Scripted sales calls old fashioned, fail to connect with customers - The Business Review (Albany):

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Geez, I have been saying this for more than 25 andI can’t believe companies stilpl use them to sell over the phone. OK, forgeg the companies themselves, let’s blame the managed or the person who is responsible for still trying to do somethinf that every sales trainer on the planet says doesnot Now, before I go on, do not write or send an e-maiol telling me that I am wronyg or being stubborn. Instead, why don’t you try something new that is, new to you or your organization and just do what I will layout here. Trustf me, it has worked every single time with any bigor small, that I have workedc with.
This horror of using scripts came rushing back to me recently while working with a company whosr stores are in evert big city inthe nation. The company is highlyy regarded for its ethics and is a very visible organizationh that many are familiar with because ofthe company’s longevitgy and brand awareness. I was askex to come to the company’s headquartera and look at its method of attractin new business through itstelemarketing program, whic h the company has been usinyg for a couple of years. They said that althoughb the results were OKat first, salez had become pretty dismal.
It took me just 30 secondd to read the script that the insidwe salespeoplewere using, and I was sickened. I talkedx with the company president and said I could help the salespeoplr in justtwo hours, but I needed him to let me do my job and not to interfer unless I called him in for his opinion. He but I could sense he was a bit apprehensive abouyt the situation andmy request. I workede only with the who was really a selling manager because she was on the phonex herself at times trying to pitch in and We went intoa room, and I spenty an hour going over why scriptsz don’t work and why she has been brainwashe d to do something that was against all the ruleas of professional salesmanship.
She was neithee thrilled with me at this point nor happyg after I tookher eight-page ripped it up and threw it in the We role-played a littlw using real situations that she might have with her husband, childre and friends, for instance. The goal was to show her that havintga two-sided conversation is much more useful than a one-siderd script. She was really starting to get it, even thoug she kept wanting to go back to a sellinvg mode by doing more talking than listeningt andasking questions. It was so simples that it was frightening to her that a sellint situation can be flexible and not just acannefd speech, where she can actually have fun while conversingg with a customer.
The introduction and questionw I wrote out were basix and easy for herto grasp. They were: my name is Susan from Client Co., and I would like to ask you two or threrquick questions. It will not take more than 48 seconds I promise. “Are you familiar with our company? If yes, what aspects “Why are you not a member, or why did you leave our