Category: Cold Calling Scripts

I receive emails from my readers all the time asking me how to handle various objections and resistance statements. A common request I get is how to handle the initial resistance statement “We are all set.” A variation of this is anything along the lines of:

“We are O.K. with our present system”

OR

“We’ve already got a company that handles that”

OR

“We’re fine for right now”

As you can see, these are all basically the same, and, more importantly, they aren’t objections – rather they are initial resistance statements or blow offs. Essentially they are saying something along the lines of: “I’m not interested in being pitched right now, please go away.”

Now here’s the thing: Because this is simply resistance and not an objection (it’s not an objection because you haven’t pitched your product or service yet. It’s like when you walk into a department store and the sales rep asks if they can help you and you blow them off with, “I’m just looking.”) Again, “We’re all set” is not an objection, just sales resistance.

And the key to handling resistance is NOT to try to overcome it (remember it’s not an objection) but rather you simply want to bypass it and get into your pitch.

So, with that in mind, here’s how you handle the “We’re all set” blow off or/and any of its variations:

“We’re all set”

Response One:

“That’s great, and I’d just like to see if we could get on your vendor list for the next time you’re in the market. Let me ask you…”

Now get into your qualifying questions…

Response Two:

“Most companies I speak with are ‘all set’ and that’s why I’m reaching out to you now – I want to give you an option for the next time you’re in need of this. Let me ask you…”

Back to qualifying…

Response Three:

“No problem. Let me ask you: the next time you’re in need of this, what’s number one on your wish list?”

Response Four:

“I understand – I didn’t expect to catch you in the market right now. Instead, let me get an idea of your perfect profile, and then I’ll send you some information you can keep on file next time you need this…”

Now re-engage by asking a qualifying question.

Response Five:

“Got it. Let me ask you: the next time you are in need of this, are you the right person to speak to about it?”

If yes, then qualify them for that next time – especially asking about timeframe, budget, etc.

Response Six:

“Understand, and let me ask you: When is your next buying season for this?”

Then keep the conversation going by asking additional qualifying questions…

Response Seven:

“That’s fine; I totally understand. And let me ask you – the next time you’re in the market for this, how many companies are you going to reach out to?”

And then ask how you can become one of them, what their budget is, who the decision makers are, etc.

Response Eight:

“No problem. What you might find helpful is to know about our special pricing and the additional services we provide. Did you know that….”

Then pitch one or two things you do that others don’t – and use a tie down!

Response Nine:

“I’m glad you said that. What I’ve found is that those companies who are already using a vendor for this are surprised to learn that….”

Give them a shocking statement about how you’ve just been rated number one, or that you give free delivery, etc. Something that will peak their interest…

Response Ten:

“No problem. Could I be the next in line company you call the next time you’re in the market for this?”

If yes,

“Great, let me get your email and send you my info…”

Then:

“And just out of curiosity, what would have to change for you to even begin looking at someone else?”

Look for an in here…

So there you have it – ten new ways of handling this age old blow off. Just remember, your goal isn’t to try to overcome this – rather, it’s to sidestep this resistance statement and get information you can use to create value and continue the conversation.

Welcome back to the office, how do you feel? Overwhelmed? Under pressure already?

If so, then you’re not alone. Most company’s management and sales teams are under immediate pressure already to begin accomplishing their new goals and sales targets. In fact, this pressure is also felt in the accounting department, the marketing department, and everywhere else. You can probably feel it in your company, too.

As you speak with your clients and prospects this week, realize that they are all feeling this pressure as well. While this may seem like a bad thing, it can actually present a great opportunity for you. Here’s how I handle the companies and contacts I speak with this month:

After talking briefly about the holidays and New Year’s celebration, I always start with question number one:

“So ________, what are the top 3 initiatives for your department has this year?”

Then I hit mute and take notes.

If they need a little help here, I use layering questions like:

“What was your revenue like last year?” Or,

“What percentage increase are you asked to produce this year?” Or,

“What are you doing differently to accomplish this?”

