Sample Sales Script

Sales pitches can be tough. You normally have a very short window of time to get the prospect's attention, explain how your product or service benefits their business and ask for the sale. Oh, and you want to get them to like you too!

While there is no magic formula for selling and you should never rely exclusively on a script, here is an example of how to approach local businesses, what to focus on, and how to ask for the sale.

Hello Mr./Mrs..(LAST NAME), I really love your business. How long have you been open?

It’s always best to learn their name prior to contact, if possible, and pay them a simple compliment about their business to get on their good side. It’s also wise to follow with a simple question like how long they have been open to get them talking about their business. This also shows that you are interested in learning more about their business and not just trying to sell them something.


Wow that’s great. I’ve heard so many good things about your business, which is why I’m here. I really think more people need to know about how great you are.

Keep the compliments going and plant the seed that you have a solution to spread the word about how great their business is.


My name is (YOUR NAME) and I’m from (YOUR DIRECTORY NAME). I’m sure you are familiar with our company?

It doesn’t matter if they answer YES or NO - it won’t affect the rest of the script. You’ll be surprised how many people will actually answer YES even if they never heard of your company before. Most people are afraid to admit that they might be out of the loop and you suggesting that they should have heard about your website implies that it’s a popular website.


We help local businesses just like yours get more customers online - is that something you are interested in?

This is a question that no business owner can honestly say NO to. You want to ask questions like this so you can keep a conversation going rather than you doing all the talking.


We all know that each day, millions of people search for local products and services just like yours on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. But what happens after they hit the “search” button? Chances are if you’re not on the first page of results, you won’t be found.  What we do is help your company rank higher and show up in local search results by featuring you on our website (YOUR DIRECTORY NAME).

By referencing search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, you are actually adding more credibility to your site and acknowledging the fact that most consumers start their search from a search engine and not an individual website. You don’t want them to think that your website will be the next Google, you just want to help them be more visible where customers are already looking.


(YOUR DIRECTORY NAME) is a local business directory and coupon website that targets local customers in (YOUR AREA). We’ll promote and drive traffic to your business by connecting you with customers searching for your products or services online. And we do that with a profile listing on our site. Let me show what that looks like…

(SHOW THEM A DEMONSTRATION OF YOUR WEBSITE)

Your goal here is to briefly describe what your website is about and ultimately how it helps their business without going into too much detail or discussing specific technical features.

It’s best if you can show them what your website looks like on either a laptop or tablet (smartphones alone are not advised because they have less of an impact due to their size). If this is not an option, bring in a flyer or brochure that features a screenshot of your website and an example of a business profile page. If possible, show them the sample listing you created for them, or a listing of one of their competitors. If they see other businesses in their same industry on your website, they will want to be featured on it also in fear they are losing business to the competition.


You’re probably wondering how much this will cost so let me show you the different plans that we offer.

Present the different advertising plans and point out the main differences between them. Recommend the one you think will work best for them - normally the highest priced plan with the most features, and go for the close…


I really think that our Premium Listing Plan will be the perfect fit for your business. It has the features that can help you grow your business and will offer you the most exposure on our site. I think you’re really going to be happy with the results you get. I can actually start the setup process right now - how does that sound?


If they say YES:

Great all I need is some basic information…

If you have a computer with you, you can create their listing with them right on the spot or you can collect their basic information and credit card number and create the listing when you get back home or to the office.

Remember: you can always spend more time adding content and photos to their listing later on. Your primary goal is to get them to sign up and pay for their listing. You can always follow up to request additional details about their business after the sale is complete.


If they say NO:

OK - would one of our other plans work better for you?


If they still say NO:

What’s holding you back? Are they any concerns I can address?

You want to find out why they are not ready to purchase and if there is anything you can do to win them over.


If all else fails and they are still not interested:

No problem. I appreciate your time and courtesy. Maybe we’ll talk again some time. Is it OK if I leave you my information in case you have any questions or change your mind?


Be sure to leave something behind like a brochure or business card with your contact information. Also, follow up with this business in a few weeks or months to see if they changed their mind. You can always come back to share how your site has grown and invite them to be a part of it again.