve worked with a similar company before, and you might even find something interesting about them. Most importantly… Make sure to pronounce their names correctly. A prospect who hears their name mispronounced can be annoyed, which is never good for business. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask them how to pronounce it correctly.
The call script facilitates business prospecting
And yet… you will always find an experienced telemarketer who will tell you otherwise and extol the virtues of an impromptu, more "spontaneous" and "natural" call. Others will say that you need to trust yourself and move away from a rigid and boring pre-written script that may not always be suitable.
Yes, a completely improvised phone prospecting call can work wonders. It happens; it's what you might call a masterstroke, and it involves two things: being in good form and coming across a receptive prospect with whom you click immediately. However, you’re not always at your best, and you might encounter some challenging or difficult-to-read prospects with whom you lack rapport. In such cases, an improvisational approach can quickly go awry.
That’s why a phone script is an excellent tool for phone prospecting. It helps organize your thoughts and anticipate key points of the call, allowing you to conduct the conversation with confidence. You lead the discussion like a true captain, with genuine commitment. This makes you more confident, more convincing, and better prepared to deviate from the script and embrace spontaneity when the moment is right.
Moreover, note that a good phone script is adaptable and evolves with the flow of the conversation and the different emotional states of the prospect (stressed, angry, cheerful, etc.).
The example script we provide offers an excellent foundation for making your calls successful, whether for setting appointments, conducting surveys, etc. Note that to prospect effectively, you must first determine your targets; this is crucial for success. The best script in the world will have no impact on an unqualified, fundamentally indifferent prospect. Skeptics may tell you that a call script is pointless and restricts your speech, but don't listen to them: it's with a clear direction that you'll gain confidence and conduct the best conversations. Feel free to contact us for assistance in writing your scripts.