Creating Sales Scripts That Convert

Stop saying “just following up.” Say this instead. My last post called out lazy sales follow-up — and it hit a nerve. So let’s not stop at what not to say. Here are 4 follow-up lines that actually work — and don’t make your prospects want to roll their eyes when they see your name: 1️⃣ “Is this something you’re still actively evaluating, or should we pause for now?” → Respectful. Saves you from ghost-chasing. 2️⃣ “Thought this 2-min video might help — it shows how another district rolled out training with zero IT lift.” → Bring something new. Every time. 3️⃣ “Would it help to grab 15 minutes next week to figure out if this is still worth exploring?” → Clear. Direct. No fluff. 4️⃣ “Did you end up going in another direction, or is (Company name) still on the radar?” → Gives them space to be honest. And you get the truth faster. Here’s the truth no one likes to say: You can’t “follow up” your way into product-market fit. Good follow-up starts in the meeting. Ask about timing. Ask about interest. Ask how decisions get made. If they can’t give you a straight answer — they’re not a real buyer. They’re just being polite. It happens all the time. And remember: follow-up isn’t always about getting an update. Sometimes it’s just about staying top of mind without being annoying. 👉 What’s your go-to line when deals go quiet? #SalesTips #FollowUpThatWorks #ModernSelling #PipelineClarity #B2BSales

Kevin "KD" Dorsey is the world's expert on cold calling. He's scaled three companies from $0 to $100M. 10 lessons I learned from his pclub.io course: 1. Don't pitch benefits. Cold buyers can't relate to benefits. They are problem-aware. Not benefit-aware. Sell the problem first. Get to the solution later. 2. Interview your customers. - Why did you buy? - What was your problem? - What were you afraid of before buying? - What's changed the most since using it? If you build a script without knowing these? Fail. If you build a script and you DO know these? You have a flame-thrower in a stick fight. 3. Use the "3 C's" of cold call tonality. Avoid being too formal. Avoid being too professional. Talk to your buyer like you'd talk to a friend. Shoot for the three C's of great tonality - calm - confident - curious 4. Use a script. Scripts get a bad rap. Most people read them like a robot. But guess what? If you repeat the same talk track from call to call? You're using a script whether you admit it or not. So get intentional about it. Master it. Cold calls are predicable. Take advantage of that. 5. "Hey [Name], this is [your name] from [your company]." Start your cold calls with that sentence. If you don't? Buyers will ask: - who are you - what company are you with You've lost control. 6. Give a reason for the call. If you don't state the reason at the beginning? You'll hear "why are you calling me?" Humans crave reasons. So give them one. 7. State the problem in three buckets. Fill in the blanks: "I talk to [CMOs] all day. They all seam to be struggling with [content creation], [lead generation], or [conversion rates]. Does that sound like your world at all, or are you drowning in pipeline?" Here's the point: Pick the top three problems you solve. Fill in the blanks. Then ask your prospect about them. Get them to bucket their pain. 8. Follow up with an impact question "How are you [optimizing your landing pages] so that you aren't [losing leads]?" Fill in the blanks for your product and problem. "How are you [accomplishing a task your product does] so that you aren't [negative impact of the problem]?" 9. Book the meeting with "it might make sense" Try this talk track: "I think this might make sense. You're dealing with [bucket problem] which is causing [negative impact] and you don't have a way to [product task]. It might make sense to have a conversation. How do Thur or Fri look?" Melts sales resistance. 10. Confirm the invite. Get them to accept the invite. If you don't? They're less likely to show up. "Great. I’m going to send you a calendar invite. Can you accept that for me so we don’t get double booked?" The 2026 State of SDR Skills Report goes LIVE in 2 weeks. • 9 world-renowned SDR industry experts weigh in • 10 modern SDR skills defined and analyzed • benchmark guidance to see how you stack Get on the launch list here: https://lnkd.in/efnFjnN2

Top reps ask 4x more implication questions than average ones. Here’s why SPIN Selling still works. Most reps jump straight into pitch mode. They ask a few surface questions, then start talking features. That’s not selling. That’s presenting. SPIN flips the script. It gets the buyer to sell themselves. Start with Situation questions. Learn their current state, but keep it short. Experienced reps ask fewer of these than you’d expect. Move to Problem questions. Uncover what’s not working. Where they’re stuck. What’s costing them time or money. This is where small deals get won. But for complex sales, you need more. That’s where Implication questions come in. Show the consequences of inaction. What does this problem cost them? How does it affect other areas? What’s the revenue impact? Top performers ask these 4x more than average reps. They build urgency without being pushy. Finally, Need-Payoff questions. Let the buyer articulate the value. How would solving this help? What would the impact be? Why is this important? When they say it, they believe it. Here’s the key insight: Buyers don’t just want you to solve their problems. They want to understand why solving them matters. SPIN gives you the framework to guide that conversation. Not through charm. Not through pitch decks. But through the right questions in the right order. Save this framework. Use it on your next discovery call. Watch how fast urgency builds.

I just reviewed a follow up email that made me want to delete my LinkedIn account. After an incredible discovery call where the rep: → Uncovered $500K in annual losses → Identified specific pain points → Built genuine rapport with the prospect He sent this follow up: "Hi John, following up on our conversation. Any thoughts on next steps?" I'm not joking. That was the entire email. This rep went from trusted advisor to desperate vendor in one sentence. Here's what he should have sent instead: "John, Based on our conversation about the $500K you're losing annually due to deployment delays, I've put together a brief overview of how we've helped similar companies reduce this impact by 80%. Given the scope of this challenge, when can we get your CFO involved to discuss the business case? Best regards, [Rep name]" The difference is night and day: ❌ Weak follow up: "Any thoughts on next steps?" ✅ Strong follow up: References specific problem + demonstrates value + advances the sale Your follow up emails should sell, not beg. Every touchpoint is an opportunity to: → Reinforce the problems you uncovered → Show how you solve them → Move the deal forward Stop wasting these golden opportunities with generic, desperate sounding messages. Use what you learned in discovery to craft follow-ups that advance the sale. Your prospects are drowning in "just checking in" emails. Be the one who stands out by referencing real business impact. — Reps! Here’s 5 simple follow up strategies to close seals faster and to minimize ghosting: https://lnkd.in/gJRJwzsN

I’ve been cold calling for 9 years. Here’s everything I know about it: (this is a longer post so bear with me) 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟬 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: People don’t hang up because it’s a cold call. They hang up because you sound unsure, scripted, or boring. - Be calm. - Be confident. - Be clear. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸: Don’t ask “𝘏𝘰𝘸’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨?” Don’t ask “𝘐𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦?” Just try: “𝘏𝘦𝘺 (𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦), 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧.” That opener alone will double your talk time. 𝟯. 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁: No one cares that you’re the “𝘯𝘰.1 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘟.” Tell them what pain you solve, fast. 𝟰. 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: “I’m not interested” just means they don’t understand you yet. Use the FFF method: Feel - Felt - Found. “𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦… 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 (𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵).” 𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: If they’re talking, you’re winning. If they’re curious, you’re in. If you book the meeting, that’s the win. 𝟲. 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: You could have the best pitch in the world… But if you don’t make the dials, you won’t get the meetings. Consistency > perfection. 𝟳. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲: Don’t waste time trying to convince people who don’t have the problem you solve. Laser focus on your ICP, the ones who feel the pain. 𝟴. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆: Your tone > your script. People say yes to people who sound like they believe in what they’re saying. 𝟵. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁: Most meetings I book happen after the call. Send a short LinkedIn DM or a value-driven email right after. 𝟭𝟬. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁: They have a framework. They prep. They reflect after each call. And they improve daily. Cold calling still works if you do it right. Now let's book some meetings!!!! P.S. I've created a free cold calling cheat sheet where I share all of my do's & don'ts. You can access it for free here: https://lnkd.in/g9BrrDA6

