Cold Calling Scripts and Techniques for Sales Rep Success

Cold Calling Techniques That Top Performers Swear By

Cold calls can be one of the most difficult parts of sales, but some reps excel at it. We took a look at the cold-calling techniques used by the top sales performers to see what they did.

They cold call when answer rates are highest

A Revenue.io analysis of over 130 million sales calls made through conversationAI found that the optimal time for sales call connection rates is between 10 and 11:30 AM in each respective time zone. That means that reps have the highest likelihood of having a conversation with leads or prospects is in the late morning.

A cold call technique that top sales performers use is calling at the time that their prospect will pick up. This grants them the maximum number of possible conversations and enables them to either qualify or disqualify leads quicker, which allows them to focus on prospecting those that are most likely to convert.

They thoroughly explain their product at the beginning of the call

Data shows that the cold call technique used by top sales reps is to speak for a more extended period during the beginning of the call. Calls that result in a demo set contain early sales rep monologues that, on average, are 20 seconds longer than calls without demos set. On successful cold calls, high performing sales reps first begin with introductions, then deliver monologues that average 67 seconds in length. Unsuccessful cold calls contain opening monologues that average 47 seconds in length.

Keep in mind that top sales reps don’t just talk to talk. During their extra talk time, they deliver well-researched and personalized statements to build rapport with their leads and deliver customized value statements that cater to their prospects’ pain points.

Top sales reps listen far more

Just because sales reps talk more doesn’t mean they listen less. One cold calling technique that top sales reps use is to listen a lot (this is a key component of our winning cold call framework). After their extended pitch during the opening, reps give their prospect an extended period of time to speak their minds.

High performing reps capture the information gained from prospects an incorporate it into their notes or Salesforce records so they can use it to increase their chances of closing the deal.

They ask a lot of questions

An essential cold call technique is questioning. As previously mentioned, information gained during a cold call increases the chances of a close later in the sales pipeline. It also can help the sales rep on the initial cold call as well.

By asking the right questions with this cold call technique, top reps can adjust their cold call strategy to increase the likelihood of another conversation. They use information gained during the call to address specific issues or highlight products and features that the prospect will be interested in.

They mirror their prospects

The best reps make themselves familiar and relatable to their prospects. One cold call technique they use to do this is mirroring. Mirroring is a psychological behavior in which one individual adopts the speech patterns, body language, gestures, or attitude of another. Mostly, it happens unconsciously in social situations, but sales reps can use it to their advantage.

On a cold call, adapt your language, tone of voice, and speaking pattern to mirror your prospects. They will find you more relatable and familiar, increasing the chance of a demo set.

They don’t stick to the script

Call scripts are super important, but if to heavily relied on can make calls sound, well… scripted. Call scripts are essential to ensure the right questions are asked, information is gathered, and messages are conveyed. However, reps should not spend their entire cold call reading from a script.

Instead of a script, the best cold callers have a general outline that they follow that assures they check all the boxes, but it still allows them to have the flexibility they need to mirror prospects, address issues, or answer questions properly.

They seek to provide value

Let’s be honest… cold calls are an interruption for the recipient. They distract them from their day and are almost always unprepared to talk. The best cold callers negate this by providing the maximum amount of value to the recipients of their cold calls. In exchange for their time, the prospect receives some sort of helpful information, a way to solve their problems or something that piques their interest.

Cold Calling Skills and Techniques for Sales Reps

Cold calling is arguably one of the hardest sales activities, as there are so many different factors that contribute to a reps’ success or failure at it. When it comes to making successful cold calls, a solid skill set significantly contributes to success. Fortunately, anyone can acquire the skills necessary to be successful at cold calls. Here are 17 skills you can master in order to improve cold call performance.

