The Best Cold Call Openers

I've done cold calling. It's one of the most difficult jobs in business. Harder and more stressful than being a VP of Marketing. Don't @ me.

So what does it take to be a successful cold caller, other than thick skin and a tremendous amount of perseverance? There's a lot to it, but it all starts with the opener. Well, it really starts with the research and prep, but let's skip ahead to the opener because that's the fun part.

The cold caller opener can make or break whether or not this person will stick around to hear why you actually called. It's that first 5 seconds where you're being judged (whether you like it or not) by someone who is looking for a reason to hang up and get back to whatever it is that you interrupted. How do you grab their attention, create interest, and make them resist that urge to smash that End Call button?

How Would You Start a Cold Call with Myself?

Yesterday I shared a LinkedIn post asking how people in the community would open a cold call with someone like myself: a dashingly handsome VP of Marketing at Vidyard named Tyler. I genuinely wanted to see how different people would approach it, so that we can all learn from others in the community who come from different backgrounds and industries.

And the community did not disappoint!

"Hey Tyler, this is Jamie and yes, this is a cold call. Would it be fair if I told you a bit about why I'm calling and then you can let me know if you would like to continue?"


"Hello Tyler, I was watching some the videos you have been on. The reason for my call is I need your help…"


"I just wanted to thank you for writing a book to change my life"


"So Tyler, I just have one burning question - what's your favorite song from Bo Burnham's INSIDE and why?"


"Hello, It’s me, Tyler from the future. I don’t have a lot of time but I need to tell you..."        

This is just a sampling of some of the 100+ responses from people across my network. And I have to say, most of the comments were better cold call openers that I typically get IRL. You can check out the full post below and take inspiration from all the amazing comments:

So, What Makes a Great Cold Call Opener?

Cold call openers aren't magical rings. There is no one opener to rule them all. But there are some fundamental characteristics that set a great cold call opener apart from the rest. Let's break it down:

1. Originality

Stop opening cold calls with "Hello, is this Tyler?" or "Hi Tyler, I'm calling from Acme Co, how are you today?" Every second counts, and you'll be much better off using those first few seconds to pleasantly surprise your prospect, to pique their curiosity, and to make it clear that you're not calling about their car warranty or duct cleaning. Look at some of those examples above, and how different they are from nearly every cold call you've likely made or received! Being original doesn't mean you have to be silly or novel, it just means being intentional in trying new ideas and not always "sticking to the script."

2. Relevance & Personalization

This is a no brainer, but relevance and personalization is so key to your conversations with prospects, but many cold callers miss this as part of their opener. More than just saying their name, look for creative ways to weave something unique or relatable into that first sentence so their expectation of value goes up before they have a chance to hang up. Note: in the examples above, you may have wondered what the heck the references to Bo Burnham or a book were - those were hyper personalized elements that those individuals knew would resonate with me in a very unique and personal way.

3. Tonality

How you greet your prospect is just as important as what you actually say. Head back up to those sample openers above and read them out loud with passion! With ENERGY! WITH EXCITEMENT!!! Okay, maybe settle down a tad. A great way to establish the right tone is to ensure you're genuinely smiling before you start talking, and maybe even try to make yourself laugh a bit. Try to come across as authentic, engaging, interesting, and also interested. Most importantly, don't sound like you're reading a script and going through the motions.

4. Brevity

Remember the acronym K.I.S.S.? As in, Keep It Short, Seller? Make sure your opener is brief and prompts for a response within ~5 seconds. That's it.

5. Curiosity

Ultimately, the goal of your opener is to put your prospect into a state of curiosity. They need to be curious enough to engage in the conversation, to answer your question, and to want to know what you're going to say next. You can create curiosity by doing many of the things above, but you can also do it by asking a question that is darn near impossible for your prospect to say no to. Asking them "how they are doing" creates no curiosity at all. In fact, it sucks it right out of the conversation and you just know that person is now sighing and hovering their finger over the End Call button. Keep tweaking your script until you land on that first question that even your friends or family would have hard time ignoring.

With all that in mind, how might you open a cold call with myself? Add to the comments in this LinkedIn post and check out the ideas other have shared. You just find inspiration for your next great cold call.