Don’t Throw Away The Script, But Make It Your Own: The Importance of Authenticity and Flexibility in Sales

As a trainer, much of my life is spent in classrooms discussing sales and human behaviour. (Hopefully we can return to the classroom soon — in the meantime stay well).

We discuss how to best serve customers with a process that works, using behavioural science and an understanding of people as the foundation. How to enhance outcomes using ethical and human-driven techniques and strategies. How to “sell”.

But really, how to connect and serve, and help people make a change. Because that’s all selling is really — you’re facilitating the process of someone making a change. And change is hard, which is why there are inevitably human concerns and challenges that come up for most customers before they dive in. It’s also one of the reasons the sales world can be such an incredibly fulfilling one, because we’re with people throughout their process and we get to help them on their journey as they make important decisions.

In class, we also often discuss word tracks.

Perhaps one of the most common questions I’m asked by salespeople and managers alike, is this:

Should we all use scripts for everything? Or should we not?

Here is my long-winded view.

Scripts and word tracks can be valuable resources, for the following reasons: