Why would you need a script for making a cold call? Consider this: You have your list of names and phone numbers. Before the end of the day, you need to make 100 calls. Your sales manager has given your team a big pep talk encouraging you to dial, dial, dial.
Imagine how stressful it would be to go into each of these calls without direction. Now, imagine what you could accomplish with a script that’s clear and persuasive. Here, I’ll share more about cold calling and show you what a typical cold call looks like — plus what I consider to be the best cold call script ever.
(If you're in a hurry, skip to the script or download free sales call templates.)
Table of Contents
A cold call is when sales reps reach out to a potential buyer who's never interacted with them or their company before, with the intent to sell a product or service. Cold calling typically makes use of a sales pitch script to ensure reps sell the product effectively. It's a common practice in outbound sales.
Have better conversations with your sales prospects using these free templates.
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Remember the first and third scripts I made on this list? The ones where I talked about how having some sort of incentive makes a cold call script even more compelling? This one is also up that alley. A special offer is an excellent centerpiece to a thoughtful, effective cold call.
Hi [Prospect’s Name],
My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. We’re currently offering a special promotion on [Product/Service Name] for a limited time. It’s a great opportunity to [describe the offer’s benefits].
Would you like more details on how you can take advantage of this offer? I’d be happy to help you with that.
Prospects can make invaluable additions to your broader network — even if you don't hard sell them right away. This call script gives you an approachable, not-too-intrusive avenue to connect and develop rapport with prospects.
Hi [Prospect’s Name],
This is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I’ve been following your work at [Prospect’s Company], and I’m very impressed with what you’re doing in the [Their Field/Industry] space.
I’d love to connect and see if there are any opportunities for us to collaborate or share insights. Would you be open to a brief call sometime this week?
Social proof can be a huge asset in sales. If you can establish that a prospect's peers have seen success with your offering, you can give yourself a leg up if you eventually decide to hard sell them. Use this script to help you get there.
Hi [Prospect’s Name],
My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I wanted to share a success story about how we helped [Another Company’s Name] achieve [specific result]. I thought you might find it relevant given your focus on [specific area].
Could we schedule a call to discuss how we might be able to achieve similar results for you?
I don't want to keep dwelling on this point, but again, it really helps when you can bolster your cold call script with some sort of valuable incentive. In this case, that would be a free consultation to help a prospect identify and remedy issues relevant to your expertise.
Hello [Prospect's Name],
This is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We're offering complimentary consultations to help businesses identify key areas for improvement with [specific focus].
I think you’d find this extremely valuable, and I’d love to arrange a time for us to discuss how we can help. Are you available for a quick call?
Remember when I had multiple points in this section revolve around the value of offering an incentive to support your cold call? This one fits that bill as well. Discounting is a contentious concept among a lot of salespeople — but if your org is willing to offer a reduced price, you might want to go with a script like this.
Hello [Prospect's Name],
This is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We’re currently running a special promotion on our [product/service] that I think could be a great fit for your needs.
I’d love to provide you with more details and see how we can help you take advantage of this offer. Can we schedule a brief call?
In my experience, the typical, boring cold calling script most salespeople use doesn’t work. Here's how to create a standout cold call script to improve your connect rate.
First, you need to cherry-pick who you‘ll call. Your time is valuable — don’t waste it on prospects that aren‘t a good fit for your product. Think about who your best customers are (or who you’ve had the most success calling in the past) and look for common attributes.
For example, maybe your verticals are hospitality and retail. Or perhaps they‘re finance and banking. Once you’ve figured out which verticals to target, you're ready for step 2.
Cold calling expert Alex Hobbs describes identifying verticals for outbound sales as “critical to revenue attainment today. even inbounds need to be worked with an outbound motion! You can't just be an order taker/the fish are not jumping into the boat anymore!”
I’ve found that it’s easier to find specific companies or people who could use your product or service using a tool like LinkedIn.
Let‘s say you’re looking for US-based hotel companies who might benefit from your on-site goat yoga classes (who doesn‘t want to do Shavasana with a baby goat while they’re on vacation?).
Search “General manager” with the “Hospitality” filter.
Voila — a list of potential customers.
I’ve also found that regional companies are a great start to your list, as people love to do business with other locals.
I know, I know, you'd rather just pick up the phone and call. But trust me, spending just a minute upfront will make you wildly more successful.
Since you‘re already on LinkedIn, check out each prospect’s profile to personalize your approach. You'll want to know:
Here‘s one thing I never fail to do: Look up how to pronounce the prospect’s name.
