As sales folks we pride ourselves in improv and our quick minds, but there is something to be said for polish.

Writing is one of the ways I polish my sales delivery.

(Writing for lead generation a whole different post, today I’ll focus on writing sales scripts to improve your sales process)

With the complexity of products and services today, it’s enough to remember features, statistics, and specs. Layer on this trying to keep all the latest sales tips and techniques top of mind and your mind is probably ready to explode before you even start engaging with a prospect.

Memorizing all that information or robotically following a sales script isn’t going to give you the confident delivery to be a sales superstar.

Good sales people regular write sales copy.

Not only does writing help you remember all the nuances of your product or service, it gets you thinking deeply about its value. You end up playing with the word you use, the way you say things, the perspectives to highlight, and most importantly the stories you tell to illustrate the value proposition.

Writing hones your mind and your tongue for the next pitch.

In a day when folks are tired of the robotic tone of automated voice response systems and the cold feel of spammy autoresponder emails, a friendly conversation is differentiating.

Writing can help you smooth your sales pitch such that it naturally flows into those good conversations. And the more good conversation you have, I guarantee, the more sales you will win.

Here are some of the writing exercises I do:

• Answer questions – Every time you hear a good or unique question during a sales call, write it down. Then regularly write out the perfect way you wish you had answered that question.
• Respond to objections – Do the same thing with objections you hear. This will help you to minimize your frustration with these speed bumps in your scripted sales pitch.
• Use social media to scout the competition and listen to influencers – Invariably the competition or blogger pundits are out there answering and engaging prospects with social media. Analyze their responses and write how you would have engaged differently or more clearly. Maybe even jump into the conversation or leave a comment with your writing exercise.

Do you write to improve your sales? Share your writing rituals in the comments.