Skill Arbitrage Blog

This blog is written to help salespeople create a sales script that keeps them sharp, in control, and confidently closing deals. New business owners can use this to train their sales teams.

Introduction

A friend of mine runs a small web design agency. He has a great product and gets decent traffic, but when you look at his sales, they’re always flat. He called me one day saying he’s now giving up because no matter what he tried, his sales remained stuck.

He told me, “I talk to leads, I explain everything… but they just don’t buy.” Immediately, I knew the problem was in his sales scripts because his products were fabulous. So, I asked him to show me his sales script, and his reply?

“I don’t have one. I just go with the flow.”

I was shocked, but he seemed like he was telling the truth. He thought there was nothing wrong with not having a script and going with vibes.

So I convinced him with a bet. I told him: “Let’s make a bet. If my script improves your conversion rate, you pay me $100. If it doesn’t, I’ll pay you $100.”

He agreed, and I built a clear, simple sales script that guided the conversation, handled objections, and made the buyer feel understood without any gimmicks or tricks. Within a week, his conversion rate rose from 1.6% to a massive 4.20%.

He happily paid me my fair share of winnings as per our bet, and I was happy too. Not only because I won the bet, but also because I helped my friend.

That’s when it clicked: if my friend struggled without a script, other salespeople must be facing the same problem. Yet, so many salespeople avoid scripts entirely because they think it makes them sound robotic.

So I decided to write this step-by-step guide to help you create a sales script that keeps you sharp, in control, and confidently closing deals.

Imagine closing more deals, earning bigger commissions, facing fewer objections, and finally getting the consistency you’ve always wanted. That’s what’s going to happen from today onwards.

But before we get into the script itself, let’s tackle the biggest misconception: Why do so many salespeople avoid using scripts in the first place?

The cost of not having a script

The problem with most salespeople is that they have an excuse for not putting effort into creating a good sales script, and they believe that excuse with their whole heart.

The excuse is that not having a sales script gives them “freedom” in sales conversations. But that’s not true. In reality, what it actually gives them is inconsistency.

One day, you close. The next day, you fumble and lose the sale. Not because your offer changed, but just because your delivery changed. You don’t have a script, so you don’t remember exactly how and what you talked about on the day you closed plenty.

Here’s exactly what happens when you sacrifice consistency for that false sense of freedom:

• Lost time and wasted efforts:
  • You end up wasting hours on calls/chats that don’t lead anywhere because your conversations have no structure. This wasted time could have been spent on someone else who would have been closed quicker.
  • You forget parts of your offer as you’re trying to remember every detail while talking. This makes your message unclear, as you either overexplain, skip steps, or confuse the buyer.
• Inconsistency and confusion:
  • You can’t improve consistently because your results vary every time. Why? Because you don’t have a consistent way of presenting your offer—you just speak whatever comes into your head.
• Handling objections poorly:
  • You fumble when objections are raised because you’re thinking on the spot instead of being well-prepared with the perfect reply.
  • You lose confidence after a few failed calls, making your next few calls even worse. And it’s even harder to regain confidence because there’s no clear analysis of your current sales approach.
• Team-level confusion:
  • If you have a team, you can’t properly train weaker salespeople because everyone says something different. There’s no standard way to sell.

Don’t just take my word for it. Research backs this up. Only 13% of customers feel that salespeople truly understand their needs. That means 87% of buyers feel unheard, and that’s the real reason they don’t buy.

Why do you think this is true? Because most salespeople just talk, instead of guiding the customer. When you don’t use a script that’s built in a way to guide, you end up just trying to sell after every few lines without understanding the customer.

It will change once you have a script that doesn’t make you sound robotic, instead makes you ultra-clear. And what happens in sales when you are ultra-clear? The prospect gets closed.

So, before we get into building your sales script, ask yourself, “How many deals have you lost simply because you didn’t say things in the right order?”

Lost count because there are so many? That’s not just lost revenue, but it’s also lost time, lost confidence, and lost growth. Let’s fix that.

A step-by-step method to create a sales script that actually works

Ok, so now before you jump directly into writing your script, you first need to understand that your goal is NOT to create a fixed script that you will memorize and then repeat word-by-word. That’s worse than entirely not having a script.

Your goal is to create a flexible STRUCTURE that guides you on how the conversation will go, gives you confidence, helps you hit the right points, and finally adapts to any situation (p.s. without sounding like a robot).

So, let’s now learn how to build a script, starting with identifying what is the common pain point your prospects usually face.

