How to Replace Your Sales Script with a Conversation

Dear Ari, My name is Ben Cross and I’m in the network marketing business. As you know, in network marketing we sell two things: the product of the company we represent and the business opportunity for others to get involved in the business.

My personality has never been on the aggressive side. The idea of selling and pressuring someone to buy something has always made me feel very uncomfortable.

When I became involved in the network marketing business, the first thing we got in the training program was the same old script that you probably hear all the time: “Hi Ari, how are you today? I’m calling to see if you’d be interested in a new business opportunity where you can earn supplemental income with very little investment?”

Since I didn’t have an extensive sales background, I figured that if I followed the formula, I’d be a top producer. Boy, was I wrong!

The main problem was that sales scripts ended up cornering the person I was calling into a “Yes” or “No.”

And that made me feel sleazy and just fed the negative “salesperson” stereotype. It seemed too unnatural to pick up the phone and immediately pitch what I had to offer. I felt I was assuming way too much when the person didn’t even know me.

Now I want to share with you how my entire approach has changed thanks to Unlock The Game.

I spent one whole night studying your audio, video, and e-book materials from the Mastery program, and the next day the lightbulbs starting popping in my head.

I realized I shouldn’t be putting pressure on the other person by trying to lead them to say “yes” to my product or business opportunity.

I also realized that my mindset was backward. Mentally I was trying to get the appointment, but I was struggling to avoid using words that would give that away. And that was the conflict that was eating at me—I had a HIDDEN agenda, and the people I called picked up on the fact that I wasn’t being genuine.

So I shifted my thinking to what you suggest: “Focus on getting to the truth of whether there’s a fit or not instead of the getting the sale.”

Once I began thinking that way, I realized that I had to first see if the person was open to the CONCEPT of another business opportunity before discussing whether they were interested or not.

In other words, I had to take a step back on the call, be humble, and begin with a new opening phrase. So here’s how it goes:

“Hi, my name is Ben, and we haven’t met yet.” (This is great because it disarms any suspicion they might have about me.)

Then I say, “I’m just calling to see if you’d be open to the IDEA of a different kind of supplemental business where can generate income with minimal capital investment.” (When I ask if they’re open to the IDEA first, people seem much more relaxed and open to talking to me about it.)

And that’s all I start with, because after that the conversation flows naturally to the end conclusion of whether we can work together or not.

Now I don’t have to feel nervous about getting to the next piece of my script because we just move into a natural conversation.

In fact, I’ve thrown out my script entirely and just begin the conversation as I’ve described it above. And here’s what tends to happen now:

The other day I called a lead and used exactly this approach. The conversation flowed naturally and he seemed interested in the business opportunity. My first instinct was to try to “close” him as I’d been trained to do. Instead, I remembered what you said about not putting pressure on the person as you near the end of a conversation. So I used the natural phrasing you suggested and said “Where do you think we should go from here?” And he suggested we schedule an appointment to move things forward!

I love this approach because I can sell without being aggressive!

Also, people respond to me not as a salesperson but as a human being. I’ve had people book appointments and refer me to other prospects because they want to help me out. I’ve also found that when someone doesn’t want my products or service, I come away from the call with no rejection at all. There’s no doubt at all that my business has grown since I’ve been using your Mastery program.

Thank you, Ben Cross Sales Mini-Lesson Take-Aways Here are some key take-aways from Ben’s story that can help you get on the right track:

* Change your mindset from trying to “close” the appointment to “opening” the conversation.

* Throw out your linear, step-by-step sales script and create a natural opening phrase that doesn’t put pressure on the other person.

* At the end of your initial call, don’t try to “close” for the appointment. Instead, ask, “Where should we go from here?”

* Learn to think of yourself as a problem-solver rather than as someone who’s simply selling something.

* Focus on creating a two-way dialogue rather than just making your pitch.

How to Replace Your Sales Script with a Conversation - To learn more about this author, visit Ari Galper's Website.

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