A good cold calling script is short: a permission-based opener, one reason for the call, a question, replies to the usual objections and a specific ask for a meeting. Below are 12 copyable templates for each situation, including gatekeepers and voicemail.
By Nabil Irfan, founder of Sales Montana · Updated
A cold calling script that works has six parts, and only the first two are said the same way every time:
Copy the templates below, replace every [bracket] with your own words, and read them out loud before your first call block. If a line sounds odd when you say it, rewrite it until it sounds like you.
The opener has one job: earn the next 30 seconds. Say it is a cold call. Prospects know anyway, and naming it removes the guessing game that makes people hang up.
Template 1 · Permission-based opener
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company].
This is a cold call. Can I have 30 seconds to tell you why I called, and you can tell me if it's worth talking further?
If they say yes, go straight to the reason for the call. If they say they are busy, ask when is better and book that time in your calendar while you are still on the line.
Template 2 · Reason for the call (problem-led)
I work with [role] at [type of company], and most of them tell me [problem in their words].
For example, [one specific symptom: "reps spend Monday rebuilding call lists"].
Is that something you're dealing with, or is it handled?
Template 3 · Reason for the call (trigger-based)
I saw [trigger: you're hiring two SDRs / you opened a Dallas office / you posted about X].
When teams [do that], they usually run into [problem].
How are you handling [problem] today?
A trigger-based reason works when you have a real, recent fact about the company. Do not invent one; a generic problem-led line is better than a made-up trigger.
Receptionists and assistants screen calls for a living. Be short, use the person's first name, and answer "what is this about?" in one line. Long explanations get you routed to a general inbox.
Template 4 · Gatekeeper
Hi, it's [your name] from [company]. Could you put me through to [first name], please?
If asked what it's about: It's about [one-line reason: how your team handles X]. Is [first name] the right person for that, or is someone else?
If they won't connect you: No problem. When is [first name] usually at their desk? And is there a direct line I should use?
Write down the gatekeeper's name and the best time they give you. That note is what turns the next call into a warm one. Log it as a call disposition so the callback lands in the right place in your queue.
Keep it under 25 seconds. Say your name and number twice, give one reason to call back, and tie it to an email you will send the same day so the voicemail and email work together.
Template 5 · Voicemail
Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company], [phone number].
I'm calling because [one-line reason tied to their role].
I'll send you a short email today with the subject line "[subject]" so you can see if it's relevant.
Again, [your name], [phone number].
Most objections on a cold call are reflexes, said before the prospect has thought about your reason for calling. Acknowledge the objection, ask one question and give them an easy way to keep talking, without arguing.
Template 6 · "I'm not interested"
Fair enough, most people aren't when a stranger calls.
Can I ask, is that because [problem] isn't an issue for you, or because you've already solved it?
Template 7 · "Send me an email"
Happy to. So I send something useful, what's the one thing you'd want it to cover: [option A] or [option B]?
Then: I'll send it now. Can we put 15 minutes on [day] to go through it, so it doesn't sit in your inbox?
Template 8 · "We already use [competitor]"
Makes sense, a lot of [role]s do.
What do you like about it? And if you could change one thing, what would it be?
Template 9 · "Now's not a good time"
No problem. Is later today better, or [day] morning?
Book the time on the call and send the invite before you hang up.
Template 10 · "How did you get my number?"
Fair question. [Honest source: it's listed on your website / it came from (data provider)].
If you'd rather I didn't call this number, I'll take it off my list right now.
If someone asks you not to call again, mark them do-not-call and keep that promise. It is the law in many places and it protects your numbers from spam reports.
Ask for a specific time. Offering two slots gives the prospect a small choice to make, which is easier to answer than "are you open to a meeting?"
Template 11 · Booking the meeting
Based on what you said about [their answer], it's worth 20 minutes to show you how [teams like theirs] handle it.
Does [day] at [time] work, or is [day] at [time] better?
Then: I'll send the invite to [email] now. Who else should be on it?
The full script in order, for a rep calling heads of sales at small B2B companies. Swap in your own role and problem.
Template 12 · Full script, start to finish
Hi Sam, it's Alex from [company]. This is a cold call. Can I have 30 seconds to tell you why I called?
(Yes.) I talk to sales leaders at 10 to 50 person B2B companies, and a lot of them tell me their reps spend more time building call lists than calling.
How do your reps get their list each morning?
(Listen. Ask one follow-up about the answer.)
That's helpful, thanks. It sounds like [repeat their problem back]. Worth 20 minutes on Thursday at 10 or Friday at 2 to show you how other teams handle it?
Measure each version on real calls. The two numbers that matter for a script are how many connects turn into conversations (the prospect stays past the opener) and how many conversations turn into meetings. Connect rate tells you about your list and your timing; the script shows up in what happens after someone answers.
Change one line at a time, such as the opener or the reason for the call, and compare a few hundred calls before and after. Changing three lines at once tells you nothing about which one worked.
In Sales Montana, every connected call is recorded, transcribed and graded by Montana, our AI head of sales, so you can read how prospects reacted to each opener without listening back to every call. The power dialer keeps reps on one call at a time, with the CRM built in, so notes and dispositions land on the contact. Plans are $99 a month flat for up to three users or $297 a month for unlimited users, billed monthly; see pricing. We make Sales Montana.
What is a cold calling script?
A cold calling script is the set of lines a rep uses on a first call to someone who did not ask to hear from them: an opener, a reason for the call, one or two questions, replies to the common objections and a close that asks for a meeting.
How long should a cold call script be?
Short enough to say in under a minute before the prospect talks. The opener and reason for the call should take about 20 seconds; everything after that is questions and replies, so write those as a set of options to pick from.
Should you read a cold call script word for word?
No. Learn the opener and the reason for the call well enough to say them naturally, and keep the objection replies in front of you as prompts. Prospects can hear when a rep is reading, and they hang up.
What should you say when someone answers a cold call?
Say your name and company, admit it is a cold call, and ask for 30 seconds to explain why you called. Then give one specific reason tied to their role or company and ask a question.
How do you get past a gatekeeper on a cold call?
Be brief and direct: give your name, ask for the person by first name, and if asked what it is about, give a one-line reason. If they will not connect you, ask for the best time to reach the person or for their direct line.
How do you know if your cold call script is working?
Track it on your own calls: how many connects turn into conversations past 30 seconds, and how many conversations turn into meetings. Change one line at a time and compare a few hundred calls before and after.
See also: Best power dialers · Connect rate · Call disposition · AI call scoring · Sales Montana pricing.
Power dialer and CRM, with every connected call graded. $99 a month for up to three users. 14-day or 100-minute trial: a card to start, nothing charged during the trial.