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“The telephone still remains the most powerful sales tool ever created. LetDr. Inside Sales, aka Mike Brooks, provide you with the winning words toengage, connect, and sell more prospects. Power Phone Scripts is the perfectsales preSCRIPTion. Get yours today!”

—Jeffrey Gitomer, author of the Sales Bibleand the Little Red Book of Selling

“This book shows you how to get more appointments and make more sales by phonethan you ever thought possible.”

—Brian Tracy, author of Ultimate Sales Success

“In Power Phone Scripts, you’ll discover a plethora of ways to develop interest,identify buyers, deal with common objections, and much more. To achieve success,practice these scripts, internalize them and finally, make them your own. If youdo, you will soon be selling more, with a lot less resistance.”

—Jill Konrath, author of More Sales, Less Timeand SNAP Selling

“Too few people are talking about the most important part of inside sales—improving the core selling skills of front line salespeople. Sales is all about con-versations. Mike Brooks, Mr. Inside Sales, has produced an outstanding book ofreal-world talking points that is a required on-hand reference for any inside salesprofessional. Salespeople need to know what to say in a variety of selling scenariosthat happen every day. Mike fills the void with a book that is a must read.”

—Steve Richard, chief revenue officer, www.ExecVision.io

“All the questions a salesperson can potentially ask organized in a format thatfollows the sales process. What else can one ask for in a book of phone scripts?Great resource!”

—Trish Bertuzzi, author of The SalesDevelopment Playbook

“Your one-source guide to understanding how to handle any situation on the tele-phone. Mike’s first book of phone scripts is excellent and this one is simply beyondexcellent. You’ll appreciate the way he walks through every situation sharing theproven scripts to make any call successful. I highly recommend every salespersonbuy the book and keep it next to the phone, you’ll use it and you’ll love it!”

—Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter

“Regardless of your profession, if you ever talk to a customer or prospect on thephone, you must read this book.”

—Jeffrey J. Fox, author of the international bestsellerHow to Become a Rainmaker

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“What a difference meeting Mike Brooks and reading his two books, The Ulti-mate Book of Phone Scripts and Power Phone Scripts, have made in myagency’s productivity. We have experienced double-digit sales increases in a shortperiod of time! Power Phone Scripts expands on the concepts developed in thefirst book, The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts. It provides an in-depth col-lection of all the scripts and phone techniques necessary to turn your sales resultsaround. Thank you, Mike, for writing these invaluable books, which are a mustread for my team and the focus of many of our meetings. You have challenged meto live by your mantra: ‘If they can do it, I can do it better.’”

—Bruce Adorian, State Farm agent

“If you use the phone to make your sales calls, this book is a must-have! Mikeoffers his secrets to better calling to help you make more money—faster!”

—Michael Krause author of SMART ProspectingThat Works Every Time

“A sign of wisdom is the ability to learn from your mistakes and successes, and alsoto learn from the mistakes and successes of others. Mike Brooks is no sales theorist.He’s been in the trenches and has risen from struggling salesperson to one of thetop salespeople and sales trainers in the world today. His success is evidence ofthe fact that when you’re committed to studying the fundamentals of somethingand applying what you’ve learned on a consistent basis, your success is inevitable.Mike’s Power Phone Scripts provides a road map to your sales success. Successis the result of small activities repeated over time. Don’t read this book: study it.Apply what you learn, and you too will be able to chart your own sales successregardless of industry, product, or service. Thanks for your sales wisdom, Mike!”

—Kevin Knebl, CMEC, social selling and relationshipmarketing specialist and CEO of Knebl

Communications, LLC

“Preparation is the key to success in sales. Stop winging it! Prepare yourself toexcel with Mike Brooks’s proven, practical scripts and make more sales.”

—Tom Hopkins, author of How to Master the Art ofSelling and When Buyers Say No

“I have been reading and following Mike Brooks now for over a decade, and I canhonestly say that he is the master of inside sales. When I reviewed Mike’s newbook, Power Phone Scripts, I was struck once again by how easy he makes itto handle any selling situation—no matter how complex. His scripts are simple,step-by-step responses that work. In this new volume of scripts, Mike goes evendeeper by giving us the “Ten Characteristics of Top Sales Producers.” You willdiscover how, by following these principles, you can be and create top producers,too. If you need results from your inside sales team (or you are the team!), thenget this book today!”

