Scripts for Greeting and Opening Conversations

A cold calling professional, teaches this concept by stating that “no matter who your prospect is, their time is important. By saying thank you, you’re letting them know that you respect them, which is not only a good opening line but a great way to start a relationship, too.”

Your welcome script is critical for call agents, as it sets the tone for the entire interaction. While greeting customers, agents should all pull up their account information if they know the customer they’re talking with. If not, the first thing an agent should do is ask for their customer details.

1. Introduce yourself.

First, say your name and which company you work for. You need to sound confident and energetic. I can’t tell you how many cold calls I listen to that begin with, “This is *mumbles* from ‘mumbled company name.’“

The confused prospect goes, “What? Who?” and right from the start, the call goes poorly.

You don’t need to yell your greeting, but you do need to articulate the words.

After you say, “This is [name] from [company],” pause.

This is hard for cold callers. They want to jump straight into their pitch because they’re afraid of rejection. However, I caution you to take a deep breath and say nothing for eight whole seconds.

While you’re pausing, your prospect is searching their brain for who you could be. It sounds like you know them  are you a client? A former coworker? A current one?

2. Establish rapport.

Now that the call is already deviating from the standard cold call, ask them a question to establish some rapport. Your goal here is to get them talking and prove you’re familiar with them and their company.

Here are some sample questions:

• Wow, I see you’ve been at [company] for [X years]. What do you enjoy about your role?
• Congrats on your recent promotion. How is your new position going?
• I’ve always been fascinated by the [enter industry they work in] industry. Can you tell me more about what your company does?

A good question is topical and makes someone smile. If they seem receptive to chatting, ask them a follow-up question. You don’t want to ask something too personal since this is likely the first time they’ve spoken to you, so stay away from information that’s not readily available on LinkedIn.

For instance, if they say, “I’m enjoying my new promotion; I’m able to get a lot more done,” you can respond, “That’s great. How did you get started in this industry?” Maybe comment on a post they’ve recently made and how it made you think.

Eventually, they’ll ask, “Alright, why are you calling?”

Acknowledge that their time is valuable and you have a pitch for them while still keeping the mood light. Be cordial and merry on the phone. This will change the energy from one of awkwardness to lightheartedness.

3. Use a positioning statement.

A positioning statement shows your prospect that you work with similar companies and understand their challenges. You’re not talking about yourself, which is what most cold callers do. Keep the conversation light on them and have a genuine discussion.

Here’s a hypothetical positioning statement:

“I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”

Since you‘ve pre-qualified them, they’ll likely say “yes.”

Simply say, “Tell me more about that.”

Now, it‘s all about them! They’ll explain their pain points and objectives, which is valuable information you can use to build your sales pitch.

4. Thank them for their time.

Never end a cold call without letting your prospect know you’re grateful for the chance to speak with them.

Call Center Scripts for Greeting and Opening Conversations

1. Define Your Offering

A core part of the phone sales strategy is identifying the specific product you offer and outlining your value proposition.

Focus on the product offering that is the best solution for your prospect and show empathy to their current pain points.

Be specific about how your solution can solve that pain point. Don’t jump around between different solutions; rather, drive home the value of one core offering and how it can make their job easier. 

2. Know Who You’re Selling To

Successful sales calls happen when a sales rep conducts sufficient research into both the buyer persona and the specific issues their prospect is facing. 

Before the call, try to gain insight into their industry, offerings, and competitors.

Research the job title and role of the person you will be speaking to, then spend a bit of time on their LinkedIn profile.

Are they senior staff? Are they a decision-maker? 

Have they posted a question related to your offering? For example, if you have a lead generation tool, have they asked questions or commented on posts about that topic? You can use that information to tailor your pitch. (Just don’t be weird and mention you read their post!) 

And, if you get hold of the wrong person, ask them for the contact information and name of the right person to speak with.

3. Address Pain Points and Ask Questions

Dive straight into the pain points the customer is experiencing and prepare yourself to ask valuable questions about the issues.

For example, you might ask questions like:  

• What isn’t working about your current solution? 
• What takes the most time in this process? 
• What is preventing you from reaching your goals? 
• What solutions would help your business grow? 

Asking genuine, insightful questions about their business and pain points will show your prospect you are prepared and care about helping them.

4. Avoid Talking Too Much

This might sound counterintuitive since we’re talking about creating a sales script. But it’s important to focus on the right words to say at each stage of the phone call, rather than the script length. 

And take the time to listen. Customers who have a true pain point are often willing to vent about their frustrations that information can provide insights into how you can help. 

Always be willing to listen more than speak. The customer is speaking with you for a reason let them explain the reason to you.