Persistence

Cold calling is hard. Plain and simple. Believe it or not, there are actually some sales reps who love cold calls but for most, it is one of the hardest tasks to complete. Making cold calls practically guarantees you will get hung up on, receive some rude responses, hit many voicemail inboxes, and just get frustrated in general. However, scoring a meeting from a cold call is an incredible feeling and a big win. To be successful at cold calling, you must be persistent and cannot succumb to rejection.

Positivity

If persistence is the key to getting through cold calls, then positivity is absolutely essential to being successful at them. Next, if you just had the worst cold call of your life, your next dial needs to be like it never happened. If you are discouraged, it will be immediately apparent in your tone of voice, and your prospects will sense that and they will be turned off.

Research

Excellent research skills will significantly increase your cold call effectiveness. The more you know about the person your calling, the better your conversation will be. At a minimum find your prospect’s job title, how long they’ve been with the company, what the company does, and if they have interacted with your company before. Then use the information to identify what problems they are currently looking to solve, why they are interested in your company, and what needs they have.

Prospecting

Not all cold calls are served on a silver platter. Many times, you must find the right person to contact, their contact information, or just what companies to call. Great prospecting skills will help you target the right companies and individuals to talk to, and put you on the phone with them. Without great prospecting skills, you won’t even be able to place a cold call.

Ability to stay calm

Cold calling can involve a lot of pressure. You may deal with difficult gatekeepers, get subjected to an interrogation by your prospect, or maybe even suddenly get in touch with your ideal buyer. No matter what, you must remain calm and clear-headed so you can best decide what to say and what to do in order to capitalize on your situation.

Gatekeeper navigation

Cold calling, especially when dialing into the director level and above, involves a lot of gatekeepers. Whether it be a secretary, office manager, or receptionist, you will have to work your way around them to ensure your message is delivered.

Quick thinking

When you’re on the phone, it’s a live conversation and you do not have the luxury of time like you would have via an email or other messages. On a cold call, you will not have the ability to think about the best response or proper thing to say. Therefore, the ability to think quickly on your feet and decide on the best course of action is essential to cold call success.

Can generate huge interest

If you look at people like Jordan Belfort, they have an uncanny ability to pique someone’s interest and get them excited about what they have. With only a few minutes to capitalize on someone’s attention during a cold call, sales reps should be able to generate interest and excitement for their company or products as well.

Relatability

People buy from people that they trust. In order to win a stranger’s trust, you must relate to them and create a relationship. To be great at cold calls, you should be able to show that you care about their success, understand the challenges they face, see the needs they have, and want to genuinely solve them. You also want to attempt to understand your prospect as a person and establish a mutual rapport.

Questioning

Especially if your company has no prior contact with the person you are cold calling, you’re going to need to be excellent at questioning. In order to make the next call even better, you need to understand exactly what your prospect is doing and how you can help them. Use open-ended questions and a-typical sales questions in order to get a true understanding of your prospect’s needs.

Value delivery

The most important thing in sales is to deliver actual value to your prospects. You should never leave a cold call without providing some sort of value to the person on the other end. It may be as simple as answering a question, providing some advice, or sending a piece of content. It is a true skill to sense what would make your prospect happy and provide them with it.

Objection-handling

Cold calling and objections go hand-in-hand. However, if someone stays on the phone long enough to consistently object to your statements, you have a chance of converting them. Common objections include the use of competitors, belief that they don’t have a need, or lack of budget. If you have excellent objection handling skills, you’ll be able to overcome these rejections and hit your goals.

Competitor knowledge

Especially in a more established and therefore more saturated market, reps making cold calls absolutely must have excellent competitor knowledge. There is a good chance that the person you are cold calling is either using or considering one of your competitors. Reps need to know their competitor’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as how they stack up so they can properly address competitors as soon as they arise.

Note-taking

What’s the point of excellent objection handling, questioning, and value delivery if you can’t remember what happened on the call? Great note-taking skills are essential for reps making cold calls. The information gained on initial calls is crucial for a successful sales process, and both SDRs and AEs will rely on notes in order to have valuable conversations. The problem is reps have to devote their time to both taking notes and the conversation itself, which may lead to missed opportunities. Solutions like call note template and call recording allow reps to focus on their conversation.

