You have to make the most of your first 10 seconds on a cold call. Cold call opening lines help you get your foot in the door and make it more likely for the contact to be interested in hearing more. But the response that you get depends in part on the style of your […]
You have to make the most of your first 10 seconds on a cold call. Cold call opening lines help you get your foot in the door and make it more likely for the contact to be interested in hearing more. But the response that you get depends in part on the style of your cold call openers. Should you go with a humorous approach, a complimentary angle, or be entirely focused on the value proposition? And is there a certain style best suited to you? We examine below the main categories of cold call opening lines and how you can discover the right fit for you.
What are the basics of opening a cold call?
Before you even start dialing, you need to research the contact by using as much enriched information as you can get your hands on. This preparation will supply you (at least) with the name and role of the person you will be calling.
But it won’t tell you how busy that person is this morning, or how they feel about cold calls. While some people are very grumpy when it comes to cold calls, the average person will give you a few moments to:
- Introduce and give an immediate impression of yourself
- Say something interesting
- Explain why your call is relevant to them
Yes, it’s a lot to cram into a few seconds. But, if you can figure out your own style for how to open a cold call, you can establish the personal connection that puts you in a good position to get through the rest of the cold call script.
20 best cold call opening lines for sales reps
Every sales representative is different and needs to find the words that sound natural for them. If you’ve got a bubbly personality, then funny cold call opening lines might be the right choice. But if you take the role of a seasoned professional, being informative can be the spin you are looking for.
Without further ado, here are the top cold call opening styles and examples of each:
Funny opening lines
1. Hello (name), I’m Jim from Lusha. And yes, this is a cold call – but I’m pretty sure that I can warm it up by helping you easily reach your sales targets this month with a market-leading sales enrichment platform.
2. Hi (name), this is Jane from Lusha. I just want to say that my boss is standing right behind me as I pitch a sales intel platform that’s helped my clients cut up to 25% more deals. Can I tell her that you’ll give me 30 seconds to explain how?
Cold calls about competitors/industry insights
3. Hello (name), this is Julie from Lusha. A lot of competitors in your sector are starting to use our platform, but I’ve noticed that your company hasn’t yet. Can I ask you about that?
4. Hi (name), this is John from Lusha. Many of my clients in your industry have been calling me about how we can help them during the next recession, and I’ve got some good news for them. Do you have 30 seconds to find out about how they are addressing the slowdown?
Opening lines about problem-solving
5. Hello (name), this is Kathy from Lusha. I’m in sales, you’re in sales, and I’ve got a sales intelligence platform that can boost your closing rates by 25%. I can tell you why in 30 seconds. Is it OK if I go on?
6. Hi (name), this is Carl from Lusha. We help sales teams find the right prospects and convert more deals with our sales intelligence software. I know your time is valuable, so I’ll be brief – I’m hoping to have a quick chat to learn about any sales challenges you’re facing that Lusha may be able to help you solve. Do you have 5 minutes to connect today?”
Curiosity-inducing opening lines
7. Hello (name), this is Chris from Lusha. We’ve just updated our CRM Enrichment feature which can be incredibly valuable for sales managers like you. If you have just a minute, I can tell you how it can make a great add-on for you.
8. Hi (name), this is Alice from Lusha. I’m letting a few sales managers in your sector know about a solution that’s boosted ROI by 1000% for some of our clients. Give me 30 seconds and I’ll tell you how you can benefit.
Complimentary opening lines
9. Hi (name), this is Ryan from Lusha. I read your LinkedIn post last week about sales intelligence applications and I learned a lot from it. My firm is in the industry and I’d like to ask you a few questions. Have a minute?
10. Hello (name), this is Harry from Lusha. I’ve been looking at your product reviews and with such a glowing reputation, I’d love to learn more about your offering. I actually support companies like yours with a sales intelligence solution. Do you have a minute to talk?
Value proposition cold calls
11. Hello (name), this is Liz from Lusha. As an SDR, I’m sure you use a prospecting solution, but I’m talking about one that can help you convert leads ten times faster. It will take me literally half a minute to show you how to really ramp up your closing rates.
