Sales professionals are always on the lookout for ways to step up their game.
It’s all about closing more deals — but that can’t happen without boosting lead conversion rates.
One of the best ways to improve sales numbers involves something everyone dreads — cold calling.
Out of all the daily tasks a salesperson does, it can be the most uncomfortable.
Ironically, creating a script can help with that. To avoid monotony and disconnect, making your cold outreach data-driven puts more focus on customization and personalization.
Why do Sales Cold Calling Scripts Matter?
Scripts create a setup for a quality conversation without stumbling on words or being pressured to put on a show.
And with the use of intent data, preparation can include things like current pain points, revenue, industry niches, and beyond.
Having a variety of cold calling scripts on hand makes sales training easier for new hires as well. And when their phone training wheels are taken off, reps can tailor their scripts to personalize their message using their unique voice.
Challenges of B2B Cold Calling
B2B companies receive countless sales calls, which are usually filtered through an operator or phone system. So unless you have your prospect’s direct contact info, you’re likely to have to deal with a gatekeeper receptionist.
B2B companies typically have buyer committees that weigh in on purchasing decisions or procurement specialists. So whatever you pitch to your prospect needs to work for their purchase-savvy staff.
Tips for Writing Cold Calling Scripts
The most important thing to remember when writing and executing a script is that the person you’re calling is a real person with very real frustrations, wants, and needs.
Who exactly are you calling? Why should they listen to you? Where does the product or service that you’re selling exactly fit into their operation? Keep all of this in mind while writing.
Make sure to include:
- An introduction identifying yourself
- Context into why you’re calling
- A connection between your company with the prospect’s
- Value propositions with a re-qualifying question
- A call to action to further discuss a deal
Seem a bit broad? It is to an extent. But remember the context will come from your research. Think: Intent data.
Scripts can be made better by knowing specific prospect information such as titles, departments, technologies used, locations, and reporting structures.
Let’s say you’re selling time clock software and your prospect is Fred, a Payroll Manager.
It’ll be easier to discuss your product knowing what timeclock software he’s already using, how many people in his department are using it, and who he reports to.
Executing your sales goals starts with getting precise contact data.
Here are a few more quick fixes to writing a better cold calling script:
| From a not-so-great script | … now made better |
|---|---|
| Focusing solely on product or service benefits | Describing how a product or service uniquely benefits the prospect |
| Reading from a mass-produced or one-size-fits-all script | Conversing using a personalized script |
| A one-way dialogue or a monologue | A two-way conversation with active listening |
| Speaking in long sentences with lots of jargon | Speaking with shorter, more conversational sentences |
| Starting with a standard opener | Opening with a strong statement |
Cold Calling Sales Script Examples
Cold calling scripts should be made personal. Your script will change with different industries, locations, and even job titles.
To get you started, we have some examples of sales scripts covering different industries:
A Cold Calling Script for Software Sales
Hello there [name],
This is [sales rep] at [company name], how’s your day going?
Actually listen to their answer, then:
The reason I’m calling is that I think we can identify missed work orders that haven’t been invoiced using our software. In the last quarter alone, we found over $25,000 worth of missed invoices from 45 customers.
Our software is specifically designed to notify you when finance managers forget to bill clients after a work order is fulfilled.
If you’re available this [day/week] I’d love to set up a time to have a 20-minute chat about catching those bills.
A Recruitment Agency Leaving a Voicemail
Hello, [name]! This is [sales rep] at [company].
The reason I’m calling is I have an idea on helping you improve your recruiting processes, especially teachers. I want to see if you were available to have a quick conversation to find out how to do that.
Again, this is [name] from [company], and I can be reached at [phone number].
Thank you very much.
Inside Sales Cold Call Scripts
Hi [name], this is [sales rep] from [company]!
I’m calling to see if I could reduce production costs for your startup after working with [company] to reduce theirs.
If you have a few minutes I like to talk to you about how we can benefit your company.
Key Takeaways of Sales Cold Calling Scripts
Cold outreach is a nerve-wracking, but essential part of building a customer base. Creating scripts makes this easier by having a sense of preparedness.
Overall a sales script should focus on prospect needs and challenges, and how you can address those without being dull.
After using script templates for a period of time, your cold calling script will become uniquely yours — formed by experience and personality.