Cold calling is probably the hardest part of salespeople’s job. When you need to make 50 dials a day to hit your number, cold calling can easily become tedium and a huge motivation-killer. In fact, 48% of B2B salespeople are scared of cold calling and 90% of calls are ineffective, according to Harvard Business Review.
So, what makes some cold calls more effective than others? The truth is most of the time, it boils down to the cold calling scripts being used. To help and make your cold calls more effective, we’ve gathered the best practices and cold calling scripts out there.
How long should a cold call script be?
There’s no set word count when it comes to a cold call script. As a general rule of thumb, your sales calling scripts need to be concise and hook the prospect right away. You have a few seconds to get them interested so shorter is better. Anything from 40-140 words works best. This sales cold calling template from G2 is 131 words. It’s on the longer side but works so well because the social proof is on point:
“Hey there! [SALES REP NAME] from [COMPANY NAME] here.
You’re hearing from me today because it looks like your organization loves to focus on honest, superior customer service. At [COMPANY NAME], we’re all about that, too. We’re backed by awesome customers like [Customer 1] and [Customer 2], and [Social media proof].
These organizations typically see [Results] (Consider prospect needs/wants, such as increased sales, cost savings, etc.) within [Time] after implementing with us.
[Prospect’s first name], I would love to connect with you about your specific needs and what your resources currently look like. I also have a suggestion for how to [Result]. Give me a call back at [Number] if it’s convenient for you, or feel free to reply to the email that I will be following up with. Thanks!”
Source: G2
Take into account that timing is everything. All you need is a bit of organization and start scheduling calls at specific hours. If you cold call at 8 am -10 am, 11 am-12 pm, or 4 pm-5 pm, you can increase your connect rate by up to 15%.
What is the structure of a cold calling script?
The structure of a cold calling script is the backbone of an effective cold call. Your sales script needs to have legs if you want to turn your cold call into hot sales. Saying that you also don’t want the structure to be too rigid, it serves as a guide. At the end of the day, you’re having a conversation. It needs to be fluid and it needs to be natural. Your #1 priority is to gain your prospect’s trust, answer their personal business needs, and deliver maximum value in minimal time. The structure of the best B2B sales cold call scripts can be broken down into:
- Research
- Opener
- Questions
- Conversation
- Pitch
- Close
Research:
Before going into the cold call, please run a background check on your prospect. When you dial a number, you’re talking to a person, not just a potential sale. Use social media to get to know your prospect well before you pick up the phone. This preliminary research will help you understand your prospect better and give your more confidence going into the pitch.
Opener:
Like a great subject line of an email, opening your cold call with that human and emphatic touch will do wonders. Believe it or not a simple opener like “Hey, how are you?” can yield 3.4X more meetings booked. Here are some other tried-and-tested B2B cold calling openers that will help your prospect hooked from the get-go.
Questions & conversation:
The questions you ask will depend on how much your prospect is willing to share with you and how you handle any objections that come up during the call. The more they talk, the more ammo you have to lead the conversation and ask relevant questions according to their specific needs at this moment in time.
Pitch:
If you’ve listened intently to your prospect’s challenges and their pains, you’ll be able to deliver a pitch that moves the deal forward. Your sales call script needs to be agile and personalized to your prospect’s pain. For example, if your prospect is a recruiter and throughout the call, they’ve explained they’re struggling to fill vacancies, you need to explain how you can solve this use case, easily and efficiently. Present them with a relevant success story or a testimonial to show them how they can also succeed with the solution you’re offering
Close:
You might be ready to go in for the close but just make sure your prospect is on the same page. If you’ve addressed all their pains and they’re interested in seeing how your solution works, then your next step is to qualify them and book them a demo.
Just keep in mind, these are the key things to consider when it comes to cold calling scripts. There’s a whole lot more that goes into it. To keep it simple and armor you with best practices we’ve summarized exactly what you need to nail your next sales cold calling script. Check out this list below:
Best cold call script ever written
The best cold call scripts are personal. They make the prospect feel at ease and want to answer any questions you have. Gong’s personalization script hits every possible spot.
The personalization cold call script
I know I’m calling out of the blue, but I was researching [COMPANY NAME] and
noticed [3X3 RESEARCH]. As an outsider looking in, it seems like a big challenge
right now is [PAIN POINT]. Is this something your team is focused on?
[Source: GONG]
Why this sales cold calling script works so well?
The tactical apology “I know I’m calling out of the blue” helps you earn more time from your prospect. Successful cold calls are approx. 2X longer than poor cold calls: 5:50 for booked meetings vs 3:14 for no meeting booked.
The 3X3 research approach is all about spending three minutes finding three relevant pieces of information about a prospect. Lusha Extension provides you with the company and contact info you need on the prospect you’re reaching out to, like their title, the company’s revenue growth and employee count to customize your pitch to their pain points.
The simple Y/N question instantly pushes the conversation forward and lets you know where you stand without wasting more time: “Is this something your team is focused on?”
B2B Cold calling templates
At Lusha, we use Gong for sales calls. They’re simply the best when it comes to anything relating to revenue intelligence and objection handling. That’s why we love their cold calling templates and we think you will too. Here are our favorite picks:
The Opener
Hi [FIRST NAME], this is [YOUR FULL NAME] with [YOUR COMPANY]. How’ve you been?
[Source: GONG]
What: Start with your full name and company name:
Why? By stating your name and your company’s name up front you control the conversation and avoid being asked, “who is this?”
Impact: “How’ve you been?” performs 6.6X better because it uses a pattern interrupt.
The Reason
The reason for my call is …
[Source: GONG]
What: Start by providing an answer right away
Why? Satisfy curiosity right away and eradicate any suspicion the “who is this? Why are you calling me?”
Impact: 2.1X higher success rate for sales reps who state their reason for calling
The Value Proposition
At [YOUR COMPANY], we help customers like [SIMILAR COMPANY] solve [PAIN POINT]
by [HIGH-LEVEL VALUE PROP]. Does it make sense for me to give you more detail
about how we do that?
[Source: GONG]
What: Make it personal and feed them social proof.
Why? Boost credibility and show them they can rely on you to solve their pains.
Impact: Follow up with a cold email that includes the CTA – Interest and double your chances of converting the prospect.
Closing
It sounds like it might be worth scheduling a call so we can provide more context on
how we can support your team to achieve [DESIRED STATE/OUTCOME/RESULTS]. How does [DATE/TIME] work for you?
[Source: GONG]
What: Turn your question into an offer
Why? The direct approach removes any friction
Impact: The precise date and time seal the deal
Create your winning cold call script
Using the tips above, you have everything you need to create a script for your cold calls that will keep prospects on the line and keep them moving forward through the pipeline. If you would like more guidance on coming up with a rock-solid sales formula, take a look at our free sales script generator.
Key Takeaways
To wrap things up, here are some last must-follow cold calling script tips:
- Always use open-ended questions to lead a dialog
- Focus on the prospect and their interests to get them to open up
- Drop social proof points to build trust
- Adjust your tone to fit with the situation
- Ask follow-up questions based exactly on what’s said
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