Outbound call scripts that start with research

These scripts are for SDRs, account executives and founders calling other businesses. Each one takes about ten minutes to prepare per account, and most of that time goes on finding the fact you'll open with. The scripts are deliberately short. You should be able to say any opener in under 20 seconds and know every branch well enough that you never read it.

The five parts of a call script that works

Every opener on this page follows the same five steps:

1. Who you are, in one line. Your name and company. Skip "how are you today?", which signals a sales call before you've said anything.
2. Why them, why now. One specific, checked fact about their company: a new site, a hire, a launch, a leadership change. This is the line that earns the next 30 seconds.
3. A permission question. Ask whether you've caught them at a bad time. It sounds counterintuitive, but it gives control back to the prospect, and people who feel in control keep talking.
4. A problem hypothesis. What the fact usually means for someone in their role, phrased so they can correct you. Being corrected is good: it starts a conversation.
5. A small ask. A 15-minute follow-up with a purpose, a day and a time. Not a demo, not "a quick chat sometime".

Everything else is a branch: what you say when they're busy, already have a supplier, ask you to email, or tell you it's not their job.

Before you dial: fill in the call card

The script is only as good as the fact in the second line. Fill in this card for each account before you call. If the "why now" box is empty, move to the next account.

Account: [company name and website]
Person: [name, role] (where you found them: [source])

WHY NOW (one checked fact, with its date and source):
[e.g. opened a third distribution center, press release, 12 Sept 2026]

WHAT IT PROBABLY MEANS FOR THEM:
[the problem this fact tends to create for someone in their role]

PROOF I CAN USE:
[a customer story or result you have permission to mention]

MY SMALL ASK:
[15-minute call on (day) at (time) to (purpose)]

TWO QUESTIONS IF THEY TALK:
1.
2.

Good sources for the fact, roughly in order of usefulness: the company's own press releases and news page, its careers page (hiring tells you where it's investing), local business news, public filings for listed companies, and what its leaders post publicly. Use facts from the last six months. An expansion from two years ago is history, not a reason to call.

At volume, this research is the slow part. Bebop researches each account and writes a playbook with the people, the trigger and the angle, so the card is filled before you start. Check the facts it gives you the same way you'd check your own.

Openers by situation

Pick the opener that matches why you're calling. Each one keeps the same five parts.

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

I saw that [company] [the event, e.g. opened a site in Columbus] last month.

Usually when [type of company] does that, [role]s find that [the problem it creates].

Have I caught you at a bad time, or can I take 30 seconds to explain why I called?

Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. Congratulations on the new role.

I'm calling because new [role]s often spend their first few months deciding what to keep and what to change in [area].

If [problem] is on that list, I may have something useful. Is now a bad time?

Hi [first name], [your name] from [company].

I noticed you're hiring [number] [role]s. Teams usually do that when [what the hiring suggests, e.g. order volume has outgrown the current process].

I had a question about how you're planning to [get new hires productive / handle the extra load]. Have I caught you at a bad time?

Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. I sent you a short note on [day] about [the fact].

I'm not calling to ask if you read it. I'm calling because it's easier to ask one question than to write it.

[The one question, e.g. "Is re-planning routes still done by hand since the new depot opened?"]

Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. [Referrer's name] suggested I call you.

I was talking with them about [topic], and they said you're the person who looks after [area].

They thought [specific reason] might be relevant to your team. Do you have a minute now, or is there a better time?

Hi [first name], [your name] from [company]. You [downloaded our guide to X / came to our session on Y] last week.

I'm not calling to check you read it. People usually grab that when they're [working on a specific problem].

Is that what's going on at [company], or were you just curious?

Hi [first name], it's [your name] from [company]. We spoke in [month] about [topic], and you said the timing wasn't right because [their reason].

Since then, [something new: at their company, or a result you can share].

Has anything changed on your side, or is it still not the right time?

Hi [first name], [your name] from [company].

