Cold Call Script & Tips from Caroline Maloney

We can't stop, won't stop talking about cold calls can how sales teams can succeed with them. We have a whole host of resources starting from great openers, cool scripts, some best practices and more, right from the basics. Heck, we even have a whole library of real-life cold calls that got meetings booked (it's awesome, it's called the Call of Fame and you should subscribe to it). In this article, we have an incredible guest writer Caroline Maloney, Sales Enablement maestro at Redis sharing a killer script and some powerful scripts from her own, very successful experiences. 

Here's what Caroline will be sharing with you -

• Phase 1 - The Opener
• Phase 2 - Your ‘ Reason’

Before you get started, remember keep Caroline's mantra in mind - Make sure that prior to your outreach you're doing relevant research to hypothesize a likely pain or challenge. These can/should be industry and/or persona-specific, relating back to your solution(s). Remember the research guide, and your relevant personalized information (not personal.)

Over to Caroline!

Phase I: Your opener

Here are three cold call openers you can use, and what they do:

1) The Candid Approach: "Hey {{name}} - this is a cold call. I'm {{your name}} reaching out from {{your company}}. Did I catch you at a terrible time?"

2) The “do I know this person?” Approach: "Hey {{name}} - it's {{your name}} at {{your company}} - how've you been?" 

3) The Flattery Approach: "Hey, {{name}} - glad you answered! I've been looking forward to getting you on the line all week. I'm {{your name}} at {{your company}} - do you have a minute?"

Reminders for this phase:
- Don’t let “uptone” get the best of you. Uptone is that nervous, upward tone your voice makes when you’re cold calling. Instead, practice these openers until it sounds like you’re calling your mom, or an old friend. Your name is not a question!

-Don’t go too fast. Use one of these openers, and then let your prospect respond. It’s a dead “sales” giveaway when you combine your opener with your “reason.”
 

Phase II: Your “reason”

This is the part of the call where you address the “elephant in the room.” You’re calling out why you’re contacting this person, and this needs to be very clear. This is the phase of the call where your research really shines, too, so make sure you’re doing it!

• “I noticed you’re using {{competitor}}. I wanted to be proactive and reach out to get your feedback on how things are going. Most people I speak with who use {{competitor}} tell me {{challenge}}.”
• "When I reach out to {{persona}}, we usually talk through the various challenges related to {{a likely problem}}. I imagine you're at least familiar with these issues, I hope you're not facing
  these challenges directly?"
• “Often, {{persona}}'s tell me that they're either having to work around {{challenge #1}} or {{challenge #2}}. Which one feels more relevant to you?”

Ways to handle a “no” at this phase:
- "Ah, I'm glad you're not dealing with that! Seems like it's pervasive in your space, what are you doing differently?"
- "Hey, thank you for letting me know I was off base! Good insight for me to take back to my team. Since the goal of this call is to see if there are any dots I can connect for you with regard to any potential challenges around {{something relevant}} and {{what you do}}, mind if I pick your brain about a couple other possible areas?"
 

Remember, when faced with an objection, validate and dig in:
-(When the prospect tells you they're focused on other projects) "Other projects?"
-"Perfect! We hear that a lot, glad you brought it up."
-"Yes, you're right! Most people in your position don't feel like this is a 'need to have' until they see results."

Booking the next call - tips/reminders:

• Make sure to ask for the best email/follow up number instead of assuming you have it
• Multi-thread at the end of your calls: “would {{name}} or {{name}} from {{team}} be relevant to add to this call, too?”
• "Given what you've shared with me and what you know now about {{your company}}, what would make this next call the most valuable for you?"

About Caroline

Caroline is a recognized sales enablement & sales development leader as well as a LinkedIn content creator (SDR Tips, etc.) She grew up in the Boston area, loves cheese boards and puzzles, and is the mother of two beautiful dogs; Lady & Lola. Follow her on LinkedIn! 

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