“Not interested.”
Usually comes in the first seconds and is about the call, not the topic. “Fair enough, I did interrupt you. Can I tell you in one sentence what it’s about?” Accept a second no.
More on this objection →B2B cold calling script: from the gatekeeper to the meeting
A cold call script in 5 steps, from the gatekeeper to the meeting, with 15 lines to adapt, the 5 objections of the first minute and what to measure instead of a success rate.
Cold calling means contacting someone who doesn’t know you and hasn’t asked to hear from you. The goal of the call is a meeting, not the sale. Replace whatever is in [brackets] with your own offer.
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Before the first call
- Set the goal: a meeting, not the sale. Almost nobody in B2B buys on an unannounced call.
- Note one reason to call for each company. It makes the call relevant, and in Germany it is also what decides whether you could presume a business would be interested.
- Write out your first two sentences, not the rest. Anyone reading from a script sounds like it.
- Make your calls in a fixed block rather than between two other tasks.
- Check your do-not-call list: anyone who has objected to further calls is not called again.
- Show your number. In Germany, it may not be withheld on sales calls.
1
Switchboard and gatekeeper
30 secondsGet put through to the right person. The gatekeeper doesn’t decide on your offer, but on whether you reach anyone at all.
- “Hello, this is [your name] from [your company]. Who looks after [topic] at your company?”
- “Could you put me through to [name]? It’s about [topic in five words].”
- “When is the best time to reach [name]?”
Avoid: Tricking the gatekeeper, say with “She’s expecting my call.” Once they notice, they will never put you through again.
2
Opening
20 secondsName, company, reason for calling and whether now is a good time. The opening doesn’t decide the sale, only whether you get the next minute.
- “Hello [name], this is [your name] from [your company]. I’m calling because [specific reason]. Do you have two minutes, or is now a bad time?”
- “You don’t know me, and I’m calling out of the blue. Can I tell you in one sentence why, and you decide whether we keep talking?”
- “[Name] suggested I give you a call because [reason].” Only if that’s true.
- “Is it all right if I record this call for our internal follow-up? If not, that’s no problem.”
Avoid: “How are you today?” or a first sentence about your own company. Both push back the reason for your call, and that is exactly what the other person wants to hear.
3
A hypothesis, not a pitch
30 secondsWhy this company in particular, put as a hypothesis the other person can confirm or reject.
- “A lot of [role]s in [industry] tell us that [problem]. How is that for you?”
- “My guess is that [observation] means [consequence] for you right now. Am I right?”
Avoid: The product presentation. Call unannounced and then pitch, and you get a polite “Just send me something.”
4
Two or three questions
2 to 4 minutesFind out whether a meeting is worth it: does the problem exist, who else decides, and is now the right time? The full discovery belongs in the meeting.
- “How do you handle [topic] today?”
- “What bothers you most about it?”
- “Who besides you would have a say in something like this?”
Avoid: Running the whole discovery on the phone. Spend twenty minutes asking questions on a cold call and you have already had the meeting, with no reason left for one.
5
Propose a meeting
1 minuteA meeting with a date, time, length and attendees. Two times to choose from are easier to answer than “When suits you?”
- “Here’s my suggestion: 30 minutes on video, and I’ll show you [specifically what]. Does [Tuesday at 10] work, or is [Thursday at 2] better?”
- “Who else should we invite?”
- “I’ll send you the invitation straight away, with the two points we talked about.”
Avoid: “I’ll send you something and get back to you.” Without a date, that is not a next step.
Objections in the first minute
A cold call draws different objections from a meeting: they are mostly about the interruption, not the offer.
“I don’t have time.”
“Then I’ll keep it short: when is better, this afternoon or tomorrow morning?”
More on this objection →“Send me some information.”
“Will do. So it doesn’t get lost in your inbox: which part interests you, and when shall we talk about it briefly?”
More on this objection →“We already have a provider.”
“Good, then you know the subject. What would you change about your current solution if you could?”
More on this objection →“Where did you get my number?”
Say honestly where from: their website, a referral, a trade fair. If you can’t answer that, you shouldn’t be calling the number. If the person objects to further calls, put them on your do-not-call list straight away.
More on this objection →What is a good rate?
Published cold calling success rates vary widely and are rarely backed up; industry, list and offer drive them. Measure your own chain instead. The lever is wherever most calls end.
1Dials
Every call, including busy lines and voicemail.
If it ends here: Few people reached: the list, the time of day or the gatekeeper.
2Reached
You are speaking to the person you wanted to speak to.
If it ends here: Many calls end in the first minute: the opening.
3Conversation
Longer than a minute, so past the opening.
If it ends here: Good conversations but few meetings: the questions or the proposal.
4Meeting
In both calendars, with a date and time.
If it ends here: Many meetings fall through: the reason was too weak for a real meeting.
Frequently asked questions
What is cold calling?
The first contact with potential customers who don’t know you and haven’t asked to hear from you, usually by phone. The goal is normally a meeting, not a sale on the first call.
Is B2B cold calling allowed in Germany?
In Germany, calling businesses requires at least presumed consent, meaning specific circumstances suggest they would be interested. Calling consumers requires their prior express consent (Section 7(2) No. 1 UWG, the German Unfair Competition Act). Marketing emails need express consent even when sent to businesses, with a narrow exception for existing customers (Section 7(3) UWG). Rules differ from country to country. Not legal advice.
What goes into a cold calling script?
A goal for the call, usually a meeting, and the steps to get there: the gatekeeper, an opening with a reason, a hypothesis instead of a pitch, two or three questions and the meeting proposal. Plus answers to the objections of the first minute. It doesn’t need more than one page.
What is the difference between cold and warm calling?
With a warm call there is already a connection: an enquiry, a conversation at a trade fair, a referral or an existing customer relationship. With a cold call there isn’t. Warm calls are usually easier, because the other person already knows why you’re calling.
How do you open a cold call?
With your name, your company and a specific reason in one sentence, then ask whether now is a good time. Small talk like “How are you?” and an introduction of your own company push the reason for the call to the back.
Is cold calling the same as cold outreach?
Cold outreach is the broader term: the first contact with someone who doesn’t know you and hasn’t asked to hear from you, by phone, email or social media. Cold calling is the phone part of it.
What is a realistic cold calling success rate?
Published figures vary widely and are rarely backed up, because industry, list and offer drive them. Your own chain says more: dials, people reached, conversations over a minute and meetings. The lever is wherever most calls end.
The recording shows which opening works
After twenty calls, nobody remembers which sentence made people hang up. The recordings do. For each call, Klarruf tags the objections with the point where they came up and records the agreed next step.
More free resources, no sign-up
- Sales call checklistFrom preparation to follow-up, to tick off and print.
- Sales call script templateSix phases with lines to adapt for a first B2B call.
- Discovery questionsQuestions in eight areas, from the current situation to the next step.
- Objection handlingThe most common objections in B2B sales, with two responses each.
- Objection handling techniquesNine techniques from the clarifying question to pre-empting, with example lines.
- Buying signalsHow to hear that a buyer is ready, and what to say then.