Cold calling script: 8 B2B examples, objections and the rules

A good cold calling script has five parts: who you are, permission to keep talking, one reason you called this person, one open question, and a small ask for a meeting. Say it in under a minute, then stop and listen. Below is a basic B2B cold calling script you can copy, eight examples for the calls you will actually make, replies to the common objections, and the US and UK calling rules most script guides skip.

On this page

• What a cold calling script needs
• The basic B2B cold calling script
• Cold calling script examples for 8 situations
• How to handle cold call objections
• A full call, filled in
• How many calls you need: the math
• Cold calling rules in the US and UK
• Before you dial: checklist
• FAQ

What does a cold calling script need?

A script is not a speech. It is a set of lines for the first minute, plus answers you have already decided for the moments that go wrong. Most calls are won or lost before the prospect has said ten words, so the opening is the part to write word for word. The rest can be notes.

Every script on this page follows the same five parts:

1. Opener. Your name, your company, and the reason you picked them. Not "how are you today".
2. Permission. Say it is a cold call and ask for 30 seconds. It sounds odd, but it lowers the guard and gives them a choice.
3. Reason. One problem you solve for people in their role. One, not three.
4. Question. One open question about how they handle that problem now. Then stop talking.
5. Ask. A short meeting at a named time, or the right person to speak to.

The reason is what separates a cold call that works from one that gets hung up on. "I saw you're hiring three SDRs" or "you just opened a second warehouse" tells the prospect you called them on purpose. If you have no reason for a name on your list, fix the list before you fix the script. Our guide on how to find the decision maker at a company covers who to call and how to spot the trigger.

The basic B2B cold calling script (copy this)

Use this as your default cold call script. Replace the brackets, read it aloud twice, and time it. If it runs past a minute before your question, cut.

"Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]."

"I'll be straight with you, this is a cold call. Can I take 30 seconds to tell you why I called, and then you can tell me if it's worth a longer chat?"

"I called because [trigger: you're hiring X / you opened Y / you switched to Z]. When [role]s are in that spot, they usually tell us [problem in their words]."

"How are you handling [problem] at the moment?"

[Listen. Ask one follow-up question about what they said.]

"It sounds like it could be worth 20 minutes to show you how [one customer type] fixed that. Would Thursday at 10 or 2 work better?"

Two rules make this script work. First, ask the question and then wait, even through a pause. Second, offer two specific times rather than "when are you free", because a choice between two slots is easier to answer than an open question.

Cold calling script examples for 8 situations

These cold calling script examples cover the calls a B2B seller makes in a normal week. Each uses the same five parts, with the opener changed for the situation.

1. Getting past the gatekeeper

"Hi, it's [name] from [company]. I'm trying to reach whoever looks after [area, e.g. sales hiring]. Is that [name] or someone else?"

Ask for help, not for a transfer. If they ask what it is about, give the honest one-line reason: "I'm calling about how your new reps find prospects. It's a sales call, and I'd only need a couple of minutes." Gatekeepers are paid to spot people who hide the purpose of the call.

2. After a cold email they did not answer

"Hi [name], [your name] from [company]. I sent you a note on Tuesday about [topic]. I'm guessing it got buried, so I thought I'd call instead. Can I take 30 seconds?"

Calling after an email gives you a natural reason to ring. If you need the email first, start with our B2B cold email templates.

3. After a trigger event

"Hi [name], [your name] from [company]. Congratulations on [funding round / new office / new product]. Teams often find [problem] gets harder right after that. Is that showing up for you yet?"

4. Referral from a colleague

"Hi [name], [your name] from [company]. [Colleague] in [team] suggested I speak with you about [topic]. Do you have a minute now, or is later this week better?"

Only use a name if that person actually said it. Check with them first.

5. Calling the wrong person on purpose

"Hi [name], [your name] from [company]. I think you might not be the right person for this, so I'm hoping you can point me the right way. Who looks after [area] there?"

Useful when you only have a general contact. People are more willing to redirect than to buy.

6. Voicemail script

"Hi [name], it's [your name] from [company]. I'm calling about [trigger], and I have one idea on [problem]. I'll send a short email today with the subject line '[subject]'. If it's useful, my number is [number], that's [number]."

Keep it under 30 seconds and say your number twice. Then send the email you promised, so the voicemail and email work together.

7. The second call after "call me back"

"Hi [name], it's [your name] from [company]. You asked me to call back this week about [topic]. Is now still a good time?"

8. Following up after a first meeting fell through

"Hi [name], [your name] from [company]. We had pencilled in a call about [topic] and it didn't happen. Is that still on your list, or has it dropped down the priorities?"

Giving them an easy way to say no often gets you a straight answer either way, which saves you weeks of chasing. Our cold email follow-up guide has the timing and the point at which to stop.

How do you handle objections on a cold call?

Write your replies before you call. Most objections are a way to end the call politely, so the goal is not to win the argument. It is to get one more honest answer.

They say	What it often means	What to say
"Not interested."	"I don't know what this is yet."	"Fair enough. Before I go, is it because [problem] isn't an issue for you, or just bad timing?"
"Send me an email."	"Please leave."	"Happy to. So I send the right thing, is [problem] on your list this quarter or not at all?"
"We already use [competitor]."	"I'm not unhappy enough to change."	"Makes sense. What would you change about it if you could?"
"We don't have budget."	"Not for something I don't see the value of."	"Understood. When does budget for [area] get set, and who decides it?"
"I'm busy."	"Now is bad."	"Of course. Is Thursday morning or Friday afternoon better for two minutes?"
"How did you get my number?"	"Was this allowed?"	Tell them the source plainly. If they ask you not to call again, note it and stop.