Appointment setting

The most common objective of a cold call is to set a follow-up appointment for a discovery call or to continue the conversation. Therefore, if you are making cold calls, you need to be excellent at finding a reason for a second call and creating a commitment to the appointment.

Follow-through

If you have all 15 of the previous cold calling skills, they are all completely useless without follow-through. Suppose you put in all the work to find a prospect, learn about them, make a cold call, get through the gatekeeper, face their objections, and schedule a meeting. In that case, you must book the meeting, save your notes, prepare all essential information, and generally set yourself up for success on the next call.

Organizational skills

Many times, cold calls, and their outcomes involve multiple sales reps, different calendars, lots of information, follow-up and coordination. Sales reps making cold calls must be organized in order to coordinate schedules and information.

Call Call Frameworks for Success

Sales talk tracks have been around for decades if not centuries. But even if you have a great training program, reps can’t be depended on to remember what you trained them to do during conversations with buyers and customers. And yes, reps should still be making cold calls (as long as they’re using the right cold call framework). Cold calling has a conversion rate of 6.3%, making it a vital part of your team’s sales strategy.

We live in a world with a lot of distractions. During calls, reps might be receiving messages, searching through emails, parsing through CRM records for insights and more. It’s all too easy for reps to forget the essentials. To have successful calls, reps need guidance, and that guidance needs to be dynamic. After all, even if reps follow a script, it doesn’t mean that customers will.

Instead of talk tracks, we recommend using a guided cold call framework. This proven outbound prospecting call framework includes examples of how to integrate dynamic guidance into your conversations.

The New Outbound Cold Call Framework

This powerful cold call framework starts with a strong introduction, where you briefly introduce yourself and your company. This sets the stage for building rapport and trust with the prospect. From there, the framework guides you through a series of discovery questions to uncover the prospect’s pain points and needs. These questions help you understand their current challenges and position your product or service as a solution.

Next, the framework emphasizes the importance of active listening and demonstrating empathy. By actively listening to the prospect’s responses and showing genuine understanding, reps can build a stronger connection and tailor your pitch accordingly. The examples provided in the framework showcase how to respond effectively to different scenarios, ensuring that the conversation remains dynamic and engaging.

Lastly, the framework includes a clear call-to-action, emphasizing the importance of scheduling a follow-up call or meeting. By ending the conversation with a specific next step, reps increase the likelihood of moving the prospect further down the sales funnel.

Step 1: Greeting

Opening a cold call with a greeting is paramount for establishing a positive tone and creating a favorable impression right from the start. A well-crafted greeting sets the foundation for a successful conversation by signaling professionalism, respect, and courtesy. It acknowledges the prospect’s presence and demonstrates that you value their time. Moreover, a strong opening greeting can capture the prospect’s attention, making them more receptive to what you have to say and increasing the likelihood of a productive conversation. And remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Example: “Hi, this is Danielle from calling on a recorded line…”

At this stage, prospects might mention that they are already using one of your competitors. If so, you can use real-time guidance to display competitive battle cards to help reps speak about why your solution is superior.

Step 2: Acknowledge the Interruption

When making a cold call, it is indeed important to acknowledge that the call may be interrupting the prospect’s day. By mentioning this upfront, the rep shows understanding and empathy towards the prospect’s time and the potential inconvenience. The seller demonstrates respect and allows the prospect to feel heard, increasing the chances of a more receptive and engaging conversation.

Example: “I’m probably catching you in the middle of something but…”

As reps are beginning important conversations, AI-powered guidance can remind them to keep their voice energy high. After all, reps make a lot of cold calls during the day; it’s easy for them to forget to pick up their voice energy once they connect with someone.

