When I was younger, my family had a door-to-door sales business. We sold everything from vacuum cleaners to Tupperware. My dad taught me the importance of having a good talk track when approaching customers. This article will tell you what talk tracks are and how you can perfect yours to properly communicate with your potential customers and close deals.
What is a Talk Track
A talk track is basically a script that you can use to help you sell a product. It’s important to have one because it will ensure that you’re able to properly communicate with potential customers and close the sale.
It is a list of topics that the salesperson| wants to cover during the sales call.
The talk tracks help the sales teams to stay focused and to keep their customers engaged in the conversations.
5 Best Practices For Perfect Talk Tracks
Many sales reps launch into a 30-second spiel about what they do, why it’s so important, and why the prospect would love it if they told more.
Don’t be the rep that starts rambling on endlessly.
These lengthy, complicated sentences that are hard to understand can lose the interest of a prospect, or even cause confusion.
To make sure you secure a meeting after you’ve left an elevator, check out these four tips. They will help you avoid giving yourself away before you’ve even gotten off.
1. Don’t Use Jargon in Your Talk Tracks
Don’t use any industry terms or buzzwords in your script. Your prospect may not understand what you’re saying and it may make you look like you’re showing off.
Using industry lingo and buzzwords might make sense to you, but using these words in everyday conversations can confuse and alienate your listeners.
Avoid industry speak and business talk. Industry lingo is only for your peers, and buzzwords only serve to confuse and annoy.
Using industry-specific terms in your pitch can backfire, as you might lose a prospect’s attention if you say, “We use artificial intelligence”, and the prospect responds with, “We already have that.”
2. Choose one thing to talk about.
Don’t try to cover all of your services in your pitch. Focus on just one, even if it’s not what they’re looking for.
Your 30-second “elevator” speech should be catchy and intriguing, but you don’t want to give away the entire story. You want your prospect to want to hear more and set up a time to talk.
A great trailer provides very little of the overall story, but it leaves the viewer with images and sounds that intrigue them.
3. Use hyperbole.
Did I actually reach my target on the first phone call? Maybe, but they might know that they have missed two phone calls from me already.
This is an example of a rhetorical device known as exaggeration, where one party exaggerates something in order to emphasize a point.
It’s important to be confident and passionate about delivering this line.
Some sales reps take a “Goldilocks” approach, where they try too hard to be “just right”.
Don’t make your sales pitch too generic. Don’t say things like “We have a great team of professionals” or “Our top priority is customer satisfaction.” Be more specific. Say that you have the best team of developers or that customer care is your number one goal.
You’re not overselling or overhyping, you’re merely letting your prospect know how much you value the service or product you’re selling.
The penalty of not using exaggeration is worse than exaggerating where it’s not needed. If you go too far, your prospect will let you know.
4. End your sales pitch by asking a question.
Your pitch should always focus on your buyer. Don’t finish your conversation with “Does that sound good?”.
or “Is this something that you’d be interesting in?” These final questions are about you, not them.
How would you feel about a company that allows its engineers to work remotely? We have clients that enjoy this flexibility. How many people do you have working at your software company?
If you’ve completely lost them, this question can regain their focus.
5. Learn from your prospect.
In your conversation with the prospect, position yourself as a student who has the opportunity to learn from them. If you’re only trying to get the upper hand in the discussion, then you won’t keep their attention.
Ask them questions that show you’re genuinely interested in their business.
When people feel their opinions matter, they’re more likely to be willing to talk to you.
The industry you’re speaking with likely has a wealth of interesting information, so by asking your interviewee questions about their line of work, you’ll not only learn more about their area of expertise, but you’ll make the interview feel much more personalized.
6 Keep Prospects Engaged
Ask questions that are likely to surprise your prospect. Asking about an industry, for example, is a question that most people aren’t expecting.
A sales rep is talking to a potential customer from a major airline. They’ve probably asked about a dozen things about the organization, processes, and products.
The representative could also ask, “With the fluctuation of oil prices, how does the airline industry anticipate the price of oil going up or going down?”.
Because it’s not a pushy or intrusive inquiry, the prospective client will be more likely to discuss it.
Although this answer may not have a huge impact, it can help you better understand their business and environment.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to sell a product, it’s important to have a good talk track. This will help you approach customers in the best way possible. By using good talk tracks you’ll be more likely to engage potential customers in conversation and ultimately make a sale.
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