your name goes here), my company is (your company name goes here)” or “My name is (your name goes here), I’m with (your company name goes here).”

Then, you want a sound bite to further introduce yourself. A sound bite is one sentence that expresses simply and succinctly what you do (or what is your product or service). Example: “Wendy Weiss teaches people to get what they want over the telephone.”

Your sound bite, or the following line, should position you as the

In general conversation, many people think they can just “wing it” or they “know what they want to say.” On the telephone, however, you have 10 seconds to grab and hold your prospect’s attention, and frequently, you don’t get a second chance. Ten seconds goes by very quickly. Your first impression has to be strong enough to carry you through the rest of your pitch. “Winging it” is risky and generally doesn’t work, and “knowing what you want to say” without having actually crafted your message and practiced it can easily turn into “Gee, I didn’t say that very well…”

Like the Girl Scouts, it is better to be prepared. A good script, a well-thought-out presentation that says what you want to say, precisely and succinctly, yet that still gives you room to maneuver, is one of the keys to a successful telephone pitch. This is about communication and about being prepared. In writing your script, you are crafting a message and focusing your message to your prospect. Your goal with your script is for your prospect to hear you and for your prospect to get “hooked.”

So, what makes a good script? Write your script the way you talk—and get to the point! Written language and spoken language are very different. 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, sometimes improper grammar and the occasional “ah” or “um…” It is imperative that you sound real, so if you are having a difficult time with this, try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you say.

Don’t bother asking your prospect, “How are you today?” or “May I have a moment of your time?” or anything else. Start by asking for your prospect by name. Then, greet your prospect by name. Next, introduce yourself. “My name is (your name goes here), my company is (your company name goes here)” or “My name is (your name goes here), I’m with (your company name goes here).”

Then, you want a sound bite to further introduce yourself. A sound bite is one sentence that expresses simply and succinctly what you do (or what is your product or service). Example: “Wendy Weiss teaches people to get what they want over the telephone.”

Your sound bite, or the following line, should position you as the

afted your message and practiced it can easily turn into “Gee, I didn’t say that very well…”

Like the Girl Scouts, it is better to be prepared. A good script, a well-thought-out presentation that says what you want to say, precisely and succinctly, yet that still gives you room to maneuver, is one of the keys to a successful telephone pitch. This is about communication and about being prepared. In writing your script, you are crafting a message and focusing your message to your prospect. Your goal with your script is for your prospect to hear you and for your prospect to get “hooked.”

So, what makes a good script? Write your script the way you talk—and get to the point! Written language and spoken language are very different. 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, sometimes improper grammar and the occasional “ah” or “um…” It is imperative that you sound real, so if you are having a difficult time with this, try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you say.

Don’t bother asking your prospect, “How are you today?” or “May I have a moment of your time?” or anything else. Start by asking for your prospect by name. Then, greet your prospect by name. Next, introduce yourself. “My name is (your name goes here), my company is (your company name goes here)” or “My name is (your name goes here), I’m with (your company name goes here).”

Then, you want a sound bite to further introduce yourself. A sound bite is one sentence that expresses simply and succinctly what you do (or what is your product or service). Example: “Wendy Weiss teaches people to get what they want over the telephone.”

Your sound bite, or the following line, should position you as the

to your prospect. Your goal with your script is for your prospect to hear you and for your prospect to get “hooked.”

So, what makes a good script? Write your script the way you talk—and get to the point! Written language and spoken language are very different. 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, sometimes improper grammar and the occasional “ah” or “um…” It is imperative that you sound real, so if you are having a difficult time with this, try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you say.

Don’t bother asking your prospect, “How are you today?” or “May I have a moment of your time?” or anything else. Start by asking for your prospect by name. Then, greet your prospect by name. Next, introduce yourself. “My name is (your name goes here), my company is (your company name goes here)” or “My name is (your name goes here), I’m with (your company name goes here).”

Then, you want a sound bite to further introduce yourself. A sound bite is one sentence that expresses simply and succinctly what you do (or what is your product or service). Example: “Wendy Weiss teaches people to get what they want over the telephone.”

Your sound bite, or the following line, should position you as the

h pauses, sometimes improper grammar and the occasional “ah” or “um…” It is imperative that you sound real, so if you are having a difficult time with this, try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you say.

Don’t bother asking your prospect, “How are you today?” or “May I have a moment of your time?” or anything else. Start by asking for your prospect by name. Then, greet your prospect by name. Next, introduce yourself. “My name is (your name goes here), my company is (your company name goes here)” or “My name is (your name goes here), I’m with (your company name goes here).”

Then, you want a sound bite to further introduce yourself. A sound bite is one sentence that expresses simply and succinctly what you do (or what is your product or service). Example: “Wendy Weiss teaches people to get what they want over the telephone.”

Your sound bite, or the following line, should position you as the

your name goes here), my company is (your company name goes here)” or “My name is (your name goes here), I’m with (your company name goes here).”

Then, you want a sound bite to further introduce yourself. A sound bite is one sentence that expresses simply and succinctly what you do (or what is your product or service). Example: “Wendy Weiss teaches people to get what they want over the telephone.”

Your sound bite, or the following line, should position you as the expert—someone (company, product or service) who stands out from the pack. If you do this well, you will preempt the objection: “I can’t meet with every salesperson who calls.” You will not be “every salesperson who calls.” To do this, you cannot say the same things that everyone else is saying—so be creative! . When I started my business, there were many others providing similar services representing companies, making calls and setting new business appointments for sales representatives. Generally, these people worked in-house, were not particularly well paid and were called telemarketers. Even this early in my career, I knew I was not a telemarketer. I decided I was a Marketing Consultant Specializing in New Business Development. This put me in a different category altogether. I was the expert, the outside consultant hired to help develop new business.

Find a way to set yourself up as the expert. You can use phrases like “ We specialize in…” or “Our reputation is…” or “We are known for…” You can also name-drop credentials to help this positioning. Mention clients or customerspreferably in similar businesses as your prospect. This does two things: it lets your prospect know that you are familiar with their industry, and it will also make your prospect feel safer if they have not heard of you before. In addition, if someone has referred you, this is a good place to drop his or her name.

Next is the heart of the script. Describe your product or service, pointing out relevant benefits. Remember—your prospects are interested in benefits. Remember also, your prospects will buy for their reasons, not yours. That is why it is important to do your research and have a sense of what your prospect may need and may be interested in.

Focus your message to your prospect, and speak in their language. If your industry has a particular jargon—don’t they all?—use it. You cannot be the