Let's talk about scripts. I think they have a place in the human experience -- we all use scripts every day, in both our personal and business lives. "Hi, how are you?" is a script, as is "Hi, this is Jennifer Allan with RE/MAX City Horizons; I'd like to set a showing… ." I use essentially the same script every time I go through a purchase contract with a buyer or a listing agreement with a seller. When I finish up a day of showing, I always say "So, that's our show for today - how did we do?"

If we didn't use the same words over and over again when performing essentially the same task or activity, our brains might fill up and explode from overwork!

But here's where I don't like scripts -- during the prospecting process. Effectively prospecting to someone is a delicate balancing act between subjecting someone to an unwanted sales pitch and inspiring them to actually care about whatever it is you're selling. And I think we can all agree that most salespeople err toward the side of the aggressive pitch (not you or me, of course, but everyone else).

There are probably a gazillion sales scripts out there for your consideration. Most are pretty awful, especially in the hands of an amateur, but occasionally I'll run into one that almost sounds sincere.

Almost.

Lately I've been prospected to by some pretty slick operators. I almost missed the fact that the sales pitches were well-rehearsed scripts.

Almost.

But once I realized I'd been scripted to, I was annoyed and even a little bit hurt. I thought I was special. I thought that my appointment with this sales dude or dudette was the highlight of his or her day. I thought that this person really cared whether or not he or she earned my trust and my business. But no, I was just another prospect, just another sales call … on the road to the next prospect. I was a number.

I don't like being a number. And that's how being scripted to makes me feel.

Wanna sell me something? Leave the scripts and the sales pitch at home. Make me care about you because you care about me. Open up. Be YOU. Make me feel special. There might be a sale in it for ya!

Published: November 18, 2008

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Jennifer Allan is the author of Sell with Soul: Creating an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate without Losing Your Friends, Your Principles or Your Self-Respect, as well as a number of eBooks including The Seduction of Your SOI: Generating Business and Referrals from the Very Important People Who Know You, Dorky Announcement Letters - DEDORKED! and For Sale Signs Don't Pay the Bills. Jennifer began her writing career after ten years of selling real estate successfully in Denver, Colorado. She was dismayed at the low level of professionalism she frequently encountered in the real estate industry and, with her "soulful" message, hopes to encourage the real estate community to self-correct the negative stereotypes of the profession. Jennifer's message is that agents should strive to be competent real estate advisors instead of simply competent real estate prospectors. That agents should respect the intelligence of their clients, rather than attempt to insult that intelligence with aggressive closing techniques. She preaches that agents should appreciate the significant commissions paid by their clients, rather than complain that they, themselves, are not appreciated. Her personal mantra is "The clients I have today are far more important to me than the ones I hope to have tomorrow." She is a regular contributor to several real estate newsletters and magazines, a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and one of the industry's most popular bloggers. You can learn more about Jennifer's "soulful" philosophies at SellWithSoul.com.  Subscribe to  The Daily Seduction Tips & Inspirations to Generate Business and Referrals from The Very Important People Who Know You  Your Email Address: Your Name: