How do you balance between following your sales script and adapting to the customer's responses?

1 Know your script well

The first step to balancing your sales script and your customer's responses is to know your script well. You should practice your script until you can deliver it confidently and naturally, without reading it word for word. You should also familiarize yourself with the main points, benefits, and features of your offer, as well as the common questions and objections you might encounter. Knowing your script well will help you avoid awkward pauses, stuttering, or losing your train of thought.

3 Adapt your script to your customer

The third step to balancing your sales script and your customer's responses is to adapt your script to your customer. You should not stick to your script rigidly, regardless of your customer's needs, preferences, or objections. You should tailor your script to your customer's specific situation, goals, pain points, and personality. You should also use language that matches your customer's level of knowledge, industry, and jargon. For example, if your customer is a technical expert, you might use more technical terms and details, while if your customer is a novice, you might use more simple and clear explanations.

4 Use transitions and bridges

The fourth step to balancing your sales script and your customer's responses is to use transitions and bridges. Transitions and bridges are words or phrases that help you move from one part of your script to another, or from your script to your customer's response, smoothly and logically. For example, you might use transitions like "That's a great question" or "I'm glad you asked that" to acknowledge your customer's input and then lead them to the next point of your script. You might also use bridges like "Based on what you've told me" or "Since you're looking for" to link your script to your customer's needs and expectations.

5 Be flexible and creative

The fifth step to balancing your sales script and your customer's responses is to be flexible and creative. You should not be afraid to deviate from your script when necessary, as long as you stay on track with your main objective and message. You should also be ready to improvise, overcome objections, handle rejections, and provide value-added solutions to your customer. You should also use humor, stories, analogies, or testimonials to make your script more engaging and persuasive.

6 Test and refine your script

The sixth step to balancing your sales script and your customer's responses is to test and refine your script. You should not assume that your script is perfect or that it works for every customer. You should monitor and measure the results of your script, such as the number of calls, appointments, leads, or sales you generate. You should also solicit feedback from your customers, colleagues, managers, or mentors on how to improve your script. You should also experiment with different variations, approaches, or techniques to find out what works best for you and your customers.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?