What Does a Good Cold Call Opening Sound Like?
When it comes to making a positive first impression on a cold call, a good cold call opening is key. An effective cold call opening sets the tone for the entire conversation and helps ensure that you and the prospect have a productive and positive conversation. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what makes a good call opening, and provide a few examples.
The Basics of a Good Cold Call Opening (With Examples)
The most important part of a good call opening is to avoid overthinking. Every salesperson has a strong opinion about which opener is best, but the most important thing to do is to test a few out and pick the one that works best for you. There is no magic opener that works 100% of the time!
Your opener should be polite, and professional, and should include a brief introduction of yourself and the company you are calling from. Here are a few examples of good cold call openers.
Examples
“Hi Bob, it’s Lisa from Company X. I know I’m calling you out of the blue here, but can I take a second to tell you why I’m calling?”
“Hi Emily, it’s John from Company X. Does that company name ring a bell?”
“Hi Ron, it’s Shannon from Company X. How’ve you been?”
Using a permission-based opener like the first one is controversial in sales. Some say that you shouldn’t give them an out, others say it’s best to get yourself on a level playing field. Test out several openers and keep track of which perform better.
Optimize Voice Tone
When it comes to making a good first impression on a call, voice tone is critical. A common mistake that inexperienced SDRs make is sounding overly excited and with a script-like voice. High-performing SDRs use a calm voice tone and speak in a casual, yet professional manner.
Avoid speaking with upward inflections when you are speaking as this makes you come across as less confident. Speak with authority using downward voice inflections. To hear what this sounds like, check out this episode of the 30 Minutes to President’s Club podcast at 5:50
The best way to optimize your voice tone is to know your product inside and out and plan out how you will overcome objections.
Conclusion
A good call opening is essential for moving the needle in your outbound pipeline. By following these tips, you can ensure that your call openings are effective and that you and the other person have a productive and positive conversation.
But the best way to master your cold call opener is to practice, and then hit the phones! Happy dialing!
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