Cold calling

Write a cold call script so you never read it.

The script is for preparation, not recitation. A read call is heard as one within three seconds.

In short

A cold call script has four parts: introduce yourself in one sentence, say why you are calling this company in particular, ask an open question about the problem you solve, then request a short slot. All of it should take under twenty seconds before the first question. Prepare it and forget it: it exists so you never search for words, not so you can read it aloud.

The four parts

The first is your identity: first name, surname, company. Nothing else. Any attempt to stretch this out reads as padding and triggers the reflex to end the call.

The second is the only part that distinguishes you: why this company. It requires having looked at something before dialling, and that is audible immediately. The third is an open question, which hands over the floor. The fourth is a precise, small ask: fifteen minutes rather than an hour-long meeting.

What kills a call

Three phrasings end calls more than any others. « I'm calling to tell you about our services » announces a monologue. « Is this a bad time » invites a yes. « Do you have five minutes » asks for permission that will be refused by reflex.

One last habit to break: talking too much. A good call is one where the other person talks more than you. If you have delivered three arguments in a row, you are losing.

A full script, to adapt

Written for B2B prospecting into a ten to fifty person business. Replace what is in brackets and keep the length.

Opening, first call

You have the owner or the relevant manager on the line.

Hello, [first name last name] from [company].

I'm calling because I saw that [verifiable observation: you're hiring two salespeople / you've just opened a second site / you work with clients in sector X].

With [prospect's trade] of your size, the thing that comes up most is [specific problem you solve]. How are you handling that at the moment?

[You listen. You present nothing before you have understood.]

What you're describing is exactly what we work on. Let me suggest fifteen minutes next week to show you concretely, no commitment. Tuesday 9am or Thursday 2pm?

Voicemail message

Do not expect a call back: this message sets up your second attempt.

Hello, [first name last name] from [company], it's [time].

I was calling about [subject in five words]. I'll try again [day] morning.

Have a good day.

Frequently asked questions

Should you say you are calling to sell?

Do not hide it, but do not lead with it either. Saying why you are calling this company in particular is enough: your contact knows perfectly well what a prospecting call is.

How long should a prospecting call last?

Two to four minutes for a first contact. If it runs fifteen, it is no longer prospecting but a meeting, which is good news but needs different preparation.

A different script per target trade?

The frame stays the same, but the second part and the open question must change. That is precisely what makes specialising by sector profitable: you rewrite once per hundred calls.

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