If you’re doing inside sales, you know a phone call can be an incredibly effective tool for salespeople to reach out to potential customers and close deals.
One hour after coming up with the idea for ElasticSales—the on-demand sales company we launched before Close—we created our first sales script.
We didn’t waste time on market research, a website, a logo, or a name. We wanted to validate the idea as quickly as possible, so we got on the phone and started dialing phone numbers.
Our goal was to close 1 deal in 4 weeks. Instead, we landed 7 paying customers in 14 days. We even had to reject customers because we didn’t have the capacity to service them.
Our secret? A great sales pitch script. (You can download the same free template we've used here.)
If you’re looking to level up your calls, a sales pitch script can make a huge difference.
So, what are the benefits of using a sales pitch script? And what lessons can you learn from the script we used to get 7 paying customers in 14 days?
What is a Sales Script?
The term 'sales script' refers to a combination of predefined talking points and conversational frameworks that sales representatives use to communicate with prospects.
It is a guide that anticipates various conversational scenarios and helps sales reps answer common questions and manage objections from first-time prospects.
When talking about sales scripts, it's also helpful to mention what sales scripts aren't. A sales script isn't a word-for-word guide that tells sales people exactly what to say and how to say it. It isn't an inflexible script with no room for personalization or improvisation.
Rather, it guides reps through a call without missing any important steps.
Regardless of the type of script, salespeople should always improvise to build rapport with their target audience and adjust to the person they're speaking with.
How to Create an Effective Sales Call Script
A great sales script is all about keeping your call on track and focused. They're also great for reducing the risk of skipping important details. But, they can't be dull—so how do you walk the fine line between creating a useful guide and a rigid template?
Follow these steps:
1. Define Your Offering
A core part of the phone sales strategy is identifying the specific product you offer and outlining your value proposition.
Focus on the product offering that is the best solution for your prospect and show empathy to their current pain points.
Be specific about how your solution can solve that pain point. Don’t jump around between different solutions; rather, drive home the value of one core offering and how it can make their job easier.
2. Know Who You’re Selling To
Successful sales calls happen when a sales rep conducts sufficient research into both the buyer persona and the specific issues their prospect is facing.
Before the call, try to gain insight into their industry, offerings, and competitors.
Research the job title and role of the person you will be speaking to, then spend a bit of time on their LinkedIn profile.
Are they senior staff? Are they a decision-maker?
Have they posted a question related to your offering? For example, if you have a lead generation tool, have they asked questions or commented on posts about that topic? You can use that information to tailor your pitch. (Just don't be weird and mention you read their post!)
And, if you get hold of the wrong person, ask them for the contact information and name of the right person to speak with.
3. Address Pain Points and Ask Questions
Dive straight into the pain points the customer is experiencing and prepare yourself to ask valuable questions about the issues.
For example, you might ask questions like:
- What isn't working about your current solution?
- What takes the most time in this process?
- What is preventing you from reaching your goals?
- What solutions would help your business grow?
Asking genuine, insightful questions about their business and pain points will show your prospect you are prepared and care about helping them.
4. Avoid Talking Too Much
This might sound counterintuitive since we're talking about creating a sales script. But it's important to focus on the right words to say at each stage of the phone call, rather than the script length.
And take the time to listen. Customers who have a true pain point are often willing to vent about their frustrations—that information can provide insights into how you can help.
Always be willing to listen more than speak. The customer is speaking with you for a reason—let them explain the reason to you.
Sales Call Script Templates You Can Steal
Creating a call script can feel daunting. You don't want to forget to include anything crucial—or create a robotic script that ends up not getting used. So, we're going to make the process a little easier for you.
Keep in mind, these are templates, which means you'll still need to adjust them to fit your company culture and offering.
Cold Call Script for Phone Calls
Cold calls can be the most daunting of all sales calls. The key is researching your prospect beforehand so you aren't going in blind. Take this cold calling script and make it your own.
"Hello [prospects name], this is [your name] from [company name], how are you doing today?"