—Laura Posey, chief instigator, Simple Success Plans

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“Ever lost on what to say or ask a buyer? If so, you need to be scripted—prepared!This book of real-life, non-sales-y scripts will make the buyer more comfortablewith you while you project yourself as trustworthy, professional, and successful. Amust read and do!”

—Bob Urichuck, author and founder of theBuyer-Focused Velocity Selling System

“Power Phone Scripts provides immediately usable and practical guidance thatkeeps our entire inside sales team focused on one consistent message. Using thisresource has allowed us to reduce ad-libbing, and enabled our company to measureour message effectiveness and make needed changes to improve results. We haveembraced Mike’s proven sales techniques and scripts, and I highly recommendPower Phone Scripts as a great resource to improve sales performance andrevenue results.”

—Mark Dunn, CPA, CBM, CGMA, MBA, and CEO,Trojan Professional Services, Inc.

“Our team has found Power Phone Scripts to be invaluable to our success.These scripts have provided a road map to follow and consistency throughout ourteam. In fact, we were so impressed with the scripts’ success, we incorporated all ofMike Brooks’s materials, including weekly coaching sessions, into our inside salesteam. Since then, our success and growth have accelerated to exceed our goalsand budgets.”

—David W Coleman, senior vice president,network communications, INC

“I’ve known and trusted Mike Brooks for over a decade now, and as a result I’vebuilt my sales teams on many of the fundamentals that Mike Brooks teaches inhis previous bestselling books. What I have always liked most about Mike’s booksis that they focus on the fundamentals of sales and don’t get caught up in the latesthype or technology that can distract from the basics.

“Mike Brooks has done it again. He’s created a whole new book of scripts with newcontent updated for today’s salesperson, including email and multitouch plans youcan use right now. His fresh and modern approach to the blocking and tackling ofsales will surely make Power Phone Scripts another classic desk-side referencemanual for all salespeople.”

—Kevin Gaither, senior vice president of sales,ZipRecruiter

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POWERPHONESCRIPTS

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POWERPHONESCRIPTS

500 WORD-FOR-WORD QUESTIONS, PHRASES, AND

CONVERSATIONS TO OPEN AND CLOSE MORE SALES

MIKE BROOKS

MR. INSIDE SALES

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Copyright © 2017 by Mike Brooks. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted inany form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, orotherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States CopyrightAct, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization throughpayment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 RosewoodDrive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to thePermissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201)748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their bestefforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to theaccuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any impliedwarranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created orextended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies containedherein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional whereappropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from.

For general information about our other products and services, please contact our CustomerCare Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317)572-3993, or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Somematerial included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or inprint-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in theversion you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. Formore information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Brooks, Mike, 1957- author.Title: Power phone scripts : 500 word-for-word questions, phrases, andconversations to open and close more sales / Mike Brooks.

Description: Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [2017] | Includesbibliographical references and index. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2017013703 (print) | LCCN 2017021433 (ebook) | ISBN9781119417958 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119417972 (epub) | ISBN 9781119418078(cloth)

Subjects: LCSH: Telephone selling.Classification: LCC HF5438.3 (ebook) | LCC HF5438.3 .B75 2017 (print) | DDC658.8/72—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017013703

Cover Design: WileyCover Image: © Pranch/Shutterstock

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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This book is dedicated to you, my fellow sales professional. I believein you, and if you can believe in yourself, then I guarantee you canachieve an amazing life through learning how to sell more, with lessresistance, using the scripts and strategies you will find in this book.

You and your family deserve it.

