SCRIPTWRITING PLANS & OBJECTIVES.
Writing a business script is complicated task. The complexity of planning and writing it is mind boggling. It is uncharted water for most people. A lot is said about the need for scripting in the business world but very little is actually done about it.
Thousands of books have been published about selling, marketing and business development. They contain some terrific dialogue about selling. Reading them gives one a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the subject that the author is writing about.
Unfortunately, specific dialogue and all the good stuff is buried among the pages. Very often a valuable piece of dialogue is hidden in a story about business development.
If we had a photographic memory and the ability of instant recall we would be invincible. In a perfect world we too would be perfect but unfortunately we are just frail human beings doing the best we can.
WE HAVE A LOT TO SAY.
We already have a lot to say, we just need something to rely on when our conversation needs a few guiding words. Everyone has learned the generalized dialogue to be used in a business conversation but rarely refine every sentence they intend to say.
You’re not alone, everyone is in the same boat because there is no formal education available and there are no real experts to learn from. It overcomes the natural human feelings of always avoiding rejection.
PLAN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY TO A PROSPECT.
“If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't matter which direction you're going.” If you don't have a plan, your efforts will not be channeled in any one direction. Not having a plan for what you want to say may result in an eloquent speech, but won't get you to your objective. You must determine the results that you expect.
Ask these questions:
1. Who do you call upon to prospect and sell to?
2. What is the main objective when calling?
3. Do you want an appointment or to sell over the phone?
4. Will you close the sale over the phone or establish awareness?
5. Is it necessary to build a relationship based on thrust?
6. Is the purpose to provide the prospect with favorable information about the company, product, or the salesperson?
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
Your objective is a very clear statement of where your business comes from. From there you determine your target market and who will buy your product. The total amount of information is endless but your ultimate goal is to end up with it condensed into 48 pages of scripts.
KNOW YOUR TARGET MARKET.
The target market consists of people and companies who are likely to buy your product. A company may be a classified as target and the person in charge of a buying decision is the contact.
"CALLING COLD TURKEY" ... ALWAYS PLAN EVERYTHING.
Don’t call a prospecting call (cold turkey) without a plan or without knowing what to say. A prospecting call is really a sales presentation planned and organized from beginning to end. A salesperson who that makes a mistake then offers an excuse for it has made two mistakes; one they know of the mistake and the other is trying to justify it.
IT HAS TO BE YOUR PLAN.
It has to be your plan. The overall goal of your individual sales effort should be planned according to your needs and circumstances. There's a huge difference between words written to get a new prospect and those that are used in a business plan. To a hammer, everything looks like a nail, and to a marketing plan, everything looks like potential prospect. There's a lot to consider before you pick up the phone. Think before you speak.
Excerpted from Richard Bliznik's book; SMOOTH-TALKER, How To Write Your Own Business Script.
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