Mastering the balance of scripting and flexibility in business communication

When you’re in any business, you need effective communication at every level. Whether you’re delivering a pitch to potential partners, conducting a meeting with your team, or handling customer inquiries, it is wise to be prepared and know in advance what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it. That’s where scripting can be an incredibly beneficial tool in business communication. Yet, rigidly sticking to a script can sometimes be detrimental to your objectives, too. Business interactions should be dynamic and flexible, with room to dig deeper within your conversations. There’s an art in finding that balance between following a script and knowing when to go off-script.
How do you and your team find that flexibility to adapt to the flow of conversation? While some of it is a skill you should search for and hire on your team, it’s also something you can work toward understanding. Here’s what you should know to help you find that balance.
Script with purpose
Many business circumstances can benefit from a script. It may seem obvious that scripts are necessary in some instances; for example, when giving a presentation or providing specifics on sales or business initiatives. Scripts can be incredibly important during these situations and can help you stay on track and cover key points. When you know the goal of your script, it can guide your writing and ensure it meets your objectives.
As an example, some sales and customer service teams can benefit greatly from scripts. If you receive many of the same questions, giving your team a script to work from can keep your team consistent from a brand and company standpoint. It can ensure your team has the support they need to answer difficult questions and can create structured responses, especially if they’re new to your team. A script can be a great tool that gives your team the bandwidth to go off-script when necessary.
Use a script as a framework
Scripts should serve as a guide. They shouldn’t be so rigid that they limit your ability to engage with your audience or customers. Your script should act in the same way as a foundation does for a building — it should be strong and reliable yet have room for some creativity on top of the structure.
While it can be helpful to write things out word-for-word, it can be just as helpful to have your team practice going off-script with an outline as a guide. An outline that highlights key points with bullet points can provide the structure of a script while allowing for a significant amount of flexibility. It can also get your team comfortable with that flexibility.
Practice active listening
To effectively communicate, you must be able to listen. Listening involves concentrating on what a person is saying and genuinely hearing their words and what they may be alluding to. After all, when you actively listen, you may be able to pick up on cues that indicate it’s time to stray from your script.
I’m proud to have a team that has the flexibility and agility to sense when it’s time to stray from the script. I encourage my team to use their active listening skills regularly, and the great news is it’s something that can be practiced and strengthened. Active listening can help you have more meaningful conversations that help you connect even deeper with others. It helps build trust, establish stronger relationships, and even resolve conflict. In service-based companies — or any company for that matter — being an active listener can be the thing that allows you to gain the trust of your customers. To effectively go off-script, be sure to reflect on what the other person is saying, paragraphing it back to them to confirm clarity. Then, allow it to become a natural transition into a more flexible discussion.
Build up your knowledge base
While a script can be that safety net for helping you communicate, it’s your knowledge and expertise that can help you speak confidently without one. When it comes to your business, you should be an expert. That’s why people come to you in the first place. And the more you and your team know about your subject matter, the more comfortable you all will feel improvising when the situation calls for it.
One way to truly be an expert in the field is to commit to ongoing education and training. I’m proud to say my team and I are truly experts in the real estate market. That’s why I’m committed to hiring the best. I need our clients to know that they can trust our team, and when they’re able to show just how knowledgeable they are, our customers feel that they’re in the most capable hands. That’s why being able to trail from a script is so important. Just make sure your team can back it up with what they know.
Embrace storytelling
I talk a lot about how every business and leader needs a purpose. You’ve ideally brought in a team that is excited about your mission and vision, and they’re part of helping you build that story. The truth is the storytelling you share can be one of the most powerful ways to connect with an audience. Storytelling is often what can illustrate a point, and it can do so in a way that’s more engaging and memorable than reciting from a script.
One of the easiest ways to make this work for you and your team is to think through some of the stories related specifically to your business or industry. Then, draw upon them as needed. You can practice telling these stories in a way that feels natural and unscripted. Encourage your team to do the same. It’s a great way to make your connections feel more
The key to going off-script
Balancing the use of scripts with the ability to adapt is a crucial skill for leaders and business professionals. Having a script to ground you is important, but combining it with active listening, storytelling, and your own strong knowledge base is where you can use it as a tool for truly connecting with your customers and clients. Remember, the goal is to use a script to enhance your communication but then connect more authentically and effectively with your audience. Finding that balance is the goal.
Jim Allen is a business leader and entrepreneur who has built one of the top-producing real estate groups in the Triangle. He is President of The Jim Allen Group, which is consistently named one of the top real estate teams in North Carolina and even North America.