“What do you think is most needed for you to succeed at that?”

After I’ve listened and asked layering questions and taken notes on the three initiatives, I ask question number two:

“And how can I help you accomplish that?”

Once again, I hit the mute button and take notes.

If I get an, “Ah, I don’t know,” then I once again use layering questions like:

“Have you heard of my new automated Core Inside Selling Skills Webinar Program?”

Or I ask a good assumptive question like:

“How much of a budget do you have per quarter for sales training?” Or,

“How big of a role do you think increased sales training is going to play?” Or,

“If you could wave a magic wand and get three resources to help you accomplish your goals, what would they be?”

Now I’m sure you can come up with a few of your own questions here, but you get the idea. The point is to ask questions and LISTEN to your prospect’s response. If you respect the pressure they are feeling and truly offer a way to help them, then they will engage with you – and many will even put you to work for them…

One of the objections I always get from sales people who don’t want to use scripts is that they sound so, well, like scripts. I tell them that if they sound like they are reading them, sure, but if they internalize them and then deliver them naturally, then they don’t sound like scripts at all.

The other objection I get about using scripts is that many scripts sound very salesy. They sound too direct and pushy. Again, it’s all about how you deliver them. For example, are you matching the pacing of the person you’re speaking with? Are you using timing properly? Are you hesitating and adding the right inflection at the right time?

You see, the great thing about scripts is that they afford you greater flexibility in not only what you’re going to say, but, more importantly, how you say it. And let’s face it: inflection, pacing and tone are everything when you’re selling over the phone.

The other great thing about a carefully crafted and delivered script is that you can use softening statements if you sense your prospect is getting irritated or short or is in a hurry. If you have to ask for some sensitive information – like who your competition is, or what their budget is, or how they figure into the decision making process – you can preface your question with a softening statement to help bring the defenses of a prospect down, and to make yourself sound more natural, more real.

Here are a variety of softening statements you can weave into your opening and closing scripts to help you connect with your prospect and to get them talking:

For opening scripts:

“If you don’t mind me asking, can you tell me what you paid for that previously?”

AND

“And _________, obviously you’re going to run this by others there – do you mind me asking how you figure into the final decision process?”

AND

“ _________, don’t take this the wrong way – and I’m only wanting to know for comparison purposes – but when you got (X product or service) last time, what did you end up paying for that?”

AND

“ _________, the only reason I’m asking is that if you purchase (more than the normal amount or add on to the order) then I may be able to offer you a discount. Hey, we all like to save money, right?”

AND

“ __________, I don’t want to go above your head, but I also don’t think it’s fair for you to do my job for me – so do you mind if I ask if it’s O.K. to speak with (the boss) briefly and answer any questions he has?”

AND

“ _________, do you mind if I ask you just a couple of quick questions to see whether or not this might be a fit for you?”

AND

“I promise I won’t take a lot of your time – I know you’re busy. Can I ask how long you’ve….”

AND

“I don’t know about you – but I usually hate talking to sales people I don’t know…..Just so I can be respectful of your time, do you mind if I ask you….”

AND

“ __________, you and I haven’t spoken yet, and I hate to barge into your day, so do you mind if I take just 2 minutes to see if this is something you’d like to learn more about?”

For Closing Calls:

“Before I show you all the in’s and out’s of this, do you mind if I ask you again: what specifically are you hoping to learn today?”

AND

“Our price for this is $_____ — do you mind if I ask how that compares with what you’re spending now for all this?”

AND

“ __________, I know you want to think about this and that makes perfect sense. Do you mind if I just get an idea of what part of this is not resonating with you right now?”

AND

“ __________, please don’t think I’m being too forward here – but after we’re done and you’ve learned everything about this, is it fair that I ask you for a simple yes or no?”

AND

“ _________, would you mind if I asked you: ‘If the price on this was closer to what you felt comfortable spending, would this be the solution you’d want to go with?’”

AND

“I totally understand, believe me I do. In addition to that, though, what else might be standing in the way of you saying yes to this?”

