What Is Cold Outreach & 30 Proven Sales Openers To Help

 

Cold outreach is when you contact potential customers or clients that you do not know or have no previous relationship with.  Reach out methods can include telephone calls, emails, social media direct messages or even SMS/text. The goal of cold outreach is ultimately to introduce your product and service to new people, build interest, raise brand awareness and to start a dialogue to generate more sales.

Cold outreach is tough, especially when you only have seconds to make an impact. The wrong sales opener can quickly lose attention, but the right one can spark interest, build rapport, and open the door to a real conversation.

As a sales training provider, we’ve seen what works (and what definitely doesn’t) across calls, emails and LinkedIn messages.

In this blog, we’re sharing 30 proven sales openers that grab attention in the first 30 seconds – and give you a better shot at getting a reply, a meeting, or even a straight yes.

What Makes a Great Sales Opener?

Cold outreach is hard. Why? Because you have just seconds to make a point before your would-be customer goes elsewhere. A sales opener is a way to deliver highly valuable information to the buyer before they move on.

But why do some work and others fail miserably? There are plenty of reasons for this. For example, if you’re stumbling over details during your first 30 seconds of a sales call, that’s a delivery problem. Other times, these are the reasons why cold email openers (as well as phone conversations) fail so badly.

Relevance to the Buyer’s World

The absolutely most important element to learn when starting a sales conversation is this: It must be relevant to the buyer’s world. That means whatever you have to say needs to be a problem-solving, advantage, or competitive edge for the buyer. Solve their problem instantly.

No pressure there. Just remember that the best cold openers are well-prepared statements. They are geared specifically towards the buyer, making them interesting and valuable. By crafting a sales pitch like this, you’re showing your would-be buyer you value their time.

Clarity and Simplicity Over Cleverness

A light-hearted ploy or witty statement sure can turn heads and bring a smile. Yet, you’re wasting time on that super limited cold call script if you’re trying to be clever.

Instead, deliver a statement that’s clear, to the point, and simple to understand. If you’re calling an executive at a company, they have 10 things racing through their to-do list right now. Be direct and clear about how you’re going to benefit them.

Confidence Without Sounding Pushy

Overly sales-specific language doesn’t work. Yes, that means that the best cold openers are not going to be sales-driven statements. They need a bit of finesse. Your goal is to ditch feeling pushy (which often translates into seeming to be desperate). Instead, aim to be confident.

Confidence comes from knowledge. You know your customer. You know exactly how your product or service fits their needs. That, and really having a polished cold outreach process, can make a huge difference.

Customised vs Scripted – Finding the Balance

Let’s be frank here. Openers that get replies incorporate some level of custom pitch. You have to know who you are reaching as well as what their needs are. But the reality is, you need a script.

Scripts help you stay on track. They enable you to optimise your 30-second opportunity. The best cold openers, then, are those that are a blend of the two. Sounds easy, right? We’ll give you some examples of sales outreach to help.

Why the First 30 Seconds Matter So Much

It’s something you’ll learn as you work to build sales conversation starters. You just have 30 seconds to hook your audience. During those 30 seconds, you need to connect with them. You need to persuade them. Most importantly, you need to show this perfect stranger that you can add value to their day.

A long, drawn-out presentation. Perhaps a sales pitch over the phone or a conversation over lunch. These used to be common scenarios for selling your product or service. Today, there are several reasons you only have 30 seconds.

Attention Spans Are Shorter Than Ever

The average attention span of Britons today is about 8 seconds. That’s far less than the 30 seconds we’re discussing here. Time yourself. How many times a minute do you check your phone? How much time do you focus on a single task before being bombarded by other thoughts?

You’re Not Just Selling – You’re Earning Time

Every second you remain in connection with your customer is earning you more time. As you read on about some of the cold communication tips we offer, remember this. Those first 30 seconds could buy you more time if you can hook them into learning more. That’s a critical step in the process of building sales.

The Opener Sets the Tone for Everything That Follows

Finally, let’s make this very clear. Whatever you do in the sales opener is what your customer expects moving forward. Don’t over exaggerate. Don’t overpromise. Be authentic and to the point.

Cold Outreach – 30 Proven Sales Openers

Here’s how to start a sales conversation. These sales openers are proven to work. They don’t close the deal. They buy you more time. Most importantly, they build interest in what you have to offer.

Check out these sales outreach examples to get you started. We’ll give you the opening, you fill in the blanks.

1. A paragraph to solve their problem

Create a short, direct paragraph for a cold email opener. Get to the point quickly.

“We’re sharing our new service that’s helped organisations much like your own to amplify their sales margins while reducing their costs. I would like to discuss the details and collaborate with you on achieving your goals.”