If they answer positively:
"That's great to hear! I realize you might be busy at the moment. Is it a bad time?"
If they answer negatively:
"I'm sorry to hear that. I did want to talk to you about [pain point/challenge, etc.], is now a bad time?"
Asking how they're doing is polite, but it also helps you gauge their mood. Asking "Is it a bad time?" is more effective than "Is now a good time?" because people are more likely to answer a negative question in the negative.
If now isn't a good time:
"No worries, I'm happy to call back. Is tomorrow at 2 or Thursday at 4 better for you?"
If they say it's not a bad time, move into your pitch:
"Great! I wanted to give you a quick call because we're currently working with other companies in [their industry] and I really think [prospect company name] would benefit from [solution.]
I can see that your company targets [mention their target audience/services/etc.], how are you managing [pain points you solve, for example finding leads, managing workflows, etc.]?
This gives them the opportunity to share their struggles. From there, you can share specific case studies or solutions your company offers.
Cold Call Script for Voicemails
Sometimes prospects don't pick up the phone. All is not lost! Providing your sales team with a simple voicemail script ensures they deliver relevant information fast.
"Hey, [prospects name], this is [your name] from [your company.] I'm calling companies in [industry] to discuss [insert benefit your solution provides.]
Please give me a call back at [your phone number.] I'll follow up with an email on [a day or two later]. Looking forward to hearing from you, have a good day."
The goal is to give them a reason to call back, so the benefit you offer is the most important part of this script.
Follow Up Script for Phone Calls
So, you've already had one phone call and it went well. Now it's time for the follow-up. This one is a little bit harder to script because you'll need to adjust it based on your previous conversation.
"Hey [prospects name], this is [your name] again from [your company name]. How are you doing today?"
Wait for a response, then remind them of your previous call:
"That's great to hear. I was following up on our call from [last week/month,etc.] You'd mentioned [objection they mentioned or next step you suggested]. Were you able to [Insert next step previously discussed, i.e., review the info I sent/ talk to your manager]?
Adjust the rest of your call based on their response. For example, if you sent a proposal, you might say:
"I was thinking more about how [your company] can help [prospects company] and I thought you might be interested in some results from [client.]
From here, you can share some results and wrap it up with:
"Do you have time next week for a demo? I'd love to show you how [your company or solution] could help with [pain point; ideally one they mentioned.]"
If they said they needed to talk to their boss, you might say,
"I have some great resources that might help when you talk to [boss name or position], would you like me to send them over?"
With follow-up calls, make sure to cover these main points:
- Remind them of who you are
- Remind them of your last conversation
- Address the reason you're calling
- Explain the benefits you can offer
Follow Up Script for Voicemail
What if you're following up after a phone call—but you get their voicemail—what do you say? You'll want to cover the same main points as any other follow up call; but you need to keep it short and sweet.
"Hey, [prospects name], this is [your name] from [your company name.] I was thinking more about [the pain point they mentioned in the last call] and I wanted to [share a resource, give more detail, etc.] Give me a call back at [phone number] when you have [five/ten minutes.] Thanks so much, have a good day!"
Phone Sales Script for Working With a Gatekeeper
Dealing with gatekeepers can be frustrating as a salesperson—but their goal is to protect their boss's time. If you get on their good side, they can become an asset in closing the deal.
The key? As always, do your research. Not just on the decision maker, but on the gatekeeper. If possible, try to learn about who they are and their role at the company.
Here's a script you can adjust to fit your offer:
"Hi [name]. This is [your name] from [your company name.] I'd like to talk with your team about [benefit or offer], but I’m not completely sure it's the right fit. Can I steal 10 minutes to get your opinion? I know your time is valuable, so I promise to keep it short."
This script does several things—it acknowledges the gatekeeper as a valued member of their team, shows you want to make sure your offer is something they actually need, and it recognizes they are busy.
If they say yes, you can book the call. If they say no, you can ask if there's another person who might be a better fit.
