Script examples for more effective cold calls

Call Script Examples: The “Always Give First” Method

Cold calling can be a powerful tool for salespeople, but its success depends on the approach. The “Always Give First” call script is an effective method for having valuable conversations and securing better appointments. Here is a step-by-step explanation of this effective approach and 4 call script examples.

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Goal: To foster a meaningful conversation in order to reach better agreements.

Mindset:

• Always start with the other person
• Always start with your prospect's needs.
• Be specific about the problem.
• Be general when describing the solution.

The Challenge:

• Start with a relevant fact or finding, such as: “Research shows that .”
• Formulate a hypothesis or reference, for example: “This often leads to the following .”
• End with a question to engage the prospect: “Does this sound familiar?”

The Blind Spot:

• Identify an obvious solution, such as: “The obvious solution is…”
• Explain why this solution often doesn't work; for example: “This often doesn't work because of .”
• Ask a question to gain insight into their approach: “How do you handle this?”

The Solution:

• Present your solution clearly and concisely: “We offer .”
• Describe your approach in simple terms: “This is how we do things.”
• Back up your approach with evidence of past successes, for example: “For instance, we helped with .”
• Ask the prospect if this might be of value to them: “Could this be of value to you as well?”

The Question:

• End the conversation with an inviting question: “Is this something you’d like to discuss further?”

Why does this work?

• It's customer-focused because you start with the prospect's needs.
• It focuses on problems that the prospect can relate to.
• It showcases your expertise with real-life examples.
• It encourages the prospect to get more involved.

The sample scripts provided illustrate how this method can be applied in practice. Each script addresses specific business challenges and potential solutions. Remember that building a relationship and providing real value to the prospect remain essential for sales success. With the “Always Give First” call script, you can have more effective and productive conversations during cold calls and increase your chances of securing valuable appointments.

Belscript Examples

Example 1:

Good afternoon. I read in yourannual reportthat sustainability is a growing concern for companies in your industry.

Many companies are now choosing to switch to greener energy sources. This may seem like an obvious solution, but the transition is expensive and often not factored into the budget.

With our solution, you can switch providers at no cost—we make this possible by spreading the costs across hundreds of customers at once

Is it worth looking into this?

One-Question Cold Call

“It takes a salesperson 1–2 hours to read an annual report. Of course, you could schedule time for it, but that won’t work. What would it mean to you if it only took 5 minutes?”

Example 2:

80% of IT companies have trouble attracting sales hunters.

Some companies do this by offering higher salaries, but according to research, this will only lead to more employees, not to higher performance.

We offer an alternative approach in which we selectsalespeoplebased ontheir DNAfrom markets where cold calling is still the norm. With oursales playbook for IT service providers, we also guarantee that salespeople will be up to speed within three months.

Is it worth talking more about this?

“Many IT companies struggle to attract true sales hunters. How do you ensure that your new salesperson is effective within three months?”

Example 3:

Doubling the security budget seems like an obvious solution, but the average IT manager can't make the business case for it.

This is where our solution comes in. We have a proven method for demonstrating the value of enhanced security in terms of what we call the “Cost of Inaction.”

What this means is that we can show you what it would cost your organization if you did not take action to strengthen your security, based on 40 data points.

In what way would this be valuable to you?

“Doubling security budgets often proves difficult to justify. Would it help you if you could show management what the costs of inaction are?”

Example 4:

80% of the time spent on cold calling is actually spent simply trying to reach the right contact person.

Many companies are considering outsourcing this process. But for small IT service providers, this is often unaffordable, and unfortunately, it doesn't necessarily increase effectiveness either.

Now imagine that your salesperson only has to pick up the phone when the contact is already waiting on the other end. No more wasted time.

Here's how it works: our AI cold-calling platform makes calls in parallel based on an extensive database and automatically transfers the call to your sales representative as soon as the contact answers.

Do you think this is worth looking into further?

“We’ve noticed that salespeople waste a lot of time waiting for the right contact person. How would you feel if your salesperson never had to wait by making calls simultaneously?”

Example 5:

What we're seeing is that salespeople hardly ever use cold emails anymore, because 45% of them end up in the spam folder.

Many salespeople get around the problem by simply using LinkedIn instead, but this doesn't work because you can only provide the text and explanation if you're connected with your prospects.

We have an AI solution that ensures your email isn't flagged as spam.

However, it only works if you can stick to certain rules—is it worth exploring?

One-Question Cold Call

What we're seeing is that salespeople hardly use cold emails anymore, because 45% of them end up in the spam folder. How do you prevent emails from ending up in the spam folder?

Conclusion

The “Always Give First” method for call scripts offers a structured approach to building meaningful conversations and securing better appointments. This method emphasizes the importance of starting with the prospect’s needs and providing relevant and useful information before asking for further engagement. Here are some key points to remember:

• Always start with the prospect's needs and be specific about the problem you want to address.
• Identify any blind spots in the prospect’s way of thinking and explain why obvious solutions might not work.
• Present your solution and highlight your approach, backed by evidence in the form of success stories or examples.
• Invite the prospect to continue the conversation and show interest in how your offer can add value to their situation.

This method is effective because it puts the prospect first, addresses their problems, and at the same time demonstrates your expertise and credibility. By following this approach, you can have more impactful and productive conversations during cold calls and increase your chances of securing valuable appointments. Always remember that building a relationship with the prospect and offering genuine value is the key to success in sales.

Click here for a complete call script with an audio recording.