🚫 𝟭𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝘂𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 — 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 🎯 Master the art of starting powerful conversations In sales, the first 30 seconds can decide whether your prospect stays engaged… or mentally checks out. Unfortunately, many sales professionals still begin their calls with weak, generic, or buyer-repelling openers. Here are 11 common mistakes — and the high-impact alternatives that instantly build trust, credibility, and direction.👇 ❌ 1. “How are you today?” Sounds scripted and instantly signals “sales call.” ✅ “Thanks for making time. Let’s dive in.” Straightforward, respectful, and professional. ❌ 2. “So… what do you want to know?” Puts responsibility on the buyer and reflects poor preparation. ✅ “Here’s what I had in mind for today. Does that match your priorities?” Shows clarity and leadership. ❌ 3. “I know you’re busy, so…” Highlights stress instead of value. ✅ “We have 30 minutes. Here’s what I want to cover.” Sets structure and confidence. ❌ 4. “Let me tell you about our company…” Buyers don’t care — yet. ✅ “Before I share anything, what made you take this call?” Positions the conversation around their needs. ❌ 5. “Let me show you the platform.” Premature pitching kills discovery. ✅ “Before we look at anything, where are you today with solving X?” Keeps the discussion solution-focused. ❌ 6. “Can you tell me about your company?” Shows lack of research. ✅ “From what I saw, you’re doing X. Is that accurate?” Demonstrates preparation and credibility. ❌ 7. “Let me tell you what we do.” Again — too soon. ✅ “Before we dive in, can I ask what led you to this call?” Invites meaningful context. ❌ 8. “So… where do you want to start?” Feels directionless. ✅ “Here’s the agenda I suggest. Let me know if you want to adjust anything.” Prospects appreciate structure. ❌ 9. “What are you hoping to learn about us?” Misplaces responsibility. ✅ “Based on the context you shared, here are the two areas I think matter most. Agree?” Clarifies expectations and direction. ❌ 10. “Do you have any questions before we start?” Awkward and ineffective. ✅ “Let’s start with [specific topic], questions as we go.” Smooth and natural. ❌ 11. “Walk me through your situation…” Too broad — creates fatigue. ✅ “You mentioned [challenge]. Tell me more.” Clear, focused, and value-driven. 🌟 The Big Lesson Sales is no longer about pitching — it’s about guiding a strategic conversation. These powerful openers help you: ✔ Build instant trust ✔ Show preparation ✔ Take control of the call ✔ Position yourself as a problem-solver Start strong, and the entire conversation shifts in your favor. 💼🔥 🔥 #SalesTips #SalesTraining #LeadGeneration #SalesStrategy #B2BMarketing #BusinessGrowth #ClientSuccess #SalesLeadership #Prospecting #ColdCalling #NHBCConsultants

You've probably lost a deal by talking about your product too early. Most business owners do. You walk into the conversation excited.  You start listing features.  You explain why your solution is better than the competition. And the buyer checks out in the first 10 minutes. Here's what I learned after 4,000+ M&A conversations: Selling isn't about convincing someone to buy from you. It's about helping them solve a problem they already know they have. Stop selling. Start helping. These are the sales systems that actually close deals in real life: 1. Use the consultative approach → Act as a trusted advisor, not a salesperson. → Ask questions to uncover real pain points. → Listen more than you talk. 2. Apply the AIDA framework → Grab attention with a strong hook. → Build interest around their specific problem. → Create desire through benefits and proof. 3. Handle objections before they become dealbreakers → Acknowledge concerns without defensiveness. → Ask clarifying questions. → Address objections with evidence or context. 4. Use psychological triggers strategically → Scarcity when true. → Social proof with real examples. → Authority through experience and results. 5. Build genuine relationships for long-term wins → Practice active listening. → Follow up with value, not reminders. → Help even when there’s no immediate sale. 6. Use storytelling to make benefits memorable → Start with a relatable situation. → Clearly show the problem. → Walk through the change or outcome. 7. Assume the sale with small commitments → Use language that moves things forward. → Offer options to anchor decisions. → Get small agreements first. When trust comes first, selling gets easier. Timing and structure carry it home. Which part of your sales process feels hardest right now? Share it in comment 👇 ♻ Repost if this helped you rethink selling ✅ Follow Kinza Azmat for posts on growing, leading, and scaling a business