Step 3: Reason for the Call

Stating a clear and compelling reason for the call is a crucial part of the cold call framework. It provides a purpose and context for the conversation, ensuring that the prospect understands why the rep is reaching out to them. By clearly articulating the reason for the call, the rep can convey the value or benefit that you can offer to the prospect. Whether it’s a solution to their pain point, a potential opportunity, or a valuable offer, providing a concrete reason for the call gives the prospect a tangible incentive to engage further. It demonstrates that the call is not a random interruption but rather a valuable opportunity for them to explore.

Example: “I’m calling about…”

If the rep goes on too long without getting to the point, AI-powered guidance can remind the rep to mention why they called. This notification can automatically trigger about 30 seconds into the conversation if it detects that the rep has failed to mention the reason they’re calling.

Step 4: Permission

By seeking a prospect’s permission, the seller establishes a foundation of trust and demonstrates professionalism. Instead of launching into a pitch or assuming the prospect’s availability, asking for permission sets a positive tone from the start. This simple act acknowledges the prospect’s autonomy and gives them the opportunity to decline or schedule a more convenient time if needed.

Example: “Wondering if I could steal a quick moment to ask about…”

At this point in the conversation, it’s common for prospects to surface an objection. Real-time guidance can easily offer strategies for the specific objection mentioned during the call. For example, if the prospect says to send them an email, the rep receives a notification telling them to ask to learn about their pain points and needs for a couple minutes so that you can customize the email.

Step 5: Frustrating Scenario Based on Reason for the Call

In order to grab a prospect’s attention, sellers should present a frustrating scenario that the prospect is likely dealing with. This part of the cold call framework should be based on the prospect’s role, industry and other attributes. Personalizing this scenario to the specific prospect will show them your team knows what they’re talking about, increasing the likelihood that they will want to keep speaking with your company.

Example: “Okay humor me, have you ever dealt with…”

You may want to use real-time guidance to provide reps with a list of ways that your solutions solve key pain points. A best practice is to trigger a notification based on custom Salesforce fields such as Role and Industry.

Step 6: Empathy and Tailored Problem Statement

Using active listening and empathy during a cold call is crucial for building rapport, understanding the prospect’s needs, and establishing a meaningful connection. Active listening involves giving your full attention to what the prospect is saying, not just waiting for your turn to speak. It demonstrates genuine interest and respect for their perspective. By actively listening, reps can pick up on important details and cues that can guide the conversation and help tailor their problem statement to the prospect’s specific needs.

Empathy, on the other hand, allows you to understand and relate to the prospect’s challenges and concerns. It shows that you genuinely care about their success and are there to offer support. By expressing empathy, reps create a safe and comfortable environment where the prospect feels understood and valued. This can lead to a higher level of trust and engagement, ultimately increasing the chances of a successful outcome from the cold call.

Example: “I hear that every day…”

AI-powered guidance can automatically detect when a rep goes on long talk streaks and surface a reminder to focus on active listening.

Step 7: Qualification

Qualifying a prospect is of utmost importance in a cold call framework as it helps to identify whether or not the prospect is a good fit for your product or service. By asking targeted questions and gathering relevant information, reps can assess their needs, pain points and budgetary constraints. This process allows you to determine if your offering aligns with their requirements and if there is a potential for a mutually beneficial relationship. Qualifying prospects saves time and resources by focusing on those who are most likely to convert into customers.

Example: “Really quick, how many people on your team are…”

Set a time-based reminder if the rep goes too long without asking a key qualification question.

Step 8: Pitch the Meeting

Ultimately, the goal of every cold call is to book a meeting, yet it’s amazing how often reps can forget this vital step. Make sure your team knows how to point to the value of the meeting for the prospect. Essentially, sellers should always pitch a meeting by emphasizing what’s in it for the prospect.