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CONTENTS

Foreword xviiIntroduction xix

Why You Need Phone Scripts xxiiHow to Get the Most from This Book xxvii

PART I LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS 1

Chapter 1 What It Takes to Be a Top Producer:Ten Characteristics of Top Sales Producers 3Top Characteristic #1: Make a Commitment 5Top Characteristic #2: Be Prepared forRecurring Selling Situations 8

Top Characteristic #3: Record & Critique YourCalls For 90 Days 11

Top Characteristic #4: Thoroughly QualifyEach Prospect 14

Top Characteristic #5: Re-qualify Prospects atthe Beginning of your Close 17

Top Characteristic #6: Build Rapport Before,during, and After a Sale 19

Top Characteristic #7: Ask for the SalesMultiple Times 22

Top Characteristic #8: Treat Gatekeepers withCourtesy and Respect 25

Top Characteristic #9: Resign from theCompany Club 28

Top Characteristic #10: Invest Daily in YourAttitude 30

PART II PROSPECTING TECHNIQUES AND SCRIPTS 35

Chapter 2 Better, Smarter Prospecting Techniques:New Cold Calling Techniques That Work 37A Fresh Prospecting Approach for You 41

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xii CONTENTS

A Better Approach Than “How Are YouToday?” 43

Don’t Say That, Say This! 45How to Develop an Effective Elevator Pitch 50Four Ways to Get Past the Gatekeeper 52Why Asking for Help Is a Great Way to GetInformation 55

Stop Pitching the Gatekeeper—and What toDo Instead 57

What to Do if the Prospect Takes Only Emails 60

Chapter 3 Dealing with Resistance When Prospecting:How to Overcome Initial Resistance WhileCold Calling 65Eighteen NewWays to Handle “I’m NotInterested” 67

Five NewWays to Handle “Just Email MeSomething” 71

Five (Nine, Really!) New Ways to Handle “I’mToo Busy” 74

Five NewWays to Handle “We’re CurrentlyWorking with Someone” 77

Ten NewWays to Handle “We’re All Set” 79How to Overcome “We Handle That inHouse” 82

How to Handle the “We’re happy with StatusQuo” Objection 83

Chapter 4 You Can’t Sell an Unqualified Lead:Qualifying Scripts to Identify Real Buyers 87Fifteen Ways to Handle the CompetitionObjection 89

How to Question for Budget 94How to Qualify for Interest 98How to Qualify an Influencer 101The Only Qualifying Question You May Need 104How to Requalify Existing Prospects andClients 107

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CONTENTS xiii

The Two Most Important Qualifiers (and Howto Ask for Them) 110

How to Qualify Prospects withoutInterrogating Them 114

Chapter 5 Other Prospecting Situations—and Howto Handle Them 121The Proper Way to Handle a Call-In Lead 121Features and Benefits versus KnowingHow to Sell 124

How to Build Instant Rapport with C-LevelExecutives 126

Chapter 6 Voice Mail and Email Strategies 131Voice Mail: Five Proven Techniques That GetYour Calls Returned 131

The Touch-Point Plan: How to Turn ColdLeads into Warm Leads 137

Conclusion to Prospecting Techniquesand Scripts 141

PART III CLOSING TECHNIQUES AND SCRIPTS 143

Chapter 7 How to Close the Sale 145Opening a Closing Call 147Five Ways to Get Better at HandlingObjections 150

How to Use Assumptive Statements 152The Importance of Confirming Your Answers 154Seven Things to Say When Prospects Don’tHave the Time for Your Presentation 155

How to Stay Organized (and Efficient!) 158How to Get Your Prospect Talking 161Softening Statements That Keep ProspectsTalking 163

Positive Statements That Help You Sell 167Handling Objections When Requalifying 170Always Have This Close Handy 174The Three Times to Handle an Objection 176

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xiv CONTENTS

Chapter 8 How to Deal with Specific Objections 179How to Handle “I Haven’t Looked at theInformation Yet” 179

Eleven NewWays to Handle “The Price Is TooHigh” 182

Six New Ways to Handle: “I Need to Talk toMy Boss” 186

Ten NewWays to Handle the “I Need toThink About It” Objection 190

“I Want to Think About It”—Another 10 NewWays to Handle It! 193

How to Deal Effectively with the Influencer 197Closing Questions to Isolate the Objection 199How to Overcome the “We Tried It Before andIt Didn’t Work” Objection 204