Insights from a CFO: Why Salespeople Win or Lose Deals Selling to the C-suite isn’t for the faint of heart. As a CFO for over 25 years, I’ve seen pitches that were brilliant and others that were, frankly, baffling. This article shares what separates pitches that succeed from those that fall flat. 1. Trust: The Unsexy but Critical Ingredient Trust is the foundation of every deal. C-suite execs can sense insincerity quickly. Be honest about risks as well as rewards and explain how you’ll mitigate them. According to Gartner, 89% of executives say trust is the key factor in deal-making. PRO TIP Address a specific and recognized challenge right away. It shows you've done your homework. EXAMPLE “I noticed you’ve increased spending on supply chain optimization. We’ve helped similar companies reduce such costs by 10-20%.” RED FLAG Dodging requests for references or giving vague replies is a deal-breaker. 2. Speak CFO: Money Talks, Buzzwords Walk CFOs care about financial impact, not buzzwords. Pitches emphasizing ROI have a 32% higher success rate. PRO TIP Lead with numbers—ROI, cost savings, or revenue potential. EXAMPLE “Our solution can cut your cloud storage costs by 30% annually,” is more compelling than vague promises of transformation. RED FLAG Overpromising ROI without solid data raises immediate doubts. 3. Don’t Just Sell—Prescribe The best salespeople diagnose issues and prescribe actionable solutions. PRO TIP Ask questions that reveal underlying problems, then position your solution as the fix. EXAMPLE “Your logistics costs have grown faster than revenue. Here’s how we fixed that for similar firms.” RED FLAG Overemphasis on features instead of solving specific problems is a misstep. 4. Speak Our Language If you sound like a techie or scripted, you’ve already lost. Executives are five times more likely to engage when you speak their language. PRO TIP Share relevant stories or lessons from past failures to build credibility. EXAMPLE “You increased R&D spend by 20% last quarter—are you prioritizing innovation or trying to manage to your margin?” RED FLAG Excessive jargon or acronyms is a quick way to lose interest. 5. Follow-Up: The Forgotten Art Deals aren’t closed in meetings—they’re closed in the follow-up. Following up within 24 hours can boost close rates by 60%. PRO TIP Conclude meetings with clear next steps, timelines, and follow-up dates. EXAMPLE A customized ROI analysis sent within 24 hours led us to a signed deal two weeks later. RED FLAG Generic or delayed follow-up suggests a lack of genuine interest. The Bottom Line Selling to the C-suite is about trust, authenticity, and delivering measurable business outcomes. Master these elements, and you’ll build lasting relationships that go beyond a single deal. Anything to add? #SalesLeaders #CSuite #StrategicAccounts #SellingtoExecutives #Executives #CXOs #CEOs #CFOs #ChiefRevenueOfficers #SalesEnablement #LearningandDevelopment #CorporateUniversities

