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Telemarketing scripts are written guides that help calling agents start conversations, handle objections, and drive results in a campaign. A good telemarketing script gives structure so agents stay on message, while leaving space for natural, authentic interaction. That balance is what makes scripts so tricky to get right.
Take The Godfather, for example. Marlon Brando, playing Don Vito Corleone, often relied on cue cards instead of memorizing his lines. He believed this kept his delivery spontaneous and real—and it worked, earning him an Oscar. In the same way, the best telemarketing scripts provide a clear framework but still allow agents to connect like humans, not robots.
Credits: The Huffington Post
Telemarketing scripts play a big role in the success of your phone calls by:
- Telling you what and when to say something so you can achieve your objectives
- Keeping your prospect engaged in the conversation
- Helping you sound professional while giving you control over the sales talk
- Ensuring you avoid making mistakes on the call
After all, if a talented actor like Marlon Brando can use cue cards to perfect his acting, a telemarketing professional like you can certainly use a script to improve your phone calls!
Step-by-step framework: build your telemarketing script
Building a telemarketing script isn’t very hard, but there are some key pointers you need to keep in mind. Let’s look at how you can make a perfect sales script to attain your goals.
Identify your Prospects
Before you start working on your script, know who your target audience is so that you can genuinely add value to them. Identifying leads depends on the product or service you’re planning on selling, so look at industries and new prospects that are a good fit for you.
If you’re confused at this stage, A good tip here is to look at your past prospects who were more likely to pick up the phone, and try applying those same characteristics to your target audience. If they match, great! Else, keep looking.
A good place to start is by segmenting prospects based on past engagement levels.
Takeaway: By figuring out who your prospects are, you can build an outbound telemarketing script that is relevant to them.
Research your Prospects
Even if your prospects belong to the same industry, their needs would be unique. What works for one person wouldn’t necessarily be suitable for someone else.
So, take time beforehand to note down some of your prospects’ information, like their job profile, the role of their company, and any recent information that may help your cause—maybe their company won an award or secured some funding, so you should include a note of congratulations in your script, or even use it as a simple small talk to build rapport.
This would be the connecting statement of the telemarketing script, which establishes a rapport.
Use sites like LinkedIn to get all the business details about your prospects. This helps sales teams shorten the sales cycle by tailoring scripts more effectively.
Takeaway: By researching your prospects, you can personalize your script.
Ensure that you have the Right Goals in Mind
While your telemarketing script varies to an extent depending upon whom you’re targeting and what stage of engagement they’re on, you must ensure that you’ve got the contract-specific goals in your script. While obviously, your end goal is to convert prospects into customers, this isn’t necessarily your immediate aim.
For example, For example, if you’re calling a new prospect, you wouldn’t be looking to sell your service or product right away; you’d be looking at scheduling meetings or appointments at a later date to further discuss matters. A sales manager can set these milestone goals for their team..
Takeaway: Ensure your outbound telemarketing script has the right goals for the right contacts.
Make a list of pre-qualifying questions
You should include open ended questions that are specifically designed to understand the customer’s pain points and how exactly they fit into the buying process.
When you ask questions like these, you get a good idea of how your business can help your leads. In some cases, your contacts might not be comfortable talking about their obstacles to a stranger, so to help them along, make a list of these questions in your scripts. Doing this upfront can reduce stress for both the agent and the prospect.
The questions you’ve noted should be common complaints that your customers typically face.
For instance, if you’re a telecom company, you’d include questions like:
- How important is it for you to stay connected with your contacts?
- Do you feel that the tools you’re currently using are helping you optimize your time while engaging with contacts?
Takeaway: By including pre-qualifying questions, you get a good idea of what your prospects need.
Pro tip: Define the follow-up questions to each pre-qualifying question based on your prospect’s responses. Use ‘Branching Scripts’ on CallHub to create logic-based scripts that tell your agents what information to deliver at each step of the conversation.
Include the benefits you offer
A common mistake that telemarketers make while building cold calling scripts is including the features and functionalities that their product offers. The truth is, when you’re calling someone in an attempt to make a sale, the contact is not going to be interested in specific features of your service.
They are more interested in the value, add:
- How is your product going to make a difference to their lives or their work?
- How is your product better than other similar products out there?
Focus on including these benefits for your outbound telemarketing script to be a solid one. It also helps to leave a position note in your CRM after each call so agents know how to follow up consistently.
