What you'll get
- 20 copy-ready blocks
- Spreadsheet-ready
- 9 min read
- Pre-call card (one per person)
- Opener
- Reason for the call
- The ask
- 1. "Send me an email."
- 2. "We're not interested."
- and 14 more
How to use it
- Step 1: Fill in the pre-call card. If you cannot complete it, you are not ready to call.
- Step 2: Learn the structure and say it in your own words. A script that is read aloud sounds like one.
- Step 3: After every booked meeting, use Part 6 to open the second and third conversation in the same account.
Most appointment setting scripts are written for volume: the same pitch to anyone who picks up. Senior people in large companies hang up on those. This script assumes you have chosen the account, know why you are calling this person and want more than one conversation there.
Part 1: Pre-call card
Pre-call card (one per person)
Account: [company]
Why this account: [fit reason in one line]
Why now: [trigger: new executive, expansion, published initiative, contract review]
Person: [name, title]
Their likely role in the decision: [budget owner / evaluator / day-to-day owner / influencer]
What they probably care about: [one line, in their terms]
One question I want answered: [ ]
Who else I need to reach here: [name or role 1], [name or role 2]Part 2: The opener
Opener
Hi [First name], this is [your name] from [company].
I'm calling because of [specific trigger at their company], and I have one question about it. Do you have 30 seconds for me to explain, and then you can tell me whether it's worth continuing?Why it works: you give a reason that belongs to their company, you ask for a small amount of time and you hand them the decision.
Reason for the call
Thanks. We work with [type of company] on [problem, in their words]. When I saw [trigger], it suggested [specific implication for their team].
How are you handling [that problem] at the moment?Then stop talking. Take notes on the answer. Ask one follow-up question before you move to the ask.
Part 3: The ask
The ask
That's helpful, thank you. I don't think a phone call out of the blue is the right place to go into this properly.
Would you be open to 20 minutes next week? I'll bring what we've seen at [similar type of company] dealing with [problem], and you can judge whether it applies to you. Would Tuesday at 11 or Thursday at 3 suit you better?Ask for a conversation, not a demo. Say what you will bring. Offer two times.
Part 4: Seven responses and what to say
1. "Send me an email."
Happy to. So I send something useful and not a brochure: is [problem A] or [problem B] closer to what you're dealing with?
[After they answer] Thanks. I'll send two short paragraphs on that today. If it's relevant, shall I pencil in 20 minutes on Thursday so it doesn't get lost?2. "We're not interested."
That's fair, I did call out of nowhere. Before I go, can I ask: is that because [problem] is already handled, or because it isn't a priority this year?Either answer tells you something for the account record. If it is handled, ask how. If it is not a priority, ask when planning for next year starts.
3. "We already have a vendor for that."
I expected you would. I'm not asking you to replace anyone. Most companies we speak to have [incumbent type] in place and talk to us about [specific gap]. How well is that part covered for you today?4. "I'm not the right person."
Thanks for telling me. Who looks after [problem area] on your side?
[After they answer] Would it be all right if I mentioned that you pointed me to them?This is the most valuable response on the list. When one door doesn't open, look for another relevant door, and try to walk through it with a name.
5. "Now is a bad time."
Understood. When is better: later today or tomorrow morning?Agree a time, then call at that time exactly.
6. "How did you get my number?"
From [honest source: your company's website / a business contact database / LinkedIn]. If you'd rather I didn't call this number, I'll take it off our list now.Tell the truth and honour the request. Follow the calling and data-protection rules of the country you are calling into.
7. "What does it cost?"
It depends on [the two things that drive price], so any number I give you now would be a guess. That's one of the things the 20 minutes would settle. Does Tuesday or Thursday work?Part 5: Gatekeeper, voicemail and confirmation
Gatekeeper
Hi, it's [your name] from [company]. I'm trying to reach [First name] about [trigger or topic, in one phrase]. Are they the right person for that, or would you point me to someone else?Treat an assistant as a colleague of the buyer. They often know who really owns the topic.
Voicemail (under 20 seconds)
Hi [First name], [your name] from [company]. I'm calling about [trigger] and how it affects [their area]. I'll send a short email with the subject "[subject line]" so you have the context. My number is [number].Confirmation email (send within ten minutes of booking)
Subject: [Day] [time]: [topic] with [your company]
Hi [First name],
Thanks for your time just now. Confirming [day, date, time, time zone], 20 minutes, by [video link or phone].
What I'll bring: [the specific thing you promised].
What would help from you: [one thing, e.g. how the process runs today].
If someone else on your team works on [problem area], feel free to forward this to them.
[Your name]Part 6: The second and third conversation
A first meeting is the start of the work in an account. Use these to widen it.
In the first meeting: ask who else is involved
If this did turn out to be worth doing, who else would have a view on it? I'm thinking of [finance / IT / the team that would use it].
What would each of them need to see?
Would you prefer to bring them into the next conversation, or shall I contact them and say we've spoken?Email to the second stakeholder
Subject: [First contact's name] and [topic]
Hi [First name],
I spoke with [first contact] on [day] about [topic]. They mentioned that [the part that touches this person's area] sits with you.
I have a question about [their specific concern], and I'd like to make sure what we discuss with [first contact] fits how your team works. Could we speak for 15 minutes this week?
[Your name]Call opener to the third stakeholder
Hi [First name], this is [your name] from [company]. I've been speaking with [first contact] and [second contact] about [topic], and your name came up for [their area]. I'd like your view before it goes any further. Do you have two minutes now, or is later today better?Only say you have spoken to someone when you have, and only use a name when that person agreed.
Part 7: Call log
Log every call against the account, not just the contact, so the next call into that company starts where this one ended.
Call log header (paste into a spreadsheet)
Date Account Person Role in the decision How it is handled today Others named Next step DueWorked example (illustrative, not a real company)
A warehouse-software seller calls "Northfield Logistics". Names are invented.
Pre-call card, filled in
Account: Northfield Logistics
Why this account: third-party logistics, on the warehouse system our best customers use
Why now: second distribution centre announced in March (company news page)
Person: Dana Whitfield, VP Supply Chain
Their likely role in the decision: budget owner
What they probably care about: opening the new site without a second planning team
One question I want answered: how is slotting planned across two sites?
Who else I need to reach here: Head of IT Applications, Regional Warehouse ManagerOpener, as said
Hi Dana, this is Sam Carter from Quaywise.
I'm calling because of the second distribution centre you announced in March, and I have one question about it. Do you have 30 seconds for me to explain, and then you can tell me whether it's worth continuing?Five mistakes to avoid
- Reading the script aloud. Learn the structure and use your own words.
- Calling without a "why now". If the pre-call card has a gap, do not dial.
- Asking for a demo. Ask for 20 minutes and say what you will bring.
- Treating the booked meeting as the finish. Ask who else is involved before it ends (Part 6).
- Using a colleague's name without their agreement. It costs you both people.
Why this works on named accounts
Common questions
What is an appointment setting script?
A structure for a first call that earns a conversation: a reason for calling, one question, a specific ask and prepared replies. This one adds the second and third conversation in the same account.
How do you ask for the meeting?
Ask for 20 minutes, say what you will bring and offer two times (Part 3). Ask for a conversation, not a demo.
What do I say when they ask me to send an email?
Agree, then ask which of two problems is closer to theirs, so the email is specific (Part 4, response 1).
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