We talked earlier about the phone funnel. But what do you say when someone takes the bait and submits the application to work with you? We will look at two scripts that can be used for this, depending on who is calling. This first script is the one you will use when you, as the expert, are making the call. The second is one you can use if you use others to sell for you. You will need two people, a setter and a closer. Either way, both scripts work when practised and used appropriately.
This four-question close version is designed for high-ticket items, say between £1,500 to £5,000 and beyond. The script ties back directly to what they were asked on the application.
Once you are on the call, it is often the case that people will want to warm things up with some small talk. Your time is valuable, and you will need to be making many calls and so you what to avoid this as much as you can and get down to business. Here is one way you can reduce the amount of time you need to spend engaging in small talk:
“Hello, this is [insert your name]; I am excited to talk with you. I want to explain to you how this call will progress. I am going to ask you [insert number] questions. Depending on your answer and how well we get along, we can decide how to move forward. How does that sound to you? “
It would be unusual for you not to get a positive response to this. If you do not, then you can end the call at this point and waste no more time. In most cases, you will not be ending the call, and you can progress to the important questions that will qualify]y and progress the project. Here are some example questions to help you design your own version of this successful script:
Question One – Imagine we were starting to work together today. I teach you all that I know and do all I can to help you get the results you are looking for. Now imagine you are sitting in your favourite coffee shop a year from now: what would have happened in your life, both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress? What would make you believe that this was the best decision you ever made?
The logic – What we are doing here is getting the ideal customer to think about and then describe to us their internal and external goals. You must understand their desires. If they are not able to answer this question, you probably won’t want to work with them because you may never be in a position to satisfy them. It all comes down to expectations. If they cannot articulate their desire, you won’t be able to help make them a reality! As a rule of thumb, most will start with the external as they are often easier to share and articulate. You want them to keep going and discuss some difficult internal desires. To help this along, you can ask follow-up questions based on their answers:
“Why do you want to make [insert amount they shared with you]? Why do you want the new house, the new car? What is it about [indsert subject they shared] that is so important to you?”
With questions of this nature, people will begin to share with you some of their inner thoughts, feelings and desires. Many people want the same thing, but the reason behind that desire can be significantly different. The more you can learn, the more you can serve and deliver.
Question Two – You know what you want. You have painted a really good picture for me. So let me ask you this – why don’t you have it yet? What has been standing in your way or holding you back?
The logic – You are looking for their obstacles and objections. If they have not yet got what they want, there must be a reason, and we need to get to the bottom of this so you can understand if you are in a position to help or not. Here is the thing, if they start to blame other people or outside circumstances, you probably won’t want to work with them unless you’re willing to invest heavily in them. What you want is people who will take responsibility for their actions. If you have to tease these out a little, that is ok, as long as they do take some responsibility.
Question Three – What resources, talents, connections, or skills do you have that you’re currently not using to the fullest potential that we could use to overcome your obstacles and achieve your goals?
The Logic – You will need to give them some time to think about this question. You will hear various answers; the important thing is that you get them thinking about the possibilities. whatever they do come up with is good, and you should let them know that and encourage them to come up with more. Keep asking, ‘what else?’ Do this until they run out of ideas. Then you can say:
“Okay, so let’s review this for a minute: It looks like you know exactly what you want. You told me you want [insert list] because. You haven’t been able to achieve this because [insert list]. It looks like you have all these resources you could leverage, but you are not yet using them to the fullest potential, is that about right?”
You can ask:
“How much more [insert desire] if you could eliminate the obstacles and leverage those resources?”
Question Four – I only have one more question for you. Do you want me to help you to achieve your goals?
At this point, you should stop talking. Do not be afraid of long silences; let them have their thoughts and wait for the answer. In most cases, the answer you are going to get is yes. Then you can move on by saying this:
“Great! Here is how it works. My fee is [insert amount]. In return, you get [insert offer]. I’m here to help. I can pass you on to my assistant to take care of the administration, and then we can start. Would you like to do that?”
If they say yes, congratulations, you have another customer to work with. If they cannot proceed, you can offer a payment plan or downsell.