12. Hi there (name), this is Mick from Lusha. We help companies just like yours shorten sales cycles by identifying and engaging with high-intent prospects at scale. Do you have 30 seconds for me to explain how?
Cold calls about recent news / events
13. Hello (name), this is Philip from Lusha. I just heard about that deal you closed with (company). Sounds like you’re growing, right? Many of my expanding clients rely on our sales intelligence platform to scale their operations, and if you have half a minute, I’ll explain why we are so essential to them.
14. Hi (name), this is Daniel from Lusha. I’m sure you’ve heard about (company) going out of business. Well, all of their former customers will be looking for a replacement, and my sales intelligence solution can help you discover who’s looking. If you’ve got 30 seconds, I can tell you about the opportunity.
Success story opening lines
15. Hello (name), this is Hayley from Lusha. I’m calling you after our client, (company), closed a huge deal based on the sales intelligence that we provided for them. I’d like to explain how many of my customers are looking at similar success levels. Do you have a minute?
16. Hi (name), this is Lara from Lusha. As an SDR, I was wondering if you’d be interested in learning about the amazing deal that we just closed with (company) and how it’s benefiting SDRs throughout our industry. If you have 30 seconds, I can give you the details.
Collaboration opportunity opening lines
17. Hello (name), this is Harry from Lusha. My company is looking for some collaboration opportunities and I noticed that you guys might be a great match. Do you have a minute for some questions?
18. Hello (name), this is Charles from Lusha. I just read that you guys have released a new module that fits perfectly with our sales intelligence solution. Does a collaboration like that interest you?
Customer-centric opening lines
19. Hi (name), this is Barbara from Lusha. All of us sales reps need a great source for fresh and accurate contact information. In fact, I got in touch with you using our platform. I was wondering if you’d like to know about some of our offerings that can help you find the same kind of great prospects.
20. Hi (name), Tyson from Lusha here. I understand you’re busy, so I’ll get right to the point – is your company looking for ways to identify better-fit prospects or improve lead follow-up? I’d love to learn about your sales workflow and see if we could help streamline it.
Sales cold calling opening lines best practices and tips
The process of successful cold calling starts before you enter a phone number. Researching individual contacts using the 3×3 method (see FAQs) is critical for a personalized pitch and an immediate connection. Speaking of which:
- Try different opening lines and find the one that succeeds most often.
- Organize customer data and record your interactions for later analysis.
- Call at the right time of day.
- Learn how to deal with cold call rejections and counters to common objections
Cold call opening lines to avoid
The styles of cold call opening lines that you choose depend a lot on your personality. Do you like to joke around, or are you more serious? This factor will influence how your delivery sounds and how comfortable you will be saying it many, many times. But, regardless of personality, there are a few absolute no-no’s for cold call opening lines:
- Too much technobabble – even if the contact is an expert in your industry lingo, bombarding them immediately with technical terms won’t get your value proposition across.
- Too aggressive – what might sound confident to you can seem too presumptuous to a person who doesn’t know you.
- Too salesy – requesting a meeting right away or going straight into deal-related info such as pricing, packages, and discounts will make the contact feel pressured.
FAQs
- What are the 3 Cs of cold calling?
The 3 Cs of cold calling are: contacting (being able to find accurate and relevant contact information), connecting (establishing good chemistry and value proposition), and closing (convincing the contact to move to the next step).
- What is the 3×3 rule in sales and how does it relate to cold-calling?
The 3×3 rule in sales states that you should have three pieces of information about the contact you’re approaching. But to save time, don’t spend more than three minutes looking for the data. For cold calling, this means doing a bit of research before every call.
- What’s the ideal length for an opening statement in a cold call?
You can assume that you have around ten seconds to deliver your opening line, but the shorter the better. Aim for seven seconds and see what works best for you.
- How can I use the prospect’s name effectively in the opening to make it more personal?
Introducing yourself is essential in the opening line. Saying “Hello X, this is Y” is an easy way to combine both steps.
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