Prep Like a Pro
These are the four questions every cold call prep should answer before dialing
Who are they? Why should they care? What pain might they have? What angle will I use?
What does Triple-C stand for?
Context, Connection, Curiosity.
Put the cold call flow in order: Close, Opener, Conversation, Question, Pain Statement.
Opener → Pain Statement → Question → Conversation → Close.
This is the base framework for a pivot on a call
Acknowledge → Question → Reframe
A gatekeeper asks, “What is this regarding?” Give a direct response.
Example: “I’m calling about the booking flow on their website. I had a quick question for whoever handles online reservations.”
This is the difference between dialing and calling?
Dialing is random activity, script-dependent, and focused on volume. Calling is intentional, segment-prepped, relevant, and aimed at starting a real conversation.
Why should we avoid “Do you have 30 seconds?” or “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
It gives the prospect an easy exit before we’ve created any interest and signals “sales call” too soon.
What is the goal of the opener?
The goal is not to pitch. The goal is to earn enough attention to start a conversation.
Prospect says: “I’m busy.” Give a strong live response.
Example: “Totally get it, I’ll be brief. The quick reason I called is I noticed something that could be creating friction for guests trying to book on mobile. Before I let you go, are you seeing most bookings come through phone or desktop?”
Gatekeeper says, “They’re not available.” What do you say?
Example: “No problem! Who would be the best person to ask about the website booking experience or online reservations?”
You have kayak rental leads. Name two actions can you take to prep efficiently.
Batch by segment, use AI to generate shared pain points/openers, then adjust lightly by account.
Fix this opener: “Just calling to introduce myself and see if you had time to talk ticketing.”
Strong answer should add relevance, a pattern, and an open-ended curiosity question.
A prospect answers your opener with, “What is this about?” What do you do next?
Briefly clarify the relevant reason, name a pain, then ask a question.
Prospect says: “Not interested.” Give a strong live response.
Example: “Totally fair, most people aren’t looking to change anything when I first call. Usually the reason operators keep talking is because they’re trying to reduce manual booking work or capture more mobile demand. Out of curiosity, where does your team feel the most friction today?”
Prospect says immediately, “We’re all set.” Give us your response to save the call.
Example: “Totally fair, I’m not assuming anything is broken. I noticed [specific issue], and usually that can affect [business outcome]. Is that something you’ve looked at recently?”
An AE/SDR spends 8 minutes researching one lead before every call. What’s the issue and what should they do instead?
They’re over-researching and killing momentum. Prep should be fast positioning, not a rabbit hole.
What’s wrong with leading with a full 30-second commercial right away?
You haven’t earned attention yet. The commercial should come after the opener creates engagement, not before.
A rep gives a great opener, then immediately monologues for 45 seconds. What should they have done instead?
Ask one sharp open-ended question and let the prospect engage.
Prospect says: “Just send me info.” What actions should you take?
Don’t just agree and disappear. Acknowledge, ask what would be most useful, and try to earn a specific next step. Example: “Happy to send something over. So I don’t send you generic fluff, is the bigger priority for you right now driving more bookings online, cleaning up check-in, or reducing admin work?”
You realize your opener did not land. What components make up the secondary pivot?
Acknowledge, reframe, ask a question.
Build a quick call angle for: small boat tour operator heading into summer rush.
Strong answer should include likely pain: high booking volume, check-in friction, mobile bookings, cancellations, staffing, or manual work.
Create a Triple-C opener for a business with no clear mobile Book Now button.
Example: “Hey, I was on your site earlier and noticed the tours look great, but on mobile I had to hunt a bit for where to book. Usually when that happens, operators can lose guests who are ready to buy quickly. I was curious... have you looked at how many bookings are coming through mobile right now?”
What can we add to make this a better flow? opener → pitch → demo ask.
Opener → pain statement → open-ended question → listen/conversation → tailored value → close.
Prospect says: “We’re happy with what we have.” Give a live response.
Example: “That’s great, and honestly, I’d hope you are. Usually when I talk to operators who are happy, they’re still open to finding one or two spots where the process could be smoother. If you had to pick one thing, is there anything in booking, waivers, or check-in that still feels more manual than it should?”
Prospect says, “We already have an online booking system.” Save the call and ask for the demo.
Example: “That makes sense, most operators I call already do. The reason I reached out isn’t just whether you can take bookings online, it’s whether the flow is helping you capture demand without creating extra work for your team. Based on what I saw, I think there are a couple quick wins worth walking through. Would 15 minutes later this week be crazy?”