Nothing makes people more annoyed and less likely to listen than hearing their name butchered by some fast-talking rep, so this step is crucial.
Some people add how they pronounce their name on Facebook and LinkedIn. If your prospect hasn't added this feature to their profile, try using PronounceNames to get an idea.
And if you‘re still out of luck? Simply ask, “I want to be sure I’m saying your name correctly. How do you pronounce it?”
You should also follow their pronouns if they are listed in their LinkedIn bio. If you’re not familiar with how to use gender-neutral pronouns, here’s a great blog on the topic.
Have better conversations with your sales prospects using these free templates.
All fields are required.
Click this link to access this resource at any time.
As a sales leader at HubSpot, I love assisting newer reps in closing big deals because I‘ve been in their shoes. It’s good for the company and the reps' careers. To do that, I use a slightly altered process and script.
We have a team culture of “just ask,” encouraging junior reps to request help from sales leaders when they want to get meetings with CEOs or prospects at Fortune 500 companies. Once a rep asks for my help, I ask for something in return: The website URL, the LinkedIn profile of the person and company I'm speaking with, and their HubSpot CRM record.
This allows me to quickly familiarize myself with the person and company I'm about to call. Once the phone rings and the prospect answers, I use the greeting from above, “This is [name] from [company],” then pause.
If you‘re calling a C-level executive or even a mid-level employee at a large organization, it’s likely you had to get past an assistant or front desk, which is where your senior title helped. Gatekeepers are more likely to pass along “Dan Tyre, Director of Sales at HubSpot” than “[Name], a sales rep at HubSpot.”
They‘ll know who you are, but they’ll still be curious why you called. Keep them in suspense a bit longer. As in the script above, I'll spend a few minutes asking about them. Here are a few more questions I turn to:
When the conversation turns to why I called, I say, “I called to help.” This line usually stops the prospect in their tracks.
Then, I follow up with, “My sales rep asked me to start a conversation with you.” This allows me to easily hand the conversation off to the rep if it goes well.
From there, I use a positioning statement like the one above:
“I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”
The pre-qualified prospect will answer “Yes,” and that's when my active listening turns on, and I say, “Tell me more about that.” Once they‘ve finished explaining their pain points, I repeat what I’ve heard back to them: “So, what I'm hearing is …” and offer to set up a discovery call.
Usually, the prospect agrees and throws out a time for weeks or months in the future. I often reply with, “How about tomorrow?” Most of the time, prospects respond with, “Sure, what time?”
I‘ll then check the junior rep’s calendar and schedule the discovery call.
Everyone wants to have a better day. By making your prospects smile or laugh, giving them a chance to talk about their problems, and showing them you might have a solution, you'll improve their day. That means stronger relationships and, ultimately, more sales.
Ready to start cold calling? Here are some cold-calling script templates you can use to get started.
This downloadable resource contains ten templates, including the examples listed below. I like that each script can be customized to fit your specific needs and scenarios. As stated previously, the more research you do on your prospect prior to calling, the better your results will be.
Discovery is one of the trickier aspects of any sales process — it can be as frustrating as it is necessary. You can‘t deliver on any other stage of your sales process if you don’t gather thorough, thoughtful context on your discovery call. Use this template to get the kind of insight you need to support smooth, successful sales efforts.
Learning how to handle interactions with gatekeepers is one of the trickier, essential aspects of sales communication. You‘re bound to hit walls with administrative assistants, office managers, or other intermediaries between you and decision-makers at points in your career. Here’s the best script for working through those screening conversations.
People trust their people — much more than they trust some random salesperson, at least. If you want to cultivate some quick social proof and approachability with prospects via an existing connection, consider leveraging a script like this. It shows you the most effective way to use a recommendation from a mutual colleague.
So much of sales is powered by measured persistence. In many cases, you‘re not going to get the response you need (or a response at all) without following up. If you’ve already tried reaching out to a prospect, use this script to get a response.
Failing to connect with a prospect? This script provides an alternative route to reaching out.
Now that you have your script, here are some tips to keep in mind.
As an employee of HubSpot, I try to live and breathe inbound marketing and sales, relying on my strong sales teams to close deals.
I know that a 100% inbound method might not work for your business — at least not overnight.
So, be selective with your prospects to mimic the success of inbound sales. That means you‘ll need to get creative with whom you add to your list. If you can find hand-raisers (people already interested in the product or service your company provides), prioritize calling them first. If they’re interested in what you have to offer before you call, you'll be well on your way to closing them on the solution you sell. And that brings us to our next point.
Have better conversations with your sales prospects using these free templates.
