According to LinkedIn experts, cold callers have only 30 seconds to grab the attention of their target audience. If you miss this opportunity window, you will lose your prospect’s interest, leading to an unsuccessful cold call.
Therefore, starting your cold call properly using attention-grabbing lines is essential.
But how do you start a cold call? What are the best cold call opening lines to tell your customers when they pick up the phone? Find out about these things in this article.
How to Start a Cold Call
Before using the best cold call starter lines, you must prepare for the call. It’s vital that you have basic information about who you are about to call, as this can increase your cold call’s success rate.
Another essential thing to prepare is how you will deliver your lines and carry the conversation.
Here’s how to properly start a cold call:
Step 1: Conduct Research
Not having enough data about your prospects will prevent you from engaging correctly with them. So, before conducting a cold call, research your prospect. For instance, try to understand their pain points to offer a solution for them.
Another thing you need to search about is the best time to conduct a call. According to HubSpot’s blog, the best day to conduct a call is Wednesdays, and the best times are 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Step 2: Have a Personalized Approach
Create a personalized approach to greeting your prospect using the information you gathered. Address them by their name and use any relevant information you gathered to greet them.
This way, you can show your prospects that you genuinely want to help them through what you’re offering.
Step 3: Use the Best Cold Call Opening Line
Your prospect’s attention has a short lifespan, so you want to grab it as soon as they pick up the phone. That said, knowing the best opening lines is important to keep them in the call.
In this article, you will find 15 examples of cold opening lines. You can use them as a starting point or get inspired by them to write your own. This way, you will be fully prepared before you start calling.
Step 4: State Your Purpose
Promptly tell your prospect what the call is for. Are you offering something that can help solve their problem? Is the prospect a former client, and do you want to seek feedback?
Whatever your purpose, ensuring your prospect understands why you called is crucial. Otherwise, they will probably not listen to you because they will consider the question: why is this person calling me?
Do you ever get scared when talking to potential customers? Get over the fear of cold calling using these 11 effective tips.
Step 5: Show Gratitude
When a client picks up your call and listens, they give you some of their personal time. So, you must show them that you are grateful. Thank them at the start and end of the call to show that you appreciate them.
Want to know more about starting a cold call? Check out this article from Forbes.
15 Best Lines to Start a Cold Call
Your opening line should always be simple, direct, and catchy. This way, you can tell your client what the call is for without taking up too much time. You also need to show that you value their thoughts and are ready to help them with their pain points.
Before starting a cold call, using an app to conduct calls better can help you acquire clients. Here are some of the best cold calling software that you can use.
Here are some of the best cold call opening lines that you can use:
1. A Self Introduction
No one would want to talk to someone they don’t know. So, when a prospect picks up their phone, introduce yourself. It’s also crucial that you prompt your client to converse with you by asking if they have time to spare.
Example: “Hi, I’m [name] from [the company you’re working from]. Do you have some free time for a quick chat?”
2. Tell Them They’re on a Cold Call
Transparency is important in cold calls. After greeting your prospects, promptly tell them you are conducting a cold call and are about to offer a product or service. This demonstrates respect because when they know why you’re calling, they can tell you whether or not it’s a good time for a chat.
Example: Good day! This is [your name] from [your company’s name]. To be entirely upfront, this is a cold call. I know you’ve probably received many calls like this, but I genuinely think I can offer you some benefits. Is this a good time for a two-minute chat?
3. Show Gratitude
One great way to show your prospect that you value them is by thanking them for the time they spared answering your call. Thanking them will help build a good relationship between you and your client, as it is a sign that you respect their time.
Example: “Hi, [client’s name]. Thank you for taking the time to pick up this call.”
4. Ask Them How They’re Doing
As a cold caller, it’s important to build rapport with your prospects. A good relationship can turn your prospect from someone who picked up the phone to a loyal customer. And what better way to build rapport than to ask your clients how they are?
Asking your clients how they are doing helps establish a connection because it shows that you’re interested in them.
Example: “Good day! My name’s [your name]. I’m calling from [company]. How’s your day going?”
5. Mention a Referral
It can be challenging for your prospects to trust you even when you introduce yourself and the company you work for.
By mentioning a referral to start a cold call conversation, you’re telling your prospect you have a mutual connection. This can help you gain their trust, prompting them to hear you out.