AND

“Hey I get it – you have options and you want to talk to others. But let me ask you: from what we’ve just gone over and from what you understand about this – are we even in the ballpark for earning some of your business?”

AND

“ __________ if at any time this isn’t sounding like it’s for you – would you be willing to let me know?”

AND

“ __________ what I don’t want to do is talk your ear off. So do me a favor – if you’ve heard enough and it sounds like it’s for you – would you let me know?”

AND

“ __________ do you mind me asking why you’re still considering other companies for this?”

AND

“ ___________ I know you have a lot of options out there – would it be O.K. for me to ask you what the deciding factors will be for you?”

AND

“ __________ you know we’re not for everyone, and if we’re not for you that’s O.K., Obviously, I’d like your business, but I’d rather do what you think is right for you. Do you mind telling me what you’re really thinking about right now?”

AND

“Is there anything I can say or do to get you to reconsider?”

AND

“ _________ I know we’re not the cheapest option out there – and there are reasons for that – but is it just the price on this or are there others things keeping you from saying yes to this?”

AND

“I know I’ve given you a lot of information on this – could you give me an indication of where you’re leaning?”

As you can see, many of these responses are down to earth and real world responses – something you might say to a friend or family member. The more real you are, the more your prospects will feel it – and the more they’ll be honest with you and reveal what it might take for them to move forward with you.

Call in leads can be tricky. Because reps often equate the implied interest of a call in to being “qualified,” they often skip some important steps. This can happen to all sales reps and even happened to me recently…

A CEO called me the other day and wanted to know more about the kind of training I offered. Before I gave him my menu of services, I did what I teach and asked him how he found me, what motivated him to reach out to me, what he was looking for, etc.

I listened carefully as he revealed, in a candid way, what was happening with his inside sales team and what he as hoping to accomplish.

After he was done, I went over how I could help him and carefully matched up my customized solutions to each of the points he brought up. After a pause, he told me he would think about it and reach back out to me.

Now, this is usually the time that I would qualify and close, but I was on vacation when this call took place and was more interested in getting back to the museum tour I was on than I was on closing the deal (I know, shame on me). But…

When I was back in the office the following Monday, I reached out to this prospect and picked right up where I left off.

Here are two ways of handling a call in lead (the first being what I should have done on the first call, and the second what I did on the next call the following Monday):

The proper way to handle the first call:

After first hearing your prospect out and then matching up your product or services to them, you should then begin qualifying and even closing using the following questions and statements:

“What is your timeline for getting this process started?”

[If “As soon as possible”]

“O.K. – Let me check my schedule: (or your delivery/install schedule, etc.), I see that I could have you on the calendar this coming Wednesday – does that work for you?”

AND

“How does what I’ve described sound to you?”

[If “Sounds good”]

“Great – are you ready to put me to work for you today?”

AND

“Who else have you looked at for this so far?”

[If “You’re the first” or “A couple of people”]

“How does our solution sound to you?”

[If “Sounds good”]

“Great – then let’s look at our calendars and pick a date to get started…”

AND

“If this sounds good to you, are you in a position to get started today?”

[If “I’ll have to run this by (whomever)”]

“I understand. Does what we’ve just gone over sound good to you so far?”

[If “Yes”]

“O.K. Then let’s go ahead and schedule a time to speak with (whomever they mentioned) and that way I’ll be able to answer their questions as well…”

Do you see how I’m moving the call to either a close or setting up the next step? At each phase I’m taking their pulse and directing and keeping control of the call.

If you missed asking these questions on the first call, then here’s how you handle the call back:

“Hi this is ________ and I just wanted to get back with you regarding our last call. Now I know you were interested in (your service or product), and I don’t know if you’ve spoken to other companies or where you are in the process….”