Example: “Would you be open to learning more about how our customers are achieving…”

In order to make sure your reps always remember the main goal of the cold call, set a time-based reminder if the rep goes too long without mentioning the word “meeting”.

To get your hands on the best cold call framework for high-intent inbound leads, download our resource here.

Cold Calling as a Lead Generation Tool

Cold calls are one of the most ubiquitous, debated, and disliked activities within sales. It’s very rare when someone actually wants to be cold-called, and very few salespeople actually like making them. Because of this, cold calling is often overlooked or avoided (especially when your team doesn’t have any excellent cold calling scripts at their disposal).

The truth is that cold calls are an essential (and powerful) lead generation activity that deserves just as much attention, perfection, and practice as your subject lines, product pitch, and discovery questions. In fact, top performers make 82% more cold calls than low performers.

Looking at cold calls further, there is not just “a cold call.” There are many cold calling scripts, but the truth is that cold calls are not one size fits all. Just like there a multitude of sales emails, there are a number of different subtypes of a cold call. Cold calls can be made on referrals, from leads gathered from events, as follow-ups on past leads, on contacts generated from content downloads, and to people who have never interacted with your company in any way ever before.

We gathered some of the most effective cold-calling scripts for various scenarios to help you maximize the effectiveness of your cold calls.

Cold Calling Script for Contacts at Target Accounts

When reaching out to contacts at target accounts, it’s vital to tailor the script to that specific industry and persona. Make sure you spend some time preparing (or use real-time guidance to know exactly what to say based on how the conversation goes) so you can make a huge impact in just a few minutes.

Script Example 1

Introduction:
Hi , this is from . I know you’re not expecting to hear from me, but can I have a minute to share why I’m calling?

Attention Grabber:
I wanted to reach out because I recently came across . Congratulations on ! It really caught my attention and made me curious about how we might be able to help achieve even greater success.

Value Proposition:
At , we specialize in . Our unique approach has helped companies like achieve impressive results, such as . We’ve been able to for our clients while also .

Identify Pain Points:
Through our research, we’ve identified some common challenges that companies in your industry face, such as . I’m curious, is this something you’ve experienced as well?

Customization:
Based on the specific needs of your company, we could tailor a solution to address . We have a team of experts who are skilled at . This could potentially help overcome and achieve .

Next Steps:
I’d love to learn more about your goals and challenges to see if there’s a potential fit between our offerings and your needs. Would you be open to scheduling a brief call or meeting to discuss this further?

Why it works

By engaging in conversations with target accounts, sellers can effectively convey the unique value proposition of their products or services, address any concerns or objections in real time and build trust with prospects. Cold calling with scripts also provides an opportunity to gather valuable market insights, identify pain points, and tailor solutions to meet the specific challenges faced by target accounts. When executed strategically and supported by thorough research, cold calling can be a powerful tool in generating qualified leads, establishing fruitful business relationships and ultimately driving success as part of an account-based everything (ABX) motion.

Cold Calling Script for Referral Leads

Referrals are some of the best leads that you can get, but unfortunately they are not always as hot as we would like, and therefore require a cold call. This cold call script for referral leads will give you a solid introduction that will increase your chance of making a sale.

Script Example 2

Hi (NAME), (REFERER NAME) suggested that I give you a call. We’ve been working together for a little and (S/HE) has gotten some great results, and (NAME) thought you might be able to benefit as well.

What it sounds like

Hi Mike, Mary Dobbins suggested that I give you a call. We’ve been working together for a little and she has gotten some great results, and Mary though you might benefit as well.

Why it works

It is important to put the name of the referrer right at the top. If your customer is close enough to someone to refer you to them, they have a strong relationship and you need to connect them immediately. Also, make it more about the person you are calling, and how they can benefit from working with you, rather than what you want from them.

Cold Calling Script for Leads from Events

Event are a massive driver of leads, and the personal interaction that they provide is a potent accelerator. However, there is so much happening during an event that people often forget who they spoke with and what they visited. Calling from an event can sometimes be a cold call, regardless of if you interacted with them already.

