Canned Sales Presentation

I need to be clear - the information [message/script] is the same much like the script, a soliloquy for one of Shakespear's plays - but each person playing the part will deliver the script from their personal voice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchM

I need to be clear - the information [message/script] is the same much like the script, a soliloquy for one of Shakespear's plays - but each person playing the part will deliver the script from their personal voice.

Mitch, by "personal voice", do you mean personally chosen words, or, style of delivery for basically the "canned" words? I'm interpreting your post to mean that you advocate staying pretty much with the script?

When I introduced the term "message" to this thread, I was suggesting a trainer would be wise to inquire of the trainee just what he/she believes is the message behind the prepared presentation that they are being asked to learn or memorize. I felt that understanding the intent of the presentation would be an aid to learning it.

I get the impression you agree with that.

You clarified what I meant, Gary - exactly. Total agreement!

I'm not a sales trainer but if a company spends the resources required to generate an effective script it doesn't really makes sense, in my opinon, for a new agent to put the "script" into his or her own words.

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Originally Posted by Calvin

I'm not a sales trainer but if a company spends the resources required to generate an effective script it doesn't really makes sense, in my opinon, for a new agent to put the "script" into his or her own words.

IMO, Companies that rely heavily on a script for their salespeople to use are playing the odds instead of actually taking the time and investing resources to develop good salespeople. Having people follow a script is basically using the theory that you can boil sales down to a math equation, if you present to enough people in the same way you will eventually get a sale. Those companies are trying to take the one variable out of the equation which is varying presentation styles. I say spend time and resources developing people not scripts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc MC

IMO, Companies that rely heavily on a script for their salespeople to use are playing the odds instead of actually taking the time and investing resources to develop good salespeople. Having people follow a script is basically using the theory that you can boil sales down to a math equation, if you present to enough people in the same way you will eventually get a sale. Those companies are trying to take the one variable out of the equation which is varying presentation styles. I say spend time and resources developing people not scripts.

Doc, I agree with you about the value of developing people over scripts. But consider this:

The four industries that rely the most on the use of scripts are, in no particular order:

The financial services industry, i.e. life insurance companies
- For the most part, these companies invest heavily in recruiting, training, and, personal development for their employees, while often sudsidizing the first few years income as state laws permit. Part of the aforementioned personal development includes the use of scripts as a learning tool. Those scripts also enable the new people to get a faster start in the business by giving them words to use when they talk to prospects.
Companies who use telemarketing or teleselling as their primary venue for sales
- Much of the work is faceless cold calling where a uniform message that is delivered in a few minutes or seconds is required to deliver the the company's offer. Not much room for "winging it" here.
The direct selling companies, who are now dominated by the Network Marketing industry.
- These companies use independent distributors and probably focus more on personal development than any other industry--at least in theory. For those distributors who use it, the best of the industry's training in that area is arguably three cuts above the quality of training in the main sectors of sales.
Auto sales
- Dealers recruit heavily from the inexperienced segment. Many use tract systems, often obtained from third party providers. They require that the scripts be followed as a lesser evil to putting the health of their companies into the hands of novices. In addition, they take advantage of the product knowledge training programs that the the auto manufacturers provide.

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Originally Posted by Gilbert

I once worked for a company where we had to memorize a script or canned presentation. Do you think these types of presentations work?

Hi Gilbert

I think canned presentations are inauthentic and do not take into account the individuals needs. If you go for a canned approach, expect a very low success rate. Expect also not to enjoy it.

What was your experience?

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Originally Posted by tessa

I think canned presentations are inauthentic and do not take into account the individuals needs. If you go for a canned approach, expect a very low success rate. Expect also not to enjoy it.

It's tough to avoid them completely, but I'm wary of metaphors. I've been hearing the term "canned" presentation for years. Maybe for some, the word picture is similar to the way they pack sardines. Who wants that--after all we've "gotta be me" when we're in front of a customer.

Someone once said that the first step towards wisdom is calling things by their right name. I think the right names for what we're talking about are Message and Form--and if we want to dismiss those idea as "canned", we lose out.

It's a misconception by some that selling consists mostly of "thinking on our feet". It's also a cop out for those that don't want to do the work of learning. I wonder what a novice is supposed to think about. Selling consists partially of "responding on our feet" or in a chair, or on the phone--or what have you. We develop the ability to deliver our Message and to respond in a sales conversation by learning Form. Dancers, athletes, artists, musicians, martial artists, communicators, etc, take the time to learn form so that they can perform and respond without doing that much thinking. When we're not thinking about what we're going to say next, we can spend more time in creative listening which is paramount in selling.

If we go for a "canned" approach and we want to stay with that word picture, it's true we probably can expect a low success rate. And-- we probably will not enjoy what we're doing. But if we shift our thinking to Message and Form and the idea that we should develop both, then enjoyment and success in selling will follow.

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Originally Posted by Gary Boye

. We develop the ability to deliver our Message and to respond in a sales conversation by learning Form. Dancers, athletes, artists, musicians, martial artists, communicators, etc, take the time to learn form so that they can perform and respond without doing that much thinking. When we're not thinking about what we're going to say next, we can spend more time in creative listening which is paramount in selling.

Great post, Gary!

Presentations for delivering information. A great presentation it can be delivered perfectly, every time, with a video DVD and a light weight projector.

For top salespeople, selling is about developing mutual trust and respect, and negotiating mutual commitments. The questions for those processes can be outlined and/or scripted, the negotiations can not.

That's why salespeople will always be needed.

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If you think that selling is about identifying prospects' needs, you should be a paid consultant - it pays better than selling that way.

If you think that selling is about educating prospects, you should get a job as a teacher - it pays better than selling that way.

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