Cold call voicemail script templates
Short voicemail scripts for B2B cold calls, grouped by situation, with the blanks in [brackets] for you to fill in. Each one takes well under half a minute to say and ends with your name and number.
First call
For someone who has never heard of you. Give one reason for the call and leave the door open.
The one-line reason
Hi [First name], this is [Your name] from [Your company]. I'm calling because [one-line reason]. I'll send you a short email with the details, so you can reply there if that's easier. My number is [number]. Again, that's [Your name], [number].
Send the email right after you hang up, with the same reason in it.
Lead with a question
Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Your company]. A quick question for you: how is your team handling [the problem you solve] right now? I work with [type of company] on exactly that, and I'd like to hear how you do it. You can reach me at [number]. That's [Your name], [number].
After an email
When they already have an email from you. Point to it, so the voicemail and the email work together.
Point to the email
Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Your company]. I sent you an email on [day] with the subject line "[subject line]". It's about [one-line reason]. If it's useful, just reply there, or call me back at [number]. Again, that's [Your name], [number].
Add something new
Hi [First name], [Your name] from [Your company] again. I emailed you about [topic], and there's one thing I didn't mention: [one new detail, such as a result for a company like yours]. I thought it was worth a call. If now isn't the time, no problem. I'm at [number]. That's [Your name], [number].
A referral or a trigger event
When your reason for calling is about them: a name they know, or something that just changed at their company.
Someone suggested the call
Hi [First name], this is [Your name] from [Your company]. [Referrer's name] suggested I get in touch with you about [topic]. I'd like to hear how you're handling it and see whether a proper conversation makes sense. Call me back at [number], or reply to the email I'm about to send. That's [Your name], [number].
Ask the person who referred you first whether you may use their name.
Something changed at their company
Hi [First name], [Your name] from [Your company]. I saw that [Their company] [what happened: opened a new office, is hiring for a role, launched a product]. Teams in that spot often run into [the problem you solve], and that's what we help with. Worth a short call? I'm at [number]. That's [Your name], [number].
Last follow-up
When you've tried a few times without hearing back. Say it's your last call for now and make it easy to answer.
Close the loop
Hi [First name], it's [Your name] from [Your company]. I've tried you a few times about [topic], so this is my last call for now. If it isn't a priority, no problem at all. If it is, I'm at [number]. Again, that's [Your name], [number].
Ask who to talk to
Hi [First name], [Your name] from [Your company]. I've been trying to reach you about [topic], and I may have the wrong person. If someone else on your team looks after it, could you reply with their name? Otherwise, I'm at [number]. That's [Your name], [number].
When a voicemail is worth leaving
Not every unanswered call needs a message. Leave one when it gives the person something to act on:
- The first call to a new contact, so your name is familiar when your email arrives.
- Right after an email, so the voicemail and the email point to each other.
- When your reason is about them: a referral, or something that just changed at their company.
- The last try, so they know you're stopping and can still answer if the timing is right.
On the calls in between, hang up and try again later. A message on every try starts to sound automatic, and people stop listening.
Say the message live, in your own voice. A recorded message dropped into a voicemail box is a different practice and worth a compliance check first; see voicemail drop.
How to keep it short
- One reason. Say why you called in one sentence. If it takes two, the reason isn't clear yet.
- No pitch. A voicemail has one job: a callback, or an opened email. Save the pitch for the conversation.
- Fill every blank. A message with a generic reason sounds like it went to everyone on a list.
- Name and number at the end, slowly. Say the number twice, at the speed you'd want if you were writing it down.
- Practice out loud. Read the script a few times before you dial, then say it without reading. It should sound like you talking, not like a script.
Pair it with an email
A voicemail and an email work better together than either does alone. Say in the voicemail that an email is coming, send it as soon as you hang up, and give the same reason in both. Put your name and that reason in the subject line, so the email reads as the follow-up to the call they missed.
On the next call, the voicemail can point back to the email by its subject line. That gives a busy person two ways to answer, and they can pick the easier one.
Where these scripts fit
In Personnect, voicemail is detected and skipped, so the rep moves on to the next contact. Use these scripts for the contacts where you decide a message is worth leaving.
Questions, answered
How long should a cold call voicemail be?
Short enough to say in well under half a minute: who you are, one reason for the call, and your name and number. Anything longer starts to sound like a pitch.
Should I leave a voicemail on every cold call?
No. Leave one on the first call, right after an email, when you have a reason that's about them, and on the last try. On the calls in between, hang up and try again later.
Should I say my phone number twice?
Yes. Say it slowly at the end, then once more. People reach for a pen only once they've decided to call back, and by then the first time has gone by.