Every deal you closed this year traces back to someone you already knew. The champion who opened doors. The former colleague who made the intro. The customer who referred their friend. Yet reps will be fine spending 80% of their time chasing strangers. Cold outreach FEELS productive because it's measurable. Send 100 emails, book 3 meetings, close 0.5 deals. Relationship building feels fuzzy because the ROI is delayed. But when it pays off, it's a $200K deal that closes in 30 days. Here’s why warm ALWAYS beats cold: 1. Warm intros skip trust-building. Cold: "Hi, I'm Claude from XYZ Corp. Can I have 15 minutes?" Warm: "Sarah mentioned you're dealing with the same inventory challenges she faced before working with Claude." 2. Champions become multipliers. Your best customers know 5-10 people facing similar problems. What kills me to this day is that reps never ask about them! Try this: "You mentioned the challenges with [specific problem] before we worked together. I noticed you're connected to [name] at [company]. Think they might be struggling with the same stuff?" 3. Past connections compound. That person who went dark in 2023? Might be at a new company with budget in 2026. The champion who left during a reorg? Probably remembers how you handled it. Here are a few things you can (read: should) do to get started: 1. Map your network systematically. - Active champions (current customers who love you). - Dormant connections (haven't talked to in 6+ months). - Strategic relationships (industry contacts, former colleagues, partners). Update quarterly. Your network is constantly shifting. FYI a few VPs I know are using Vieu to build these “Go-to-Network” programs at an org-level. If you’re looking at GTM tech to pipeline in 26, might be worth taking a gander at them. 2. Make referral requests specific. Not: "Do you know anyone who might need our services?" Try: "I saw you’re connected to [prospect] at [company]. If I sent you a note asking for an introduction with some context as to why it would be worth their time to meet, would you be comfortable forwarding it along to them to see if they are open to an intro?" 3. Give before you get. - Share insights with dormant connections before asking for anything. - Send relevant articles to past champions. - Make introductions between your contacts when it benefits them. You can't make withdrawals without deposits. 4. Turn customers into co-salespeople. - Ask happy customers to join prospect calls as references (we use Deeto for this and it's great). - Invite them to industry events where they can casually mention your partnership. - Create case studies that position them as the hero. One warm introduction generates more pipeline than 100 cold emails. At the end of the day, strangers buy products, but relationships buy solutions.

Aggressive selling is dead. This is how I build trust and win long-term partnerships in 2026. I've been thinking a lot about how sales people approach discovery calls nowadays. What I noticed is when reps treat SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff) like a rigid script, they risk generic conversations that leak urgency, qualification and consensus. I think SPIN remains relevant in 2026 but more as a thinking framework and not the entire operating system. Here how I see the modern SPIN upgrade: 1️⃣ Minimise Situation (S) Questions In 1988, reps needed to ask, "What CRM are you using?" because firmographic data wasn't available. Today, asking questions that can be answered by 10 minutes of research is PREP work, not discovery. • The Modern Rule: Situation questions should be minimal, only confirming what you can't reasonably research beforehand. Leading with lazy S-questions damages your credibility. • The Goal: Confirm context asynchronously so you can dedicate live call time to diagnosis. 2️⃣ Double Down on Problem (P) & Implication (I) In modern discovery, spend 80–90% of your time exploring Problem, Implication, and Need-Payoff. • Problem: Focus on friction, inefficiencies and where the current setup actually breaks. Ask: "Where is pipeline leaking today?" and not just "What are your challenges?" • Implication is your superpower. This is the engine of urgency. Explore the cost of inaction, delays, errors and resulting internal stress. Implication questions uncover the commercial impact and emotional anchor of the current state. 3️⃣ Let the Buyer Say the Need-Payoff The goal of Need-Payoff questions is not to pitch your solution, it's to make the buyer articulate the value of solving the problem in their own words. • The Modern Rule: Get them to say why they need it and not only what they need. • Crucial Step: Capture those exact phrases and reuse them in summary emails, proposals and executive decks. This buyer-led buy-in converts interest into commitment. 4️⃣ Plug SPIN Into Your Modern Operating System SPIN shouldn't dictate your entire sales process; it should power the content within it. • SPIN + MEDDIC: SPIN provides the conversational structure to elicit pain, build champions and uncover decision criteria. SPIN lives in call transcripts, MEDDIC lives in your CRM. • SPIN + Challenger: Use S/P to understand their world, use Implication to explore the cost of the status quo, then "Teach" by reframing those implications with your unique insight. • SPIN + Gap Selling (by Keenan): Situation is the Current State, Problem and Implication define its cost and Need-Payoff articulates the Future State. When you skip Situation, go deeper on Problems and Implications and let buyers voice the Need-Payoff themselves, SPIN becomes the backbone of elite discovery in 2026 P.S. Repost it if you think your network could benefit from this framework 💖 ✨