How to Handle “I’ll Have to Speak with. . . .” 206How to Handle the References Stall 210How to Handle “My Supplier Is My Friend” 212How to Overcome the “You Expect Me toMake a Decision Now?” and “I Need to DoMore Research” Objections 215

How to Overcome the “Market/Industry/Economy Is Bad” Objection 218

How to Overcome the “My Relative HandlesThat for Me” Objection and the “I Have aLongstanding Relationship with My Vendor”Objection 220

Chapter 9 Winning Closing Techniques 223How to Use Tie-Downs to Build Momentum 223Too Many Options? Narrow It Down to Getthe Sale Now 229

Boost Your Sales by Using This One Word 231Ten Ways to Soften the Price Objection andKeep Pitching 233

In Sales, the Most Important Thing to SayIs. . . . 236

Ask for the Sale Five Times—at Least! 238

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CONTENTS xv

Chapter 10 Follow-Up Strategies 241The Proper Way to Set a Call Back 241How to Follow Up with Prospects and WinBusiness 244

Staying Top of Mind Across a Longer TimeFrame 248

Conclusion 250

Acknowledgments 255Connect with Mike Brooks 257About the Author 259Index 261

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FOREWORD

L et me be brutally honest. The telephone is, has always been, andwill continue to be your most powerful sales tool. Not email.

Not social media. The phone!

The brutal and undeniable truth is that inside sales reps who failto master the phone fail, so it’s time to stop looking at the phone like it’syour enemy and see it for what it really is: a money-making machine.

The telephone is more effective than email and social mediabecause when you are actually speaking to another human being, thereis a higher probability that you’ll set appointments, gather qualifyinginformation, and close deals.

Yet, many salespeople find it awkward to use the phone becausethey:

• Don’t know what to say or how to say it.

• Wing it on every call and say stupid, embarrassing things thatgenerate resistance and rejection.

• Don’t have easy-to-execute telephone scripts that allow themto focus on their prospect rather than what to say.

• Don’t have effective strategies for dealing with reflexresponses, brush-offs, and objections.

What I find across the board, though, is that most salespeopledon’t know how to use the phone for sales because they’ve neverbeen taught.

This problem is exacerbated by the fact that at most com-panies, there is deficient to nonexistent telephone training. Whencompanies do provide training, it is usually made up of complex, con-trived methods developed by people who’ve never even successfullyused the phone for sales. This approach never works in the real worldwith real prospects.

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xviii FOREWORD

Sadly, most salespeople are making egregious mistakes on thephone. Through their words and approach, they turn prospects off,get shut down, and create resistance where it didn’t exist.

In inside sales, you havemere seconds to get your prospect’s atten-tion. When you have a prospect on the phone, message matters. Whatyou say and how you say it is often the difference between winning orlosing the deal.

This is where Mike Brooks comes in. Mike isn’t a theorist. He’sa trench warrior. He’s walked in your shoes. Made the same mistakes,lived through the same pain, and dealt with rejection.

He’s also been phenomenally successful. Mike’s formula for insidesales excellence was developed through trial and error—working withreal prospects, in real time, in the real world. It was honed in thetrenches, and it works!

In this book, Power Phone Scripts: 500 Word-for-Word Questions,Phrases, and Conversations to Open and Close More Sales, Mike teachesyou exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. You’ll learnthe keys to getting past resistance, dealing with objections, and clos-ing the deal. When you follow Mike’s formula, you are guaranteed toimprove your performance, boost your income, and attain the successyou desire.

Jeb Blount, author of the number-one bestsellerFanatical Prospecting and CEO of SalesGravy.com

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INTRODUCTION

D ear Fellow Sales Professional:

I want this book to be the most important book you will ever readin your sales career.

Actually, I want you to look back at this and someday say thatthis was the most important book you’ve ever read in your life. I knowthat is a strong statement, but let me tell you why. Years ago, I wasintroduced to a sales philosophy and given a set of tools and techniquesthat changed all my sales results, and literally changed my life. I wentfrom a struggling salesperson who hated his job, hated prospectingfor business, and hated rejection, to a success. I went from driving abeat-up Nissan hatchback to driving a new Mercedes Benz. I wentfrom struggling to pay my credit cards each month to buying my firsthome and furnishing it just the way I wanted it. I went from dreadingwaking up every morning to waking up with an enthusiasm and con-fidence I had never known was possible. And it was all from learningand practicing the habits and techniques I am going to teach you inthis book today.

