BY Jessica Helinski
A sales script that sounds canned hurts trust and credibility. Buyers want to work with sellers who care about them and their business. They don’t want to deal with reps who offer a one-size-fits-all approach.
If your sales script sounds too generic or impersonal, you could miss out on new business. Why? Basically, sellers view it as disingenuous. Words matter, and if you aren’t careful, yours could alienate buyers.
Forbes warns sellers against relying too much on generic language.
“Consumers have learned how to pick up on the ‘canned,’ pre-written language businesses use in sales scripts…”
How to improve your sales script
Members of the Forbes Communication Council shared problematic common phrases appearing in sales scripts. One phrase that they advise against is typical to first outreach messages: “Can we schedule a quick call?”
While it seems genuine, these calls can start things off on the wrong foot. Too often, a first call is not short. This can immediately hurt your authenticity. At the very first contact, you’ve already gone against your word.
And, these calls are turned into a discovery session. Sellers jump at the chance to get as much information they can from the lead. They’re used to gathering as much as they can without giving anything in return.
Treasure Data’s Tom Treanor believes sellers should use another tactic to land a phone call. He suggests cutting out the promise of a “quick call” and replacing it with an offer.
“I’d love to see messaging about what they can teach us …in exchange for a call,” he says.
Change the sales script so that when asking for a call, share how the call can benefit them. Offer something of value, like a relevant case study. This shows you’re already thinking of how you can help their business.
As SalesFuel points out, content is especially valuable at this awareness stage.
“The buyer knows they have at least one pain point …But, they don’t always know what those solutions should be…”
This tactic also reveals you’ve done research to know what interests them.
Avoid this overused phrase, too
The Council shares other ways sellers hurt their changes by using poor phrases. While it’s been on-trend to say, they advise against referring to “uncertain times.” This was a common thing to say during and directly after the pandemic in 2020. But now, it’s overused.
Christina Hager, Ovations Digital, admits that uncertainty is a big factor for businesses. But there will always be varying levels of uncertainty triggering pain points. Tossing out the overused, generic “uncertain times” comes across as inauthentic.
Writing for LinkedIn, Emily Soccorsy points out that many have taken advantage of the public’s desire for certainty.
“The world’s marketing machine…has realized that uncertainty is a great business model,” she writes.
“So, it harps and repeats and reminds us of the wobbliness of the world.”
She believes it’s time to leave this “manipulative” language behind.
You can still show you recognize their struggles and challenges. But you can offer this empathy by specifically calling out the root of the uncertainty. Or, at least what you think it could be. This more personalized approach will connect more strongly with the lead.
And again, you’re demonstrating that you’ve taken the time to learn about their business and the current challenges they’re facing. This immediately positions you to present your solution as a logical choice that fits their needs.
Buyers will appreciate your refreshed sales scripts
By cutting out overused, sales‑y language, you’ll create stronger, trusted connections with buyers. You’ll stand out from competitors who rely on gimmicky language. And you’ll establish your credibility and authenticity by using relevant, thoughtful word choices.
For more insight into how your language impacts sales success, take a look at this advice.
Photo by Berkeley Communications
