11 Best Cold Call Opening Lines That’ll Convert To Sales

Cold calling is one of the most challenging parts of a sales rep’s job (if you’re reading this, kudos to you).

The majority of prospects never pick up the phone. And when they do, the chances of converting a conversation into a meeting are low.

What if there’s a way that you can cold call people and convert it into a meeting?

Effective cold call opening lines can determine the success of the conversation. A smooth and simple opening line can make a good first impression on your prospect. You can keep prospects engaged on the phone and increase your chances of making a sale.

Learn the basics of what makes an excellent cold call opening line and review 11 examples you can implement today.

Why are cold calls important?

Cold calls are part of a sales cadence strategy that will help you book meetings with prospects.

Calling is one of the only prospecting tactics that allow you to speak with prospects live. Once they’re on the phone with you, you can maneuver the conversation to learn more about their pain points and see if your product or service is the right fit.

When cold calls go well, you can reach prospects and start conversations. It is an essential tactic for building your sales pipeline and closing deals.

If you feel nervous making cold calls, then you’re not alone. Not everyone is comfortable making cold calls, but it’s good to note that prospects are also apprehensive about picking up the phone.

The basics of an excellent cold call opening line

Here are the basic principles of a good cold calling opening line.

Research your prospect beforehand

The first step in personalizing your cold call is researching your prospect.

Look at your prospect’s LinkedIn profile, Google or CRM to uncover relevant and helpful information that you can use.

See what they’ve posted on LinkedIn to understand what content they’re interested in. Read their profile which should contain their responsibilities or job description. This information will help you contextualize your sales pitch to match what the prospect is most interested in.

You can also research the company by reviewing its LinkedIn corporate page, website, or Crunchbase. On LinkedIn, you find their employee growth rate, significant announcements, or new hires.

The website will provide important information about the company’s mission, vision, leadership team, major news, and products or services.

Crunchbase can serve you information regarding their funding rounds and essential company milestones.

After doing your research, document your findings in a sales call planner to make it easier to access.

Ensure your message is relevant

Prospects will stay on the phone if your sales pitch is relevant to them. If not, they won’t stay on the line or value the conversation.

Relevance means that your value proposition aligns with the buyer persona of your prospect. Even better if you’ve researched the company and can clearly articulate how you can help them.

A big part of relevance is making sure you know that your solution can help solve a pain point if you’re unsure if your prospect is the right person, making the conversation relevant will be challenging.

Focus on narrowing your list of prospects to people you know that can value your solution.

Use a pattern interrupt

Since most prospects will respond negatively to a cold call, you’ll need to break their habit.

One technique to disrupt their habit is to use a pattern interrupt. It is a Sandler sales tactic that breaks the pattern of responses and behavior.

For example, prospects expect sales reps to call cold them. The majority of the time, when they receive a cold call, they’ll either hang up or answer negatively.

It’s not your fault. It’s how people are wired after receiving dozens and dozens of bad cold calls.

An effective pattern interrupt breaks their thought pattern and makes them more receptive to what you have to say.

Have the end goal in mind

Before you say your cold call opening line, you should have mentally prepared the following steps if the call goes well.

By outlining your goal, you now have a sense of where you need to direct your cold call.

For example, is your goal to book a meeting? Re-engage someone after they’ve gone dark? Or to ask for a referral.

A clear goal will help you open the cold call and navigate to the end.

11 simple cold calling opening lines

1. How have you been?

Gong.io analyzed 90,380 cold calls to uncover which cold call opening lines performed the best above everything else.

The winning line was “how have you been?” which performed a 6.6x higher success rate than the baseline.

Why is this line so successful? It uses a pattern interrupt. It is an unexpected line that catches your prospect off guard and breaks their pattern of behavior.

In short, it forces your prospect to think differently. In this case, they’re asking themselves if you’ve met or spoken before.

Although you haven’t met your prospect yet, it doesn’t imply that you’ve spoken either.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. How’ve you been?

2. Did I happen to catch you at a good time?

Prospects are busy, so sales reps will ask, “Did I catch you at a bad time?.”

You’d think this question is respectful of the prospect’s time. It does show you have good intentions, but you’re making your prospect think about their workload.

The words “bad time” also have a negative meaning to them. Asking if it’s a bad time makes you 40% less likely to book a meeting.

Instead, use the opposite phrase of “good time.” It’s still being respectful and polite.

The difference is that “good time” has a positive connotation, so your prospects will be more receptive.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. Did I happen to catch you at a good time?

3. This is a cold call…

Be blatant and honest in your opening line by telling the prospect it’s a cold call.

You’ll earn their respect with your honesty and candor. They’ll appreciate the transparency and be more receptive to you since it shows that you’re not hiding anything.

