A clear understanding of the events that occur during a cold call supports productive conversations with leads. Businesses must grasp the cold call structure before dialing, as this knowledge aids sales development and fosters stronger connections with their targets.
Familiarity with this framework is vital for creating cold calling scripts that enable SDRs to navigate dialogues with prospects smoothly. They also contribute to successful cold calling campaigns by helping representatives maintain focus, address key points, and personalize interactions. Ariav Cohen, VP of Sales and Marketing at Proprep, affirms their efficacy:
“Cold calling scripts come in handy by helping you deliver impactful statements and insights throughout the call. A good script not only keeps the client engaged but also helps the call deliver more value.”
Watch David Kreiger, CEO of SalesRoads, bust the myths around SDRs using scripts for cold calls in this video:
Benefits of Cold Calling Scripts
Sales teams that use scripts to structure their cold calls enjoy the following benefits:
- Alleviate anxiety: SDRs overcome cold call reluctance and boost their confidence for more fruitful conversations.
- Clear communication: SDRs can articulate their value propositions concisely and effectively, improving engagement for better outcomes.
- Professional development: You gain an excellent resource for training new SDRs on cold calling as a sales strategy.
- Personalized outreach: SDRs have a “blueprint” for tailored communication, featuring specific touch points for customized conversations with prospects.
- Handling objections: Salespeople can address objections as they arise during calls using strategies and responses outlined in their scripts.
Elements of a Cold Call Script
A cold calling script is essential to the success of your outreach campaign. To craft a strong one, sales managers need to be familiar with the typical cold call structure. This allows them to tailor each script to the products, services, and target market for high-yield results.
Opening statements
Cold call openers are crucial because they set the tone for the conversation. SDRs have about 30 seconds to introduce themselves and create an impression strong enough to capture the prospect’s attention.
An effective opening statement is concise and powerful. It should contain a courteous greeting, a brief introduction, a permission statement to proceed with the call, and a compelling value proposition.
Include multiple openers for reps to start their conversations in your scripts. Each statement should be adaptable and demonstrate the specific value you’ll provide if the lead becomes your client.
Engagement/Qualification questions
A powerful script — and, by extension, cold call — contains valuable qualifying and engagement questions. These open-ended inquiries shed light on your prospects’ needs and determine the suitability of your product and service for them.
Rapport influences cold calling success, and asking qualification questions fosters a balanced, two-way conversation rather than a one-sided monologue. When executed well, prospects feel you value their concerns and so are more likely to open up, in turn producing a more positive conversation.
To maximize these questions in your cold calls, be sure to:
- Limit your questions – Sales Hacker recommends asking three unique questions to avoid repetition and monotonous answers.
- Ensure relevance – Questions should pertain to the prospect and their business.
- Allow time for responses – Pace your questions adequately to give leads enough time to answer.
- Practice active listening – Take notes during the conversation to guide later stages of the call.
- Focus on the goal – Your questions should edge the prospect closer to achieving the call’s main objective.
Objection management
Objections are ubiquitous in sales, especially cold calling. However, you can arm your salespeople with proven strategies to handle objections during calls. Include common roadblocks and suggested resolutions in your scripts to help SDRs circumvent them.
While they’re useful for eliminating hesitation, scripts shouldn’t replace pre-call research, sales training, or role-playing in your call preparation. These activities teach how to manage objections not covered in your script.
How to Handle Objections Not Covered in Scripts (Expert Roundup)
It’s impossible for scripts to cover all possible resistance you could face on a cold call, so we consulted a few sales experts for tips on handling unexpected objections.
Match the prospect’s tone
Matthew Ramirez, CEO of Rephrase Media, recommends matching the prospect’s tone to gain their trust and address their objections:
“Pay attention to the tone of the person on the call. To effectively handle the objection they’re raising, you need to adjust your attitude and speaking style to match theirs. An overly excited tone can appear desperate, while an overly monotone voice can make you sound robotic.”
