Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Better if you can determine what's important to YOUR target audience and create the script that will work for YOU. There is no perfect script out there, and you'll make yourself crazy looking for it.

Start by identifying the perfect target audience for your services, and then find out what their most pressing need is. Use that information to craft the script.

P.S. If you're really too busy to focus on getting new customers, then maybe you don't need them. Just keep doing what you've been doing. It seems to be working ... or at least keeping you busy.

ACK! Not at all what I want to hear and not for the reasons you might expect. I KNOW what is important to my target audience. I am not looking for perfection, I thought you guys, the "professionals" did work like that. I am the worst person to make cold calls. Plainly speaking, I Suck. I am great in person and a turkey on the phone.

The last part makes me laugh! I need customers like we need water to survive. I am too busy fixing things that are broken... anyway if I say I need something, then I need it.

I didn't want how to run my business advice, I need a script.

Next time you're face-to-face with a prospect, record your conversation with them. What do you say? How do they respond? What points are raised? What next actions are taken? Do this with enough of your prospects (face-to-face) and you'll have the makings of a great script.

Most of this is great advice, but I need a script. There has to be someone out there who can develop a reasonable script for me. After all YOU are the experts. It doesn't matter what I say, I will suck. Hence, different disciplines. You probaby cannot rebuild a computer. I can. I have someone to help me. I want and need a script. Please, its all I want. Thanks

This isn't about your ability (or inability) with cold calls. It's about determining what the script should say. The "script" is the key to a successful cold call (as you know), so getting it right is critical. (Try the approach Jay suggests.)

It's encouraging to know that you know what's important to your target audience. That's where you need to begin developing your script. Nobody else has YOUR target audience, so YOU will need to figure out what will resonate with the people on the other end of the line when someone makes a cold call to your prospects.

As for advice on how to run your business, we haven't gotten to that yet. We're simply responding to your request for a dynamite script. The only dynamite script for your business is the one YOU write.

Dynamite scripts written for other businesses are not specific to your audience and their needs, nor will they use the words your prospects use to describe what's on their minds. And by definition a dynamite script resonates with YOUR target audience, not someone else's. (The more specific the better.)

As an aside, if you're starting a new business the FIRST thing you should be doing is talking with prospective customers and finding out what their greatest unmet needs are, how they deal with the issues facing them, and what's on their wish lists. All the broken things you're fixing won't matter if you can't identify an important unmet need that you can satisfy. And if you've done that already, then you're the perfect person to write the dynamite script -- maybe the only person who can.

Many of us can write a script for you. We're really quite good at it.

The thing is we'll start by asking you all the questions about your customers and their most pressing needs. We'll need copies of your notes from the interviews so we can see what words they use and how they frame the issues.

We'll want to know what makes you different from, and better than, your competitors. We'll want to know why YOU think clients should pick YOU for the job (and not someone else).

In short, at the core of a good script is an in-depth understanding of the target audience. And you've said you have that. So if you want the job done, hire one of us ... BUT be sure you can provide us with that information. Otherwise we won't have the necessary foundation to deliver what you want.

Why don't you post a project and those who can write a good script willl help. I think you can also get a lot of good advice free by posting more info.

I realize you know what is impt to you. I would hope your cold caller has done this before-- her input would also be valuable.

To get you started, instead of saying "hi I'm rep for xyz firm and we do IT"-- insert benefit. We are a firm that (benefit)

There are some great phone sales books, and they all give advice on building a script. But the script is only the beginning. What do you say when they say "oh, I know what you do and I got it covered". Knowing how to spin those situations is also important.

I like scripts as guidelines, but the art is saying what you want to say, but not making it sound as a script.

And remember, this is a "marketing' forum. That is sales scripting can be different. Some of us have experience in both. Give us more info and we can give more info.

What are you starting with?

Now I am getting somewhere! Thanks. For me, the distinction between sales and marketing is slippery. I agree with what you say, but I am sure there are certain things to say and not to say.

More info? Okay, I have a boutique IT consulting firm. I offer an array of services that most don't - I am truly one-stop shopping. I only use engineers, so customers get the best people in the field. I am truly dedicated to the best price, not the lowest, but the best. I save customers money with my services and business model. Everyone I use is expert, and I am positioned to serve multi nationals who might have Canadian and South American branches (esp. Colombia and Brasil). My spanish is decent. I have status in Canada and Colombia.

Please, ask away!!! I need this help so badly. Thanks

OK. So far you've told us all about you and your business features. Let's shift gears and tell us about your prospective customers.

Who are they? Where do they live/work? What are they doing today for IT support? What kinds of problems do THEY think they have? Why do they need you? Why you and not one of your competitors? What important and unique benefit do you deliver?

What critical itch of theirs can you scratch? The more specific the better. Don't give us more features of your business; we got those. What's the compelling positioning benefit your customers should expect when they hire you? What's in it for them?

More progress. This is great. That is what I think I am doing. The features of my business is what's in it for my customers. The benefit is truly the money I can save them by having their IT effectively managed.

