Sales Scripts Gone Wild

I had the experience of being on the receiving end of a just out of college sales rep. trying to sell me the services of one of the major job boards. 

Anyone that's read this blog for a while, knows I'm a process oriented guy and believe in scripts for training tools, BUT, let's get real here.  This poor rep., (probably with a training supervisor over her shoulder), was obviously reading material she: 1) didn't know very well 2) didn't understand the business she was selling into 3) wasn't listening to my responses.  After three phone discussions I couldn't stand it anymore.  I stopped her and firmly explained she wasn't going to make a sale no matter which line of questions she follows.  I WASN'T IN A BUYING SITUATION. 

If you are in new situation and using a script, make sure to fully understand what your prospects are doing and what their situation really is.  It's really back to the old saying that you have 2 ears and only 1 mouth and use it that way.  Study the industry and how your product fits.  If your prospect isn't ready to buy, explain a situation that would best fit your product usage and ask when you can contact them back.

By making the first contact a enjoyable situation, even when a prospect isn't buying, will make your future calls to that client much more receptive.