In a blog he wrote last November, Jon Plant explained the difference between a script and a call guide. In it, he referenced 6 considerations, which are important to the development of an effective call guide. There were two items on that list (of equal importance) that I thought warranted further exploration:
- Create multiple open-ended questions that engage your prospects in the conversation. No one wants to answer the phone and hear a recited script. Having multiple open-ended questions allows for different pains and challenges to be identified while engaging in a back-and-forth conversation.
- Make sure your team has a clear understanding of what information should be uncovered.
When people hear the word “script” they automatically think of a verbatim script. Of course, that’s not what we use. It’s a guide that includes open-ended questions geared to get the prospect talking, as well as closed ended questions to capture specific data points of interest. In developing a call guide, achieving a balance between these two types of questions is important in order to ensure the potential for detecting a qualified opportunity is maximized.
The Value of Open Ended Questions
Open ended questions are more likely to truly engage a prospect. Phrases like: