Imagine if you had a list of the best cold calling opening lines that work in booking meetings every time?
It would certainly take the fear out of cold calling, don’t you think?
The good news is, we’ve put that list together so you can start having better sales calls.
Plus, we’ll be going over:
Let’s get started 👇
A good cold call opening line needs to fulfil two purposes:
If you can master this, you’ll be well on your way to booking more deals in no time!
However, there are a few rules to follow when it comes to your call intro:
The best thing you can do for your cold call is research your prospect before you call. The more prepared you come, the less nervous you’ll be.
Plus, being aware of a customer’s wins, pain points and company news will help you upsell your product and build rapport with a potential lead.
Now, the worst thing you can do during a call is come off rude and abrasive. You want your customer to feel comfortable talking to you and to enjoy the time they’ve put aside to listen to your pitch.
Stay friendly, be positive and try to come across as inviting.
Of course, it makes sense that the very first thing you should do when opening a sales call is to say hello. But after that?
It’s good practice to ask them how they are and to introduce yourself and your company.
Many cold calls are answered by some form of gatekeeper such as a receptionist. Whatever you do, don’t sell to them! They might be open to hearing your pitch, but they aren’t the decision maker at the company.
So, save your pitch for when you make it through to your target prospect.
Opening phrases that work well now have a shelf life, so keep checking lists like this one for the most up-to-date cold calling opening lines.
When your prospect accepts your call and is willing to listen to you talk, they’ve given up some valuable time of their own. Respect that and thank them for their time.
Try to open your call with a thank you and close it with a thank you.
For more tips on how to start a conversation while sales prospecting, check out this video with Josh Braun 👇
💡Find out our top sales call tips!
You came here to find out what the best cold call opening is, right?
The thing is, no one opening line is the best. It all depends on what you’re selling and who you’re selling to. But, to make things easier, we’ve curated the best cold call opening lines used by our team at Cognism.
These 17 call lines have been tried and tested with amazing results!
When you’re stuck on how to open a cold call, introduce yourself!
Depending on who you’re calling, you can keep your opening line casual with a ‘hello’ or a ‘hi’ or you can stick to a more formal ‘good morning or ‘good afternoon.’
“Hi (name), it’s Craig from Cognism. Are you free for a quick chat?”
Katy Mason-Jones, Enterprise Account Executive at Cognism, believes in being as straightforward with a prospect as possible. And that’s why her best cold open sounds like this:
“Hi (name), this is Katy calling from Cognism. For full transparency at the very beginning, this is a well-researched B2B sales call. I appreciate that I've called completely out of the blue. Is now a bad time for a two-minute chat?”
To some, this might come across as unconventional, but Katy has found that this intro gets great results - and the occasional laugh.
A recent study by Gong found that asking a prospect how they are increased cold calling success rates by 10%.
It’s a good opening as you’re creating conversation while demonstrating that the person on the other end of the phone isn’t just another sales lead, but a human being.
“Hi (name). I’m Mark from Cognism. How are you doing today?”
Another example of a cold calling opening line is giving a reason for why you're calling.
It lets the prospect know a bit more about your product and gives you the opportunity to double-check that you’re speaking to the right person.
“Hi (name). I’m Natalie from Cognism. Thanks for taking my call. I wanted to find out if you’re the right person to speak with about connecting with more ready-to-buy prospects at (company name)?”
One of the best cold calling opening lines is acknowledging that you’ve called someone who is likely very busy, but you’ve got a very important opportunity to discuss with them.
“Hi (name), I’m Jasper from Cognism. I realise I might have caught you in the middle of something important, but the reason for calling you is…”
Letting a prospect know that you’re glad they picked up your call will go a long way. For starters, it makes them feel important and it sets a positive tone for the rest of the call.
“I’m happy I reached you, (name). I know you’re busy, but the reason I’m calling is because…”
Another good intro to a sales call is to ask for help.
