What this script is for
It is for the routine order call to an existing customer on their call day, not for selling to a new one. On an order call, the order matters more than the pitch. Customers want it quick and right, and they remember the call that sent the wrong thing.
Read it as a sequence, not a speech. The words can be your own; the order of the steps is the part that matters.
- Problems before products. A customer with an unresolved short will not listen to an offer.
- Start from their usual order, not from your price list.
- One offer, chosen for this customer, not the week’s full list.
- Tell them about a short now, not when the van arrives.
- Read the order back, every time. It is the cheapest check there is.
Who to call, when, and what the agent needs on screen before dialling are covered in our article on telesales call lists.
Order-call script
1. Open
“Hi [Name], it’s [your name] from [Business]. I’m calling for your order for [delivery day]. Is now a good time, or shall I call back at [time]?”
2. The last delivery
“Before we start, was everything right with [day]’s delivery?”
If there was a problem: apologise, say what you will do and by when, and log it. Do not move on until it is handled.
3. The usual order
“Shall I run through your usual? Last time you had [quantity] [product]. Same again?”
Go line by line. Write the quantity they give, not the one you expect.
4. Gaps
“I notice you haven’t had [product] for [number] weeks. Are you still stocking it?”
A line that has stopped can mean it is now bought elsewhere. Note the answer.
5. One offer
“This week there’s [promotion] on [product]: [price] when you take [quantity]. Would that suit you?”
One offer that fits what the customer sells. If they say no, move on.
6. Stock
“[Product] is short this week. I can send [alternative] instead, or hold it until [date]. Which would you prefer?”
7. Read it back
“So that’s [read each line and quantity], for delivery on [day], [window]. Anything else?”
8. The account (only if something is overdue)
“One more thing: invoice [number] for [amount] is showing as overdue. Can you tell me when that will be paid?”
9. Close
“Thanks, [Name]. I’ll call again on [next call day].”
After the call
- Enter the order before the next call, not in a batch at the end of the session.
- Log what you were told: the problem raised, the line they have stopped, the payment date promised.
- Pass problems on the same day. A short reported on the phone is a credit or a re-delivery someone has to arrange.
If the account is overdue, the call is one part of the chase. Our payment reminder letters cover the written stages.