Please don’t think I’m bragging, because I am not. Instead, I likewhat Anthony Robbins said once: “I am not telling you these thingsto impress you, but rather to impress upon you.” What I’m trying toimpress upon you today is that if I—a failing and resentful sales rep whothought that life should have dealt him a better card (I was too good tobe cold calling as an inside sales rep! I should be doing something moreinteresting and prestigious withmy college degree. . . .)—could turnmyattitude, my results, and my life completely around to having the kindof freedom and success I never thought possible, that if I could do allthat using the skills, philosophy, and scripts contained in this book, youcan do it too.

In fact, I guarantee that if you will just follow the advice you willread in this book, you, too, can completely change your sales results.

xix

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xx INTRODUCTION

No matter how poorly (or how well) you are doing now, you canimmediately begin doing better. You can begin prospecting with con-fidence and even get to a place where it becomes fun. Imagine that!By using the scripts and techniques in this book, you can also beginclosing more sales and handling objections and stalls—that may frus-trate you now—with ease. And as you learn these powerful and proventechniques, you will not only grow more confident, but you will beginto stand out in your company and in your industry. Soon, you will findyourself in the top elite of producers—the “Top 20 Percent,” as I liketo call them.

As you begin to change your sales results, your life will change aswell. Not only will you begin elevating your lifestyle, but your futurewill begin to change, also. You will begin thinking about things youmay not be considering now, like perhaps moving into managementor becoming a director of sales or VP of sales. Some of you will beginthinking of opening your own company and using the strategies youwill learn here to build a highly successful inside sales team of your own.As you becomemore successful using these techniques, your world willopen up for you, and the sky will become the limit.

As you do all this, you will be changing your family’s lives as well.Suddenly you will be able to afford a better house, better cars, and allthe stuff you may wish you had now.

Your kids will be able to go to better schools because you will havethe resources to afford them. You and your spouse will begin vacation-ing in the spots and staying in the hotels you always dreamed of stayingin, if that’s important to you. You will begin saving more money forretirement, and putting money into other savings and investments. Youwill begin living with a sense of security that you may only dream ofnow, because you will no longer have financial insecurity. You will beable to sleep better at night because you will finally possess the key toselling well.

All these things and more are available to you once you read andmake a commitment to learning and using the strategies, scripts, andtechniques you’ll find in this book. Again, I know this to be true becauseit happened for me. Not only that, but since I figured out the secret toselling easily and with less rejection, I have also taught it to hundreds

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INTRODUCTION xxi

of companies and thousands of sales reps. Have they all had the resultsI’m promising you here? Sadly, no.Unfortunately,many sales reps weretoo lazy to put in the relatively brief amount of time necessary (about90 days of committed effort) to change the way they were doing things.Instead, they continued to ad-lib their way through their sales calls, andsimply relied on their old habits. As a result, as they say, “if nothingchanges, nothing changes.” And nothing did for them.

However, there have been hundreds of sales professionals whowere ready for a better life and were willing to make the commitment,put in the effort, and follow the advice detailed in this book. They,without fail, have achieved a higher level of success and the ease andcomfort that come from mastering these proven sales strategies andtechniques. And, yes, many of them have gone on to be in the Top 20Percent, and even the Top 1 Percent of the sales professionals in theirrespective industries. And you can, too.

I developed a mantra when I was learning these techniques allthose years ago, a mantra I used to say to myself to keep me practicingand to keepme committed to changingmy results. I invite you to adoptit as well. As I sat at my desk in the sea of sales reps, I would look aroundat the top three producers at my company (out of 25 sales reps—manystruggling like me), and I thought about the results they consistentlyproduced. They were always on top of the revenue production eachmonth, and they were the ones who drove the nice cars, wore the nicesuits, and won all the bonuses. I remember thinking that they had thesame amount of hours in a day as I did. They had access to the samescripts and leads. They were selling the same product I was. That iswhen I developed this mantra:

“If they can do it, I can do it better!”

