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Industry guide

Marketing agencies: sales calls, objections and opening lines

Agencies sell something intangible to clients who have heard many promises. Calls succeed when the seller asks about business goals first, shows an understanding of the client’s market and talks about process rather than promises.

Typical call types

The conversations that come up most often, and what each one is for.

New business outreach
Contact a marketing lead or owner and earn a short conversation about their goals.
Discovery and scoping call
Clarify goals, budget range, existing channels and who must approve.
Proposal follow-up
Walk a prospect through next steps and respond to questions about scope and price.
Client review call
Discuss results, learning and plans, and open the door to additional work.

Who you talk to and what they care about

Know the person before you dial. Each role listens for something different.

Business owner
More enquiries or sales, a clear cost and an agency that explains things without jargon.
In-house marketing manager
Fit with the team, reporting they can show their boss and avoiding another failed agency.
Finance approver
What the spend will deliver, how it is measured and flexibility to stop.

Top objections and example answers

Examples of a direction, not a script. Say it in your own words and use facts from the customer’s situation.

“We tried an agency before and it did not work.”
Thank you for telling me. What did you expect, and what happened? I would like to understand what would have to be different for it to be worth trying again.
“We do it in-house.”
That is good. Is there a part, such as a campaign or a specialist skill, where extra capacity would help your team?
“Your price is higher than a freelancer.”
I understand. Let us compare scope, who does the work and how results are reported, so the comparison is on the same basis.
“Show me guaranteed results.”
I cannot promise results that depend on many things. What I can do is agree clear goals, how we will measure them and when we review.

Sample opening lines

A good opening names who you are, why you are calling and gives the other person an easy way to answer.

New business
Hello, [Name], this is [your name] from [agency]. I know I am calling out of the blue. I help [type of business] get more of the right enquiries, and I wondered how you handle that at the moment.
Proposal follow-up
Good morning, [Name], [your name] from [agency]. I sent the proposal on [day]. What questions came up when you looked at it?
Client review
Hello, [Name], it is [your name] from [agency]. Before our review, I would like to hear what your priorities are for the next quarter.

Replace the brackets with your own details. Keep the line short enough to say in one breath.

Wording to handle with care

General reminders, not an exhaustive list. Rules differ by country and company, so follow your company’s approved wording.

Guaranteed rankings, leads or sales
Outcomes depend on factors outside an agency’s control. Describe methods and measurement instead.
Claims about case studies
Use only results that you can document and that the client has agreed you may share.
Statements about data and tracking
Be accurate about what is collected and how, and avoid giving privacy interpretations.
Disparaging competitors or past agencies
Keep to your own approach; criticism of others often sounds defensive.

This is training material, not legal advice. For anything specific, ask your compliance or legal team.

Practise these calls in DIRI AI

Talk to an AI customer by voice and read a report with the transcript afterwards. These scenarios are the closest fit for this industry.

Recommended practice scenarios

Objections to practise first

Say it out loud before a customer hears it

Pick a scenario, talk to an AI customer and see in the report which sentences helped and which to try again.

Start practising for free

Questions about this industry

Marketing agencies: which call types come up most often?

New business outreach: Contact a marketing lead or owner and earn a short conversation about their goals. Discovery and scoping call: Clarify goals, budget range, existing channels and who must approve. Proposal follow-up: Walk a prospect through next steps and respond to questions about scope and price. Client review call: Discuss results, learning and plans, and open the door to additional work.

Marketing agencies: who do you talk to and what do they care about?

Business owner: More enquiries or sales, a clear cost and an agency that explains things without jargon. In-house marketing manager: Fit with the team, reporting they can show their boss and avoiding another failed agency. Finance approver: What the spend will deliver, how it is measured and flexibility to stop.

Marketing agencies: how do you answer the most common objections?

“We tried an agency before and it did not work.” Thank you for telling me. What did you expect, and what happened? I would like to understand what would have to be different for it to be worth trying again. “We do it in-house.” That is good. Is there a part, such as a campaign or a specialist skill, where extra capacity would help your team?

Marketing agencies: which wording needs care on calls?

Guaranteed rankings, leads or sales: Outcomes depend on factors outside an agency’s control. Describe methods and measurement instead. Claims about case studies: Use only results that you can document and that the client has agreed you may share. Statements about data and tracking: Be accurate about what is collected and how, and avoid giving privacy interpretations. Disparaging competitors or past agencies: Keep to your own approach; criticism of others often sounds defensive. This is training material, not legal advice. For anything specific, ask your compliance or legal team.

Marketing agencies: can I practise these calls in DIRI AI?

Yes. DIRI AI lets you practise phone calls by voice with an AI customer and read a report with the transcript afterwards. The Free plan includes 3 calls a month of up to 5 minutes each, and paid plans start with a 7-day trial.