Openers
The first 10 seconds
Most cold calls die in the first 10 seconds. Work on your opener and try different approaches.
The opener gives you 30 seconds. The pitch gives you 10 minutes.
1. Direct / honest opening
«Hi Juan, we don't know each other. I'll steal 30 seconds — if it's not relevant, you won't hear from me again»
2. Disruptive / humour opening
«Hi Juan, would it ruin your day if I told you this is a cold call?»
3. List / relevance opening
«Hi Juan, I was hoping you could help — you're on a list of 17 [roles] in [industry and geography] that we think are a great fit for our product. Can you help me understand if it's relevant?»
Next steps
If you want to work on openers and cold calling with your team, we can review your approach in a no-obligation call.
Frequently asked questions
- Which opener should I choose?
- It depends on the sector and the tone you want. The direct opening conveys honesty; the disruptive one breaks the ice; the list one shows you've done your homework and reduces the feeling of a random call.
- How many times should I repeat the opener before calling?
- Repeating it 5 times out loud before calling helps reduce anxiety and makes it sound natural when you talk to the prospect.