Whether you are still presenting your products "face-to-face," or have embraced the benefits of webinars and online demonstrations, here is one technique that continues to drive results: use a selling script.

"Every time you approach a prospect or customer, you should be prepared with a powerful and proven marketing script."

I heard these words many years ago from Tom Hopkins, the Guru of Sales Training. At the time I did not quite agree with Tom.  I thought that "Sales Process", was really what I called the "Communication Process" and to have effective communications it must be built on "Trust"...  and to gain "Trust" you must develop a very good "Rapport"...

You see I thought that having, what I called a "Canned Presentation", people would pick up on this and they would detect a lack of sincerity on your part, which would be contrary to building Rapport and Trust.

I then devoted my business career to the my iImprovement of the "Communications Process" and the effective and Proper use of N.L.P. (Neural Linguistic Programming). Please notice I have emphasized the word Proper... because N.L.P. can and has been mis-used. It is not about manipulation and all about being able to provide information so that people can make an effective, proper CHOICE, Free Choice.

An interesting thing took place over the years, the more passionate I was about my product, goods or services, the more I found, that for the most part, I was saying the same thing over and over.  Why?...  Well because it worked and above all I truly BELIEVED in what I was saying. 

So, I have to now agree with Tom Hopkins...  Sales and Marketing Scripts are good and effective...  Why?...  because we need to quickly engage the people we are speaking with....  Then we can begin to really use what I call the "Communication Process"....  the building of Rapport and Trust. 

It seems to be unfashionable today to talk of sales scripts, but statistics overwhelmingly prove that a practiced presentation massively outperforms one that's simply delivered off the cuff. Yes, whether you're selling face-to-face or online, you need to be flexible and be able to cope with things that crop up, but you should not allow them to divert you from your main flow.

You must remember that your interaction with your prospects is a sales presentation and not a chat around the coffee table with your buddies. The purpose of your webinar, online demo, or meeting is to sell and make you money! And as sales is a process not an event, your process - your sales presentation - should be carefully planned, constructed, practiced, and delivered. Use a sales script because:

• It makes your message consistent.
  
• The results can be measured and the script improved.
  
• It systematizes your business.
  
• You can make a strong first impression (without blundering for something to say).
  
• Prepares you for any prospect objections, questions, etc. without getting you off track.

One word of warning: Many times people who use sales scripts sound robotic and unnatural. You can still read a script and be real. And when you do both you will see an incredible increase in your sales!  This is where "N.L.P." and "The Communication Process"...  The "Communication Process" starts with Rapport...  No Rapport, No Trust... No Trust..  No Sales....  at least no Long Term Customer Relationship Sales....