Step 1: Identify the main pain points

You have to start by finding out what the most common and main pain point your prospects must face is. You will start your pitch by using this pain point. Why? Because in the beginning, you need to catch their attention, and anything generic won’t keep them listening. 

If you start with the pain point, it will grab the prospect’s attention in seconds, as that would be the exact problem they might also be thinking of. In almost every good sales script, pain is the hook & relief is the close.

So let me start to explain how you can find out what they complain about, stress over, and genuinely want fixed, because that will help land everything else in the script better:

• Talk to your existing customers

The best way to find the pain point is to call your existing customers. Not leads or competitors’ customers. You have to call or message your “existing customers” and ask them,

“What was the biggest problem you were trying to solve when you found us?”

This will give you direct insight into which pain points other prospects might be feeling and what will help them think you are a better option for their solution.

You will be hearing it directly from them, hence, it will be in a language and emotion that they resonate with.

• Scan customer reviews

Open the product page of your competitor’s products and scan through 100+ of their reviews to find out what the most common and mentioned pain point is.

You can also make a simple Google search saying “[product name with brand] honest review reddit/twitter/quora” to find content on the internet mentioning customers’ honest experiences.

Here’s an example where I searched the same for an earphone brand named Boat –

If you notice, I easily found out that customers are having a pain point that their customer service is bad. That’s how easy it is to identify pain points with a single search.

And this is exactly how you can also find out the pain points that your prospects might be having. Then, revolve everything in our script around solving that. First, you will have to mention the pain point in the opening lines themselves so that it catches the prospect’s attention.

Step 2: Open strong and set the frame

What you say in the first 10 seconds is going to decide whether the prospect will disconnect the call or carefully listen to what you want to say. This is why, first, you need to craft your opening lines as if you lose them here, the rest of the pitch won’t even matter.

Your goal in the opening lines should be to say something that’s impossible to ignore, and that cannot happen if you start with something like:

“Hi, how are you today? Hope I’m not disturbing you. I’m just reaching out to see if you’d be interested…”

This sounds like a cold call and that is why these openings also get treated like one. You need to sound like you are calling for THEM and not just selling something, no matter how you need to sell. Here’s what you can say instead:

1. First sentence – Tell them who you are

The very first words you utter the moment your prospect picks up the call need to remove the mystery of who’s calling and from where.

If you skip this, they will spend the whole time wondering, “who’s this?” and  “where did he get my number from?”

The goal in the first sentence is to be clear about who you are, so you need to follow this format:

“Hey [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your business]…”

The next line needs to be said quickly without a pause, otherwise, the prospect might think, “why should I care who you are?”.

2. Second sentence – Hook them for the call

Now, you need to give them a reason to stay on the call and listen. Don’t try to sell anything here. The goal is just to show relevance by indirectly telling them, “I work with people like you, and I understand the problems you face.”

How to do it? Simply mention the pain point that you already know they are facing (that you found from step 1). Your next sentence will be:

“I help [type of customer] with [specific result or pain point]…”

This will immediately hook them up and make them ready to listen to what you are going to say because now they know that you help people exactly like them and you also know what problem they face.

3. Third sentence – Protect their time

Until the second sentence, they know you can be a help for them, but most people are busy almost all of the time, and nobody likes being trapped in a call. So, at last, your goal is to assure them that their time is protected. How? Say this:

“…and I just wanted to ask you something real quick.”

The moment you say this, the prospect will feel you respect their time, and at the same time, it also lowers resistance because they know this isn’t going to be a long-winded pitch.

Now, after you use each of these steps, here is how your opening pitch could sound like:

“Hey Rohan, this is Neeraj from BrightOps. We help warehouse teams at companies like FreshKart get rid of inventory delays. Just a quick question out of curiosity, are you still using spreadsheets to track incoming stock, or have you moved on from that?”

This is short. It won’t take more than 15 seconds to say. It’s clear so they know what you are calling for and what you can do. The pain point of inventory delays resonates with them. There’s a small Yes/No question at the end, so it’s easy for the prospect to reply.

Basically, there’s no reason for them to disconnect your call or say something ridiculous. Hence, they are ready to listen to what more you have to say.

Step 3: Tell them why you are calling

Now you have opened strong, and you have all the attention of the prospect on you. Do not waste it and start narrating the reason why you called them.

Keep it as short as possible while also being clear and direct, as nobody likes to hear something of no significance from someone they don’t know. People have better things to do.

Avoid any fluff that you might think will work. Avoid any over-explanining because, trust me, people have enough brains to understand in a single sentence what you could do for them.