Takeaway: Let your script clearly indicate how your service will benefit the prospect by giving them an overall picture.
Organize your telemarketing script
There are some key components every good sales call script must invariably have, and you’ll find these reflected in most script examples. These ‘areas’ form the backbone of the script, and are:
The Introduction:
Collect the accurate phone numbers from the get go.
- Who are you and where are you calling from? (Strong opening lines set the tone for the entire call.)
- “Hello, {contact name}, this is {your name} calling from {company name}.
- When the phone rings: I want to make sure I respect your time. Are you busy at the moment?”
The Connecting Statement:
- How can you establish a quick rapport with your contact?
- “I’ve noticed that your {prospect’s company} just {briefly mention their company’s recent success}. Congrats on that!”
The Elevator Pitch:
- What is the value that you’re proposing to your customer?
- “The reason for my call is {mention how your company helps other businesses}.
- I would love to ensure that {prospect’s company} is a good fit for what we provide, so I’d just like to ask you a couple of questions, {prospect name}.”
The Pre-Qualifying Stage:
- How are you going to ensure that the contact is the right fit for you?
- Note: {Ask them at least 3-4 pre-qualifying questions}
The Problem Listing Stage:
| (This step is only necessary if the previous stage didn’t really unearth a need for your services, or if the prospect wasn’t able to list any specific obstacles.) |
- How can you help the prospect figure out what obstacles or problems they’re currently facing?
- “Well, since we have a relationship with several businesses like yours {mention a few examples}, let me share some common challenges that they face, for instance, {talk about their pain points}. Can you relate to any of these?”
The Benefit Listing Stage:
- How are you going to connect your services with the prospect’s pain points? What makes you different from other companies offering similar services?
- “As I mentioned before, our company {give them the clear big picture value and benefits of your product, specifically aimed at solving their obstacles}.
- Some of the ways in which we differ clearly from other companies in the space are {list those reasons}.”
The Ask:
- How are you going to get something concrete from this call? [such as scheduling appointments or confirming next steps?]
- “I know you’ve probably got a busy schedule, but I’d love to book a slot this week to have one of our consultants walk you through the product. Would {mention date and time} work for you?
- Sounds great, {prospect name}! I’ll book a slot and send a confirmation with a follow up email. It was great talking to you!” – This way, sales reps can track the current solution prospects are using and position their offer better.
| Note: The above is a sample representation of how your script should be outlined. Your script will take multiple branches depending on your prospect’s responses. Define each branch and make that a part of your script. The outline also varies according to your company and which engagement stage the prospect you’re targeting is at. Feel free to experiment and see what works and results in the highest rate of conversion! |
Use Power Words and Make the Script Readable
Make sure to plug your script with as many power words and phrases as you can, such as ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. These words have the capacity to evoke emotions and make your contacts more receptive to a conversation. Besides, being courteous always helps during your cold call, even if the call isn’t exactly going your way.
When it comes to the structure of your script, a best practice here is to make it easily readable and navigable so that telemarketers can understand the gist of it by just skimming through it. If your script is unnecessarily wordy and filled with blocks of text, the salesperson is likely to pause awkwardly during the conversation to figure out what exactly to say, which is counterproductive.
| Pro Tip 1: Use branched scripts to make navigation easier for your telemarketers. With a branched script, they only come across relevant parts of a script based on the direction a conversation takes. |
| Pro Tip 2: Highlight different parts of your script to prioritize important points, and double-check that your contact database has updated phone numbers so agents don’t waste time. |
| Pro Tip 3: Include terms that are relevant to your prospect’s industry and that they are likely to be familiar with to build trust and establish authenticity. Experienced sales professionals also recommend weaving in success metrics to build confidence and close deals faster. |
Now that we’ve mentioned all the key points essential to your sales pitch script, let’s look at a couple of sample scripts to get a better understanding of how to build one of your own.
Related reading: How to Craft a Cold Calling Script for Insurance Sales
Telemarketing script template: first-time call
If you want to crack the perfect first call of telemarketing, structure is your secret weapon. Here’s a proven script template that helps you hook prospects, keep them engaged, and smoothly guide each conversation toward a result, step by step:
Telelmarketing script step 1: Initial Greeting
- “Hello [Prospect Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I hope you’re having a nice day. I’d like to ask you something about your website. Is this a good time?”
