What do the basics of a successful cold call script framework look like

FIRST, A BACKSTORY

So scripts are a bit of an obtuse topic in cold calling. If you ask one what they think of when they think of cold call scripts, they say it’s what my boss gives me on a napkin. Ask another and they say it feels like they’re at a play run by 5th graders interacting awkwardly. Ask again and it doesn’t matter, NO ONE is looking forward to read  that script!

Quality and natural cold call scripts may be one of the banes of our sales profession.

The problem? No one truly taught us. Not to mention sales was never taught at the university level (let alone high school) until the last 15 years, the only resources our sales people have had are well, left to the whims of experience by failure, trial by fire. It’s no wonder there is so much pride in those salespeople who have made it work, as they found their own path shaped by a combination of prospect feedback and their own personality tweaks.

This is the adventure I (apprehensively) decide to embark on back in 2017. I was writing cold call scripts for companies and training, but only based on the typically range of experience that any sales pro can claim – 1-4 companies of experience. I could only shape my answers based on those 4 experiences. So when people asked if I would call for them, I knew that while it may be a beast of an operation, it quite possibly be the only way to master what no one else had done – how to cold call at the highest relative rates for every major industry in every major US-B2B marketplace…

And enter The H2H method. After testing and testing, our 1st three frameworks were developed. The consultative framework below was the first developed, as it was from multiple markets we were having success with utilizing. We’d place the offering knowledge into the framework, and with a couple iterations of wordsmithing, WALAH! Success. We created the 4 Core Components from this framework. These primary components can be shifted around to create different frameworks, but ultimately need to be touched on each call to ensure the same level of quality. I’ll talk about those at a later date!

Anywho, enough with history. Let’s get into the CCF, or, The Consultative Conversation Framework.

The primary use is if you call people who are behind a desk or don’t hear from cold callers or products like yours much, try this framework that 60% our clients start with:

THE CONSULTATIVE APPROACH (CCF)

🟣Intro: Statement of who you are and a quick description of what you do

“This is Ryan from SHP (ADD OPTIONAL OPENER HERE).

We have USA based cold callers that set appointments for you”

—

🟣Discover Question: Get them in a conversation by asking a question that both gets them talking and helps you understand their familiarity with the offering arena you’re calling about

“Do you have anyone cold calling or considered adding on to your current team?”

[IF YES/IF NO IS PERFECTLY FINE. EITHER ONE WINS]

—

🟣Offer to Value: Connect what you offer to the value. How do you get there? If a product, talk features & benefits; if a service, talk process that leads to benefits

“So the way it works is we give you an account management team member that acts as our outsources sales manager. The will help build your target market and craft your script. We’ll meet with you regularly to refine the campaign. This process can typically generate 1 to 100 leads a month to you depending on your project size and industry.”

🟣 Discovery Q’s 2: Ask re-engagement questions based on direction and flow of conversation such as “What do you do currently?” Or, “How many leads do you need monthly for your goals?”

—

🟣 Ask for Next Step: The reason for the call is for a meeting, web registration, follow up with a demo video, etc. Just ask.

“Reason I’m calling is to see if we can set up a call to show you our process a bit more visually and provide you with a few recordings to hear our team to see how they would fit for you… How is [TIME]” etc.

—-

🟣 Qualifying Questions: Ask a few extra objective questions that help prepare for the meeting and help solidify your intentions while creating accountability in the mind of the prospect. THE MOST important step for quality.

This framework is so effective because if you can get out of those 1st seven seconds, you have a high chance of getting some type of next step. It is “sparking-product-interest” focused, and creates real offering value in the mind of the prospect by going back and forth between statement-question-statement-question, ending with lead solidifying qualifying questions that lock in the accountability and interest with the person you’re talking to.

Give this one a shot or let me know if you’d like to see a sample from your industry!

In high performance and high trust,

Ryan P

Do you know the bad history of cold calling?

Do you know why people hate cold calling?

Why we get the ick when we answer the phone, thinking it’s our next sale, someone we wanted to hear from, only to hear a gap between pick up and answer, and the dreaded pitch of a commission hungry sales aggro on the other end?

Ever since cold calling crashed from the telemarketing scams of the 80s/90s from corrupt wall street and insurance companies, cold calling was not longer about being slick.

Slick was priority then. It was easy on the ears and wet the palate. Slick was ruined by the poor sales ethics behind it. Lawsuits were had and new restrictions by the FTC, FCC, and SEC were enforced.

This is where cold calling crashed. It was tough b/c now the general population was scorned and skeptical.

As of 2025 though, we may be in one of our first real cold call come-backs. And not in every way you may think:

• Yes, the post covid tech fatigue is real
• Yes, cold email is tough and on the decline
• AI robo calls (along with other dialers) are illegal.
• Compliance from parallel dialers is strong

The reason is cold callers are becoming trustworthy again.

Less slick tricks and as many faulty companies. Instead, we’re using closing skills without convincing prospects to do what they would regret

The proof is in the pudding. Since the beginning of SHP’s existence, we’ve had more prospects respond PLEASANTLY to cold calls than in any other time. Check out this call from

SHP caller, Sammy.

