---
tags: Week 3, H3, M7
---
# Cold call structure

In general, the structure of a cold call can be broken down into 3 broad phases:

1. Opening
2. Conversation
3. Close

Each of these phases can be broken down into smaller parts. We will look at each phase in depth in the following units.

:::info
**Cold call structure**

#### **1. Opening**

* *Greeting*
Introduce yourself, focus on intonation that is mellow, authentic, positive and non salesy

* *Opening Line*
Short, closed question
Goal: Engage the other person fast and get permission to continue

* *Value pitch*
Brief statement of the value your company provides
Mention the problem you help customers solve

* *Open question*
Goal: Get your prospect to open up and describe their challenges and goals (if any)

#### **2. Conversation**
- *Engaging and learning*
Ask open ended, explorative questions looking for pain points you can help solve. You may also have to handle objections if there are any.

#### **3. Close**
- Next steps
Secure specific follow-up actions, like sending a calendar invite for a next meeting (referred to as discovery call).
:::

 
## The 90/10 rule
Before we dive in, there is one important element that we want you to learn and remember: **the 90/10 rule.**

The 90/10 rule serves as **guidance in how much talking you should and should not do** during each phase of your cold calls as seen in the image below.

*Credit: Ben Meuthen*

- In the opening phase, you do must do most of the talking (90%) since you introduce yourself and state the reason for your call.
- This ratio flips completely in the conversational part of the cold call, where you should focus on asking good explorative questions to make sure you meet the first goal of your cold call: to learn if the other person has a problem your company can help with.
- It then flips back again in the closing stage, as you drive the conversation to try and achieve the final goal of a cold call: closing a discovery call

Hear it from Ben Meuthen, Enterprise AE at Asana who was guest in one of our masterclasses.

{%youtube za_F9RtC314 %}

We will now go into more detail for each of the sections mentioned above. You will hear different experts, their experiences and tips.

Let's continue!

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