➜ If YES, proceed to Step 2
➜ If NO, skip to Step 5
Telemarketing script step 2: Build Rapport
- “Great! I’ve been following [Prospect’s Company] and noticed you recently closed a big round of funding. Congratulations!”
- “Just to check—are you getting as much traffic to your site as you’d like?”
➜ If YES, proceed to Step 3
➜ If NO, go to Step 4
Telemarketing script step 3: Friendly Close
- “That’s fantastic! Glad to hear your business is doing well. If you ever need help with your website, feel free to contact me anytime at [Your Email].”
Telemarketing script step 4: Offer a Solution
- “Actually, we work with businesses like [Examples] who sometimes face challenges like low rates of conversion or confusing site layouts.”
- “We specialize in improving website traffic and user experience. Our company is ranked among the top 10 web optimization firms.” (Sharing social proof and case studies at this stage can greatly improve your chances of booking the next meeting.)
- “If you’re interested, I’d love to outline the next steps and book a short consultation. Would Thursday at 5 pm work for you?”
➜ If YES, move to Step 6
➜ If NO, go to Step 5
Telemarketing script step 5: Find a Better Time
- “No problem—what day and time works best for you? I can also check back next week if that’s easier.”
Telemarketing script step 6: Confirm Details
- “Awesome! I’ll schedule a slot and send you a confirmation email. It was great speaking with you!” (leave the call on a positive note.)
Tips:
- Keep sections short and stay focused for easy reading and training.
- Use friendly, conversational language.
- Give clear instructions for each response.
- Label each stage for quick navigation.
Script preview:
Telemarketing script sample: talking to a prospect’s secretary/gatekeeper
Good morning/afternoon, sir/ma’am. I’m Scott, calling from Zirg Pro. Am I speaking with {prospect’s name}?
If yes, follow the above script. If No, i.e., you’re talking with a gatekeeper, continue.
Our business helps companies optimize their websites to improve the amount of traffic they’re bringing in regularly. I would like to schedule a call with {prospect name} to talk more about the services we offer.
If they aren’t interested:
Oh, that’s too bad. Can I have {prospect’s name }’s email ID/contact number so that I’d be able to directly contact them? Thank you.
If the prospect is unavailable:
Oh, that’s no worry. Can you tell me when {prospect name} would be free so I can contact them at a later time when it’s convenient? Thanks for your assistance.
If they offer to transfer you to voicemail:
That’s alright, is there someone else I could talk to?{Try getting connected to another person with a similar job profile as your prospect.}
If they give contact details of the prospect:
Great! I’ll be sure to contact {prospect}. Thanks for helping. Goodbye!
Pro Tip: To build telesales scripts for prospects that you’ve contacted before, or for contacts who haven’t answered your calls, definitely check out this article that we’ve written!
Building the perfect telemarketing script might take some time, and whether it’s your last call of the day or your first, the effort is totally worth it, especially when scripts are designed with customer satisfaction in mind. A clear, flexible script that makes sense to your agents will always outperform one that feels robotic.
The best way to get results is to follow a few key strategies consistently.
Featured Image Source: Anna Shvets
Frequently asked questions on telemarketing script
What are common mistakes to avoid when writing telemarketing scripts?
Avoid generic openings, feature-heavy pitches, and unstructured scripts that slow call flow or frustrate agents.
How do branched scripts differ from linear scripts in telemarketing?
Branched scripts dynamically adjust based on prospect responses, increasing relevance and conversion rates versus static, one-size-fits-all outlines.
How to write a sales call script?
To write a sales call script, start by clearly stating your goal, opening with a polite introduction, and personalizing your message. Include probing questions to identify the customer’s needs, present your solution’s benefits, address objections, and finish by asking for a next step (such as setting a meeting). Make sections easy to follow and adapt based on responses.
How do you introduce yourself in telemarketing?
Introduce yourself by stating your name, your company, and briefly explaining the purpose of your call. For example:
“Hi, this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I’m reaching out to share a quick idea on how our solution can help your business. Is this a good time?”
Keep it professional, friendly, and concise.
What is an example of a telemarketing script?
A typical telemarketing script begins with a friendly greeting, an introduction, and a reason for calling, followed by questions to qualify the prospect and a clear proposal.
Example: “Hello, [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. We help businesses like yours improve [benefit]. Do you have a few minutes to discuss how we can help you with [pain point]?