Most importantly, please avoid sharing long stories about your company because nobody cares. Your sole focus should be on letting the prospect know exactly why you are calling them. Here’s how to do it successfully:

1. The start

No matter what, as long as it suits you, start with “The reason I’m calling is…” Why? It sounds conversational instead of scripted. It doesn’t make the conversation sound like you are selling. It gives a vibe of explaining.

2. Relevancy

Next, you want them to know that whatever you are going to say will be relevant to them. So, specifically mention in the next words who you work with. Why? Because if you say something like “I work with businesses,” it’s way too broad.

But if you say “I work with eCommerce ops teams” or “I work with real estate agents,” the other person immediately knows whatever you’re going to say will be relevant and suitable directly for them. That alone builds trust in just a few seconds.

3. What can you help with?

Now that they know you work with people like them, tell them what you help those people actually achieve. Don’t start talking about your product or tool because, in my experience, that’s where most people lose the prospect.

Nobody cares what you built. They care what you can do for them. So, instead of saying, “We built a powerful CRM platform,” say something like, “We help sales teams book more qualified meetings.”

4. Results to expect

Once you’ve said what you do, take it one step further and mention the kind of result they can expect. Why? Because now they will be thinking if what you said actually works or not.

So, tell them what kind of impact you’ve created. It should be something clear, real, and easy to understand. If you have numbers, use them. If not, just describe the benefit in plain words.

Saying “We help them cut order delays by 40%” will hit way harder than “We improve operations.” Listening that makes the value feel real to the prospect. It gives them something desirable.

Let me show you how it’ll look after following the steps I told above – “The reason I’m calling is we help eCommerce ops teams automate their inventory and shipping systems, hence cutting order delays by 40% on average.”

This is going to work wonders. Why? Because it is simple, it explains easily what you can do and doesn’t waste 60-90 seconds of the prospect’s time while doing so. And what happens after this? Now they are ready to spend more time with you on call and go into detail.

Step 4: Ask a qualifying question

See, before you start explaining your product and offer in detail, you need to confirm if the person you’re speaking to is even the right fit, as well as which point would get them to close with the highest probability.

A lot of salespeople skip this step and jump straight to pitching, and that is when they lose the sale because they don’t even know what hurts the prospect the most, so they end up pitching them with something weak.

What you need to do is ask a question that reveals to you their individual most hurtful pain point. Make a list of pain-related questions that you think your prospect might be facing, then focus on their answers to feel in which one they were the most frustrated in.

For example, here are some questions:

→ “How are you currently tracking orders and shipments?”
→ “What happens when there’s a delay? Do you have a backup process?”
→ “What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to shipping and inventory?”
→ “Are you actively looking for a solution or just exploring right now?”

These are not some trick questions that you will be asking, so don’t worry; the prospect won’t feel you are trying to sell something. They will feel that you are just opening up a real conversation, and they’ll be happy to answer because they know you can help.

Once they answer and you have the pain point that hurts them the most, remember it because that’s what you are going to speak you’ll solve for them when you pitch the offer.

For example, suppose their biggest pain point was, “We’re still tracking everything manually in spreadsheets...”

Boom. No,w that’s the hook which you will be using to pitch them your offer and that is what will give you the highest probability to close them.

Through this method, your pitch won’t sound like a script or generic; instead, your pitch will sound like a solution to the exact thing they just told you they’re struggling with.

Now don’t just start pitching yet because they have now just mentioned the problem. Next, you will have to make them remember the pain they’re facing. You need to make them feel hurt again. How? Here’s how.

Step 5: Keep digging

Now, you are going to go deeper. Because surface-level answers won’t help you sell. You need to understand how bad the problem really is. The deeper the pain, the more urgent the need and the easier the close.

Not only that, but the more you make them talk about their problem, the more they will actually remember and think the problem is real and important to fix. So, let me tell you what you need to do.

Ask a few follow-up questions to them. Something that helps you understand how serious it is & something that reminds them what they are facing is serious. Try not to sound like an interrogator and just sound like someone curious. That’ll do the job.

For example, you can ask things like:

→ “How often does that happen?”
→ “What does that end up costing you?”
→ “How long has that been going on?”
→ “What have you tried so far to fix it?”

When they answer, they will also start thinking about how much the problem is actually affecting them. The money lost, the delays, the frustration. That’s what will make them realise that this isn’t just annoying but also costing them.

And don’t interrupt them; instead, let them talk as much as they like about it. The more they explain, the more real the problem feels to them. Make sure you’re not pushing anything here. They’re the ones saying it out loud and realising it needs to be fixed.