I was convinced that if they could do it—heck, they were just ashuman as I was—then I could do it better. I burned with a desire tochange my life. I was sick and tired of struggling, and I knew that ifthey could achieve the results I wanted, then I could andwould dedicatemyself to learning better techniques and to critiquing myself and myapproach daily (through listening to my recordings), and I would investthe time, money, and energy needed to become a top producer.

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xxii INTRODUCTION

I did. By relentlessly studying, learning, and applying the strate-gies (especially the “Ten Characteristics of Top Sales Producers”) youwill read in this book, and by memorizing, drilling, rehearsing, andadapting the word-for-word scripts you will find here, within 90 days Ibecame one of the top three producers inmy company. I still rememberthe incredible feeling I had when I went up before all 25 reps to acceptmy award for being a top producer. I still remember my commitmentto myself as I walked back to my chair: “And you just wait until nextmonth,” I said under my breath as I took my seat.

Nine months later, by continuing to practice and improve, I wasthe top producer out of five branch offices in Southern California.That next year the company elevated me to the sales manager ofthe other 25 sales reps in our office. Within one year, I had doubledour office’s production by carefully teaching and coaching adherenceto the proven principles you’ll read in this book. Most sales reps Iworked with immediately increased their sales, and many even movedinto the Top 20 Percent. Without fail, everyone I have worked withover the years since sees improvement in direct proportion to theircommitment level and their adherence to the principles and scriptsin this book.

WHY YOU NEED PHONE SCRIPTS

As far as “phone scripts” go, let’s address the raging debate aboutwhether inside sales reps should use scripts or not. Everyone has anopinion on this, and while some may be on the fence about it, mostpeople are either very against using a scripted approach, while othersadvocate using scripts and spend a lot of time and effort creating themfor their teams. Those who don’t believe in using them cite many reasons,including:

• Using scripts makes you sound like a telemarketer.

• Following a script is too confining—you have to be able to “gowith the flow” of a conversation.

• You can’t consult with a prospect if you’re following a script.

• Scripts all sound so “sales-y” that it turns prospects off.

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INTRODUCTION xxiii

• People can always tell that you’re reading something, so yousound unprofessional.

• You can’t script out everything—sometimes you just need tobe able to ad-lib a little.

• Scripts were okay in the beginning or as a guide, but now thatyou’re a “pro,” you don’t need them.

And so on. I bet you can think of a few reasons yourself why you’dnever be caught dead following a script.

Then there are those who believe that you absolutely must followa script. Having written several books on phone scripts, you can imag-ine I subscribe to this group. Some of the reasons I believe you should followa script are:

• Following a script actually makes you soundmore professional.

• Using a carefully constructed script allows you to followbest-practice sales techniques that have been proven to workover time.

• Following a script ensures that you ask all the right qualifyingquestions.

• Scripts make your job easier because you know where you’vebeen and where you’re going.

• Scripts allow you to truly listen to what your prospect is reallysaying.

• Having a script to follow gives you confidence and controlover the sales process.

• Following a scripted sales approach allows you to practice per-fection on every call.

Each of these reasons for following a scripted sales approach pow-erfully affects each stage of your sales process, and any one of them canmake or break a sale. The real argument I present to those who insiston not using scripts is this: whether you know it or not, you already arefollowing a script!

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xxiv INTRODUCTION

Think about it: If I were to record all your calls for a week andthen transcribe them and hand that transcription back to you, isn’t ittrue that what I would be giving you was your own “script”? Isn’t it truethat you are saying the same things, over and over again, each time youget a question, objection, or blow-off? Sure you are!

You see, right now everyone is already using a script of some kind,but the problem with most of them is that they were developed in theheat of the sale, on the fly, while they were taking “incoming” from aprospect or client. Most of the responses sales reps use were thoughtup on the spot and in response to (and often in defense to) some typeof difficult sales situation.

Just think about how you, or your sales team, habitually respondto blow-offs like, “What is this call in regard to?” or “We wouldn’t beinterested,” or “Just email me something.” Chances are, you are usingthe same old ineffective responses that just cause you frustration andphone reluctance.