I understand [company] uses [current tool or approach] for [job]. I saw it mentioned in [source].

I'm not calling to tell you to switch. A few [similar companies] moved away from it when [specific limitation] started to cost them [impact], and others are happy with it. Which camp are you in?

The last opener works because it offers an honest exit. A prospect who's happy with their current tool will tell you, and you've lost nothing. One who isn't will often tell you exactly why.

Getting past the gatekeeper

Treat an assistant or receptionist as someone who can help, not an obstacle. Be clear about who you are and specific about why you're calling.

Hi, it's [your name] from [company]. I'm hoping you can help me.

I'm calling about [the fact, e.g. the new Columbus depot]. I think [role or name] is the right person, but I want to check before I take up their time.

Who looks after [area] at [company]?

(If asked "What's it regarding?"): It's about how [area] is handled since [the fact]. I have a specific question for whoever owns that.

Being vague ("it's a personal matter", "they're expecting my call") might get you through once, but it burns trust with the person who controls the calendar. It can also cross into misrepresentation, which US telemarketing rules prohibit on business calls (see the rules below).

Branches for the answers you'll actually hear

Totally fair. It's about [the fact]. Is it worth 10 minutes on [day] at [time], or should I leave it?

Makes sense. Most teams I speak to do, and I'm not calling to replace them today.

Can I ask: when [the situation from your fact] happened, how did [their current approach] handle it?

Happy to. So it's worth reading, which matters more to you right now: [outcome A] or [outcome B]?

I'll send two lines on that today, with a time that suits you to talk it through.

Thanks for telling me. Who looks after [the specific area] now that [the fact]?

Would you mind if I mention you suggested I reach out?

Straight answer: we help [type of company] with [the outcome]. I called you because [the fact], and I'd guessed [the problem]. Am I wrong about that?

Understood, and I'll let you go. Before I do: is that because [problem] isn't an issue for you, or because now isn't the time?

(If it isn't an issue): Good to know. Thanks for your time.
(If it's timing): When would it make sense for me to check back?

Fair question. I found it on [the source, e.g. your company's website / a business directory]. If you'd rather I didn't call this number, I'll take it off my list now.

Answer the last one honestly every time. If they ask you not to call again, record it and don't. US law doesn't always require this for business calls, but calling someone who said no is a fast way to a complaint. In the UK, a business that has objected to your calls must not be called again.

Voicemail and the follow-up email

Leave a voicemail that gives a reason to call back or, more realistically, a reason to read your email.

Hi [first name], [your name] from [company]. I'm calling about [the fact]. I had one idea on [the outcome] that's worked for [similar companies]. I'll email you a short note today. My number is [number], that's [number].

Subject: [the fact], re: my voicemail

Hi [first name],

I left you a voicemail about [the fact]. In short: [one sentence on the problem it usually creates].

[Similar company] dealt with the same thing by [what they did], and [the result you can share].

Worth 15 minutes on [day] to see if it applies to [company]?

[Your name]
[Phone number]

For more email templates organized by trigger, see the cold email templates.

Questions to ask once they're talking

Once you have permission, stop pitching and ask. Keep the questions open, and let silences run:

• "How are you handling [the situation] today?"
• "What happens if that's still the case in three months?"
• "When did you last change how [the area] works? What prompted it?"
• "Who else gets involved when you change something like this?"
• "What would make a 15-minute follow-up worth your time?"

For a fuller question bank, see the BANT questions. When they push back, the objection handling guide has responses for the common objections.

Worked example: from research to a booked call

Illustrative example. The companies, people and facts are fictional, to show the method.

The seller: a staff scheduling software company. The account: Harbor Point Dental Group (harborpoint.example), a group of 14 dental clinics in Ohio. The person: the Director of Operations, found on the company's leadership page.

