SaaS cold call script: a branching B2B software script that books meetings

What's inside: two openers and a gatekeeper line · the reason for your call · six discovery questions · a 20-second pitch · the meeting ask · two answers each to the 8 objections software sellers hear most · a voicemail to read live and a follow-up email.

Jump to: Opener · Discovery · Meeting ask · Objections · Voicemail

Before you dial: find a trigger

A trigger gives the prospect a reason to listen past the first sentence. Spend a few minutes per account:

1. Find one trigger: a job post for the role you sell to, a new leader in that role, a funding round, a new office or product, or a tool named in their job posts.
2. Turn it into a hypothesis: "Teams hiring [role] usually struggle with [problem]." On the call you ask whether it's true; you don't claim it.
3. Call the person who owns the problem: usually the manager who lives with it, not the CEO, unless the company is small.
4. Know the next step: a 20-minute discovery call with [AE name].
5. Have one real, approved customer example for this kind of company. No example? Skip the proof card.

How to read this script

• Every card has an ID: O opener, G gatekeeper, R reason, D discovery, P pitch, B book, X objection, C exit, V voicemail, E email.
• → tells you where to go next.
• [Brackets] are filled in live from your research.
• Say it in your own words. The wording is a guardrail, not a teleprompter.

Phase 1: Opener

O1 · Trigger opener (default)

"Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. This is a cold call, so I'll be quick. I saw [trigger, for example that you're hiring three SDRs in Austin]. Can I take 30 seconds to tell you why that made me call, and you tell me if it's relevant?"

• "Go ahead" / "What's this about?" → R1
• "Not interested" → "Fair enough, I haven't told you why I called yet. Can I take 20 seconds, and then you decide?" → R1 or C1
• "I'm busy right now" → "No problem. Is later today or tomorrow morning better?" Log the callback and end the call.
• "I'm not the right person" → "Thanks. Who owns [area] on your team?" Note the name and call them next.
• An assistant answers → G1

O2 · Problem-first opener (when you have no trigger)

"Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. Quick question to see if I should even be calling you: how does your team handle [problem area] today?"

• They describe it → D2
• "Who is this?" → "[Your name] from [Company]. We help [type of team] with [outcome]. That's why I asked." → D1

G1 · Assistant or gatekeeper

"Hi, it's [Your name] from [Company]. Could you put me through to [First name] [Last name], who runs [team]?"

→ Put through → O1 · Questions about the call → answers in the gatekeeper script

Phase 2: Reason for the call

R1 · The hypothesis

"Teams that [trigger] often run into [problem], for example [a concrete symptom, such as new reps taking months to ramp]. We built [product] to [outcome]. I don't know if that's true for you. Can I ask two quick questions to find out?"

• "Sure" → D1
• "How much is it?" → X5
• "We already use [competitor]" → X1

Phase 3: Discovery

Ask three or four of these, not all six. Write down their exact words; you'll use them in the pitch.

D1 · The current process

"Walk me through how your team handles [workflow] today."

→ D2

D2 · The tools

"What do you use for that today?"

• Names a competitor → X1
• "We built our own" → X2
• "Spreadsheets" / "Nothing specific" → D3

D3 · The pain

"What's the hardest part of that?"

→ D4

D4 · The impact

"What does that cost you today: time, deals, headcount?"

→ D5

D5 · Priority and timing

"Is fixing that on the list for this quarter?"

• "Yes" → D6
• "Later this year" / "No" → X7

D6 · The decision

"If you decided to change it, who else would be involved?"

→ P1

Phase 4: Pitch

P1 · The 20-second version, in their words

"Here's why I called. You said [their pain, in their words]. [Product] [does what, in one sentence], so [the outcome that answers their pain]. That's why I'd like to get you 20 minutes with [AE name]."

→ B1

P2 · Proof (only real, approved examples)

"[Customer, with their permission] had the same problem. [One concrete, true result.]"

→ B1

Phase 5: Book the meeting

B1 · The two-slot ask

"The next step is 20 minutes with [AE name], our [role]. They'll [what the prospect gets, for example look at your setup and show you the two parts of the product that fit]. Do you have [day] at [time], or [day] at [time]?"

• Picks a slot → B2
• "Send me a deck first" → X4
• "Can't you just show me now?" → "The useful version is tailored to your setup, and that's what [AE name] does. Does [day] at [time] work?" → B2
• "How much is it?" → X5

B2 · Confirm while you're on the phone

"Great. I'm sending the invite to [email] now. Can you check it arrived? … Should anyone else join, like [the person from D6]?"

→ B3

B3 · Set the agenda

"[AE name] will ask about [topic], so have [information] handy if you can. If anything changes, just reply to the invite."

→ Save the outcome as Meeting booked and write the hand-off notes for the AE: the trigger, the pain in their words, the tools they use and who else decides.

Phase 6: Objections

Two answers for each objection. Pick the one that fits the tone of the call.

X1 · "We already use [competitor]."

Answer A: "Good, then you know the space. What's working well, and what would you change about it?"

Answer B: "Makes sense. Teams usually look at us when [one specific, true reason, for example the tool doesn't cover X]. Have you run into that?" Only say what's true.

→ Something to change → D3 · Happy with it → "When does your contract come up for renewal?" → C1, with the date in the notes

X2 · "We built something in-house."

Answer A: "Nice. Who looks after it today, and how much of their time does it take?"

Answer B: "That often works well until [a common breaking point, such as the person who built it moving on]. Is that a risk for you, or is it well covered?"