Script Example 3

Hi (NAME), it’s (YOUR NAME) from (COMPANY), how are you doing today?

(Answer)

I was calling so we could continue our conversation about (TOPIC) from (EVENT), (QUAlLIFYING QUESTION)?

How it sounds

Hi John, it’s Cynthia from Your SaaS Software, how are you doing today?

(Prospect answers)

I’m good thanks. I was calling so we could continue our conversation about an ABM platform from Dreamforce, are you still looking to purchase one?

Why it works

The first thing you need to do is create familiarity. If you can engage the prospect and remind them of the interaction you had, they are more likely to participate in the conversation. Second, continue the conversation that is already started, and pick a natural qualifying question to help gather information.

Script to Follow Up with Past Leads

Especially during times when it is difficult to find new customers, contacts from deals that feel through or lost opps may be the potential source of a sales win. If it has been a year (or two) since you’ve spoken, you will likely make a cold call when you reach out again. You will be most effective when calling these leads if you have previous information about the reasons that you lost touch and incorporate that into this cold calling script.

Script Example 4

Hi (NAME), I’m (YOUR NAME), how are you today?

(Answer)

I’m calling because you previously reached out to my company, (COMPANY NAME) and expressed interest in (WHAT YOUR COMPANY DOES), and I wanted to reach out and see if you needed some help with that.

How it sounds

Hi Jeff, I’m Carlos, how are you today?

(Prospect answers)

I’m well thank you. I’m calling because you previously reached out to my company, Warehouse Inc, and expressed interest in better tracking your inventory. I wanted to reach out and see if you needed some help with that.

Why it works

Again, it is important to always put your prospects first. If you know why they initially contacted your company, play off of the pain that caused them to reach out. Seek to find if they have solved that problem, and how they feel about the results. If they went to a competitor, ask about common shortcomings and cover how you can fix it. Or, if they still don’t have a solution, work on what they didn’t like before.

Cold Calling Script for Following Up with Content Downloads

There are so many ways a contact or prospect can interact with your company and/or sales team online. They can visit pages, fill out forms, download content, request information or pricing, and so on. Each of these specific actions can point to different stages of the buying process, various interests, and different needs. Therefore, every action should be addressed in a unique way for maximum effectiveness.

Script Example 5

Hi (NAME), I’m (YOUR NAME) from (COMPANY), calling because you recently requested some information about (TOPIC) from our site, and I wanted to follow up with you and make sure you got (CONTENT PIECE) and answer any questions that you may have.

(Answer)

I’ll also give you (SECOND CONTENT PIECE), as there is a lot more information there. While I’m at it, can I ask why you are looking into (TOPIC) today?

What it sounds like

Hi Max, I’m Cassandra from Point-of-Sale, Inc, calling because you recently requested some information about contactless payment systems from our site, and I wanted to follow up with you and make sure you got the whitepaper and answer any questions you may have.

(Prospect answers)

Great. I’ll also give you our 2025 Guide to Point of Sale Applications, as there is a lot more information in there. While I’m at it, can I ask why you’re looking into contactless payment today?

Why it works

More and more buyers are making their purchase decisions without the involvement of a salesperson, but the more helpful you can be during their purchase process, the more involved they will allow you to become. Content downloads are a great time to position yourself as a helpful advisor, and mix in some questions that will get you on the road to a sale.

Is your team forgetting to use the cold calling scripts you’ve recommended? Revenue.io can easily surface the right messaging during live conversations.

How to write Cold Call Scripts that Yield Results

On average, sales development reps (SDRs) must make 9.1 sales calls before they connect with a lead. Each connection is valuable, and a lot needs to happen in those first crucial moments of cold calling:

An SDR must do some relating and get the prospect to like them.
The SDR needs to effectively communicate value to earn more of the prospect’s time.
An SDR must ask good, open-ended discovery questions to qualify the prospect.
The SDR must stay on brand and use the correct messaging.
An SDR is expected to take good notes.
The SDR needs to be enthusiastic.
An DR should sound natural, and not robotic.

