Scripts give you a safety net. When your mind goes blank mid-call, having practised responses means you can recover instead of fumbling.
The best salespeople don't sound scripted though. They've internalised these patterns so deeply that the right words come out naturally.
Think of it like learning to drive. At first you're thinking about every gear change. Eventually, you just drive. That's what we're aiming for with these scripts.
Opening Lines That Actually Work
The first 10 seconds determine whether you get a conversation or a dial tone. These openers are designed to earn you the next 30 seconds.
Problem-Led Openers
These work because they focus on the prospect's world, not yours.
1. The Direct Problem Opener
"Hi [Name], I'm calling because a lot of [job titles] I speak with are struggling with [specific problem]. Is that something you're dealing with too?"
2. The Observation Opener
"Hi [Name], I noticed [something specific about their company]. Usually when I see that, teams are wrestling with [related challenge]. Am I off base?"
3. The Trigger Event Opener
"Hi [Name], I saw you just [hired someone/raised funding/launched something]. When that happens, [common challenge] usually follows. Is that on your radar?"
4. The Industry Problem Opener
"Hi [Name], I've been speaking with a lot of [industry] companies this week, and [specific problem] keeps coming up. Is that something your team is dealing with?"
5. The Cost of Inaction Opener
"Hi [Name], quick question: how much time does your team spend on [tedious task] each week? Most [job titles] I speak with say it's eating 5-10 hours."
Permission-Based Openers
These reduce resistance by giving the prospect control.
6. The Honest Opener
"Hi [Name], this is a cold call. I know you weren't expecting this, so I'll be brief. Can I have 30 seconds to explain why I'm calling, and you can decide if it's worth continuing?"
7. The Referral-Style Opener
"Hi [Name], I've been working with [similar company] on [problem]. [Contact name] suggested you might be dealing with something similar. Is now a bad time?"
8. The Curiosity Opener
"Hi [Name], I'm going to ask you something most salespeople don't. What's the biggest thing slowing down your [relevant area] right now?"
Pattern Interrupt Openers
These break the expected cold call script and grab attention.
9. The Anti-Pitch Opener
"Hi [Name], I'm not going to pitch you. I just have a quick question about how you're currently handling [problem area]. Do you have 20 seconds?"
10. The Disarming Opener
"Hi [Name], you probably get a lot of these calls. I'll make you a deal: give me 30 seconds, and if it's not relevant, I'll hang up myself."
11. The Upfront Honesty Opener
"Hi [Name], I'm going to be straight with you. I'm trying to find out if [problem] is something you care about. If not, I won't waste your time."
Situational Openers
12. The Voicemail Follow-Up Opener
"Hi [Name], I left you a voicemail yesterday about [topic]. I know those are easy to ignore, so I thought I'd try you directly."
13. The Email Follow-Up Opener
"Hi [Name], I sent you an email about [topic] last week. I'm not calling to ask if you got it. I'm calling because I think [specific value] might actually matter to you."
14. The Gatekeeper Bypass Opener
"[First name], please." (Confident, no explanation. If asked who you are:) "It's [your name] from [company]. They'll know what it's about."
15. The Referral Opener
"Hi [Name], [referrer's name] suggested I give you a call. They mentioned you're working on [challenge]. Did I catch you at a decent time?"
Objection Responses That Keep Conversations Going
Objections aren't rejections. They're requests for more information, delivered poorly. Your job is to understand what's really being said.
"I'm Not Interested" Responses
16. The Acknowledgement Response
"That's fair. You don't know enough yet to be interested. Can I ask what you're currently doing for [problem area]? If it's working well, I'll let you go."
17. The Reframe Response
"I'd be surprised if you were interested based on a 10-second intro. What would make this worth another minute of your time?"
18. The Specificity Response
"Not interested in what specifically? Solving [problem], or just not interested in hearing about it right now?"
19. The Challenge Response
"Most people say that before they understand what we actually do. The companies using us are saving [specific result]. Would that be worth a quick conversation?"
"Send Me an Email" Responses
20. The Qualification Response
"Happy to. So I send you something relevant, what's the biggest challenge you're facing with [area] right now?"
21. The Direct Response
"I could, but emails are easy to ignore. I'm already on the phone with you. What would you need to hear to know if this is worth 15 minutes?"
22. The Time-Save Response
"I can send something over, but a 2-minute conversation now will tell us both whether it's worth your time to read it. Fair?"