This will also build trust. Do you know why? Because you’re not pitching, instead just listening and asking thoughtful questions. That alone will put you in a different league from every other salesperson they’ve spoken to.

Finally, when everything is ready, it will be the right time to pitch your product and offer. But wait… Not in some random way. Instead, in a thoughtful way which has the best chance to close.

Step 6: Make the pitch

Now you have the exact idea of what they are dealing with, and this is when you will finally start pitching. But the key point here is that you should not go by any script because it will fail as every prospect will have different trigger points.

So, connect the dots that you got till now in the conversation and show them how your product or service fixes exactly what they described, instead of talking about features, dashboard, or tools. Here’s the plan you should follow for your pitch:

1. Repeat their pain back to them

Start your pitch by repeating their pain that they just mentioned to you. This will show that you were actually listening and it will also pull them back into the problem. You can start with something like:

→ “You said your team keeps missing follow-ups.”
→ “You mentioned delays due to manual tracking…”

2. Show how you solve it

After you’ve repeated their pain, explain how your product or service helps fix that exact problem. Keep it straight and outcome-focused.

Remember that you don’t need to explain everything, instead, you need to explain just enough to show that you’ve got the solution. You can say things like:

→ “…and that’s exactly what we help fix.”
→ “Our system automates follow-up, so no lead falls through the cracks.”
→ “It syncs your inventory in real time so orders stop getting delayed.”

Remember not to try to impress them with jargon or too many details. People could smell that from a distance. The shorter and clearer your pitch is, the easier it is for them to understand how it helps. Here’s an example so that you get what I am trying to say:

Let’s say they said – “I’ve been struggling to keep up with leads, and it’s affecting our follow-ups.”

Now, here’s what you must avoid saying – “Our CRM has automatic lead tracking, follow-up reminders, and analytics dashboards.”

That sounds like you’re reading straight out of a product brochure and trying to promote your product. No one will connect with that.

Instead, say something like – “Got it. So what we do is help businesses like yours make sure no lead ever slips through the cracks, especially during follow-ups. We will give you one simple system that reminds you what to do and when to do it.”

Can you feel the difference? If you could, your prospect would feel it too. And they will clearly see that you are not just pitching them some tool, instead showing them how the pain they just described can go away. That’s what makes closing happen.

However, there is one more roadblock that could come your way, and that is Objections.

Step 7: Handle objections

Objections are normal and you could never avoid them no matter what. But never target demotivated with them because they don’t mean that the deal is dead; consider them as part of the process.

And here’s the thing: apart from a few, most of them are unpredictable. And for those that are predictable, like price, timing, priority, trust, etc, I cannot give you a word-by-word framework as that will change for every business and prospect.

So, instead of giving you some copy-paste framework, why not show you how to approach any objection and get a workaround? Good idea? Here’s how to handle any objection, even if it’s unexpected:

• First of all, don’t get defensive. Don’t try to argue or convince them that they’re wrong. Just show that you understand why they have that objection, because that alone will keep the conversation open. You can say things like:

→ “I totally understand that…”
→ “That’s a fair point…”

• Now repeat their objection back to them in your own words. This shows you’re actually listening and helps them be assured you understood them correctly. For example – “So it sounds like your main concern is the time it’ll take to set up, right?”
• Go ahead and share something honest with them like what others in the same situation have said. Consider this as showing a testimonial. You could say – “One of our clients felt the same way, but ended up getting results in the first week itself.”
• Finally, bring it back to them and you would have perfectly handled the objection. Ask a low-pressure question that keeps the conversation moving. For example:

→ “What would need to happen for this to feel like a no-brainer for you?”
→ “Is it the timing, or more about the cost?”

And there you go. Using this method, you can bypass any objection raised by your prospects in the best way possible. Here’s an example of an objection and tackling it by this method so that you can see it in action and understand better:

Let’s say the prospect says, “Honestly, I like it, but I just don’t have time to set something new up right now.”

Here’s how you can respond –

“Totally get that. Time is always tight. So if I understood right, it’s not that you’re unsure about the product but it’s just the setup that feels like a lot right now?”

“One of our clients was in the same spot. But once we walked them through it, they had everything up and running in less than a day. Also, by the end of the week, they were already saving hours.”

“Just curious. If setup wasn’t a problem, would this be something you’d move forward with?”

You’re not pushing here. You’re just guiding the conversation. And that’s exactly how real objections turn into real conversations and finally into deals. Lastly, until now, almost everything is done, so this will be the best time to ask for the CTA.