Psychologically, we’re all born with the urge to help, and a prospect will feel bad turning you away.
And even though they don’t know you personally, they’ll be less likely to respond with a sales objection.
“Hi (name, I’m Andrea from Cognism. Could I get your opinion on something?”
What would a list of cold calling opening lines be without a thank you?
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.
“Thank you for picking up my call, (name). I really appreciate it.”
For a better chance of success during an outbound cold call, mention that someone the prospect knows gave you their information.
This is arguably the best cold call intro because the referral should be a trusted source to them, and they will be more willing to hear you out.
“Hi (name). I’m Lorenzo from Cognism. I got your number from (name) who said you might be interested in sales intelligence software.”
No one wants to come second in B2B sales.
So, it makes sense that mentioning your prospects' competitors will encourage them to stay on the call and hear you out.
“Hi (name), I’m Thuli from Cognism. I wanted to call you because we noticed (competitor) is (accomplishment) and we can help you do better with more accurate mobile numbers.”
Catchy opening lines create intrigue and your customers' curiosity will keep them on the call.
“Hi (name). It’s Minnie from Cognism. I’m sure you’ll be interested in what I have to tell you.”
One of the best opening lines is to promise to explain your pitch in 30 seconds.
This is appealing to busy CMOs and CEOs and helps highlight everything you offer early on in the call so that no one’s time is wasted.
“Hi! This is Monica from Cognism. Do you have 30 seconds to hear how (product) can bring you more hot leads?"
It might seem a little strange to tell a prospect that you’ve never met them before, but sometimes this kind of honesty is all you need to get past the call intro and into a successful pitch.
“Hi (name), I’m Joan with Cognism. We’ve never spoken before but I wanted to talk to you about cutting your reps' call time down to 30 calls a day and exceeding target at ( company name).”
Complimenting your prospect makes for a great call opening!
It shows you’ve done your research and you respect their accomplishments.
“Hi (name). I saw your recent post about scaling up your team on LinkedIn. I really admire what you’ve done to achieve that.”
Starting a conversation on a cold call is always tricky.
But one way to open is by mentioning something you have in common with the prospect. It shows you’ve done your homework.
“Hi (name). It’s Hendrick from Cognism. I read your recent post about the game on Saturday night. Wasn’t (player name) such a let-down? What was the ref thinking?”
‘Congratulations,’ is one of the best phrases you can use on a cold call, especially for an opening line.
Have a look at what the company you’re targeting has achieved in the news recently and mention it in the intro.
“Hi (name). It’s Simon from Cognism. Congratulations on signing (company name). That’s a big deal!”
The best opening lines for cold calling help a prospect solve a problem. It gives you the opportunity to pitch your product and introduce yourself.
“Hi (name). I’m Alice from Cognism. I’ve been working with (company name) to improve (problem) and they’re now (result). I thought you might be experiencing the same challenge, and I’d like to help.”
While the above are some of the best cold call openers, what matters most is how you initiate them.
To stay on track, you’ll have to follow a few best practices:
See this infographic for some reasons behind successful cold calls 👇
Q: What cold call opening lines should you avoid?
A: There are lots of great opening lines for cold calling, but the ones you should avoid are:
Q: How do you greet in a cold call?
A: Don’t overthink your cold calling introduction. Stick to “hi,” hello,” “good morning,” or “good afternoon.”
Q: What’s the best opening line to get past a gatekeeper?
A: Getting past the gatekeeper is as easy as:
“Hi, it’s Megin from Cognism. Is (name) available?” and when they respond with “what’s it regarding,” you can say, “I’m just chasing up on some emails. They’ll know what it’s regarding.” Or “new business”
Practice makes perfect, and it’s no different when it comes to sales opening lines.
But you’d rather practise on ready-to-buy prospects, right?
Cognism can help you fire up your pipeline with accurate, human-verified mobile numbers and ready-to-buy prospects.
Click 👇 to book your demo.