Cold calling means phoning a prospect who has not asked to hear from you, in order to book a meeting rather than to sell. It is also called phone prospecting or outbound calling. The method fits into six steps: prepare, get past the gatekeeper, hook them in 30 seconds, ask questions, handle objections, lock in a date.
Knowing these steps is not enough. Mame, co-founder of Face Up, made 8 cold calls in a row to an AI avatar playing the manager of an industrial site. The outcome: 8 attempts, 0 confirmed meetings. His mistakes are very common, and they run through this guide as a case study.
The video is in French.
In 1 min 56, the video shows eight call attempts with François Delcourt, the objections that come up, then the session debrief.
The terms overlap. Phone prospecting usually describes an outbound calling campaign, often run in series from a contact list. A cold call, or cold calling in general, refers to the call itself: the prospect does not know you and is not expecting your call.
Either way, the goal is the same: secure a longer conversation, on a specific date. The sale happens later, during the meeting. That is where you apply your sales techniques and your discovery plan.
This distinction changes everything. Someone trying to sell over the phone talks too much and too fast. Someone aiming for the meeting only needs to give a reason to talk again.
A call takes a few minutes to prepare. Before you pick up the phone, you should be able to answer three questions:
The script is an outline, not a recital. It fits on half a page and follows the order of the call:
Write out the exact words of your opener and your meeting request. For the rest, a few keywords are enough. A script being read is instantly audible over the phone.
The person screening calls is doing their job. Be brief and confident, and don't launch into your pitch. Give the full name of the person you want and a simple reason.
Example: “Good morning, Emma Clarke speaking. I'd like to speak to François Delcourt about training for his team leaders. Is he available?” If he is out, ask for the best time to reach him rather than leaving a message.
In the video, the prospect sets the terms straight away: “You've got 30 seconds to tell me why this call concerns me.” A real decision-maker rarely says it out loud, but always thinks it.
The first attempt starts like this: “So, we have a solution...” Then comes the product name, a figure, and a closed question: “Is this something that interests you?” The pitch goes too fast and talks about the seller, not the prospect. The debrief also flags hesitations in the opener.
A good opening line works the other way round. It starts from the prospect's situation, names a problem, then opens the conversation.
“Good morning Mr Delcourt, Emma Clarke, management trainer. I'm calling because you run a production site. New team leaders often put off difficult conversations. Is that something you come across?”
As soon as the prospect answers, ask an open question. For example: “How do you currently prepare your team leaders for those conversations?” Then stay quiet. Active listening matters as much on the phone as it does face to face.
In the video, François Delcourt reacts to the pitch: “Meaning what? How does it work for us, in practice?” That is a sign of interest. Mame's reply: “I'm going to start again, because that wasn't good.”
In practice, you can start again. In a real call, you can't. The debrief notes it: one of the prospect's questions went unanswered. Prepare a two-sentence explanation, then follow it with a question.
An objection early in a call is often a defensive reflex, not a considered refusal. Objection handling follows three stages: acknowledge without contradicting, ask a question, propose a next step. The same logic applies in sales negotiation.
Don't criticise what they already have. Show interest in it: “That's good news, so the topic is already covered. How do your teams practise between sessions?” The answer often reveals a gap. That gap is where you propose the meeting.
In the video, the objection comes like this: “For now, we don't have any particular need there. We'll see later.” Mame asks: “Could I call you back at a particular time?” The answer: “No, not now. We'll see later in the year. Have a good day.”
Asking for a slot without giving a reason doesn't work. First find out what will change later: “What would make this more pressing in a few months' time?” You gain a piece of information and a legitimate date to call back.
This is often a polite way of hanging up. Accept, then narrow it down: “Happy to. So I can send you something useful, which point interests you most?” End with a commitment: “I'll send it today and call you on Thursday morning to hear what you think.”
On the eighth attempt, the prospect gives in: “All right, I'll agree to a briefing, but it has to be short. Twenty minutes, no more.” Mame then asks for an email address to arrange the next step. The answer: “You'll find my details on our website.”
The meeting was accepted, but it was never dated. Agreement in principle without a date is worth nothing. Booking the meeting has to be settled during the call, with two specific options.
Offering two slots changes the question. The prospect is no longer choosing between yes and no, but between two dates.
After each call, answer yes or no to these eight questions:
Record your answers over ten calls. The “no” answers that keep coming back show you which reflex to work on first. To go further, use an interpersonal skills assessment grid.
As Mame puts it in the video: “Cold calling is an extremely difficult exercise.” Reading a method does not build reflexes. Only repetition does, with precise feedback after every attempt.
Three formats work well together:
In all three cases, the debrief makes the difference. It turns a failed attempt into a specific point to improve. Prospecting also draws on essential soft skills for sales professionals, such as listening and coping with rejection.
To see other scenarios, watch our other role plays on video.
Phone prospecting describes the overall approach: contacting prospects by phone to secure meetings. Cold calling refers more to the calls themselves, made to people who are not expecting them. In everyday use, the two terms are often interchangeable.
No. The script is there to prepare the call and keep you on track. Learn your opener and your meeting request, then keep a list of keywords in front of you.
A few minutes are enough. The goal is to get a date, not to present your whole offer. If the prospect wants to know more, that is the right moment to propose the meeting.
Thank them, and note the reason for the rejection and the date of the call. Then fill in your self-assessment grid. A well-analysed rejection prepares the next call.
Choose ten prospects, write your opener, prepare your three answers to objections and identify two slots. After each call, fill in the grid. After ten calls, you will know which reflex to work on.
Face Up lets trainers create this kind of scenario. An AI avatar plays the prospect, and the learner receives a debrief after each session. To try the cold calling scenario from the video, you can book a demo.
