An outbound sales script that works. 7 steps to success

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In outbound sales, the objective is to get a meeting with a potential sales lead. As far as you’re concerned, these are viable potential clients.

Not all of them are going to want what you are selling, but you’ve got to pick up the phone and pitch. Outbound tactics usually also involve social selling, emails, direct messages and InMail messages on LinkedIn.

Outbound sales can be a nerve-wracking job. Everyone has targets to hit. And every call that receives a rejection, or is blocked by a gatekeeper, or goes to voicemail is another unsuccessful hit.

For decades now, cold calling has been desired as dead. Over and over. Especially with a younger generation of salespeople and buyers in companies. It’s true, to an extent. Cold calling isn’t as popular. It should be integrated with other activities. But it isn’t dead.

According to RAIN Group research, 69% of potential buyers accept cold calls from salespeople. Amazingly, 82% of buyers will have meetings or demos with companies that reach out to them. This means that cold scripts together with proper outbound prospecting can make a huge impact on the outcome of sales campaigns.

How can you create an outbound sales script that works? 7. Steps to Success

  1. Sell the meeting
  2. Introduce a relatable situation
  3. Let them say No
  4. Ask key qualifying questions
  5. Aim to get a meeting tomorrow
  6. Include objection responses in cold scripts
  7. Leave voicemails that encourage responses

#1: Sell the meeting

In almost every case, you aren’t going to sell your product/service on the first call. Unless you are exceptionally lucky. No one is going to buy it straight away.

Instead, focus on the fact that the aim of the first call is to get a meeting or demo, not secure a sale. That’s it. Make that the focus.

Introduce yourself, who you work for, what you do (product/service), and make it clear you create value for companies just like them (your prospect). All you want is a chance to demonstrate this. Within that context, you can explain why it would benefit a sales lead, rather than trying to secure a sale straight away.

#2: Introduce a relatable situation

A relatable situation is a way of telling a prospect how you can help them. It’s also known as an elevator pitch. Ideally, it should be a single line, early into the script. Always be prepared before the call, so you can create a relatable situation for the prospect.

It needs to be a sentence focused on the benefits of working with you. And the key is, it should relate directly to the sector and prospect you are talking to. Don’t say how you help Fortune 500 companies if you are cold calling independent shops. It might sound impressive, but it’s definitely not relatable.

Here’s an example that should be useful:

“Our services help small and medium businesses, just like yours, grow their online and social media presence 10x, generating a whole load of new revenue and bringing new customers through the door.”

Not only is that relatable, but it’s also powerful and benefits/ROI-focused. It’s a sentence that should encourage sales leads to thinking twice before saying they’re not interested.

#3: Let them say No

Sales prospects always need the option to say no. Try and avoid the cliche, “Is this a good time to talk?” Instead, attempt to say this in a different and more effective way, such as:

“Does this sound interesting, would you like to know more?”

That also opens the door for booking a second meeting or demo, or starting to qualify the sales lead, while also giving them the option to say no.

#4: Ask key qualifying questions

Assuming they want to and have the time to keep talking, now is the chance to ask some key qualifying questions. You need to know they’re viable sales leads. Which means qualifying them, and crucially, practicing active listening and taking notes.

Show them you’ve heard and understood. Repeat back the most important points they’ve shared with you. At this stage, you should know if they’re a viable sales lead.

Repeating back information shows you have listened, understood, interested in what they’ve said, and it puts you in a better starting position for the next step (e.g. a demo or meeting).

#5: Aim to get a meeting tomorrow

Once you’ve got to this stage, the aim is to secure a meeting/demo. Sooner is better.

Time is crucial at this stage. If there’s too much time between one call and the next, they could change their minds, get busy with other things, lose interest, or a competitor could jump in.

A prospect might try and book you days, weeks or months ahead. Instead, try for, “How about tomorrow, do you have X minutes?”

It might not work, but it’s definitely worth trying. And if not, aim for a meeting or demo as close to the initial call as possible.

#6: Include objection responses in cold scripts

Assuming you are aware of some of the most common objections, it’s useful to include these in outbound scripts. It shows prospects you’re aware of issues some have raised in the past and can overcome them.

#7: Leave voicemails that encourage responses

According to RingLead data, 80% of sales calls go to voicemail. It’s essential that you don’t just hang up at that stage. Leave a voicemail message that encourages prospects to call back.

One of the most effective ways would be to use the elevator pitch or relatable situation line as part of a voicemail:

“Our services help independent retailers, just like yours, grow their online and social media presence 10x, generating a whole load of new revenue and bringing new customers through the door.”

Outbound scripts are an incredibly powerful part of the sales process. We hope this article is useful for those new to outbound selling, sales managers, and anyone struggling to hit targets with the sales scripts they’re currently using.

Key Takeaways: 7 steps to outbound sales script success

  1. Sell the meeting
  2. Introduce a relatable situation
  3. Let them say No
  4. Ask key qualifying questions
  5. Aim to get a meeting tomorrow
  6. Include objection responses in cold scripts
  7. Leave voicemails that encourage responses

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