Cold call objection drill pack
Mini playbook
The four moves
- Acknowledge: show you heard them, in a few words. Agreeing with the objection is not required.
- Ask: one short question that finds out what is behind the objection.
- Answer: respond to what they told you, not to what you assumed.
- Next step: ask for something small and specific, such as two more minutes, a time to call back or permission to send one thing.
Score every round on three checks
- I asked before I answered. 0: no question. 1: a leading question ("Wouldn't you agree...?"). 2: one open, honest question.
- I sounded like a person. 0: read it, rushed it. 1: mostly natural. 2: calm, normal pace, my own words.
- I asked for a next step. 0: no ask. 1: vague ("Maybe we can talk again"). 2: specific, a day, a time or one action. Six points is a clean round; four or more is fine in the first week.
One rule before you start
- When someone asks you to stop calling, remove their number or not contact them again, that is not an objection. Confirm it, do it and end the call politely. Objection 15 is there to practise exactly that.
A. In the first ten seconds
- 1. "I'm not interested." Often means: "I don't know what this is yet, and I'm guessing it's not for me."
- 1. Reply 1: "That's fair, you don't know what it is yet. Can I give you the one-sentence version, and you tell me if it's worth another minute?"
- 1. Reply 2: "Understood. Before I go, is that because you've got this covered, or because it's just not a priority right now?"
- 1. Ask: "What would make it worth a minute?"
- 1. Avoid: "Most people say that at first." It tells them you think they don't mean it.
- 1. Harder version: the prospect says it again, more firmly, after your first reply. Practise ending well: "Okay, thanks for being straight with me. Have a good day."
- 2. "I'm busy." Often means: exactly that, or "I don't want to give you time yet."
- 2. Reply 1: "I'll be quick then: we help [who you help] with [the problem you solve]. Is that worth a call at a better time, or not at all?"
- 2. Reply 2: "Sure. Is later today or tomorrow morning better for five minutes?"
- 2. Ask: "When is a better time?"
- 2. Avoid: "This will only take a second." It almost never does, and they know it.
- 2. Harder version: "I'm always busy." Practise offering a specific short slot.
- 3. "Is this a sales call?" Often means: "Be honest with me."
- 3. Reply 1: "Yes, it is. I'll tell you why I picked you, and you decide if it's worth staying on."
- 3. Reply 2: "It is. I'm calling because [your real reason]. If it's not relevant, say so and I'll let you go."
- 3. Ask: "Is it okay if I take thirty seconds?"
- 3. Avoid: "Not really, I'm just calling to..." If it is a sales call, say so.
- 3. Harder version: "Then I'm hanging up." Practise one sentence of value, then let them go.
- 4. "How did you get my number?" Often means: "I'm uncomfortable" or "Is this legitimate?"
- 4. Reply 1: "From [the real source]. If you'd prefer I don't call this number, I'll take it off our list now."
- 4. Reply 2: "Good question. It's [the real source]. I can tell you more about where it came from if that helps."
- 4. Ask: "Would you like me to remove it?"
- 4. Avoid: making up a source or dodging the question. Always give the real one.
- 4. Harder version: the prospect asks for proof. Practise saying what you know and offering to send it in writing.
B. Timing
- 5. "Call me back later." Often means: a polite exit, or a real request.
- 5. Reply 1: "Happy to. When exactly? I'll put it in my calendar now."
- 5. Reply 2: "Sure. So I don't waste your time when I call, what should I have ready?"
- 5. Ask: "What day and time suits you?"
- 5. Avoid: "Okay, I'll try you sometime next week." A vague callback almost never happens.
- 5. Harder version: "I don't know, just later." Practise offering two specific options.
- 6. "Not right now. Maybe next quarter." Often means: "There's something else going on" or "This isn't urgent for me."
- 6. Reply 1: "Understood. What's happening between now and then that makes next quarter better?"
- 6. Reply 2: "Fair. Can I ask one question so that when I call next quarter, it's actually useful?"
- 6. Ask: "What would need to be true by then?"
- 6. Avoid: "Prices are going up after this month." Don't make up urgency.
- 6. Harder version: they won't give a reason. Practise agreeing a date and leaving.
- 7. "We've just signed with someone." Often means: a real "no" for now.
- 7. Reply 1: "Good timing to know. How long does that agreement run?"
- 7. Reply 2: "Makes sense to give it a fair go. When would you normally review how it's working?"
- 7. Ask: "When do you review it?"
- 7. Avoid: saying anything negative about the other supplier.
- 7. Harder version: "We're very happy with them." Practise a respectful exit with a date to check in.
C. "Send me something"
- 8. "Send me an email." Often means: "Get off the phone," or "I really do prefer to read."
- 8. Reply 1: "Will do. So it's not a generic email, what's the one thing you'd want it to answer?"
- 8. Reply 2: "Sure. If it's useful, can I call you Thursday to hear what you thought?"
