What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson you can plan a first call in a large account, run it so the buyer does most of the talking, and end it with a problem in their words, the names of who else is involved and a dated next step.
What the first call is for
Lesson 1 set the aim: an inroad, not a meeting. So the first call is not the place to cover everything and ask for a proposal. It has three outcomes, and they are the same three every time:
- The problem in the buyer's words. One sentence you can quote back.
- Names. Who else the problem touches, and who would take part in a decision.
- A next conversation with a date, which includes at least one of those people.
If you leave with all three, the call worked, even if you never described your product. If you leave with none, it did not, however friendly it was.
Before the call: 15 minutes
Write four lines.
- What I already know. The trigger, the stated priority, anyone else we have spoken to. Do not ask the buyer to repeat what is public.
- What only this person can tell me. One or two things. This is why you are speaking to them and not reading their website.
- My three questions. Chosen for their role. A head of operations and a head of IT should not hear the same three.
- What I can offer. One useful thing: a short summary, an example, an introduction. Not a brochure.
A 30-minute plan
| Minutes | What happens | Who talks |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 | Why you asked for the call, and what you hope to leave with | You |
| 3 to 18 | Your three questions, and the follow-ups they lead to | Mostly them |
| 18 to 23 | What you do, in two minutes, tied to what they just said | You |
| 23 to 28 | Who else is involved, and what happens next | Both |
| 28 to 30 | Repeat the next step and the date. Stop on time | You |
Two things stand out. Your description of what you do comes after their answers, so you can use their words. And it is short: two minutes, not a presentation. If they want more, that is the next conversation.
Open by saying what you want
Do not start with small talk about the weather or a tour of your company. Start with the reason and the plan:
"Thanks for making the time. I asked for this call because of [trigger]. I've got three questions about how [company] is approaching it, and I'd like to leave five minutes at the end to agree whether a second conversation makes sense, and with whom. Does that work?"A senior buyer relaxes when they hear a plan with an end. It also makes the last five minutes yours by agreement, so you are not squeezing the most important question into the final thirty seconds.
The question that widens the account
At minute 23, ask it plainly:
"Who else is affected by this, and would it help if I spoke with them directly?"Then stay quiet. You will hear one of three answers.
- A name. Ask what that person cares about, and whether you may say the two of you have spoken.
- "Send me something and I'll pass it on." Agree, and send a note written to be forwarded: three lines, no attachments, one question for the colleague.
- "Just me for now." Accept it. Ask instead what would have to be true before others get involved. The answer tells you what the second conversation is about.
Do not leave without one of these. An account where you know one person is where it was before the call.
Agree the next step before you hang up
"I'll follow up next week" is not a next step. A next step has a date, a purpose and a person:
- "Thursday 22nd, 20 minutes, with you and Marcus, on how this fits beside the warehouse system."
If they will not agree a date, ask what needs to happen first, and offer to check back on a named day. Write down exactly what they said. A soft "not yet" with a reason is more useful than a calendar entry they will cancel.
The same day
Within a few hours, send a short note and update the account record.
The note has four lines: the problem as they put it, what you agreed, the date, and who else will be included. Quoting their own sentence back shows you listened, and gives them something accurate to forward.
The record is the account's, not yours. Add the names you heard to the buying committee map with their roles, and mark who you have and have not spoken to. The next lesson covers the second and third conversations.
Key takeaways
- A first call has three outcomes: their words, their colleagues' names and a dated next step.
- Ask first and describe yourself second, in two minutes.
- Always ask who else is affected, and never leave without an answer.
Exercise (20 minutes)
- For your next first call, write the four preparation lines. (10 minutes)
- Write your opening in your own words and say it aloud once. (5 minutes)
- Decide in advance what you will send if they say "send me something". (5 minutes)
Why this works on named accounts
Put it into practice
Buying Committee Mapper
Map the people behind a decision by role, stance and influence, and see who to approach next. Runs in your browser.
Appointment Setting Script for Enterprise Accounts
For SDRs, founders and account executives calling into large companies.
You leave with a pre-call card, a call script, replies to seven responses and scripts for the second and third conversation.
The Forwardable Note: Get Introduced Inside an Account
For sellers with one friendly contact in an account and nobody else.
You leave with the ask, a note your contact can forward in ten seconds and the thank-you that keeps them involved.