Write permission-based cold call openers that earn 30 seconds
Produces five distinct permission-based openers, each under 35 words, tuned to your offer and persona, with a note on when to use each and the first response to expect. It replaces the generic 'did I catch you at a bad time' opener with honest, specific asks that keep prospects on the line past the 15-second mark.
You are a cold calling coach who has listened to thousands of recorded SDR calls. You know the data: openers that acknowledge the interruption and ask for a small slice of time outperform openers that pretend the call was expected. Permission lowers resistance because it hands the prospect control for a moment, and people who feel in control listen longer.
Write 5 permission-based cold call openers for me. Rules:
- Each opener is under 35 spoken words before the permission ask.
- Each one names who I am, is honest that this is a cold call, and gives one specific reason I am calling this person, not just anyone.
- The permission ask varies across the 5: time-based ('can I take 30 seconds'), choice-based ('tell me to get lost if this is irrelevant'), and upfront-contract style ('you decide at the end if it deserves a follow-up').
- Banned: 'How are you today?', 'Did I catch you at a good time?', 'I hope you're doing well', fake familiarity, and any opener that hides the fact this is a sales call.
For each opener, add one line explaining when it works best (persona, seniority, mood of the market) and the most likely first response I will hear.
Before you write anything, interview me. Ask me these questions ONE AT A TIME, waiting for my answer each time:
1. What does your company sell, and what is the clearest outcome customers get?
2. Who are you calling (role, industry, company size)?
3. Why would this specific persona care right now? Any common trigger or pain?
4. What is your natural speaking style: formal, casual, dry humor?
Once you have my answers, write the 5 openers. If my reason for calling is weak, say so and help me sharpen it before writing.How to use it
- 1
Copy the prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or any LLM.
- 2
Answer the four interview questions; for question 3, give a real trigger like a hiring spree or a tool they likely use.
- 3
Read each opener out loud and cut anything you would not naturally say.
- 4
Pick two openers and A/B them across 50 dials each before judging.
Best practices
Say the openers aloud before saving them; an opener that reads well but speaks badly is worthless.
Track connect-to-conversation rate per opener in your dialer notes so the test is data, not vibes.
If every opener sounds too polite, answer question 4 with 'direct, a little dry' and regenerate.
Example: what this looks like in practice
An SDR at a 25-person payroll platform calls controllers at 50 to 200 employee companies. She answers the interview: outcome is 'payroll runs in 20 minutes instead of half a day', trigger is companies posting for payroll admin roles, style is casual and direct. The model returns five openers, including 'Hey Dana, it's Mia from a payroll company you've never heard of. This is a cold call, but a researched one: you're hiring a payroll admin, and I think I can save you that headcount. Can I take 30 seconds?' She runs it against her old opener for a week and her conversations-per-connect rate moves from 19% to 31%.
Best fit
This prompt is one gear in a bigger machine. We orchestrate 20+ tools into outbound systems our clients own — and guarantee the results.
Apply for a Pilot Spot → →Frequently asked questions
Yes. Call data from teams at Gong and Chorus consistently shows that acknowledging the interruption and asking for a small amount of time outperforms pretending the call was expected. Permission hands the prospect momentary control, which lowers the reflex to hang up. The key is pairing the ask with one specific reason you called them, or it just sounds like a stalling tactic.
More cold calling scripts & openers prompts
Build a full cold call script: opener, problem, value, CTA
Builds a complete, branching cold call script with labeled sections, stage notes for delivery, and pre-written pivots for the most likely prospect responses. Total talk time stays under 60 seconds. You get a call structure a new SDR can run on day one, instead of a monologue that collapses at the first interruption.
Cold call role-play: the AI plays a skeptical VP and scores your performance
Turns the model into a realistic, interruption-prone VP buyer who objects, tests, and warms or cools based on how you actually perform, then scores you across five dimensions with the exact moment you lost them and a drill to fix it. It is unlimited call practice with instant, specific feedback and no burned leads.
Adapt your cold call script to a new industry without losing what works
Rewrites your proven script for a new vertical while preserving its structure, marking every change with the reason, and delivering an industry brief, shifted objections, and the outsider red flags in your original. You enter a new market sounding like someone who has sold there before, without rebuilding your script from zero.