I suck at phone calls and I think part of it is my phone script.

What kind of format do you guys follow?

Incomming or outgoing? (or both?)

Don't use a phone lol

I actually don't use a phone at all for my business. Haven't in 3 years.

If you can't find a script (some of the success/business magic guys sell them as part of their courses) that you like, maybe the no-phone approach is for you. At least a thing to consider.

For when I am cold calling

I have my telemarketer make my cold calls. I use her to call restaurants only.

No phone?

For Real???

There is a sample phone script in *the Magic Menu - the First Five Years* which has worked EVERY time I've used it. (That is, I'll make three or four calls and one always responds.) Jim Sisti is either a genius or worked out that script by strong trial and error - I don't know which I admire more.

That script alone paid for the book many times over.

*jeep!
--Grandpa Chet

Neale,

Creating a phone script is like anything else you do for your act. I was a sales rep and then a sales manager overseeing a team of a couple of dozen reps for several years and that's the approach I always took.

You only think you "suck" at phone calls. More than likely you're just not confident on the phone when cold calling. It's understandable. Most sales reps feel like they are being intrusive instead of beneficial. But really the purpose of the call is to be beneficial.

Using another person's phone script isn't going to help you because it's not going to be natural and being natural is the key to it. Think about how many times you've gotten a call and the telemarketer was very obviously reading from a script.

What I used to do for my sales reps was to create a list of bullet points that should be covered during the call and for them to write their own script around that. My team would make about 40 outbound calls a day, so lots of time to practice!

So first know why you're calling and write that down. Are you calling to try to sell your services or just a fact finding mission to know who the correct person is to contact? Have what you're going to say written down. My recommendation is to be direct. Don't try to be too clever as you don't want to waste their time. But more importantly, especially with a sales call, is to think about how you can help them.

To get your call returned when leaving a voicemail, it’s best that you give two tips that will help them and offer a third if they return your call. Asking an engaging question is a very powerful way of getting your call returned, but not quite as good as helping the customer build his or her business. Using the word ‘important’ or the word ‘save’ is both misleading and confrontational. The call is probably not that important and the customer will call back wanting price information rather than value-building information. Leaving a sales pitch is certain to get your voicemail deleted. The object of a voice mail message is not to just leave a message, but to get your call returned.

If you want more info Neale, just drop me a pm.

Neale -

What is your objective with the outgoing phone call?

Is it to find the right person, and sell them over the phone?

Or is to find out who the right person is, and mail/fax/email to them / set up a meeting with them? (That initial conversation can involve qualifying them somewhat, or not.)

Or something else?

And what market are you trying to use this script with?

Also, where do your strengths lie? In mailing/faxing/emailing (communication in writing), or phone conversations, or meeting in person, etc?

Knowing the answers can help you fine tune your script, and your personal system.

- Donald

P.S. Long before the new wave of info products came along, people like Sammy Smith shared his preschool phone script in his tape set, "Booking Yourself", and "Make it Happen." If you have one of those older tape sets, you might consider digging it out.

I've also found useful information in some of Jeffrey Gitomer's books ("The Sales Bible").

Yep, for real. And I am pretty busy.

Is that the same script as in his book Professional Restaurant Magic?
The book was published one year after the first year or two of Magic Menu.

I used the script in the book and it worked for me.
Was just wondering whether it's the same script.