Cognitive Selling Scripts: A Lost Training Technique Rediscovered

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I’m always on the lookout for new studies that can help trainers and sales managers develop great salespeople. But I recently ran across an old study—published back in 1987—that got me pretty excited. It describes an intriguing and practical sales-training technique, but one that seems to have gotten lost in the intervening years.

I’m always on the lookout for new studies that can help trainers and sales managers develop great salespeople. But I recently ran across an old study—published back in 1987—that got me pretty excited. It describes an intriguing and practical sales-training technique, but one that seems to have gotten lost in the intervening years. 

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A familiar problem

A familiar problem 

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In every organization, there are a handful of sales reps who consistently knock it out of the park. It’s the dream of every sales trainer to teach what these top performers know to everyone else.

In every organization, there are a handful of sales reps who consistently knock it out of the park. It’s the dream of every sales trainer to teach what these top performers know to everyone else. 

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The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to identify exactly what it is that makes these top performers so good, much less transfer that knowledge to others, because their winning behaviors are often subtle and highly situational.

The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to identify exactly what it is that makes these top performers so good, much less transfer that knowledge to others, because their winning behaviors are often subtle and highly situational. 

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It’s one thing to say that top salespeople are better at empathy, or listening, or asking questions. It’s quite another to identify specifically what they do that works so well.

It’s one thing to say that top salespeople are better at empathy, or listening, or asking questions. It’s quite another to identify specifically what they do that works so well. 

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Enter cognitive selling scripts

Enter cognitive selling scripts 

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I am not talking about those deadly, robotic sales scripts that telemarketers read as if someone has a gun to their head. They’re not meant to be read out loud at all. They’re more like a script that programmers might write to tell a computer what to do. In other words, it’s a highly detailed description of behaviors that should lead the sales rep to a successful sales outcome.

I am not talking about those deadly, robotic sales scripts that telemarketers read as if someone has a gun to their head. They’re not meant to be read out loud at all. They’re more like a script that programmers might write to tell a computer what to do. In other words, it’s a highly detailed description of behaviors that should lead the sales rep to a successful sales outcome.

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To create a cognitive selling script, you ask a top salesperson to walk you through a variety of sales scenarios. For example, you might have them reconstruct an initial meeting with a customer, from initial handshake to the last goodbye.

To create a cognitive selling script, you ask a top salesperson to walk you through a variety of sales scenarios. For example, you might have them reconstruct an initial meeting with a customer, from initial handshake to the last goodbye. 

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Here’s a real-world example from the study (PA means purchasing agent. SP means salesperson):

Here’s a real-world example from the study (PA means purchasing agent. SP means salesperson): 

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PA: Looks up and notices you

PA: Looks up and notices you

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SP: Smile

SP: Smile

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SP: Extend greeting

SP: Extend greeting

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SP: Extend handshake

SP: Extend handshake

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SP: Introduce myself

SP: Introduce myself 

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So far, pretty dull. But deeper in the script, the interactions get more interesting.

So far, pretty dull. But deeper in the script, the interactions get more interesting. 

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SP: Ask buyer what he perceives as best mode of action

SP: Ask buyer what he perceives as best mode of action

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PA: States his plan

PA: States his plan

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SP: Agree with him

SP: Agree with him

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SP: Stress his plan as positive

SP: Stress his plan as positive

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SP: Offer him additional actions

SP: Offer him additional actions

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SP: Suggest he contact persons involved

SP: Suggest he contact persons involved

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The script captures the entire interaction—even the minor and mundane details—because even experts don’t always know what makes them so successful.

The script captures the entire interaction—even the minor and mundane details—because even experts don’t always know what makes them so successful. 

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You can begin to see some interesting insights developing. For example, perhaps it’s important for a salesperson to agree with the customer’s plan before making a recommendation. Bringing others into the sales process might also be a critical element—or that might be noise.

You can begin to see some interesting insights developing. For example, perhaps it’s important for a salesperson to agree with the customer’s plan before making a recommendation. Bringing others into the sales process might also be a critical element—or that might be noise. 