2. How to solve email

Consider this sales conversation starter, but incorporate timely information about your customer’s concerns.

“Clients are reaching out to us about (political news, economic news, etc.) and worried about their operations’ implications. We’re hosting a webinar, and I would love to get you involved. Are you worried about ….? Connect with us for our recommended solutions.

3. Ask for an introduction

Sometimes the best way to get into a meeting with the most likely buyer is to just ask for an introduction. Remember, do so in a way that shows your customer why they should put time into you.

“Good day! My name is …., and I’m representing …. in this short call. Can you tell me who handles decisions related to (service you offer)? How could I connect with them? I’d like to share specific services we offer that enhance operations and make your jobs easier.”

3. Be brutally honest

In some situations, your cold call script is just an honest statement, something people find refreshing.

“Hi, my name is …. I’m calling from …. To be transparent, this is a cold call. I am confident I can offer (whatever it is) to (customer’s goals). Could I trouble you for about 5 minutes of your time?”

4. Show you’re paying attention

Research matters. If you’re using social media to gauge the interests of your customers (and you should), use that to your advantage during your outreach strategy.

“Good afternoon. My name is …. And I’m from … I just read your social post on (specific topic) and I believe I have a solution for you. Any chance you have about five minutes that I could ask a few questions?”

5. Provide a reason, directly

Don’t waste people’s time. Get right to the point so you go to the right person for the job.

“Good morning. I wanted to speak to someone who makes decisions about (topic). I’m hoping to gather some information.”

6. What you’re doing script

Provide information-packed first seconds of a conversation to truly drive interest.

“Good afternoon. My team is working on a solution to help companies recruit talent faster at a lower price point. Is that something that you are looking for within your company right now?”

7. Share a mutual connection

Show that you have some connection with the person you’re speaking to, creating an instant bond.

“My name is, and I was recently having a conversation with …., I believe you know them? I wanted to share what we’re doing to help them because I believe it could help you as well.”

8. Can I solve your problem?

Many of the cold communication tips you’ll see are problem-specific. They require some research, but can help you better understand your customer.

“What if (product) could help you solve (problem)? I wanted to share the exact steps we recently took with (company name) that helped them achieve an increase of (percentage) in sales in the last year. Would you be interested?”

9. Show importance of the call

Demonstrate that there’s a reason why they should be listening to your call. To do this, you’ll need to have a valuable service to offer.

“Hello, I’m (name/company). I realise I may be calling you while you’re in the middle of something important, but I felt you needed to know this…”

10. Straight to the point

Get to the point of the conversation immediately. Ask them a question you know they need to hear.

“Good afternoon. I’m inquiring with companies in your sector that are losing money on customer service support. Is your company struggling to achieve a desired ROI?”

11. Honest about where you’re from

Another way to reach your would-be customers is to be honest about what you did to find them, showing that you took the time to learn about their company.

“Good afternoon. I came across your name as the (title) at (company). I wanted to reach out to see if you had any interest in (achieving a goal specific to your product that you know they need)?”

12. Can you help me?

Another potential strategy is to ask your would-be customer for help. Your goal is to target a lower employee who may want to impress their higher-ups.

“Afternoon. I’m looking for the right person to discuss a (money-saving, sales boosting, etc) service that my company is launching for some of the most elite organisations in your industry. Could you point them in the direction of someone who might have five minutes that I could ask a couple of questions to?”

13. Press release insight

If the company you’re targeting just issued a press release, use that to your advantage.

“Good day. I recently read your press release about implementing (service, feature, product, etc). I’m calling to inquire if you’ve considered (some type of complimentary service) that competitors like (name their competitor) are using? Would you be interested?”

14. Save them time

A sales opener in any type of email needs to be instantly impactful. Offer a way to save time right from the start.

“I’m writing with a request to provide a fast five-minute demo that you can complete whenever it works for you online. It’s for a product that (name of company) just launched, and I’m reaching out to get initial feedback from interested parties. If you want to (achieve goal) and have a minute, would you watch a short demo?”

15. Exclusivity

Show your would-be customer that what you’re offering is exclusive to them.

“I recently saw your company’s report about (losing money, etc) and I can help. My business (name business) works with just a few organisations each year to resolve (problem you can help them fix). I was wondering if you might be interested in a potential opening if it becomes available to discuss this solution?”

16. Build rapport

There’s still something to be said about being friendly and building a rapport. If you meet someone in person, you might use a sales opener such as this.

“Hi! Busy day. How is your day going so far? I saw you were just in a meeting with …”

17. Offer value immediately

In an email, you need to get to the point but provide valuable information. You might say….