"We Already Have a Solution" Responses
23. The Curiosity Response
"Good to hear you've got something in place. What do you like most about it? And if you could change one thing, what would it be?"
24. The Comparison Response
"A lot of our customers came from [competitor]. What made them switch was [specific differentiator]. Is that something you'd care about?"
25. The Audit Response
"When did you last evaluate alternatives? The space has changed a lot in the past 18 months. Might be worth a quick benchmark."
26. The Expansion Response
"That's great for [use case]. What about [adjacent use case]? That's actually where most of our customers started."
"No Budget" Responses
27. The ROI Response
"I hear you. Most of our customers felt the same way until they saw the ROI. Companies like yours typically see [specific result]. Would that kind of return change the budget conversation?"
28. The Timing Response
"Budget cycles are tricky. When does your next planning period start? Let's talk now so you're informed when decisions get made."
29. The Priority Response
"Budget is always limited. The question is whether [problem] is costing you more than the solution would. What's [problem] costing you right now?"
30. The Small Start Response
"We have customers who started with a pilot to prove value before committing budget. Would something like that work for you?"
"Bad Timing" Responses
31. The Future Response
"Totally understand. When would be better? I can call you back then, or would it help to have a quick overview now so you're prepared?"
32. The Urgency Response
"I get it. Quick question though: if [problem] is costing you [specific cost] every month, is waiting actually saving you money?"
33. The Calendar Response
"No problem. Let's get something in the diary for next month. Does the second week work? That way you're not caught off guard."
"I Need to Think About It" Responses
34. The Clarification Response
"Of course. What specifically do you need to think through? I might be able to help answer some of those questions now."
35. The Obstacle Response
"That's fair. What's the main thing holding you back? Is it [price/fit/timing/authority]?"
36. The Timeline Response
"Take whatever time you need. When do you think you'll have a decision? I'll follow up then so you don't have to track me down."
"The Decision Maker Isn't Me" Responses
37. The Information Response
"Got it. Would it help if I gave you a quick overview you could share with them? What matters most to [decision maker] when evaluating something like this?"
38. The Introduction Response
"Would you be open to introducing me? I can do the heavy lifting in explaining it, so you don't have to."
39. The Champion Response
"That's fine. You know your organisation best. What would [decision maker] need to see to take this seriously?"
Closing Scripts That Book Meetings
Getting to the close is only half the battle. You need language that makes saying yes easy.
Direct Closes
40. The Simple Ask
"Based on what we've discussed, it sounds like this could help with [specific problem]. I'd suggest a 20-minute call to dig deeper. Does Thursday or Friday work better?"
41. The Assumptive Close
"Let me get something in the calendar. I'm looking at next Tuesday at 2pm or Wednesday at 10am. Which works better for you?"
42. The Summary Close
"So you're dealing with [problem], it's costing you [impact], and you haven't found a good solution yet. Let's set up 30 minutes to show you how we've helped companies in the same spot. When works?"
Soft Closes
43. The Value-First Close
"I don't want to waste your time. Let me send over a case study from [similar company], and if it resonates, we can schedule a proper conversation. Sound fair?"
44. The Consultation Close
"Whether you end up working with us or not, I think a quick conversation would be valuable. We've helped a lot of [job titles] think through this problem. Worth 20 minutes?"
45. The No-Pressure Close
"Here's what I suggest: let's book 15 minutes. If after 5 minutes you're not finding it valuable, just say so and we'll end it early. Fair?"
Urgency Closes
46. The Deadline Close
"We're running a pilot programme this quarter with limited spots. If this is something you want to explore, we should talk soon. Can we do Thursday?"
47. The Cost Close
"Every month you wait is another month of [problem impact]. Let's get 20 minutes on the calendar and at least see if there's a fit. How's early next week?"
How to Actually Use These
Don't try to memorise all 47. That's madness. Pick two or three from each category and practise those until they feel natural.
When someone says "I'm not interested," you shouldn't be thinking about what to say. You should be listening to their tone and pulling from your mental library automatically.
Record yourself saying these out loud. Seriously. You'll cringe, but you'll also hear which ones sound like you and which ones sound like you're reading a script written by someone else.
These are starting points. Steal the structure, change the words, make them yours.
Want to practise these scripts with instant feedback? Cold Call Coach lets you try them on AI prospects who respond like real buyers.