Integrating the sales script: winning tips for effective calls

It's absolutely vital to connect the marketing message to the sales script so that the telecoms team can create and convert leads. This sounds so obvious, yet many corporate businesses fail to complete the marketing process by developing a great sales conversion script.

Here's our template for a winning sales script:

1. Introduction

2. Probing questions

3. Hook

4. Call to action

5. Qualifying questions

6. Close

To show how these sections fit together and work in practice, here's the telecom script that we use when generating sales meetings for video production:

1. Keep the introduction section formal and brief. Introduce yourself, the company and give a reason for the call.

"Hello, my name's Andy and I'm calling from SWITCH Marketing. We're a specialist B2B agency that's successfully using video marketing techniques to generate new sales leads and support sales conversion for many corporate businesses, such as...(familiar businesses in the target's sector)."

2. Introduce a probing question. It's open ended, helps qualify an opportunity and encourages the person to talk.

"May I ask, have you employed video in your business development plan?"

"Decision-makers prefer video: over 83% of B2B decision makers are watching more online videos than they were a year ago, 65% then go on to visit a business website, 53% search for more information and 60% say they share business-related videos with their work colleagues."

"Video let's you convey your personality: video let's you show people who you are, what you do and who you do it for. No other medium let's you distinguish yourself in quite the same way."

"Video supports SEO and will help you rank on the first page of Google: video gives you a quick win to improve search and raise you above the competition."

"Technology has made video viable: 1.5 million business searches are made every day making Youtube the world's second biggest search engine and the number is forecast to grow by a further 25% by 2015, which will probably be almost everyone."

3. Here's the hook. Keep it brief and tell the prospect what's in it for them.

"This month we're offering new corporate clients FREE video SEO marketing for 3 months. We'll share our expertise in video production with you and then establish a video SEO strategy for FREE so that you can experience new leads, greater website traffic and incremental sales conversions at no cost."

4. Call to action. Keep it brief. Explain the next step. Tell the prospect what's in it for them.

"If you're interested, one of our team could meet with you. We're actually in your area next week, so if you're interested, I could arrange for one of our specialists to explore video marketing opportunities with you and how it could grow your business."

Is this something that you'd like me to arrange for you?

When setting an appointment:

- keep suggesting times

- get clear commitment from the person

- tell the person to expect confirmation of the meeting

5. Qualifying questions. Keep it brief, but use to further qualify the opportunity.

While I have you on the phone, can I ask you a few questions so that when our marketing specialist meets with you he'll have a better understanding of your business.

How do you currently engage new prospects?

How do maintain relationships with existing clients?

Do you have a sales conversion strategy?

Should anyone else from your company attend this meeting?

6. Close. Keep it polite, thank the person, tell the person to expect a meeting confirmation.

Thanks for your time. We'll send you an email to confirm this meeting and in the meantime, have a terrific day.

Of course, there's no sure way of securing every sales opportunity, but there's a science to improving your efforts and generating better results. And in our opinion, there's no excuse for sales and marketing messages not being connected.

3 reasons why you should use video for lead generation

We know creating the right impression for your business helps feed that all-important sales pipeline - and, these days, nothing makes an impression quite like online video.

Online video is the world's fastest growing content channel - and there are three excellent reasons why it's essential to effective B2B communications.

Number One:

Decision-makers prefer video. Let's face it: I'm busy, you're busy... but video is a super-quick to absorb information. Try this: 83% of B2B decision-makers are watching more online videos than they were a year ago, 65% of them visit a business' website after watching a video, 53% go on to search for more information - and 60% say they share business-related videos with their colleagues. 

Phew - reading that would make your eyes fall out.

Number Two:

Video lets you convey your personality. Text is just so… well… wordy. Video lets you show people  who you are, what you do and who you do it for. And not only does it let you communicate clearly, quickly and concisely, video is 56 times more likely to be ranked on the first page of Google than standard text. Making it easier for more people  to see just how lovely you are.

Number Three: 

Technology has made video viable. We live in a high-speed, can't-wait broadband world where 1.5 million business searches every day make YouTube the world's second biggest search engine. And the number of B2B users watching video online each month is forecast to increase by a further 25% by 2015. Which will probably be almost everyone.

So there you have it… in a non-stop world where mobile devices mean people's work heads are switched on 24/7, video creates a powerful and engaging connection: it lets you put your sales messages right in their hands. 

It's the future. We know: because we've tasted it.

To find out how we can turn your business into a video-star, give us a call on 0161 669 4419

Social media is here to stay

And while consumer marketers may have taken the lead in harnessing its power, B2B companies can no longer afford to ignore it.  Like it or not, social media plays a huge role in new B2B decision making process. 

Video, email, SEO and PPC remain an important part of the marketing mix, but social media sites such as Twitter, Linked-in and YouTube drive a large portion of the B2B interactions on the web.

SWITCH works with businesses: providing quality content to sustain social media conversations, ensuring websites are prepared for social media attention and our clients are incorporating social media strategies throughout the buying process.

As a B2B marketer, you need to learn to leverage this opportunity for building relationships, listening to the market and influencing buyers before they’re even identified as potential leads.

 Get in touch and hear what we’ve recently created for Premierline Direct Business Insurance.