“I wanted to share a statistic with you that is directly relevant to your business. (Share that information). Would it be helpful to your company to learn how to (implement, fix, amplify, etc) this?”

18. Share why you matter

Don’t be afraid to share with them why you personally matter.

“Hello, I’m (Name and company title). I don’t often directly reach out to customers but I know my team can help you with (pain point).

19. What you’ve done

Another strategy is to share what you have accomplished. Be authentic.

“I’m looking for (company position) that handles decisions about (industry). I work directly with companies like yours to (achieve specific outcome). I know we can do the same for your company.”

20. Spark a thought

Ask a question in an email. Provide some level of interest based on what you know about the company.

“I read a statistic today about the biggest challenge impacting companies in (industry). My company (name) solves those problems.”

21. Recent research release

Show the value of recent research from a proven company or organisation.

“Did you see the research released by (organisation)? It’s striking and so impactful to our industry. Here’s the solution our company has developed.”

22. What your company is doing

Share what your business is doing now to help customers like them.

“Hello. In the world we live in right now, everything seems like a struggle. I’m doing my part by reaching out to share how my company is overcoming (challenge you know they are facing). I wanted to discuss how we can work together.”

23. Time-sensitive information

Showcase that they need to react right away. Time-sensitive information must show some level of urgency.

“I’m calling you about a limited opportunity that could benefit your business by (specific benefit you can offer). However, I only have a few days before I have to make a decision on who to work with. Would you like your company included?”

24. New launch

Provide information about what your company has recently launched that you know solves their problem.

“I’m writing to a limited group of people to share a new product we’ve developed. There’s a significant amount of proprietary information at risk, so I can only share some statistics on what we’ve accomplished so far. Are you interested?”

25. Looking for feedback

Ask for feedback instead of a sales pitch opportunity.

“My organisation is launching a new service and we’re just trying it out with a few customers. We’re hoping to get some constructive feedback. Would you be willing to participate?”

26. Recent social media interaction

Show that you are following their recent social media interactions by connecting with them through a direct message.

“Thanks for sharing that recent post about (name). It’s interesting for companies like mine because (provide information). We work with companies like yours to offer (name service). Is that something we can discuss?

27. Genuine, simple interest

Sometimes the best cold openers are just statements asking for an opportunity. If you know what they need and value the most, it hits home.

“Hello (name). I’m interested in learning about your company’s needs in (area you can solve). I would like to offer help with (name service). Could we schedule a few minutes to talk?”

28. Save them money

For many companies, the goal is to reduce costs, especially if you’re reaching out to a financial partner.

“Hello, I’m writing to inquire if your business is looking to reduce costs with (name specific service you know they need help with). My company (name) has helped a competitor of yours to save (name specifics). Would you be interested in more information?

29. Put it in their court

Give them the ability to respond when and how they need to.

“Hi there (name). I’m sending off a quick message to learn you know about our recently launched feature. (drop some details here). No pressure. Just wanted you to be among the first to learn about it to take full advantage of it.

30. Recent success story

Share something you’ve recently achieved with your business in a way that matters to your reader.

“I’m sending off a message to a few people in my contacts to share a win we’ve recently had. We worked with (name and details). If you want to be part of the next opportunity, get in touch with us.”

How to Train Your Team to Use Better Openers

Training your team to offer these types of conversation starters isn’t always simple. That’s especially true if they’ve used the same methods for years. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Spotting Weak Openers in Real Conversations

Listen in. The best way to help them develop openers that get replies is to share your own personal insight. Would this statement or phrase actually help convince you to book some time for service? If not, offer feedback on why.

Role Plays and Real-Time Feedback

Do some role playing with your team. Without a doubt, your customers are valuable to your team, but until they get some confidence they may not feel they can create an authentic connection. Role playing and real-time feedback are immensely valuable.

Encouraging Adaptability, Not Memorisation

Skip the script when possible. Instead, encourage your team to focus more heavily on creating a custom message that rings true with each individual customer. Show them how to do quick research and tailor messages effectively.

Conclusion

Cold outreach doesn’t have to be hard. It could be a creative process.

Our Sales Training Programmes will give your team the tools to sell with confidence. Whether it’s refreshing core skills or building confidence, our Selling Skills Training will help get the results needed.

Improve your sales outreach via the phone by attending our telesales training, and learn the techniques you need to do it properly.

Alternatively, check out our In-house Sales Training for customised programmes which can be designed around your exact requirements and needs, ensuring that the training is relevant and effective for your specific sales challenges.

Happy Selling!

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Sales Training