What 10 minutes of research turned up:

The call:

Rep: Hi Priya, it's Jordan from Kestrel Rota. I saw Harbor Point opened two clinics in August and you're hiring a float pool coordinator. Usually when a group goes past a dozen sites, covering a sick day turns into an hour of phone calls. Have I caught you at a bad time?

Priya: I've got a couple of minutes. We already have scheduling software, though.

Rep: Most groups do. Can I ask: when someone calls in sick at 7am, how does your current setup find cover?

Priya: Honestly, the clinic manager texts people until someone says yes.

Rep: That's the gap we fill. A group in Michigan with 11 clinics moved that to one-tap shift offers. Would 15 minutes on Thursday at 10 be worth it to see whether it fits how your float pool will work?

What made this work:

• The opener combined two facts (new clinics, the float pool hire) into one likely problem. Two facts that point the same way are more convincing than one.
• When Priya raised her current software, the rep asked about a specific moment (a 7am sick call) instead of defending the product.
• The proof was one sentence and similar to her situation. (In a real call, only use customer stories you have permission to share.)
• The ask had a purpose, a day and a time.

The rules for B2B cold calls in the US and UK

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on what you sell and how you dial, so check with your own counsel before you scale a calling program.

United States

• Most business-to-business sales calls are exempt from the Telemarketing Sales Rule. The FTC's guide says the exemption doesn't cover calls selling nondurable office or cleaning supplies, or calls that ask employees to buy something for themselves.
• But misleading a business is now covered. Since a 2024 amendment, the rule's ban on misrepresentations applies to business-to-business calls. Be accurate about who you are, why you're calling and what you offer.
• The National Do Not Call Registry provisions generally don't apply to sales calls to businesses. A rep's personal cell phone is a different matter, so be careful with mobile numbers found through enrichment tools.
• Autodialers and prerecorded messages need consent. Under the FCC's rules, telemarketing calls to mobile numbers using an autodialer or a prerecorded voice need the person's prior express written consent. Live calls dialed by a person are treated differently.
• Recording needs care. Federal law allows recording when one party consents, but some states, including California, require everyone on the call to agree. If you record, say so at the start.

United Kingdom

• You can make live marketing calls to a business number unless it's registered with the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) or, for sole traders and some partnerships, the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), or the business has told you not to call.
• Screen your list against both registers and your own do-not-call list.
• Always say who's calling, display your number, and give a contact address or freephone number if asked.

How to tell whether your script is working

A script problem and a list problem look the same from your dashboard: few meetings. Break the call into stages to find which one it is:

Here's the arithmetic. Meetings = dials × connect rate × conversation rate × meeting rate. Illustrative numbers: 60 dials a day with a 10% connect rate gives 6 connects. If half get past the opener (3 conversations) and one in three of those books a time, that's one meeting a day. Lifting the conversation rate from 50% to 67% with a better opener gives 4 conversations and about 1.3 meetings, a third more meetings from the same dials.

Change one stage at a time, run it for at least 100 dials, and listen back to five calls a week. The words prospects use in those calls are the best material you have for the next version of the script.

Common mistakes

• Opening with your product. "We're the leading platform for..." gives the prospect nothing to respond to except "not interested".
• A fact that isn't true or isn't recent. Calling about an expansion that was cancelled, or a leader who left last year, ends the call and the account.
• Asking for a demo on the first call. Ask for a short, specific follow-up. The demo comes after they agree there's a problem.
• Reading the script. Prospects can hear it. Learn the structure, then say it your own way.
• Arguing with objections. Treat each one as information, ask a question about it, and accept a real no.

Practice checklist

• You can say your opener out loud in under 20 seconds.
• The fact and its source are on screen when you dial.
• You know the two questions you'll ask if they start talking.
• You've decided the small ask (purpose, day and time) before you call.
• You've rehearsed the branches with a colleague playing the prospect.
• After every call, you write down what they said in their own words.

Next step: plan your next important call with the free sales call planning template, which saves your plan in your browser and prints without the rest of the page.