Less is More: 4 Ways to Simplify Your Calling Script

Congratulations! After several days of calling, your lead gen program is starting to gain some traction. Decision Makers are responding to emails and messages, and your BDR team has figured out how to persuade gatekeepers to let them through.

Now, you’re on to the next big challenge… once the decision maker’s on the phone, what should you say?

This is when some companies learn the hard way that their scripts are a little bit too ambitious. After all, a cold call is a brief interaction—you want to pique the DM’s interest, but you don’t want to either overload them or to slow your own team down.

When it comes to writing a successful call script, in most cases less is more! If you’ve already overthought it, though, there’s no need to despair. Here are four easy, effective ways to simplify your script:

1. Develop a quick, snappy hook. Your prospects likely get cold called dozens of times per week. Odds are, they have neither the time nor the patience to listen to a several-sentence monologue about the benefits of your product. The best way to simplify a script is to keep your intro short and sweet. When dealing with an impatient prospect, you only have a few seconds to establish credibility—and to convert that impatience into a genuine interest in your product or service.
2. Only when prospects are indecisive, offer to email them more information. Of course, some people do need more than a few seconds to make up their mind. Instead of delving into the nuts and bolts of your product with such prospects—who may feel compelled to listen out of politeness—shorten things up by offering to email them information about your product that they can read on their own time. Just remember to follow up later when they’ve had a chance to make up their mind.
3. Cut back on technical words and complex sentences. Though using technical, industry-specific terminology can establish credibility in your market, it can also backfire; if your script uses too much of it, BDRs can become tongue-tied, and your message obscured. Often, the best way to simplify a script is by simplifying the language itself; remember that a BDR’s job is to connect interested prospects with an expert, not to be that expert themselves. Which leads directly into point #4:
4. Whenever possible, refer questions or concerns to a skilled sales rep. If the ultimate goal is to schedule appointments, most types of questions aren’t roadblocks—they’re opportunities! The savviest sales teams understand that a thoughtful inquiry is an indication of interest. As often as possible, try to respond to questions by offering to schedule appointments. You’ll be surprised how well this works!

Discovering that your messaging doesn’t resonate with prospects right when you’ve finally started gaining traction can be a real momentum killer for a lead gen program.

Fortunately, you don’t have to find out the hard way! By keeping the four points above in mind, you can ensure that your campaign gets off to a much quicker start—and save yourself the time and headache of including every last detail about your product.

It’s a process that VSA works through with our clients all the time. Just give us a call if you need any help!