Belscript: higher conversion rates in 60 seconds (video)

Belscript in 6 Steps

A call script is important for conveying the essence of your message in a cold call lasting no more than 2 minutes, but you do need to be given the chance to tell your story.

And that’s why the first 7–10 seconds are crucial—because that’s when the prospect decides whether or not to let you introduce yourself. Cold calling is 100% a high-level sport.

A good call script helps the salesperson focus entirely on their performance.

“How you say something is more important than what you say”

While the call script is indeed the foundation (80%) of a successful cold call, ultimately it’s the execution in every respect (20%) that determines whether you’ll secure the appointment and can move from Lead to SQL in one big step.

As far as we're concerned, the call script cannot be separated from a sales playbook. It is also one of the most complex parts of the sales process.

In our opinion, cold calling is still very much alive. The art of an effective prospecting approach lies in the salesperson’s ability to combine multiple prospecting techniques.

Interestingly, research shows that the likelihood of securing an appointment is highest when the phone is used. At first glance, this may seem contradictory, but let’s take a closer look.

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3 – Personalization

Personalization is pretty much always a winning strategy. And if you do it right, you'll at least make it through the first 30 seconds.

Sometimes personalization starts right from the very beginning. Because the moment you can use the name of a mutual acquaintance, it quickly feels close and personal.

In all other cases, you'll need to do your research and figure out how to make the connection to the reason you're calling.

TIPS

• Start with a relevant fact or finding, such as: “Research shows that . . .”
• Start with a hypothesis, for example: “What we see is that this often leads to the following.”
• End with a question to engage the prospect: “Does this sound familiar?”

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4 – The reason for your call

Research by Gong.io shows that call scripts that emphasize the reason for the call are 2.1 times more successful than the so-called baseline.

This, too, has its roots in neuroscience, as discussed earlier.

Be specific and don't make the reptilian brain guess why you're calling.

Sales: De reden dat ik contact met je opneem is dat jullie op zoek zijn naar een sales hunter met een uitzonderlijk loyaal DNA. Wij hebben gezien dat de sales hunter zonder IT achtergrond 2x langer blijven en succesvoller zijn dan hun collega’s met een IT achtergrond. Of zijn jullie van plan om een veel hoger salaris te bieden? Sales: Wat we zien bij andere bedrijven in de IT is dat ze hun focus verleggen naar hongerige verkopers die de stap willen maken van low-tech naar high-tech om de simpele reden dat de drive hoger is en de investering lager. Buyer: Nou nee, niet direct. Ze moeten hier echt willen werken.

5 – Value Proposition

Sales: Good point.

Have you ever considered hiring a sales hunter with, say, a background in the copier or telecommunications industry, since salespeople with that kind of background don’t wait until their three-month training period is over before making calls?

Can you imagine how you'd feel if, as a potential employer, you knew right from the first week that it was going to work out?

Because imagine if you had a sales hunter who created a call script in his first week and then booked his first appointment in the second week?

Isn't that the kind of drive you want to see when you walk in?

• Present your solution: “We offer .”
• Describe your approach in simple terms: “This is how we do things.”
• Support your approach with examples, such as: “For example, we helped with .”
• Ask the prospect how this adds value

6 – Closing

Research by behavioral scientists Nicolas Gueguen and Alexandre Pascual shows that people are more likely to help if you give the other person the choice and control.

For example, their research showed that donations increased by 400% simply by changing one sentence.

Don't just ask if they'll agree; explicitly offer them the other option as well.

Sales: Graag geef ik je in 30 minuten meer context hoe wij je kunnen helpen met het succesvol werven van theNextSales. Zou dit je schikken op maandag of dinsdagochtend om 10:00 uur? Overigens, weigeren is ook een optie ( glimlach).

Sample Call Script

Of course, a conversation doesn't always lead directly to an appointment—sometimes it follows the classic Lead–MQL–SQL path

There are many possible interruptions and objections, but the goal is not to address them all during a phone call.

The goal is to address the explicit resistance and further explore the implicit resistance during the meeting.

After all, your goal on the phone isn't the transaction itself, but the opportunity to have a conversation that will allow you to influence the customer even more effectively.

Below is an example of a call script to serve as inspiration.

LET OP: De ‘buyer’ komt met een bezwaar bijna aan het einde…en ik kies ervoor om deze niet uit te diepen. Dit gedrag is ‘dodelijk’ verderop in de salescycle, maar mijn gevoel zegt met dat ik genoeg krediet heb verdiend om de afspraak te scoren. Tegelijkertijd besef ik me dat ik hier op terug moet komen tijdens de afspraak.

Are call scripts the future?

Times are changing, and the world of digital sales has given way to many alternatives for prospecting.

Research shows that buyers prefer to search for information on their own through online channels.

And, of course, an asynchronous approach is the least disruptive and “safest” for buyers.

Think of a LinkedIn message, a personal video, or a voicemail. After all, these let you decide for yourself when to read a message or respond to it. So, should we toss that call script in the trash after all?

Well, no, but that's exactly where the problem lies.

Relying solely on asynchronous communication to schedule an appointment will lead to understanding, but not to action, and rarely to an appointment.

The likelihood of securing an appointment is five times higher when engaging with prospective buyers.

The key is not to treat making calls as an isolated action or to simply increase the number of call attempts.

The goal is to restructure and vary the sequence of your prospecting approach.

A successful prospecting approach is generally based on sequencing rather than a single, isolated action.

For example, you can start with a personal video and follow up on LinkedIn.

Or you can leave a voicemail and follow up via email, but no matter which sequence you use, the phone and the call script are always part of the NEXT prospecting method.