Breakup Script for Phone Calls
Breakup calls that come across as passive-aggressive—or just plain aggressive—won't bring prospects back into the fold. Instead, focus on the benefits you offer and aim to be helpful.
"Hi, [prospect name]. How are you?"
Let them answer, then get right to the point:
"I didn't hear back after our call last week, but I know things can get busy this time of the year!'
You mentioned [pain point or challenge.] I really believe [your solution] can solve this challenge. [Add stats from case studies if possible.]
Do you still want more information? If not, just let me know and I can let you get back to work."
Breakup Script for Voicemail
What if you end up getting someone's voicemail for a breakup call? If you've already tried to contact them several times after your first few conversations, you don't want to be overly pushy.
Instead, keep it short and focus on the benefits:
"Hey, [prospect name], not sure if you got my [call/email/voicemail] from last week, but I wanted to connect and see if you are still interested in [the benefit you offer/free trial, etc.] If so, please give me a call back at [phone number]. This will be my last call, I don't want to waste your time. Take care!"
The Best Sales Pitch Script Template We Use, and Why it Works
A well-developed sales pitch script guides you from one step to the next using a proven script that produces positive outcomes.
Back when we started ElasticSales, we saw how this works in real life.
Ready to hear the sales pitch that got us 7 paying customers in 14 days?
Here it is:
Hi, my name is Steli Efti. I’m calling some startups in the area to find out if they're a good fit for our beta program.
What we do in a sentence is we provide companies with a sales team on demand.
Does this sound generally interesting to you?
Why did this work so well? Let’s break down the opening lines:
Hi, my name is Steli Efti.
With this opening line, we established context right away.
It seems like a no-brainer to start with your name, but you’d be surprised how many people ignore this step.
Forget your pitch for a second. You need to let prospects process who you are: otherwise, there’s zero chance they’ll pay attention to anything else you’re saying.
Some salespeople recommend small talk after the introduction—“How’s your day going? Is it raining there, too?”—but we don’t. Maybe small talk sets a friendly tone, but who has time for that?
In a cold call, assume you’re interrupting prospects on a busy day. Get to the point. Prove you value their time.
I’m calling some startups in the area to find out if they are a good fit for our beta program.
We chose these words carefully. In one sentence, we were able to let our prospects—Silicon Valley startups who’d raised a few million dollars in venture capital—know:
- Who we help (“startups”)
- Where we’re located (“in the area”)
- What we’re looking for (“a good fit”)
- What we’re offering (“beta program”)
We chose “good fit” over “customer” for a reason: these were exploratory calls. And “beta program” because many prospects were in tech. It was a subtle way to let them know that we spoke their language.
The details of your script will ultimately depend on your target audience and your ideal customer profile, but keep these ideas in mind as you write your own.
What we do in a sentence is we provide companies with a sales team on demand.
This was our elevator sales pitch. No fluff. The key to a great elevator pitch is clarity and brevity.
Try to keep this to one sentence. If it takes thirty seconds to explain what you do, that’s a problem.
Prospects don’t have patience, especially during cold calls.
Does this sound generally interesting to you?
We cared how they responded to this question, but it never really mattered what they said.
- If they said yes, I’d say, “Awesome! Tell me about your sales process.”
- If they said maybe, I’d say, “Interesting. Tell me about your sales process.”
- If they said no, I’d say, “Okay. Tell me about your sales process.”
The truth is neither of us had enough information to decide whether the call was a waste of outreach time.
I still had a few qualifying questions to decide if they were a good fit for our beta, and they still had time to decide whether to continue or hang up the phone.
Here’s the other reason why this question was important: it gave prospects an opportunity to say no.
If the pitch didn’t sound interesting and they weren’t able to verbalize a quick objection, they’d be thinking, “How do I get off this call?” for the rest of the conversation.
I’d never get any information out of them. The early no actually allowed me to keep the conversation going, even if it was only for a few more seconds.
Cold Call Script Structure for Modeling Your Sales Conversations
Now that we’ve covered the opening lines, let’s take a deeper dive into the overall sales pitch call.