Example: “Good day, [prospect’s name]. I got your number from [referrer’s name]. He suggested I contact you because we both believe you’ll benefit from [your offer]. Is this a good time for a chat?”
6. Tell Them the Call Is Urgent
If you want the prospect to take immediate action regarding your call, telling them you have something urgent to discuss is the way to go. This makes your prospect think they need to do something with the call as soon as the conversation starts.
When you create a sense of urgency, you increase the chance of having a more extended conversation with the prospect, giving you more time to sell your product or service to them.
Example: “Hi [prospect’s name]. I’m calling from [your company], and we have an offer from which we believe you’ll benefit greatly. However, this is a limited offer, so it’s best that we discuss it right now. Are you open for a brief chat?”
7. Pique Their Curiosity
People are naturally curious; using this curiosity to your advantage can increase your cold call’s success rate. When your prospect is intrigued, they become interested in what you are about to say. This keeps them in the conversation, allowing you to discuss your offer.
Example: “Hello! I’m [your name] from [your company]. Do you have a few minutes to spare? I guarantee you’ll be interested in this offer.”
LinkedIn has an article discussing how you can make cold calls more effective.
8. Provide Value Promptly
You’ve got only a brief window to seize your prospect’s attention. Therefore, it’s vital that you tell them the value of your call as soon as they pick up the phone. If you don’t go directly to the point, your prospect will not have the patience to listen to you, leading to a failed cold call.
Example: “Hello, [your prospect’s name]. This is [name] from [company]. Do you have time to listen to how [your offer] can benefit you?
9. Mention Their Pain Point
During a cold call, letting your prospect know you understand and relate to their problem can help build a connection. It also shows that you researched them, letting them know you genuinely care about them.
Example: “Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company’s name]. I’m reaching out regarding [industry-related problem]. Our [your product or service] can help you overcome this pain point.
10. Let Them Know About a Recent Interaction
Have you recently connected with your prospect on another platform? If so, tell them about this interaction to personalize your conversation. Doing this will show your client that you pay attention to them even outside the call.
Example: Good day, this is [your name]. We recently connected via [platform], and I noticed that you shared a post regarding [information relevant to your offer]. Are you up for a quick chat on how we can help you?”
11. Offer a Solution
Everyone wants to have something that can help them with their problem. Take advantage of this fact by using it as a cold call opener, which allows you to introduce your product or service and position it as a solution.
Example: Hi! This is [your name]. I noticed that you’re currently having issues with [industry-related problem]. I’m working for [your company], and we’ve recently developed a solution that might help you. Do you have a few minutes?”
12. Ask for Their Opinion or Feedback
Asking for your prospect’s opinion makes them feel you care about what they think, prompting them to converse with you. Showing that you need their feedback or opinion urges them to help you so they will not drop the call quickly.
Another benefit is gaining more knowledge about how they think – something you can use during the conversation.
Example: Hi [name]! I’m [your name], and I work at [company’s name]. Is it okay to ask for your opinion regarding [information relevant to your offer]? This will only take a few minutes.”
Read this cold-calling advice from experts on LinkedIn.
13. Congratulate Them on an Achievement
When your prospect sees that you know about their recent achievement, it shows that you did your research about them. It also lets them know you are happy for them, creating a positive impression.
After congratulating your prospect, ask them about how they came to that achievement to encourage them for further discussion.
Example: Good day, [prospect’s name]! I recently came across a post about your [their achievement]. Congratulations to you and your team! I’m very interested in learning more about your success story. Do you have a few minutes to share it with me?”
14. Share Testimonials
There’s no better way to make a prospect trust your product or service than showing them that someone has already benefitted from it. This is one of the best cold call examples as it builds your credibility, which makes your prospect more open to learning about your offer.
Example: “Hello, [your prospect’s name]! Several companies like [mention a reputable company you’ve worked with] have successfully used our [your product or service]. I believe that you can also benefit from this. Do you have a minute to discuss how you can achieve the same success?”
15. Mention the Prospect’s Competitor
This is another way of piquing your prospect’s interest. When you mention their competitor, you encourage them to listen to you in hopes that you have something that can help them stay on top.
Example: “Hi, [prospect’s name]. I noticed that [competitor’s name] uses [product or service] to help them generate leads. I’m [your name] from [your company], and we have a product/service that can help you achieve better results. Are you open for a chat?”