She simply has a crisp, transparent, opening, followed by a specific discovery question. At this point, the prospect not only does not hang up the phone, but

expresses their interest.

Some would consider this a minor miracle, especially compared to what could have happened — hang ups, telling off the SDR, distrust checking (objections around credibility), and bad attitudes. Not only did they agree to the next step, but also seemed to be cheerful and grateful about it along the way.

This is one call, let alone the other crazy ones in between; but this type is no longer uncommon in the 21st century. Humans, actually being thankful to hear about a valuable offering from another human. The race is on to clean up cold calling, building trust back in the market place through:

• Product (no more penny stocks!)
• Process (Doesn’t lead to a dupeee)
• Person (Tone, sincerity, authenticity)

Cold calling is back!

In high performance and high trust,

Ryan P

Cold Call CEO

The secret to H2H execution is .. Tension

Sports teams, performing arts, spelling bees, robotics competitions, software development teams, and sales orgs.

What do these nouns have in common?

All of them…

1. Are performance activities
2. Require skill
3. Require competent execution

…to perform at a high level.

—-

Yet any time there is execution, there is a test of character. A test of trust. Between themselves and the people involved with their performance  (whether on their team our not). Doesn’t matter what the activity is.

This is where it gets juicy.

How many times have you seen people cut corners just to get results? Cheat, rig, or fabricate?

Yah, f*ck those ideals. That ain’t it.

I never could respect the actions of those who needed to ruin relationships for the sake of results, even if i was enamored with the magic of their seemingly untouchable skill set. Which, inversely, I do respect.

This conundrum – high performance without losing relationships – It’s the quagmire of my life.

How I am so drawn to high performers, but simultaneously rage-fuming about their disregard for humanity, hating those actions just as much.

Why do i want to meet them but never give them the satisfaction that I’m ecstatic to learn from them?

Deep, right?

Maybe, but then at least things are rooted deeply in a philosophy that’s unbreakable.

This is where The H2H Method lives — the in-between – in the suspension, the tension between high performance and human-to-human.

See, after many-a-existential crisis, what I’ve found is that achieving high performance while sustaining trust and relationships requires a higher standard – a tolerance for tension and strain to hold the two together.

Example:

Alex is a new sales rep at Vought Industries. She has been commissioned to cold call decision makers at midsize companies to set up meetings. So many times, when he calls, he reaches a gatekeeper. The leadership at his company says that she needs to force her way through the gatekeeper by either saying that the decision-maker (let’s say his name is Craig) knows she’s calling when he really doesn’t, or, strong arm the gatekeeper by slighting them and saying “this is an important call and you’re wasting my time blocking my access to Craig”.

This doesn’t sit well with Alex. But really likes her job and needs it. After some time, she realizes that the gatekeepers are really just inquisitive more than they are annoying or preventative. But it’s tough, because they aren’t gonna let anyone just walk on through. In fact, whenever she calls, she does get hung up on if she just casually asks for the decision maker without any other fodder to work from.

She starts gets creative. She’s stressing about it, but has hasn’t given up without testing a few hypotheses that would help her keep her job without continually giving sales a bad name from her company. She starts pretending to treat the gatekeeper as if they were the decision-maker. She begins training them with authority, and asking them questions about their current situation.

She has a breakthrough.

One of them actually passes her off because the gatekeeper said that wasn’t an area she handled, but it’s something that they’ve been looking into. She transfers over to the decision maker. She’s elated. She can’t believe it worked and is eager to keep this going.

The next time, she pitches the gatekeeper again. The gatekeeper begins asking questions and Alex begins wondering if this person’s gonna be wasting her time to just get hung up on. But just before Alex almost gives up, the gatekeeper says “the reason I’m asking all these questions is because I actually manage that area. I’d be interested to learn more.”

Alex is shocked and can’t believe her ears.

You mean to say without barging on through, disrespecting the position, without using pushy, using unethical tactics, etc., she was able to not only talk to the right person, but get a meeting?

I think she’s onto something, people. While being assertive, she wasn’t aggressive. While being persistent, she wasn’t pesky.

This is H2H .

The tension just the beginning.

Stay tuned for more as we dive into the H2H movement with new posts, courses, softwares, and more.

In high performance and high trust, 

Ryan P

Cold Call CEO

Welcome to the Cold Call CEO Newsletter

And welcome to the Cold Call CEO newsletter.

There is a movement brewing balancing ultimate performance and sustaining trust. People are sick of cut throat tactics that make everyone on the receiving end regret working with the offender; however, performance and results drive companies, organizations, and teams forward. It’s a necessary component of survival and thrival.

How do we balance?

We’ll, that’s what this newsletter will forever trying to find – the balance between trust and results. A bit of it will be theoretical, and some of it will be technical. And some a bit random to keep you on your toes.

Stay tuned for regular newsletters and an archive of prior content.

Now, go back to being your trusty badass self.

In high performance and high trust, 

Ryan P

Cold Call CEO