If you didn’t know, starting a business is hard work. Especially when you’re starting from scratch and with limited resources.
You probably go door-to-door, walk parking lots to leave business cards in cars, or do some online marketing to generate leads and sales.
In the beginning months, you fight for every detail you can get. It’s a lot of hard work. No doubt about it.
But that’s only a quarter of the battle (if that). There’s SO much you have to do in order to be successful.
Not only do you have to know how to detail, not only do you have to know how to market your services, but you also need to know how to talk to prospects and sell your services.
You work SO hard to get your phone to ring, you need to make sure you’re performing at your best when you’re on the phone to increase the chances of you closing the deal.
In this article, I’m going cover a few things:
- How to handle incoming calls from potential customers
- Why you shouldn’t wing every phone call
- The importance of sales scripts (plus a template for you to download)
[bonus]BONUS: Want to skip the article and download the goodies? You can [link]download the two versions of the sales script here[/link]. Put it to use and land more customers![/bonus]
Answering the phone… How hard can it be?
Have you ever called a business and someone answered with the most unenergetic and lazy tone?
You’re curious about what they offer, you want more information, and you want to be helped by a friendly staff member. But the person on the phone clearly doesn’t care and is giving you half-ass answers.
DO NOT BE THAT PERSON.
Believe it or not, you can HEAR the attitude the person is in by the way they talk.
You will not believe how poorly some businesses answer the phone. Whether they know it or not, it is hindering their results.
Realize this…
Out of the dozens and dozens of business that the prospect can call from, they decided to call YOU.
It could have been because they saw your van, they passed by your shop, they searched for you online, they saw your ad, you were recommended by a friend, etc…
But you stood out amongst the crows and they decided to give you a chance to see what you have to offer.
Do not underestimate that.
Every phone call you get, you have to go into it with the best attitude. You have to imagine that person is in need of help and you are there to provide as much information as possible since you hold the solution to their need.
It doesn’t matter how they talk or what they’re inquiring about, you job is to give them as much information as needed and to book them in your calendar.
Do you wing it on every phone call (hint, you need a sales script)?
When a prospect calls you, you are not customer service. You are in sales. You are attempting to convince the other person on the phone why they should choose your business and your services instead of the competition.
What if you’re the fourth detailer they’ve called? What if they’re interested in trying someone else than their usual guy?
One of the biggest and most common mistakes I see in just about ALL industries (not just detailers), is trying to wing it on every call.
That’s a mistake.
Here are are two reasons why you shouldn’t do that on every phone call:
Reason #1: It’s easier to miss details when you’re winging it
Let me ask you, before you cut the lawn, drive to a restaurant, or make breakfast, do you go think about what you’re going to do before you actually do it?
Of course! It’s common sense.
You’re not going to just crank the lawnmower and get the mowing.
Maybe you’ll think about the pattern you’re going to cut it, the problematic areas, etc…
It’s the same concept when you get on a sales call.
If you simply pick up the phone with no structure, you’re going to go with the flow and get lost in the conversation. It’s very easy to forget small details.
Reason #2: It’s difficult to refine your methods
Have you ever heard the phrase, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
This directly applies to your sales process.
How can you improve your sales if you have no type of baseline?
Do you need to ask different questions? Do you need to explain your services differently? What specific questions do you need to ask?
If you have a sales script, you’ll be able to look at your process objectively and improve as time goes by.
Keep this in mind, I don’t mean you need sales script and read it like a robot with no emotion. The sales script isn’t there to be read one-by-word.
It’s simply there to guide you through the conversation. It’s going to help you maintain discipline throughout the conversation to get and give the necessary information.
Just like anything else in life, the more you practice, the better you’re going to get at it.
[bonus]BONUS: Want to skip the article and download the goodies? You can [link]download the two versions of the sales script here[/link]. Put it to use and land more customers![/bonus]
Use this script as a framework
Incoming calls are referred to as inbound calls. These are prospects calling your business (pretty straightforward).
Remember, this is a guideline for you to follow. You can change any part of the script as you see fit.
<start the script>
Let’s start off with the FIRST SENTENCE to answer the phone. I hear this way too many times when someone answers the phone;
“This is Oscar”
…uhh.. okay?
A few ways to answer the phone:
This is YOUR-NAME with BUSINESS-NAME, how can I help you?
Thank you for calling BUSINESS-NAME, this is YOUR-NAME how may I help you?
Then the prospect replies with their problem/needs:
Yes, I’m looking for someone to detail my car. The interior needs a good shampoo. How much do you charge?
Note: A lot of times, the prospect will give you so much unnecessary information. They’ll give you the backstory to how the car got dirty, like they went out with their friend last night to a club for their cousin’s birthday and someone accidentally spilled liquor on the seats because they were kind of drunk.
