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Score improvement guide – practical scripts and habits for sales team success

Introduction​

This score improvement guide is designed to give your sales team practical scripts and habits to raise their evaluation scores.

Part 1: interaction boosters​

Talk time​

Goal: Less than 50%

Phrases to use:

  • "What led you to look for a solution for [Problem] today?"
  • "Can you tell me more about how that affects your daily operations?"

SMB scenario:
A coffee roaster rep stops explaining the bean origin and instead asks a café owner, "What are your customers currently saying about your espresso options?"

Scoring specs:
Amount from 0 to 100 as a percentage. Total of all participants adds to 100.

Patience score​

Goal: 7–10

Action:
After the customer stops talking, mentally count "one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand" before responding.

SMB scenario:
A plumber listens to a homeowner complain about a leak. By waiting 2 seconds, the homeowner adds, "…and I'm also worried about the floor molding getting ruined," revealing a deeper pain point.

Scoring specs:
Average of transition pause values in one hour. Format: Number. Cap: 10.

Part 2: clarity and communication boosters​

Language simplicity​

Goal: 4–5

Phrases to use:

  • "Think of this like [Simple Analogy]…"
  • "In plain terms, what this does for you is…"

SMB scenario:
A car mechanic says, "Think of this sensor like a smoke detector for your engine; it alerts us before a fire starts," rather than mentioning "voltage resistance in the O2 circuit."

Scoring specs:
Scale: 1–5. 5 represents the most accessible language.

Active listening​

Goal: 4–5

Phrase to use:
"So, if I understand correctly, your main priority is [X], but you're also concerned about [Y]. Did I get that right?"

SMB scenario:
A graphic designer summarizes a client's feedback: "So you love the modern font, but the bright red feels too aggressive for your brand. Is that correct?"

Scoring specs:
Scale: 1–5. Scores reflect acknowledging and summarizing guest input.

Part 3: RAVEN excellence​

Assessment and discovery​

Goal: 4–5

Phrase to use:
"If you don't find a solution for this problem in the next month, what will the impact be on your business?"

SMB scenario:
An accountant asks a small business owner, "How much time are you losing every Sunday night manually entering these receipts into your spreadsheet?"

Scoring specs:
Scale: 1–5. Measures the depth of the needs analysis.

Next steps and ownership​

Goal: 5

Phrase to use:
"I am opening my calendar right now. Let's book 15 minutes for next Tuesday at 9 AM to review the contract. I'll send the invite before we hang up."

SMB scenario:
A landscaper doesn't say "I'll call you," but instead says, "I will have the quote in your inbox by 5 PM today, and I'll follow up with a text to confirm you received it."

Scoring specs:
Scale: 1–5. High scores require clear dates, owners, and specific actions.

Part 4: methodology adherence​

BANT​

Goal: 4–5 per dimension

Phrase to use:
"Aside from yourself, is there anyone else whose input we need to ensure this fits into your budget for this quarter?"

SMB scenario:
A roofing contractor confirms they are talking to both the husband and wife and that they have an insurance claim check ready.

Scoring specs:
Each dimension is scored 1–5:

  • Budget score
  • Authority score
  • Need score
  • Timeline score

MEDDPICC​

Goal: 4–5 per dimension

Phrase to use:
"Who else needs to sign off on this decision, and what does their approval process typically look like?"

SMB scenario:
A software vendor asks a law firm, "Besides you, who reviews contracts before signing? And how long does that usually take?"

Scoring specs:
Each dimension is scored 1–5:

  • Metrics score
  • Economic buyer score
  • Decision criteria score
  • Decision process score
  • Paper score
  • Identify pain score
  • Champion score
  • Competition score

Solution selling​

Goal: 4–5 per dimension

Phrase to use:
"Based on what you've shared about [specific pain point], here's how our solution directly addresses that..."

SMB scenario:
A security company hears a homeowner mention break-ins in the neighborhood and says, "Given your concern about break-ins, this camera system covers all entry points and sends alerts directly to your phone."

Scoring specs:
Each dimension is scored 1–5:

  • Situation knowledge
  • Capability knowledge
  • People skills
  • Selling skills

SANDLER​

Goal: 4–5 per dimension

Phrase to use:
"Before we go further, let's agree—if at any point this doesn't feel like a fit for either of us, we'll say so. Fair enough?"

SMB scenario:
A graphic designer says upfront, "Let's agree that if the project scope changes, we'll revisit pricing together. Does that work for you?"

Scoring specs:
Each dimension is scored 1–5:

  • Bonding and rapport score
  • Upfront contract score
  • Pain score
  • Budget score
  • Decision score
  • Fulfillment score
  • Post sell score

Quick wins​

  • Reduce interruption by keeping your hand off the mouse or muting yourself while the customer is telling their story.
  • Ask "why" for every "what" the customer shares to understand why it matters right now.
  • Never end a call without the next meeting being on the calendar.