One of the biggest benefits to using professionally preparedscripts, however, is that you can design the most effective response inadvance, and then deliver your lines like a professional. I often like tocite Marlon Perkins from the old TV show, “Mutual of Omaha’s WildKingdom,” when making this point.

As some of you may remember, his associate, Jim, was always outin the field “wrestling with the alligators,” while Marlon was reportingfrom the “safety and comfort of the Land Rover.” I always rememberMarlon taking a sip of iced tea and thinking, “When I grow up, I wantto be Marlon and not Jim.”

In sales, it’s the same thing. If you are not following a preparedand effective approach, then each time your prospect answers, you aresuddenly like Jim, “wrestling with the alligators.” If you take the time,however, in the safety and comfort of the conference room, to craft outthe best responses, statements, and questions to the selling situationsyou run into day after day, then you can calmly and coolly deal with allthose situations successfully. And even take a sip of iced tea in betweenresponses!

Here is one of the most important things to remember about sales: 80percent of the brush-offs, the objections and the selling situations you

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get, day in and day out, are exactly the same. There is very little new insales. Three thousand years ago in the open markets in Egypt, when aseller told a buyer the price of something, the buyer probably said, “Theprice is too high!” Sound familiar? Eighty percent of the selling situa-tions you face today are the same ones you faced yesterday, last month,and they are the same ones you will get next week and next summer.

I cannot stress enough how important this concept is in sales. Itgives you, the sales professional, a huge advantage if you take the timeto capitalize on it. Unfortunately, the majority of sales reps and compa-nies never leverage this fact, but the Top 20 Percent of sales producersdo take advantage of this by taking the time to script out proven andeffective responses to these objections so they are prepared in advanceto succeed. Then, when they get the same old objections or stalls, theyknow exactly how to handle them. They understand the importanceof taking the time to drill, practice, and rehearse effective responsesso they can deliver their scripts in a natural and professional tone andat an optimal pace. That is why top producers sound so smooth andprofessional, and why they make sales seem easy. Because they havetaken the time to internalize their best-practice scripts, top performersdeliver their responses naturally, and they automatically know exactlywhat to say and when to say it.

And just a word about practice. Did you notice I didn’t say they“read their scripts”? Every professional—whether an actor, musician,dancer, or athlete—spends hours and hours learning their craft andpracticing their techniques so that when it’s time to perform, theydo it automatically. All those concerts you see performed by largeorchestras and dance routines that seem easy and effortless are allthe results of hundreds of hours of careful practice. Don Shula, theSuper Bowl–winning coach of the Miami Dolphins, talks about howhis players practice every day until their assignments and techniquesbecome automatic. He said, “Overlearning means that the players areso prepared for a game that they have the skill and confidence neededto make the big play.”

It is the same with any sales professional. If you need to thinkabout how to respond to a question, a blow-off, an objection, or a stall,then it’s already too late. If you have scripted out the best approachor response and memorized it, however, then you will have the skill

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and confidence to handle those situations like a top producer. This iswhat empowers you to be successful, and it is what separates you fromthe other 80 percent who are struggling and making things up as theygo along.

So, should you learn and use best-practice, real-world responsesthat give you the greatest chance to succeed in the selling situationsyou get into day after day? Or should you continue to make things upas you go along, hoping that what you say will occasionally work? Theanswer to that question will determine whether or not you choose tolearn and use scripts, and how successful—or unsuccessful—you willbe in your career.

Speaking of scripts, if you have not yet read, practiced, and per-fected the core inside sales scripts in my original, bestselling book TheUltimate Book of Phone Scripts, you will benefit even more from thoseessential scripts. In The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts, you will findover 200 scripts that give you and your sales team proven and effec-tive ways to easily deal with gatekeepers, get through to more decisionmakers, overcome objections, and close more sales. The Ultimate Bookof Phone Scripts lays the groundwork for selling over the phone and pro-vides the fundamental scripts you need to be successful. Combinedwiththe advanced and additional scripts and strategies you will find here inPower Phone Scripts, you and your sales team will have all the scriptsand phone techniques you will ever need to completely turn your salesresults around and transform your career, your life, and your company.Get The Ultimate Book of Phone Scripts here: http://mrinsidesales.com/ultimatescripts.htm.