One reply per objection is enough. If they say no a second time, thank them and end the call. Pushing past two noes rarely turns into a meeting, and it does damage your name in a small market.

A full cold call, filled in

Most script guides leave everything in brackets. Here is one call written out in full, so you can hear how it sounds. The names and company are invented.

Sam: "Hi Dana, it's Sam from Brightline."

Dana: "Hi."

Sam: "I'll be straight with you, this is a cold call. Can I take 30 seconds and then you decide if it's worth more?"

Dana: "Go on."

Sam: "I saw you're hiring three SDRs. Sales leaders in that spot tell us the new reps lose their first month to bad lists, wrong numbers and people who left. How are your new reps finding who to call right now?"

Dana: "We export from our CRM and they clean it themselves."

Sam: "How long does that cleaning take them?"

Dana: "Longer than it should."

Sam: "It might be worth 20 minutes to show you how another team cut that down. Would Thursday at 10 or 2 work better?"

Dana: "Two."

Notice what Sam does not do. He does not list features, he does not ask "how are you", and he asks only one follow-up question before the ask. The whole call is under two minutes.

How many cold calls do you need? A worked example

Scripts matter, but the number of dials decides the result. Work backward from the meetings you need. The rates below are an example only. Use your own numbers from your first 100 calls.

Step	Example rate	Result
Meetings needed this month	-	12
Conversations that become a meeting	20%	12 ÷ 0.20 = 60 conversations
Dials that reach a person	10%	60 ÷ 0.10 = 600 dials
Working days in the month	-	600 ÷ 20 = 30 dials a day

In this example, 30 dials a day gets you 12 meetings a month. If your connect rate is half that, you need 60 dials a day, or a better list. Our leads calculator post runs the same math from your sales target down to the list size you need.

Cold calling rules in the US and UK

The top-ranking script guides say almost nothing about the law. Here is what the main rules say for B2B calls. This is a summary, not legal advice. Check the source and ask a lawyer if you call at volume or call consumers.

Rule	What it says	What it means for your script
US: FTC Telemarketing Sales Rule, 2024 change	Since May 16, 2024, the rule prohibits misrepresentations in B2B telemarketing. Most other parts, including Do Not Call Registry rules, still do not apply to B2B calls.	No invented referrals, fake urgency or false claims about who you are. Say it is a sales call if asked.
US: TCPA calling hours	Telephone solicitations to residential subscribers are not allowed before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time where the person is.	If you call a mobile or home number, stay within those hours in their time zone.
US: autodialers and recorded messages	Calls made with an autodialer or a prerecorded voice need the called party's prior express consent, with narrow exceptions.	Dial by hand and speak live unless you have consent.
UK: PECR and the ICO	For live calls to businesses, the ICO says you need to screen against both the TPS and the CTPS, say who is calling, and show your number.	Screen your list first. Keep your own do-not-call list and honor it.

The FTC's own guide to the Telemarketing Sales Rule also notes that B2B calls selling nondurable office or cleaning supplies are not exempt, and that calls to a business line asking an employee to buy for their own use are treated as consumer calls.

Before you dial: a cold calling checklist

• One trigger noted for every name on today's list.
• Opener and question written word for word, read aloud and timed.
• Replies ready for the six objections above.
• Two meeting slots picked before the first call.
• Voicemail script and follow-up email ready to send.
• Numbers checked against the right registers for the country you are calling.
• Do-not-call requests logged the moment you hear them.
• Calls blocked into one or two sessions, not spread across the day.

A short list of good names beats a long list of guesses. If your problem is who to call rather than what to say, our roundup of B2B lead generation strategies shows how cold calling fits with other sales prospecting techniques.

FAQ

What is the best cold calling script?

The best cold calling script is short and specific: your name and company, permission to take 30 seconds, one reason you picked this person, one open question, and a request for a meeting at a named time. Write the first minute word for word. Keep the rest as notes, so you can listen and respond instead of reading.

How long should a cold call script be?

Aim to reach your question in under a minute. Read your script aloud and time it. If the opener, permission and reason run past a minute, cut words until they do not. The rest of the call is listening, one follow-up question, and the ask, so most of the script is the first few sentences.

How do you start a cold call?

Start with your first name, your company and a reason you called this person, such as a hire, a new office or a recent email. Then say it is a cold call and ask for 30 seconds. Skip "how are you today", which tells the prospect a sales pitch is coming without giving them a reason to stay.

Is B2B cold calling legal in the US?

Yes, with rules. Most of the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule does not apply to B2B calls, but since May 2024 it does prohibit misrepresentations in B2B telemarketing. Under the TCPA rules, autodialed or prerecorded calls need prior express consent, and calls to residential subscribers must fall between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time. Check with a lawyer for your case.

What should you say in a cold call voicemail?

Say your name, company, the reason you called and one idea, then say you will send an email with a named subject line. Leave your number twice, slowly. Keep it under 30 seconds and send the email the same day, so the prospect can connect the two and reply in whichever way suits them.