→ Maintenance is a pain → D4 · Well covered → C1

X3 · "We're locked into a contract until [month]."

Answer A: "Understood. Would it help to have a comparison ready before the renewal? I can put 20 minutes in [a month before it]."

Answer B: "Good to know. What would you want to be different when you renew?"

→ Takes a slot → B2 · Answers → C1, with the renewal date in the notes

X4 · "Send me a deck."

Answer A: "Happy to. Decks are generic, though. What's the one question it should answer for you?" … "I'll send it today. Can we hold 15 minutes on [day] to go through it with [AE name]?"

Answer B: "Sure. I'll send a one-page summary based on what you told me about [pain]. If it's useful, does [day] at [time] work to talk it through?"

→ Agrees to a time → B2 · Email only → send it, log a follow-up, C1

X5 · "How much does it cost?"

Answer A: "It depends on [seats / usage / modules]. For a team your size, it usually starts around [approved range]. [AE name] can give you an exact number in 20 minutes." Only quote a range your company has approved.

Answer B: "Fair question. Before I guess wrong: how many people would use it?" … then Answer A.

→ B1

X6 · "We don't have budget." / "Budgets are frozen."

Answer A: "Understood. If the budget were there, is this something you'd want to fix this year?" … "When does planning for next year start?"

Answer B: "Makes sense. Is that no budget for anything new, or no budget for [category]? Sometimes this replaces a cost you already have, such as [the time or tool it replaces]."

→ Wants to fix it → B1, timed before planning starts · No → C1

X7 · "It's not a priority right now."

Answer A: "Fair. What is the priority this quarter?" (Listen. If it connects to what you do, say so.)

Answer B: "Understood. What would have to happen for [problem] to become a priority?"

→ Connects to your product → P1 · Names a trigger → C1, with the trigger in the notes

X8 · "Security (or IT) would never approve a new tool."

Answer A: "That's a fair concern. What does your security review usually ask for? We can send [the documents your company actually has] ahead of time."

Answer B: "Makes sense. Would it help to invite someone from IT to the first call, so their questions come up early?"

→ B1, with IT invited

For objections that come up in any market, such as "who is this?" or "call me next quarter", see the objection handling script.

Phase 7: Exit, voicemail and follow-up

C1 · Polite exit with a follow-up trigger

"Thanks, [First name]. It doesn't sound like the right time. If [the trigger] changes, for example [a renewal or a new hire], is it OK if I call you then?"

→ Save the outcome as Follow up, with the trigger and a date in the lead's notes. If they ask not to be called again, add them to your do-not-call list.

V1 · Voicemail (about 20 seconds, spoken live)

"Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Company]. I saw [trigger] and had a quick idea about [problem]. I'll send it to you in a short email. If it's useful, my number is [number]. Again, [Your name], [number]."

E1 · Follow-up email (send right after the voicemail)

Subject: [Trigger]: a quick idea for [team]

Hi [First name], I just left you a voicemail. I saw [trigger]. Teams in that spot often run into [problem], and we help with [outcome]. Worth 20 minutes with [AE name]? [Two time options.] [Your name], [Company], [number]

Compliance note (B2B calling)

This script is written for live, person-to-person calls to businesses, with a real person saying every line, including the voicemail. Rules still apply, and they differ by country:

• US: most business-to-business calls are exempt from the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, but its rules against misrepresentation still apply. Many prospect lists include mobile numbers, and the TCPA requires consent for autodialed or prerecorded calls to mobile numbers.
• UK: screen business numbers against the TPS and CTPS before making live marketing calls.
• Germany: calls to businesses need at least presumed consent (§ 7 UWG).

If you record calls, tell the people you call at the start of the call. This is general information, not legal advice.

Run this script as a Call Flow in BeastCaller

In BeastCaller, this script becomes a Call Flow that every SDR on the campaign runs the same way:

Phase 1 · Opener
  ⚡ O1 Trigger opener
  Logic Split: how did they respond?
    ⚡ "Go ahead"              → Phase 2 · Reason
    ⚡ "Not interested"        → 20-second ask, then R1 or C1
    ⚡ "Busy right now"        → agree a callback time
    ⚡ Assistant answers       → G1
Phase 3 · Discovery
  ⚡ D2 What do you use today?
  Logic Split: their tools
    ⚡ A competitor            → X1
    ⚡ Built in-house          → X2
    ⚡ Spreadsheets / nothing  → D3
Phase 6 · Objections
  ⚡ X1 "We already use [competitor]"  trigger: they name a vendor
  ⚡ X4 "Send me a deck"               trigger: they want to end the call politely

• Phases: Opener, Reason, Discovery, Pitch, Book, Objections and Exit. Reps move between them with the ← and → keys.
• Cards: each card above becomes a Live Card, with the ID and name as its title, the wording as its text and the "If they say…" line as its trigger, for example "They say: we already use [competitor]".
• Logic Splits: O1's responses, D2's answer about their tools and D5's timing each become a Logic Split, with one branch card per answer.
• Outcomes and hand-offs: name the campaign's call outcomes after this script's endings (Meeting booked, Follow up, Not a fit, Do not call), and add a Quick Action that sends a booked meeting to your CRM or the AE's team chat through a webhook, for example with Zapier or Make.
• One flow per segment. If you sell to two kinds of teams, give each its own campaign and Call Flow, with its own triggers and proof.

For a whole SDR floor on one script, see cold calling software for teams. Comparing dialers for SaaS teams? See our Orum alternative and Nooks alternative pages.

More scripts: the gatekeeper script, the objection handling script, the appointment setter scripts and the full template library.