Step 8: The final closing

You’ve done all the right things so far. You opened strong, qualified them, pitched based on their pain, and handled their objections. Now comes the part which is most important and where most people mess up, which is the final closing.

And here’s how they mess it up. What they do is they end the pitch with something like – “So… what do you think?”

That’s completely vague. It helps in no way but also puts pressure on the prospect to make a full decision right on the spot, which usually leads to:

“I’ll think about it.”
“Let me check with my team.”
“I’ll get back to you.”

Do you want this? No. Then, instead of leaving things hanging like that, offer something simple. Something that’s easy to say yes to. Not a full commitment, but just something low pressure and easy to move forward with. For example:

→ “Would it be fair to schedule a 15-minute call this week to show you how it would work for your team?”
→ “If I send you a quick demo link now, can you check it out and tell me if it’s a fit?”
→ “I’d love to show you how it works. Want to book a quick 15-minute demo this week?”

This doesn’t sound pushy and also makes it easier for them to keep going. You can confirm that whatever closing you have planned is good if it passes the below three checklists:

• Does it require very low commitment where the prospect doesn’t feel like they’ll have to put in effort? Like a short call, quick demo, or even just reviewing something.
  
• Is the timing specific and clear enough so that they know exactly when to expect it? Like “Thursday afternoon” or “sometime this week” instead of “whenever you’re free.”
  
• Does it feel like I’m helping them take the next step, or does it sound like I’m trying to close the deal too soon?

If your CTA ticks these three boxes, congratulations, you’re good. Here’s an example of how a closing, as per our method, might sound in real life:

Let’s say you’ve just finished your pitch, and they mentioned their timing is tight. You could say –

“Totally get that. You’ve got a lot going on. But this only takes about 15 minutes, and I can walk you through exactly how it would work for your team. How about a quick call Thursday afternoon? If it’s not a fit, no pressure but at least you’ll know for sure.”

Here, the prospect will feel no pressure and also accept the offer as they may think it’s only 15-minute. And they also know you are going to help them as per how the call went on. So, basically you’ll have the highest probability of winning with this sales script.

Conclusion

Most salespeople think they don’t need a sales script and can just “wing it,” but I hope now you understand that selling without a proper script doesn’t give you freedom, instead it just creates confusion, inconsistency, and gives you lost deals.

I just gave you the exact, step-by-step method to build a sales script that actually closes sales. So, from now on, no need to fumble around calls, forget what to say, and lose deals just because you were not prepared.

Now, it’s your turn. Take all of what you’ve learned here, build your new incredibly powerful sales script, and finally start taking control of your sales conversations and closing deals with confidence, clarity, and consistency.

Take 10 minutes right now, write your first draft, and test it on your next sales call. You’ll immediately feel the difference.

Frequently asked questions

Mindset concerns:

1. What if I use a sales script and end up sounding robotic?
   Great question. Your goal isn’t to read the script word by word like a robot. The script should guide the structure of your conversation, reminding you what to say next. Once you practice it a few times, it’ll become second nature, and you’ll sound natural, not robotic.
2. Should I always stick exactly to the script?
   Not exactly. Stick to the core structure, but be flexible. If the conversation naturally goes slightly off-script and helps build rapport or close the sale, let it flow. Your script is there to guide you, not limit you.

Practical concerns:

3. How long should my sales script be?
   The shorter, the better. Your sales script should only cover important points clearly. Ideally, your opening should hook them in under 15 seconds. The main pitch and objection-handling sections should also be brief and to the point. Remember, clarity always beats length.
4. Can I use one sales script for different types of customers?
   Yes, but you should slightly tweak it depending on who you’re talking to. The structure stays the same, but adapt your pain points and examples to match each customer segment. The more relevant your script is, the higher the chance to close.
5. Can I share my sales script with my team, or does everyone need their own?
   You should absolutely share it. The whole point of having a good script is consistency. Everyone on your team should use a similar version. You can personalize parts of it, but the overall structure and approach should be uniform. This helps your entire sales team close more deals consistently.

Tactical adjustments:

6. What do I do if a prospect interrupts or asks unexpected questions?
   That’s normal. Stay calm and answer directly, then smoothly transition back to your script. For unexpected questions you can’t answer immediately, simply tell them honestly: “Great question. Let me get back to you on that after the call,” and then continue.
7. How often should I update or improve my sales script?
   Constantly. Your sales script isn’t set in stone. Every time you find a better way to handle objections, pitch clearly, or open stronger, update your script. The best sales scripts are always improving, based on real conversations and feedback.