It’s your job to agree, listen, and be interested.
It’s your turn to gather the important information:
Sure thing! And what’s your name? Thank you Alex. So what type of car is this and what year is it? Thanks. And as far as cleaning the interior, are you focused on a particular area or are you looking to get the entire interior cleaned to the best condition possible? What do you have in mind?
This is where you identify what the prospect is really looking for:
Well it’s been awhile since I’ve cleaned my interior. It’s not bad, but is has been awhile since I’ve cleaned it. I’m also driving out of town this weekend with the family and I don’t want to go in a dirty car.
I could do it myself, but I know I’ll miss a lot of spots so I’d rather have someone that knows what they’re doing work on the car. How much do you charge to clean the inside?
Note: Don’t take their word for the condition of the vehicle. You’ll hear things like, “it’s not that bad”, “I keep up with it myself”, “it just needs a simple cleaning”, etc… Don’t believe any of it. Their opinion and perspective on what a clean and dirty car is is going to be completely different than your opinion and perspective.
Explain your services and ask for the close (appointment):
Excellent. So it sounds like our Premium Interior Detail will fit what you’re looking for. This is where we clean your entire interior from top to bottom, front to rear, to the best condition possible.
Since I haven’t personally seen the vehicle and don’t know the true condition, I can only give you a price range. For the size of your vehicle, it should be between $LOW-RANGE to $HIGH-RANGE and it should take between LOW-HOURS to HIGH-HOURS to complete the detail.
Is that something you’re interested in? I have an opening this DAY at TIME, does that work for you?
Note: This is where you’ll go back and forth with the prospect. They’ll ask you more questions about your services and how it all works. Answers the questions thoroughly and with confidence to enforce that you’re the expert.
<end the script>
If you booked them, congrats!
If you didn’t book them, you need to follow up with them in a day, a few days, next week, or next month.
Just because they didn’t book with you on the first call doesn’t mean they’re not going to buy from you.
Maybe they’re still shopping around, they’ll need a detailer next month, maybe they’re saving up, etc…
If you don’t book the detail, ALWAYS ask when you can follow up with them. Tomorrow? In 2 days? Next week?
Even if they say they’ll call you back (which 90% of the time they won’t), send them a text or give them a call to touch basis with them.
How to use the sales script
As I’ve stated, use the script as a guideline. Create scripts around the one above. It’s not going to be perfect. You’re going to tweak it as you get more calls under your belt.
Two key things you need to do with the script:
- Print the script
- Laminate it
These two things are crucial. You can carry it around in your van or tape it to a wall in your shop. It’s going to be easily accessible and durable!
Now here’s a list of the 6 things to keep in mind when using the script:
#1: Don’t read off of it like a robot. Be natural with it
This script isn’t there to turn you into a robot. Do not turn into a corporate salesman that uses industry jargon words.
Write and use the script as if you were talking to a friend- in plain english.
Role play with others, read it in front of the mirror, record yourself, and read it OUT LOUD. There’s a huge difference when you read it in your head and when you speak it out loud.
#2: You’ll use the script a lot in the beginning. As time goes, you’ll use it less
When you get on your first dozen or so calls, you’ll be a bit nervous- especially if you’re not used to talking to prospects and selling.
You don’t want to mess up and let the prospect slip on by, so you’ll reference the script a lot. But as you get more calls (and as you practice on your own), you’ll see yourself using it less and less
#3: You don’t need to memorize the script word-by-word
The point of the script is to give you a strong structure to follow. Do you have to ask the questions in the exact same order as it’s written on the script? Do you need to ask every single last question?
No, not at all.
Each call will be a little different which will cause you to change up the script a little bit each time.
#4: Slow it down, do not rush your words
You will not realize it, but you will talk fast. So fast that the other person on the phone will not be able to understand or keep up with what you’re saying.
The best thing you can do is (as mentioned above), record yourself reading the script in front of the mirror. You can critique and improve yourself best if you can see and hear yourself talking.
#5: Do not cut the prospect off. Let them talk
Do not get into the zone of just wanting to ramble off. The prospect called you for more information, but you also need to listen to what they have to say. You have to show that you care.
Take small breathing pauses throughout the script to slow your pace down and give the prospect to say something if needed.
#6: You can hear your tone of voice
Are you in a bad mood? Something getting you worked up? Let me tell you, the other person on the phone can hear it!
It will be off-putting to the prospect and that can turn them away from you. All because of your tone and how you talked.
When you pick up the phone, you’ve got to be smiling and with energy. It will pass on over to the prospect.
Now use this script and put it to work!