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To find out, you then ask other top salespeople to do the same exercise, and then look at what the various scripts have in common. These are likely to be the key behaviors that lead to success. These are the behaviors you want other salespeople to model.

To find out, you then ask other top salespeople to do the same exercise, and then look at what the various scripts have in common. These are likely to be the key behaviors that lead to success. These are the behaviors you want other salespeople to model. 

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One key feature of this technique is that it’s empiric. It doesn’t start with a theory. It doesn’t depend on what the top salespeople believe works. It doesn’t require the trainer to have deep insight into what makes salespeople tick. It’s based on actual behaviors that produce actual results, which also makes it easier to get buy-in from the people you’re training.

One key feature of this technique is that it’s empiric. It doesn’t start with a theory. It doesn’t depend on what the top salespeople believe works. It doesn’t require the trainer to have deep insight into what makes salespeople tick. It’s based on actual behaviors that produce actual results, which also makes it easier to get buy-in from the people you’re training. 

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Another benefit is that it produces a highly individual set of behaviors, precisely tailored to a particular market, product, or service and sales organization. One of the most common objections that salespeople offer to training is, “We’re unique; what works for others won’t necessarily work for us.” Because these scripts are developed by people selling exactly the same products or services to exactly the same kinds of prospects, that objection goes away.

Another benefit is that it produces a highly individual set of behaviors, precisely tailored to a particular market, product, or service and sales organization. One of the most common objections that salespeople offer to training is, “We’re unique; what works for others won’t necessarily work for us.” Because these scripts are developed by people selling exactly the same products or services to exactly the same kinds of prospects, that objection goes away. 

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For all these reasons, I was excited to learn more about cognitive selling scripts, and I scoured the research literature looking for more about them. (Okay, I let Google Scholar do the scouring, but you get my point.) I didn’t find much. It seemed to have been overlooked by other researchers, even though it’s grounded in well-proven principles of vicarious learning.

For all these reasons, I was excited to learn more about cognitive selling scripts, and I scoured the research literature looking for more about them. (Okay, I let Google Scholar do the scouring, but you get my point.) I didn’t find much. It seemed to have been overlooked by other researchers, even though it’s grounded in well-proven principles of vicarious learning. 

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Still curious, I contacted the author of the study, emeritus professor Thomas W. Leigh at the University of Georgia. I asked him what had become of cognitive scripts. It turns out that the idea is still very much alive, but under a different name. The theory has been incorporated into broader inquiries of “procedural knowledge” and “skilled performance” —that is, what experts do differently from the rest of us.

Still curious, I contacted the author of the study, emeritus professor Thomas W. Leigh at the University of Georgia. I asked him what had become of cognitive scripts. It turns out that the idea is still very much alive, but under a different name. The theory has been incorporated into broader inquiries of “procedural knowledge” and “skilled performance” —that is, what experts do differently from the rest of us. 

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Professor Leigh also mentioned that one obstacle to further research on cognitive sales scripts was “the difficulty of conducting the research and the difficulty of getting firms to provide access.” Perhaps this is something that readers of this blog might be in a position to take on: investigating whether the use of cognitive scripts can measurably improve sales within an organization.

Professor Leigh also mentioned that one obstacle to further research on cognitive sales scripts was “the difficulty of conducting the research and the difficulty of getting firms to provide access.” Perhaps this is something that readers of this blog might be in a position to take on: investigating whether the use of cognitive scripts can measurably improve sales within an organization. 

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I think it’s an idea well worth exploring, and I’d be eager to hear what others in the sales training community think.

I think it’s an idea well worth exploring, and I’d be eager to hear what others in the sales training community think. 

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For further reading, check out the original 1987 article by Leigh, “Cognitive Selling Scripts and Sales Training” in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management.

For further reading, check out the original 1987 article by Leigh, “Cognitive Selling Scripts and Sales Training” in the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management.