You’re also stating the obvious reason why you’re calling. The prospects won’t have to guess or question your motives.

Lastly, this cold call opening line is also a pattern interrupt. They’re used to sales reps trying traditional ways to get their attention. Whereas this different approach stands out and grabs your prospect’s attention.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. This is a call cold. Would you might if I tell you why I called, and you can let me know if it’s worth continuing the conversation?

4. Do you have 27 seconds for me to tell you why I called?

There are two reasons why this cold call opening line works.

The first reason is that 27 seconds is an odd amount of time.

Most time, think in normal chunks of time, such as 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, etc. In contrast, 27 seconds is a pattern interrupt that stands out and jolts your prospect.

Secondly, 27 seconds is a low-pressure commitment.

You’re not asking for a long conversation or for anyone to buy anything right now. Instead, you’re looking to earn a few seconds to see if there’s interest in your solution.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. Do you happen to have 27 seconds for me to tell you why I called?

5. Reference your research

Research your prospect and find relevant information before your cold call.

Look for insights about your prospect on Linkedin, such as their company, job title, responsibilities, and mutual connections.

Use your cold call opening line research to show that you’ve done your homework. It demonstrates that they are important to you.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. It looks like you and I are both alumni of the same school!

6. Show social proof

Social proof is a powerful way to influence your prospect. People want to know what others in their role are doing. And companies are always on the watch for competitors.

Use social proof to your advantage by referencing similar companies to your prospect. It’ll spark their interest to learn more.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. The reason for my call is we’ve worked with similar companies such as X, Y, and Z to increase their sales productivity, and I thought you might be interested in learning more.

7. Use a referral

One of the best ways to warm a cold call is to mention a referral.

A referral is someone who is trusted by your prospect and can speak positively about you or your company. It shows your prospect credibility and builds instant rapport since you both know someone in common.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. I know I caught you out of the blue but [Referrer’s Name] said I should speak to you.

8. Trigger based on recent news

Start the conversation by researching recent news about your prospect’s company.

Check Google News, the company website, or the LinkedIn company page to find any recent information.

Trigger events such as new funding round, product release, and major rebranding are all relevant hot topics to use in an opener. It shows you’ve done your research and are knowledgeable about their business.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. The reason for my call is that I noticed your company recently announced a significant product release.

9. Trigger based on new funding

When companies raise funding, it typically means they’re in growth mode.

Read the press release to learn how they’ll use the funding, such as sales and marketing initiatives, overseas expansion, or building new products.

This is vital information that gives you a clear about the company’s top priorities.

If your solution aligns with those priorities, they’ll surely hear you out during a cold call.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. Congrats on the Series B funding; I imagine how excited you and the company are to grow!

10. State the reason for your call

Always have a reason to call someone cold if it’s challenging to find a real reason to be on the phone, then your time is best spent calling another prospect.

Salespeople who state their reason for calling have a 2.1x higher success rate.

Avoid checking in and touching base with prospects.

When cold calling, always state upfront who you are and why you’re calling.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. The reason for my call is…

11. We’ve never spoken before

This cold call opening line is upfront and honest.

It tells your prospect that you don’t know each other.

Remember, they’re wondering whose calling, so this open line relieves that thought.

Prospects will appreciate your honesty and be more receptive to listening to what you say.

Example: Hi [Prospect’s Name], it’s [Your Name] calling from ACME Corp. We’ve never spoken before…

Avoid these cold calling opening lines mistakes

Going straight for the meeting

Prospects don’t want to meet you if they don’t know who you are or what value you provide.

Avoid asking for the meeting in the first few precious seconds you have. You’ll come off as pushy and aggressive.

Focus on understanding your prospect’s pain points and if they can be solved with your solution. Once a mutual agreement is established, ask for a meeting.

Selling too hard

Prospects can sniff out “quota breath” when selling too hard.

It becomes increasingly uncomfortable for prospects the more you try to sell them. Similar to a push-and-pull relationship.

A cold call should be used to engage prospects in a conversation first to determine if there’s a pain point you can help with.

Ask questions to your prospect to understand what pain points resonate with them and what they’ve done previously to address them. The conversation becomes mutually beneficial.

Opening with an apology

Cold calling is your job which you should hold in high regard. There’s no need to apologize for doing your job.

First, it’ll show your prospect that you’re not confident, and they’ll be less likely to want to continue the conversation.

Second, you’ve put your prospect above you. You should see your prospect eye-to-eye and have mutual respect for one another. An apology tells your prospect that their time is more valuable than you.

Key takeaways

Keep your head held high and stay positive making cold calls.

It’s not an easy job, but it’s rewarding when you book a meeting. Start with a solid cold call opener to ensure your conversation moves in the right direction.

By following these best practices and using some of the 11 cold call opening lines, you’re on your way to building sales pipeline.