How To Write A Winning Sales Script (With Template and Example)

Updated July 21, 2023

Sales scripts are sales tools for building rapport, increasing leads and driving sales. When implemented, they can also reduce the stress and promote the confidence of your sales team. Understanding how to write a winning sales script can help improve your initial pitch and potentially boost lead conversions.

In this article, we show you how to write a sales script, discuss some of the benefits of using one and provide a template and example for you to reference.

What is a sales script?

A sales script is a written dialogue guide used by salespeople like inside sales representatives to talk to clients over the phone or via voicemail. A sales script could be a detailed word-for-word script or a list of key talking points and common responses. Sales scripts can help sales reps how to respond to tough questions from clients. The standardized script can also improve the quality of conversations, which may help increase sales conversions.

How to write an effective sales script

Here are the basic steps you can follow to write a highly effective sales script for your team:

1. Clarify your objectives

Know in advance what your purpose and goals are for the phone call. Some common goals are:

To make a sale
To schedule an appointment
To build a relationship with a new lead
To renew a contract
To get a referral

2. Position your product to meet the client's needs

Identify who your ideal client is and what their problems, needs and wants are as they relate to your product or service. Identify how your product can meet the pain points that the person is experiencing. This can help your sales reps focus more on how the product or service can help the customer live a better life, which may convince them to make a purchase.

Related: 14 Sales Jobs That Pay Well

3. Introduce yourself

In the sales script, have the sales representative be direct and straightforward about who they are and where they’re calling from. It’s important that they sound confident and enthusiastic, so the customer can see they’re genuine and believe in what they’re selling. Remind your reps to articulate their words so that the person on the other line hears them clearly. Here’s an example of a way to introduce yourself:

Hi, this is Jennifer and I’m from Sun Leadz.

After the introduction, insert a five- to eight-second pause into the sales script. Silence may leave room for a potential customer to start talking to your rep voluntarily.

4. Establish rapport

The next step is to establish rapport with the person on the other end of the line. The goal is for your sales rep to demonstrate to them that they’re already familiar with them and their company. For example, if your rep sees on the sales rep’s professional website or social media page that they’ve been with their organization for a long time, they could say, “Wow! You’ve been at [company] for [x years]! How did you get started there?” The rep could also note the school they went to and ask how they liked it or share that they knew someone who went there.

5. Use a positioning statement

Use a positioning statement to show the caller that the rep understands their challenges and has worked with companies similar to theirs in the past. Here’s an example of a positioning statement:

I work with successful real estate agents who have five to eight agents on their teams. My clients are typically looking to increase the number of leads coming into their real estate business. Does that sound like you?

6. Close

The close includes the final statements that help close the deal and convince a caller to commit to the brand. Closing a call can go many different ways. If you’re making a cold call, you may want to thank them for their time and ask if you could follow up again in the future. You may also have an objective of scheduling an appointment, which you could do at this time. Here’s an example of a way to end the call:

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today. It was great learning more about your business. Could we schedule a time to chat about this more next week?

Benefits of using a sales script

There are a number of benefits of using a sales script, including:

Improving effectiveness: Using a sales script may increase the likelihood that your sales team can quickly attract the attention of prospects, qualify them, identify their pain and build interest in the offer.
Improving rapport: Approaching calls with a sales script helps your team members sound more professional and polished, which can help them to more rapidly build rapport with prospects.
Improving lead generation: Sales scripts can lead to an immediate improvement in lead generation and sales.
Decreasing stress: Using a sales script can help to decrease the stress of your salespeople, particularly with cold calling. It can help them feel more prepared, confident and ready for any objections that prospects may have.

Related: Marketing and Sales Resumes

Sales script template

Here is a sales script template you can modify for your own team’s use:

This is [name] from [company]. How are you today?

[Pause and listen.]

Ask a question based on something you find in their profile. Some examples are:

So [name of prospect], I see you went to [university name]. How did you like it?
Congrats on your recent promotion. How are you liking the new role?
Wow, I see that you’ve been with [company] for [X years]. How did you get started with the business?
I work with [type of customer] with [name specific goal/company or team structure]. My customers are typically looking to [goal they want]. Does that sound like you?

[Pause for prospect response.]

Just so I know I understand you fully, what I’m hearing is [summarize the pain points the person is having.]

[Prospect], thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. It was great learning about [company, university or whatever you talked about]. I would love to set up a time we can talk further with [other employee or sales rep. Set up the time.]

Thanks, I'll talk to you then.

Download Sales Script Template

To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

Related: 15 Essential Sales Tips That Drive Sales and Business Profit

Sales script example

Here is an example of a sales script to help you craft your own:

Hi there,

My name is Chrissy and I’m from Cyber Corp. How’s your day going?

The reason I’m calling is that we work with local small- to mid-sized companies that want to improve their office workflows to increase productivity and reduce the cost of printing and security. Does that sound like you?

I’d love to set up a time for you to speak with our account manager, Jessica. She does our free consultations and can help identify where your greatest needs are and where the opportunities are for improvement. Do you have 20 minutes next Tuesday or Wednesday to talk with her?