How to Create Your Own SALES SCRIPT BOOK

The sales script book is a business art form. While it takes time and training to become a master of writing powerful sales script books, even a basic sales script book can increase sales effectiveness and profits by from 10 to over 50 percent, depending upon the industry and the salesperson.

A good sales script book does not have to be long. The book only needs to be long enough to get the job done. Remember, your book will contain no sales theory and no general company background information. It will only contain beautiful, powerful sentences ready for immediate use.

If your book is going to be more than 20 pages long, (and most are), it should be divided up into sections. The sections should be separated by heavy sheets of paper with index tabs sticking out. The name of each section of the book should be written on the tabs so that any desired section can be instantly located.

So that you can develop an in-depth knowledge of how script books are developed, we have reproduced below the exact sections of a script book used by First Federal Savings and Loan of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This script book was developed in January of 1985 for the purpose of selling First Federal’s stock to the public. The president, Norman Hahn, and several vice-presidents, including David Hamilton, were involved in developing this script book. The sections in the book are:

1. Features and Benefits
2. Why are You Going Public?
3. How to Make the First Phone Call.
4. Getting Through the Secretary
5. I’m too Busy to Consider It.
6. I Need More Facts.
7. It’s Too Complicated.
8. It’s too New.
9. I Want my Investments Insured.
10. My Money is all Tied Up.
11. I Don’t Want to Pay Commissions.
12. I Want Liquidity.
13. It is too Risky.
14. Bank Stocks Haven’t Been Doing Well.
15. I Don’t Have any Money.
16. I Only Invest in Real Estate.
17. It is not Guaranteed to Go Up.
18. I am a Saver, Not an Investor.
19. I Want to Think About It.
20. I Need to Talk to my Spouse.
21. I Need to Talk to my Accountant.

No matter what objection or stall a potential investor brought up, we had a dozen or more proven ways of dealing with it. This is high-technology, customized selling. Some of the sales scripts were soft and friendly and supportive, because that is the way some people are most comfortable selling. Some were much stronger and more direct. Some were highly logical. Others were more emotional. The book contained scripts everyone could use. We were so well prepared, there was no objection we feared.

You will notice, though, that the First Federal Script Book contained more than just ways of handling objections and stalls. The third section showed a number of effective ways of making the very first phone call to a potential stock purchaser. In fact, a number of companies today are primarily using the sales script technology not to deal with objections, but to have the most organized, persuasive and professional ways of making their initial sales presentations – from the very first words they say up to the close.

Did the script book work for First Federal Savings and Loan? In one month, First Federal sold over 1,760,000 shares of stock to the public and brought in nearly $14 million! Hamilton, the marketing director for First Federal wrote, “We actually exceeded our estimates of community stock sales, saving a good deal in commissions which would otherwise be paid to underwriters in the national offering.” The stock, by the way, has done very well, and investors have earned over 40 percent profit in less than a year.

The sections in your script book, of course, will be very different than those of First Federal Savings and Loan. You might have some similar sections, since nearly all of us in sales have to be able to deal skillfully with objections and stalls like, “I want to think about it,” and “I need to talk to…about it.” However, even though you might have the same sections, the exact scripts that work best for you might be quite different than the scripts that work best for First Federal or another company.

To be effective, a script book must be based upon research. Sitting in your arm chair and dreaming up ways of handling objections and challenges may be fun, but it is not going to produce a good script book.

The best way to build your sales script book is to watch and, if possible, tape record your company’s sales superstars in action. We have, at this point, tape recorded and videotaped over 200 sales champions in action and we find it a priceless aid in building sales script books. Make a note of all the major questions, stalls, objections and resistances you encounter in your sales work, and then carefully study how your sales pros handle these potential stumbling blocks. When you have captured the exact words of the sales superstars, you have pure gold. Organize these, and index them in your sales script book. You will then be able to reproduce the proven techniques of the sales geniuses!

It will take some time and energy to develop a strong sales script book. Be patient. The rewards, both financial and in terms of increased self-confidence, will be great. Remember, even a brief, organized sales script book is better than none at all.

Dr. Donald J. Moine heads his own sales training consulting firm in Redondo Beach, CA. He conducts regular workshops on Neuro Linguistic Sales Programming and Sales Persuasion nationwide. For further information, call (213) 379-3560.