In most cases, exchanges with customers can be rather unpredictable. They can depend on your mood or the time of day, or the type of customer you’re speaking with. When you’re engaged in the sales process, there are any number of variables that can influence whether or not you close the sale.

Sales scripts are tools you can create for your business to increase the level of predictability or preparedness in the sales process. They guide salespeople during interactions with customers on the phone, on the sales floor and in sales presentations.

When you have a higher level of predictability in your sales process, you have more control and an increased ability to close more sales. More closed sales means a higher conversion rate, which means higher revenues.

I run into quite a few clients who think scripts are too time consuming and would prefer to sell the ‘natural way,’ without planning and preparation. For some of them, this strategy works really well. But others are leaving money on the table that could be in their bank accounts.

Your scripts don’t need to sound scripted, or like a cheesy commercial. They don’t even have to be read verbatim. Scripts are a road map for your sales process, alerting you to the signs and stops along the way to keep you on track.