- 8. Ask: "What should I put in it?"
- 8. Avoid: "Can I just take two more minutes to explain?" They just told you they don't want that.
- 8. Harder version: "Just send it." Practise confirming the email address and one follow-up point.
- 9. "Send it to info@." Often means: "I'm not the person" or "I'm not giving you my details."
- 9. Reply 1: "I can do that. Who reads it there, so I can put their name on it?"
- 9. Reply 2: "Sure. Is there a specific person who looks after [area], so it gets to them?"
- 9. Ask: "Who should it be for?"
- 9. Avoid: pressing for a personal email they didn't offer.
- 9. Harder version: "I can't tell you." Practise thanking them and ending the call.
D. Status quo and price
- 10. "We already have a supplier." Often means: "Switching sounds like work."
- 10. Reply 1: "Most companies I call do. What do you like most about how it works now?"
- 10. Reply 2: "Makes sense. If there were one thing you could change about it, what would it be?"
- 10. Ask: "What would you change?"
- 10. Avoid: "But are you sure they're giving you the best price?" It sounds like an attack on their choice.
- 10. Harder version: "Nothing, it's perfect." Practise accepting it and asking for a review date.
- 11. "It's too expensive." Often means: "I don't see the value yet," or a real budget limit.
- 11. Reply 1: "Compared to what? I want to understand what you're measuring it against."
- 11. Reply 2: "Fair. Is it the total, or is it how it's paid?"
- 11. Ask: "What were you expecting it to cost?"
- 11. Avoid: offering a discount before you know what "expensive" means to them.
- 11. Harder version: the prospect names a competitor's lower price. Practise asking what's included in that price.
- 12. "We don't have budget." Often means: "Not this year," "Not for this," or "I'm not the budget holder."
- 12. Reply 1: "Understood. When does next year's budget get set?"
- 12. Reply 2: "Thanks for saying it. Who decides where budget goes for [area]?"
- 12. Ask: "When is budget planned?"
- 12. Avoid: "It pays for itself." Unless you can show it with their numbers, it's just a slogan.
- 12. Harder version: "There's never budget for this." Practise asking what they do about the problem today.
E. Authority, fit and stop requests
- 13. "I'm not the right person." Often means: sometimes true, sometimes a brush-off.
- 13. Reply 1: "Thanks for telling me. Who would look after [area]?"
- 13. Reply 2: "Got it. Would it be okay to say you pointed me to them?"
- 13. Ask: "Who should I speak to?"
- 13. Avoid: "Can you transfer me?" before you know who it is.
- 13. Harder version: "I can't give out names." Practise asking for a role or a department instead.
- 14. "We tried something like this before. It didn't work." Often means: a real bad experience, and that's useful information.
- 14. Reply 1: "That's worth knowing. What went wrong last time?"
- 14. Reply 2: "Sorry to hear that. What would have to be different for it to be worth looking at again?"
- 14. Ask: "What happened?"
- 14. Avoid: "We're nothing like them." Listen first.
- 14. Harder version: the prospect gets annoyed telling the story. Practise listening for 30 seconds without interrupting, then summarising.
- 15. "Take me off your list." This is not an objection: practise honouring it. What to do: confirm, do it, end politely. No reply, no question.
- 15. Say: "Of course. I'll remove your number now, and you won't hear from us again. Sorry for the interruption."
- 15. Avoid: "Can I just ask why?" or one last pitch.
- 15. Practice partner: say it at any point in any drill. The agent scores 2 only for a clean, immediate stop.
The six drills (4 to 6 minutes each)
- Drill 1, rapid fire (4 minutes): the partner reads objections in random order, one every 15 seconds. You give only Acknowledge and Ask, no answers yet. Trains not jumping straight to defending.
- Drill 2, the ladder (5 minutes): one objection, three rounds. Round 1 is the basic version, round 2 the harder version, round 3 the partner says it twice in a row, louder. Trains staying calm when your first reply does not work.
- Drill 3, count to two (4 minutes): after the objection, wait two full seconds before you speak. The partner raises a hand if you start early. Trains sounding like you are thinking, not reciting.
- Drill 4, back to back (5 minutes): the partner uses two objections in one call, for example 1 then 8. Get to a next step anyway, or end the call cleanly. Real calls rarely have just one.
- Drill 5, own words (5 minutes): take one reply from this pack and say it three times, changing it each time until it sounds like you. Write the final version down. Trains replies you will actually use.
- Drill 6, full call (6 minutes): opener, at least two objections and a next step. The partner chooses the objections and may use number 15 at any time. Trains putting it together under realistic pressure.
Two-week routine
- Each day for ten working days: pick three objections, run one drill, score yourself from 0 to 6 and write down the one line you will keep.
- Working alone: read the objection aloud, pause, and reply to your phone's recorder. In pairs: swap roles halfway through each drill.
- After day 10: look back at your list of kept lines. Those are your replies. Put them on a card next to your phone.