[Now hit mute and listen…]

AND

“Hi this is ________ and I wanted to get back with you regarding our last call. Now I know you were interested in (your service or product), and I wanted to know what your timeline for getting started with this is…”

[Now hit mute and listen…]
And

“Hi this is ________ and I wanted to get back with you regarding our last call. Now I know you were interested in (your service or product), and I wanted to know what other questions you might have are…”

[Now hit mute and listen…]

Based on what their answers are to the above questions, you can pick up where you left off last time and resume asking the questions from the first set listed above (direct and control the call towards the close).

Either way, just remember that when you receive a call in lead, you need to still qualify and close. And if you forget or get rushed off the phone, the key is to call back within a day or two. And when you do, take the call as far as you can using the scripts above.

I don’t know why tie downs aren’t used more by sales reps selling over the phone. They serve several crucial functions, including:

Getting confirmation that the point you just made was understood and accepted by your prospect. This is especially important when selling over the phone as you don’t have the physical clues that tell you how it’s going.

Using tie downs is also instrumental in building that all important yes momentum. If the prospect keeps agreeing with you, then you can feel confident at the end in asking for the sale.

Tie downs also give your prospect a chance to engage with you – when you use one, you actually have to wait for them to respond.

Using tie downs also gives you control over the flow of the call. Remember, whoever asks a question is in control.

There are many other value reasons for using tie downs, but let’s look at some of the most effective, and go over in what situations they work best:

#1: Whenever your prospect asks you a buying question (and any question a prospect asks you is a buying question), after you answer it you must use a tie-down. Examples:

If a prospect asks you how much something is, after you give them the price, you can use any of these tie downs:

“How does that price sound?”

OR

“Is that what you were looking to spend today?”

OR

“How does that compare with what you are paying now?”

OR

“Is that within your budget?”

OR

“That’s a great value today, and I’d take as many as I could at that price – how many should I ship you today?” (O.K., that’s a close, but I couldn’t help myself! Do you see how tie-downs can lead to a close :–)

If a prospect asks a question about a feature or a benefit, use any of the following:

“Do you see how that works?”

OR

“Does that make sense?”

OR, better:

“How would you use that?”

OR

“Do you understand how that works?”

OR

“I think that’s a great benefit – how about you?”

If a prospect makes a statement that seems negative, use:

“How did you come to that?”

OR

“Compared to what?”

OR

“What do you mean exactly?”

OR

“How does your current vendor handle that?”

#2 Use tie downs throughout your presentation. Most sales reps power through their presentations and use far too few tie downs or check-ins. And when they do, they are usually closed ended which lead their prospect to reveal little. Use these more open-ended tie downs to engage AND learn crucial buying motives:

“That’s how we drive the leads….now tell me about how you would get the most out of them?”

OR

“That’s one of our biggest selling points….tell me: how would this impact how you’re currently doing things?”

OR

“Do you see how this works?” – And then: “How might this work for you?”

OR

“Are you with me there?” – And then: “What questions do you have?”

OR

“That’s a nice feature, don’t you think?” – And then: “How would that work for you?”

OR

“Is this sounding like it might work for you?” (O.K., there I go again! Do you see how after a few tie downs, it’s just natural for you to start closing?)
#3: General tie downs are useful at any point of your presentation. Customize from any of these to fit your product/service:

“What do you think of this so far?”

OR

“Would this location work for you?”

OR

“How many locations would this work for?”

OR

“How many departments would want one of these as well?”

OR

“That’s pretty special, isn’t it?”

OR

“Do you see why this is so popular?”

OR

“Tell me, would that fit into your budget?”

OR

“Most people like this – how does it sound to you?”

OR

“Will that work?”

OR

“What else do you need to know?”

OR

“What other area are you interested in?”

OR

“Would that be a deal killer for you?”

OR

“Would that be enough for you to move forward with this?”

OR

“Tell me: how close are you to wanting to move forward with this?” (There I go once again!)

Let me reiterate that using tie down’s gives you the intel you don’t have because you can’t see your prospect’s reaction (because you’re selling over the phone). Therefore, it’s critical for you to begin using more of the above tie downs during every conversation. Remember, the more you can get your prospect talking, the more you’ll learn what it will take to close them…