Ask for more information
Lorien Strydom, Executive Country Manager at Financer.com, suggests requesting clarification on the objection:
“Don’t be afraid to ask to clarify their objection. After that, take time to listen to their concerns. This shows that you really care about their needs and provides room to tailor your responses to their specific situation. Remember that cold calls are not just about selling but building relationships with potential clients. So, the next time you face an unexpected objection or question, take a deep breath and ask for more information. It just might be the key to closing the deal.”
Build your expertise
The hallmark of successful cold calls is sales reps’ unbridled knowledge of the products and services in their portfolios. Temmo Kinoshita, Founder and Co-founder of multiple marketing agencies, affirms how crucial this is to deal with unexpected objections:
“In my experience, I’ve found that intimate knowledge of our services and how we can help has been the key to successfully handling objections. Having real expertise helps to build trust with potential clients — you come across as a valuable partner and not just a salesperson reading a script.”
Use storytelling
Julia Kelly, Managing Partner at Rigits, advises the use of stories to convey value when faced with unexpected cold calling objections:
“People will often be more engaged if you use stories in your sales pitch. For example, explain your product as the hero of an adventure story, emphasizing the value of its features in overcoming obstacles like competition or waste. If your customer finds themselves suddenly invested in the story and intrigued by how it ends, they might engage more readily with what you’re offering.”
Closing statement
The closing statement is the last stage of the call and is as vital to the success of your campaign as the other components. According to marketing expert Tony Angeleri, it determines the direction of the future conversation (and whether you’ve secured another call):
“A closing statement not only summarizes the call but also reiterates the need for collaboration. It tells the potential client how you intend to put the information you’ve collected to work so that the next time you communicate, you have something solid to offer. This not only sums up the interaction but also opens the doors for further communication.”
The closing statement comprises two parts: reiterating value and a call to action. After handling the prospect’s objection, seize the opportunity to drive home your product or service’s worth. Utilize the rapport established through the engagement questions to emphasize the most beneficial aspects of your offering.
You should reference the notes taken earlier in the conversation to tailor your pitch and demonstrate why you’re a good fit. Be careful not to transition to the closing statement too soon though, as it may come across as overly salesy and potentially deter the lead.
Always end a conversation with an actionable closing statement. Your closer’s call to action should align with the goals of the cold call campaign. Depending on your objectives, the statement could include scheduling an appointment for sales discovery, a product demo, or an in-person meeting.
If the prospect agrees to an appointment, refrain from pitching your product further, as it may jeopardize the deal. If they decline, conclude the call in a polite and respectful manner. They’ll remain potential customers, and your interaction will leave a positive first impression of your business.
Best Practices For Cold Calling Scripts
Personalize your scripts with pre-call research
Tailor your script to each prospect’s specific needs, pain points, or interests. Research the potential customer and their industry to make the conversation more relevant and engaging.
Keep it short
Long scripts can be overwhelming and hard for SDRs to follow. Keep your script concise with simple language and focused messaging to ensure a smooth conversation.
Don’t read verbatim
Scripts should serve as a framework for the conversation, not a word-for-word pitch. Percy Gruwald, Co-founder of Compare Banks, supports this tenet, saying, “The script should be used as a guide to structure the conversation and not a strict template. Maintaining a natural and engaging discussion is more essential to getting results.”
Adapt your script to the conversation’s flow and the prospect’s responses and improvise based on their reactions and interests.
Focus on benefits, not features
Emphasize your product’s or service’s benefits in your script and how it can improve the lead’s circumstances. Unique features grab their attention, but the benefits are what will seal the deal.
Evaluate and refine your scripts
Regularly review and adjust your scripts according to the feedback obtained from your conversations. This continuous improvement will strengthen your scripts’ effectiveness over time.
Bottom Line
By crafting scripts based on the typical cold call structure, sales teams increase their chances of turning cold prospects into warm leads and closing more deals. For best results, sales reps should personalize scripts based on the specific needs of each caller and periodically review their outlines to refine their pitch. Incorporate the tactics outlined in this article to cut down on hang-ups and secure more interested leads.