One last word about investing in yourself, your company, andyour success. If you are a business owner or sales manager and youwant the quickest lift from an investment in your sales team, then dothis: buy eachmember of your sales team a copy of both Ultimate Books,and task them with studying, adapting, and incorporating these provenscripts into their sales presentations. Have your sales manager conductsales meetings to teach these proven scripts and concepts, and watchyour sales and revenues begin to take off.

This is the most important thing you can do to improve the salesresults in your company, because the number one reason the majority

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of all sales teams struggle is that not many managers are experiencedor prepared enough to gives sales reps—the ones in the trenches—theword-for-word scripts and tools they need to succeed. Very few com-panies are effectively or consistently teaching sales reps what to say anddo when they are faced with an objection or challenging sales situation.If you doubt this, then hold a sales meeting and go around the roomasking each rep how they handle the standard sales stall of, “I need toask my partner.” I will bet you right now that each rep will ad-lib a dif-ferent (and mostly ineffective) answer. This is why your sales team isstruggling. The only way to fix that—and so fix your sales results—isto finally give them the exact scripts they need to deal effectively withthis and the other selling objections and situations they run into dayafter day. If you don’t do this, then your team will continue to strug-gle and produce inconsistent results—it’s as simple as that. If you doaddress this glaring need, then your team will immediately begin pro-ducing more sales and you will finally have a way to scale a successfulinside sales team—and company.

If you are a sales professional working at a company and you’restruggling with the idea of investing another $39.95 in a book ofphone scripts, ask yourself how much money you paid for all thosecollege textbooks that you sold back to the student store for a quarterof their value? You know, the ones you can’t remember anything aboutright now. Then compare all those hundreds of dollars you spent (andare still probably paying for through your outstanding student loans),to the under-$100 total investment in these two books of UltimatePhone Scripts and Power Phone Scripts that will make your every phonecall better and which will dramatically improve your life for yearsto come. It is a no-brainer when you look at it this way. If you putjust 90 days into studying and applying the proven techniques andscripts you will find in these two books, you will transform your life.So go ahead, make the investment in yourself, and start changing yourfuture today.

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS BOOK

The book is broken down into three parts: Part One: Laying theGroundwork for Success; Part Two: Prospecting Techniques and

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Scripts; and Part Three: Closing Techniques and Scripts. I suggestyou start with Part One, and the Ten Characteristics of Top SalesProducers, to see how many of these you are practicing now and howmany you can begin incorporating into your sales life. Each of thesecore characteristics are practiced by top sales producers across allindustries, and even incorporating just one a week can cause a hugeshift in your perspective and in your sales results. One of my go-totechniques, for example, is recording and critiquing yourself every dayfor 90 days.

You have probably heard of this suggestion of recording yourself,and your company may regularly record your calls now, but how oftendo you take it upon yourself to review your own calls? Just this onetechnique will have a dramatic and instant impact on how you sell, and Ipersonally doubled my income in 90 days by applying this technique inmy own career. Every other characteristic will also add to your success,so study and apply each characteristic starting today.

Next, in Part Two: Prospecting Techniques and Scripts, you willfind current and proven scripts to help you cold-call prospects andqualify better prospects. You’ll find many current and proven rebut-tals to the blow-offs you may be encountering now (things like, “I’mnot interested,” and “I’m too busy,” and so on). You’ll also find waysto qualify in crucial, core areas like budget, interest, and competition.Remember that you can’t close an unqualified lead, so learning how tocarefully qualify a prospect (without interrogating them) will imme-diately take your sales skills—and closing results—to another level.As with all these scripts, make sure to invest the time to adapt themto your product, service, and personality. Make them your own andthen commit to memorizing them and using them until they becomeautomatic for you. This is how you will develop the habits of a Top 20Percent producer.

In Part Three: Closing Techniques and Scripts, you will finallylearn some advanced skills to help you handle a variety of situationsthat may frustrate you today. Among the techniques you will learn ishow to use tie-downs to build a yes momentum. This is important,because in today’s sale, the game isn’t about pitching and pitching and