While working with a new coaching client, I asked to hear
her sound bite. Everyone needs a good sound bite. A sound
bite, sometimes also called an “elevator speech,” is a one
sentence commercial on what your company does, offers or
stands for. Use it when you meet someone new in business,
use it at networking meetings, and use it on the telephone
as part of your introductory calling script.
Here is the sound bite from my client: Client: We offer
complete marketing solutions. Wendy: (With eyes glazing
over…) Huh?
The idea behind the sound bite or elevator speech is to
communicate clearly, easily and effectively what you do and
why someone else should be interested in what you do.
I asked my client, if a friend asked her to explain what
she does, would the answer be “complete marketing
solutions”? Probably not. And there’s your litmus test. If
a phrase would make a friend think you’d suddenly lost your
mind, don’t use it in a conversation with a prospect! Most
likely, it sounds artificial and probably doesn’t actually
mean anything. That same phrase may be fine in writing, for
your brochure or web site, but it is not as effective in
spoken language, because written language and spoken
language are different.
These differences come into play when you are writing an
introductory calling script. Write your script down the way
that you speak. If your script is in written language, you
will sound phony. Real people do not speak with capital
letters at the start of sentences and periods at the end.
People actually speak more in phrases or fragments, with
pauses and the occasional “ah” or “um…” Write your
introductory calling script with no punctuation and no
capitalization. If there is a point that you particularly
wish to emphasize, underline or highlight it. It is
imperative that you sound real, so you may want to try
talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and
writing down what you’ve said.
Try to stay “jargon-free.” Every industry has its own
jargon, but you must know and use jargon appropriately. If
your prospect does not understand your industry jargon,
then she will not understand you when you use it! Instead,
become conversant with your prospect’s industry
jargon-then, she will see you as an expert who understands
her industry and her issues and concerns.
When you are writing your script, keep in mind a particular
individual to whom you will be speaking. Picture this
person as a friend, as someone who is open and receptive to
what you have to say. Speak to that person as you would to
a friend, and not in formal business language taken from
your company brochure.
I have seen perfectly reasonable, articulate human beings
become stiff, formal and uncomfortable while trying to
speak in a manner they believe to be “businesslike.” They
use unwieldy phrases like “complete marketing solutions,”
because someone told them it sounds more professional. It
doesn’t. If no one understands what you are talking about,
no one will buy your product or service. Be yourself, and
speak as you would to a friend. Remember your litmus test:
Do not include anything in your introductory calling script
that would make a friend raise an eyebrow.
The very definition of an introductory call is that you are
talking to a stranger. You are telling your story to
someone who knows nothing about you, your company and your
product or service. You must be clear. For the ultimate
test, before you get on the telephone, try role-playing
your script with an eight- or nine-year-old. If that kid
does not understand what you are talking about-no one else
will either.
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Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,†is a sales
trainer, author and sales coach who helps entrepreneurs,
business owners and sales professionals gain confidence,
reach more prospects, close more sales and make more money!
Pick up her free report, ‘How to Write an Effective Cold
Calling Script’ at http://www.queenofcoldcalling.com and
create a compelling script that grabs and holds your
prospect’s attention
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