This may seem easy for a seasoned salesperson, but for your average entry-level SDR, they can be very hard. The solution? Sales reps should be prepared with a cold call script.

“Wait!! Won’t a script make me or my team sound like robots??”

Following Cold Calling Scripts for Results

Yep, they will, which is why you need to follow Lauren Bailey’s advice and treat them as talking points mixed with coaching. Scripts don’t create robotic reps if you write and use them correctly.

Great salespeople are great improvisers. Not only do they know the best time to call prospects, they can also do all of the things I mentioned above in a single phone call, every single time. You may think it is because they are experienced, but the truth is, it is because they are well prepared. They use a script as talking points, like a roadmap or guide, and then they follow the prospect’s lead so the conversation flows naturally.

Scripts are to salespeople what scales are to jazz artists. Great jazz improvisers like Miles Davis or John Coltrane honed their ability to improvise amazing music with HOURS of practicing musical scales. Every time they enter the studio to record, they are prepared with a roadmap of knowledge that guides their decision making.

A great cold call script has many benefits:

• It reduces what an SDR or inside sales person needs to remember early on, so they sound composed, which can have a major impact on call outcome.
• A script serves as a reminder for necessary information, like their pitch or qualification information, in a clear and concise manner.
• Finally, a script standardizes the information conveyed during cold calls, which enables sales managers to test wording and optimize cold calling across the entire team.

How to write your cold call script: the basics

To develop your cold call script, you’ll first need to consider your buyers, their needs, and how your product or service helps them. Then, follow the basic elements to build the template.

Every cold call script contains the same basic elements: a greeting/introduction, a pitch/value proposition, qualification, and an ask. Like any good story, a script should also consider who, what, where, and when.

Cold call scripts are not one-size-fits-all. Your script must be tailored to your buyers, their needs, and why they will purchase from you. Begin by identifying the ultimate goal of your call. Is it to schedule a qualifying call, place a demo, or is it a follow-up?

Next, look the prospects you will be calling with the script and compare them with your current customer list. Look for similar products, industries, or use cases. Structure your script around what will get the prospect’s attention, pain points they are likely experiencing, or other ways they can benefit from your product or service.

Format your script

Cold call scripts typically follow the same format:

Introduction – Your greeting… who you are and the company you are calling from.
The Immediate value you have to offer – The benefit you provide to your prospect.
Qualifying – Determine if the person on the other end of the phone is a good fit.
The ask – ask for more time to have another call or do a demo.

The introduction

Begin with you who are and where you are calling from. This should be accomplished as quickly and concisely as possible. The introduction is also where you can ask how the prospect is, or if it is a good time to talk.

The Pitch

The pitch is where you describe how exactly speaking with you will help the person on the other end of the phone. Quickly cover how your product has benefited similar companies or roles, and what your prospect stands to gain.

Qualifying

Ensure the prospect is worth selling to with two or three specific questions. They can cover company size, technology stack, or other product requirements. When asking the questions, don’t make it all about you. Frame them in a way that still provides value to the prospect.

Also, be prepared for objections. Gather a list of common objections along with how to respond to them. You don’t want your reps to get tripped up on these potential roadblocks prospects might through in their path.

The Ask

Finally, the whole reason you made the call in the first place. Your ask is a request to move to the next step the sales process, it can be a discovery call, a demo, or just a simple conversation. If your prospect meets your qualification requirements, make the request to schedule the next step.

Test to improve results

Once you have your call script, A/B test one aspect at a time to refine and improve it.

1. Start by designating what element you want to test.

2. Create a “B” version of the selected element. Now you have an “A” version of your script and a “B” version. The only variance is the wording of one sentence.