The basic structure involves these 6 steps:
- Raise curiosity: Clearly state who you are and why they should care.
- Give context: This is your elevator pitch, a one-sentence overview of what you’re offering and who you’re offering it to.
- Ask for permission to continue: A simple question gives prospects the ability to say no or allow you to continue your pitch.
- Ask questions: Learn about prospects' needs and define if they are a fit.
- Test close: Use questions to discover price sensitivity, decision timeline, and other factors.
- Schedule next steps: Never leave the cold call without clear next steps in place.
These 6 steps should be included in your sales pitch script, allowing you and your sales team to follow a clear, relevant structure throughout the call.
Let's break this into steps you can use to create an adaptable cold call sales pitch template.
Call Opening (Steps 1-3)
The opening is your first chance to make a good impression, so take the time to outline who you are and try to generate interest in your offering.
- Raise curiosity: Hi, my name is___________. I’m calling some startups in the area to find out if they are a good fit for our product/service/beta program.
- Give context: What we do in a sentence is we provide companies with XYZ.
- Ask permission to continue: Does this in general sound interesting to you?
Remember, you'll want to adjust the opening lines to fit your business. For example, you might mention how you found them or why you think they might be interested. Instead of asking if they're interested, you might ask if it's a good time.
Qualifying Prospects (Step 4)
Once you have permission to continue with your pitch, you'll move on to the qualifying stage. Remember, you don't want to waste time on someone with no need or interest in your offering. Ask questions like:
- What is your current XYZ process?
- Who are your customers?
- How do you currently solve XYZ?
If you've done your research, you might know the answers to some of these questions. In that case, you might say, "I see from your website that your company targets healthcare organizations in the midwest. Are you looking to expand your target audience?"
Test Closing (Step 5)
At this stage, you want to find out how close the prospect is to closing. Even if it's a cold call, they might already know they need your solution or have looked at your offering in the past.
Here are the questions you'll want to ask:
- We would want to start in X weeks.
- Does this work for you?
- The beta program is heavily discounted. It’s going to be $X per day. What is the decision-making process in your company?
If the prospect doesn't seem quite ready, add a sense of urgency. For example, "Our beta program is only open for X number of companies" or "The current rate is good for the next two weeks."
What Are Our Next Steps? (Step 6)
The final step is to outline next steps. Depending on your offering, you might use language like:
- Great. Sounds like this could be a good fit. Let me send you our brochure and schedule a time for a call back next week to discuss all your questions, etc.
- What’s the best email to send you information and the calendar invite?
- What’s a good time to chat next week?
Want to take this and use it for your own sales org? Swipe this script template and adapt it to your sales process.
Do Sales Pitch Scripts Turn Salespeople into Robots?
If you think yes, then you’re not using them correctly. When you mindlessly read your lines, you’re going to sound like a robot.
But scripts aren’t meant to lock you into a conversation. They’re meant to help you refine your process, maximize performance for all members of the sales team, reduce stress, and keep messaging focused.
True, having a script won’t give you a 100% success rate. Here are some quick sales pitch script hacks to help you face objections:
- Learn to love the no, and try to understand what kind of no they’re giving you
- Create an objection management document so you’re ready to face anything your prospects might say
- Build talk tracks for common questions or to explain key features of your product
- Make a lot of calls to get your script exposed to many prospects (The right technology can help you accomplish this with less effort, which is why we built our predictive dialer right into our sales CRM)
When you include creative workarounds to common objections in your sales pitch scripts, you’ll be better prepared to continue the conversation despite the objection.
Create a Sales Pitch Script You Can Be Proud Of
Few things are more important to long-term sales success than a winning script, so apply what you’ve learned here.
And remember: creating a winning sales script is a never-ending process. If you regularly revise your script, you’ll keep finding new ways to close deals.
This doesn't require a ton of time—just set aside 15–30 minutes every month for a focused sales script session with your team. Even if you only do it once a year, that can make a huge difference to your bottom line.
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