Truth is, there are a lot of companies out there who do it and do it well. Like marketing. It's a saturated field.

Every single company out there needs IT. They live and work everywhere. Some have IT in house, some have a consultant. There are do it yourself'ers and those who do nothing.

How does anyone answer the question why me? Why not someone else? Fact is, no one business can service the needs of the entire United States. Honestly, if I knew why me I would not be here asking for help.

Why not me? My pricing is good. Transparent. Fair. I am accountable. It is me on my web site and customers get direct access to me and to my engineers. No waiting on hold.

The other true benefit is that I am a true consultant. I will review everything. Case in point: I have a customer now where I am sourcing software. The customer has an IT person. That person does not offer the services I do. Had the company known about me, they'd have 1 firm on retainer. Not 2.

If any of the others who posted are reading my replies, I'd like to say that while your advice is good, it's a lot of blue skying. There are only so many hours in the day. I am in a field that requires a lot of reading and study. Research. I can't network this thing alone. And, all of these sessions come at a cost: membership fees, travel, etc. Not to mention which to go to and again, everyone is out there hawking their wares, doing the exact same thing. I want to be effective. I also am not able to work as many hours as some. I have to make the most out of every hour I can work.

I hope this gives enough information. I know that if I can just get in the door I will do well. The customers I have now are happy. Referring. But after I pay my people there is not much left for me and I need a lot of customers to earn a decent living, which after all, is why we all do this.

And, if anyone knows of how I can get a one stop shop list of trade shows and conferences, I'd be grateful, because that is where I will go. Thanks

Thanks to everyone. I really like the script idea and the feedback. I think I know what to do!

Seriously, many thanks.

I'm not sure I'd use MB's script. In biz to biz sales, you don't know if you'll save them $1k. Cause you don't know what you need. If someone told me that as opening line, I'd hang up. It doesn't sound authentic or real. That is something I'd hear from that Canadian lottery call I got a few days ago.

Also in your sales, you challenge will first get to the decision maker and 2nd get your call returned or his attention.

You arent' giving them 1000, you are giving them 250 after they spend 750. In reading between the lines, you are assuing they will want the refund for the 1K. Don't do that.

My experience says to sell the appointment and the appointment only. This is a consultative sell.

Now I do agree with Goodman with the promo-- I love the money back plus guarantee. Nail firmer the payback.

I also like that you understand that no single co can provide all one's IT needs. That is your spin comment.

"I have it covered, I know what you do-- see ya"

"well sir, a lot of companies say that to me but they find we compliment the services of their current firm".

Keeping the flow is very impt. Assumptively move to the appointment. Assume they need you. Assume they don't know they don't need you till the appointment.

Build a matrix of 8 or 9 benefits that your marketer can use. "money back plus guarantee" is one. No current IT guy is another "my major concern is that you are allowing the corporate intelligence of your co go to chance"... No insider can learn what you live and breathe daily.

As far as your comments about those who are "blue sky". I know there is no right way to say this, but while you are grounded that "no one co can provide all IT needs" your feet left the ground when you spoke about another client who had 2 IT consultants and only needed one if they hired you. My point is I want to stress-- identifying your niche and not every one is your customer is very good strategy. Be lazar sharp in your marketing.

I can also stress again to get the advice of your marketer. If the script doesnt' feel right for her, she will avoid making the calls.

I am soon going to close this question without feeling like most of you understood. If I don't feel you understand me, then what is the point?

- I didn't ask for help to run my business.

- My feet did not leave the ground. I know EXACTLY what the IT consultant does and I do the EXACT same thing, but better. Had the business been my customer, I'd have known to either not get them into the mess they are in, or I'd have stopped the bleeding long ago. Now I am discovering all kinds of other needs that should have been discovered and met a long time ago.

- What I meant was no other IT Co can meet all needs. I can. I can because I retain the resources to do so and if I don't have them, I get them. I can tell you that no other company around here does that.

- You also do not seem to understand that I don't get face to face and I don't get to talk to people. And it does matter. I don't have the time to go to polite school. I am NOT a sales person. I can't take the rudeness and downright stupidity I encounter when I do. We all sell. They sell and I know they don't like it when people act like jerks when their sales people call. I think it is far better for me to acknowledge my strengths and weaknesses. I just do not have the time. Right now I am consulting, designing a large surveillance system and fell into inventing something because I've discovered a huge hole in my field. I need someone to sell ME.

- and, of course I'd only use a script that will work for my sales rep. That is what I am all about, meeting needs and understanding strengths and weaknesses.

- and I like mb's script. Not because I'd use it as is, I din't have 1k to refund and I can't guarantee I'd save money. I also cannot offer a refund because I have to pay my technicians and I am not rich. Right now I can barely pay the rent, but he made me think about how I can take his concept and make it mine. There are things that I can offer that others do not and will not. And, he gave me a sample. So, mb, kudos to you.