3. Either have the same rep do half of their calls with script “A” and the other half with script “B” or divide your sales team in half and assign one with “A” and the other half with “B”.

4. Record the calls and document the outcomes.

5. Analyze the data to determine which version netted the best results.

6. Then, repeat the testing process with another element.

You’ll want to test every element, one at a time to make it better. And don’t forget to test the part used with gatekeepers. If you don’t perfect that script the rest won’t matter because your team won’t be speaking to as many decision makers and will be dropping more voicemails.

After refining your cold call script, record a team member successfully using it and share the recording and written script with all your reps.

Of course, like all sales practices, scripts should be retested and updated on a routine basis to remain relevant as buyers, markets and products continually evolve to ensure they’re consistently producing excellent results.

Why is Cold Calling so Hard?

Cold calling is undoubtedly challenging. You must master an array of skills like a natural sounding tone and sales script. You need to learn objection responses, develop product knowledge, and learn proper pre-call research. All of this adds up in a way that makes 48% of business-to-business salespeople afraid of making cold calls. It takes time to build your confidence so prospecting will feel less daunting.

As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” A lack of belief in yourself and your abilities makes it much more difficult for you to succeed.

Fear is a powerful emotion. It manifests itself in various physical ways with an increased heart rate, sweating, uncontrollable worry, anxiety, and nervousness. Fear makes it more difficult to successfully complete prospecting calls because being afraid decreases blood flow to the part of your brain responsible for logical thinking and planning.

It becomes mentally difficult to make cold calls when you are fearful because short-term rewards excite the emotion-related area of the brain while your logical brain understands the future consequences of your current actions. So, you’re fear of making cold calls decreases blood flow to your logical brain and makes it seem reasonable to avoid the discomfort of dialing.

Beyond the physiological reasons, what are we so afraid of?

Fear of Rejection

One fear associated with cold calling is fear of rejection which, interestingly enough, results in actual pain. The pain of rejection is felt by the same part of the brain where physical pain is experienced, and therefore the body often cannot differentiate between the two. Research has even revealed that headache medicine provides temporary relief from the pain of rejection.

Although the cause for fear of rejection varies by individual, we may be afraid that rejection confirms our worst fear —that we’re unlovable, destined to be alone, or have little worth or value. As reps, rejection is a daily occurrence when cold calling, with all the “no’s” or objections from tough gatekeepers and prospects. This then translates to the terror that these rejections confirm your deepest fears of being bad at sales and destined to fail.

Fear of Failure

Fear of failure is essentially a fear of shame because it makes us feel deep shame. It gives us a bad feeling about who we are. Shame gets to the core of our egos, identities, self-esteem, and feelings of emotional well-being. Plus, perfectionism can result in fear of failure and procrastination if you become overwhelmed and stalled by self-imposed impossible standards.

Many of us are afraid of failing, at least some of the time. But fear of failure is allowing that fear to stop you from doing the things necessary to achieve your goals. Some signs that you have fear of failure include a reluctance to take action, procrastination, lack of self-confidence and perfectionism.

Fear of Success

Fear of success often stems from a belief that higher expectations and greater responsibilities will result from succeeding. Success means change, even if it’s a change you want. When you try something and fail, you go back to your comfort zone, even if you’re not happy about it.

When you try something and succeed, things change. It may put in you the spotlight and create more pressure to continue performing at a higher level than before. It could mean being in a position where more people depend on you and look to you as an example. This could also put you under increased scrutiny and exposure.

Those are some of the things that scare those who fear success. And, as a result, self-sabotage is a common symptom of fear of success that stands in your way. The biggest challenge is that we often don’t realize that we’re doing this to ourselves.

If cold calling scares you, chances are that you’re struggling with fear of rejection, failure or success. Once you determine which one it is, you’re in a position to fight your demons and move past them. Remember, with 48% of us afraid of cold calling, you’re not alone.