- 01
Reset what a good call is
- Detach from meetings booked, focus on having a real conversation
- Count three good outcomes: a booked meeting, more info to book one, or a fast disqualification
- If someone is rude, do not take it personally. Be human and offer an ear
- 02
Open and confirm the role
- Say who you are and that you have not spoken before
- Confirm they own [job] at [company], or use an icebreaker
- If wrong person: apologize and ask what their role is
- Then: "Great, the reason I'm calling is..."
- 03
Pitch three problems in 30 seconds
- "We typically get invited by [job title] and they usually tell us three things"
- Name the frustration, the thing they feel bad about, and what they feel they could do better
- Close with a reverse question: "I'm sure none of these sound relatable, right?"
- Expect them to get defensive, that is the point
- 04
Get them to pick one pain
- Steer them to identify with one of the three problems
- If none fit, ask what keeps them up at night
- If they say "no problems": agree, then ask if they believe everything can always be better
- 05
Dig into the pain
- Elaborate: "Can you give me an example of what you mean?"
- Time: ask how long it has been an issue (years means lifestyle, months means opportunity)
- Fix and impact: ask what they tried and what it costs targets, revenue or CAC
- Go personal: ask how it makes them feel, and whether they have given up
- 06
Close for the meeting
- Turn their own words into your value prop: "That's why we help people like you with [problem]"
- Ask: "So, why wouldn't it make sense to speak further?"
- Or: "Let's pretend we could eliminate this, any reason you would not invite us in for 30 minutes?"
- 07
Handle early brush-offs
- "Not interested": agree, then ask for 30 seconds to explain why you called
- "Send me an email": ask if an email was ever better than a conversation, or offer to call back
- "I don't have time": offer a callback time, then ask to explain briefly so you do not waste it
- "We're fine for now": ask if it was the pitch or that they do not trust a cold caller
- 08
Handle budget, authority and status quo
- No budget or too expensive: compare the cost to the cost of doing nothing
- Not the decision maker: ask who else evaluates this and offer to include them
- Already have a system: ask if that means they will never look at another vendor
- Use permission openers ("Can I ask a cheeky question?") before you challenge
All playbooks
The Cold Call Playbook
For SDRs and founders who pick up the phone. You get a call structure from opener to close, word-for-word responses to the most common objections, and a mindset that makes every call worth it.
Calling8 steps