The importance of great opening lines for sales reps

The last thing any sales representative wants is to lose the potential customer even before the conversation starts. As every sales professional knows, engaging prospects in a meaningful way is crucial. When it comes to online sales we use various tools – from popups to ConvertMore click to call software. On the other hand, phone sales require a different approach. What is the key to attracting a customer’s attention? Well, it’s a combination of factors. Your attitude, tone of voice, and script will make all the difference. Especially with cold calling, how you start the conversation is essential. You have only a few seconds to grab the customer’s attention and make them interested in what you have to say. That’s why you need to stand out and make an excellent first impression. Here are some great opening lines for sales reps that will help you do exactly that.

What is cold calling?

A cold call refers to an unsolicited sales call to a prospect. What makes it different from other calls is that you haven’t had contact with this potential customer before. What’s more, they haven’t shown a prior interest to work with you. Quite the opposite, they may not even know about your company, products, and services.

All of these factors make cold calling quite challenging. What’s more, businesses usually receive tons of such calls every week. That’s why the first seconds of your call is so important. You must ensure your opening lines stand out from the start and spark their interest.

Things to have in mind when cold calling

Good preparation is half the work done. So, before you create the perfect beginning of your script, here are a few things you should pay attention to:

• do the research – even though this is a new and unfamiliar prospect, try to find as much as you can about them. What are their pain points? What worked in the past with similar clients?
• greeting your prospect is essential – not only it’s good manners, but it also helps you build quality rapport
• introduce yourself and your business – it will get your prospect’s interest straight away; plus, you’ll avoid seeming shady and raising suspicion
• scrap the word sorry from your vocabulary – constant apologizing makes you seem weak and unimportant; besides, you’re offering something of value to them and you want them to realize that
• be generous with thank you – it will show you understand they’re busy and appreciate their time

Great opening lines for sales reps

On the website, you already have users’ attention. After all, they chose to visit your website and you can ensure they stay longer with exit intent popup software. Engaging customers on the phone is quite a different situation.

Of course, even with the best script, not every interaction is going to be successful. But, an expert rep will probably manage to gain prospects’ attention and keep them on the line for a while. Here are some excellent openings that will help you accomplish this goal.

Open the call by asking about the prospect’s welfare

Hello/Hi, (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. How are you? / How have you been?

This way, your potential client will see you as a friendly and considerate person. Greeting and asking about their welfare shows that you’re not only calling to pitch your product but that you care about them and their interests. After all, you have a human being on the other side and they’ll surely approach this approach.

Show them you appreciate their time

Hi (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. I understand that you’re very busy, but I won’t take much of your time.

Hi (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. I hope I catch you at a good moment?

Everybody is busy and has a lot to do every day. Your unscheduled call is therefore likely to interrupt the prospect in the middle of one task or another. Of course, before making the call in the first place, it’s best to consider the best time for it. Nevertheless, it’s still likely that your prospect will be occupied at the time of the call. However, using one of these great opening lines for sales reps shows that you’re aware of this and that you respect and value their time.

Address the prospect’s pain point straight away

Hi (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. I’m calling because I help businesses like yours to …? If it’s a good time, would you like to hear more about this product /service?

If you do your research well, you’ll know what the prospect’s pain point is and what product or service will be of most value to them. Offering valuable content online will increase website sales – the same logic applies to phone sales. So, don’t hesitate to play this card from the get-go. They are probably already looking for a solution, so they will be more than interesting to hear you out.

Use the referral if you can

Hi (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. (Referral’s name) mentioned I could call you about… Would you be interested in this solution for…?

This opening line introduces the person you both know and builds trust from the beginning. Depending on the situation you might also mention the referral’s company and how your solution helped them with a similar situation.

Mention their competitors to intrigue them

Hi (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. I’m calling because we helped (competitor’s company) to improve this issue and overcome this pain point.

This tactic is somewhat opposite to the one we’ve just mentioned. But it’s likely to produce the same effect. Your prospect will naturally be interested in what their competitors are doing. They want to stay ahead of the competition, so this works effectively to grab their attention. Plus, mentioning the pain point and the benefits they’ll gain will also further spark their interest.

Ask for help

Hi (prospect’s name), this is Tom with company X. I was hoping you could help me out for a moment?

Most people will say yes. We are all human beings and we like to help out others whenever we can. This opening line is an excellent way to keep a potential client on the line and continue the conversation.

Final thoughts

Engaging prospective customers on the phone is not an easy task. It requires you to be confident, communicative, and flexible. These great opening lines for sales reps will help you get your prospects’ attention and engage them in conversation. In combination with good communication skills, you’ll be able to boost sales rates and broaden your list of customer contacts.