SAY = read the line out loud, exactly as written.
WAIT = stop talking completely and let them answer. Never read the next line until they respond. If the silence feels long, count to three in your head, it is normal.
PAUSE = take a short breath, then keep going. You don't need a reply, but if they start talking during a PAUSE, stop and listen.
GO TO = the exact next card to read. Never guess, never invent a line.
- Speak slowly. About 140–160 words a minute is normal for a clear phone call. You can verify your speed using Trellus.
- If they start talking, stop reading immediately, even mid-sentence. Listen fully, then find the card that matches what they said.
- Each objection card is used once per call. A second pushback on anything, don't argue and don't invent a new line, go to the section of Stage E - EXITS, Card E1 or E2.
The one safety line. If someone asks anything not on a card, always say this:
“I do not want to give you wrong information. Our project manager can answer that during the visit. May I set that up for you?”
This turns any surprise question into a booking attempt. Memorize this line before anything else in the script.
Banned phrases. Never say these, in any situation:
“Great question” / “Good question” — on real recorded calls this got said as a reflex to things that were not questions (“I'm okay” is not a question). It reads as canned and inattentive.
“How are you doing today?” — filler that burns the opening seconds. Prospects exit before the reason arrives.
“I know I called you out of the blue” / “I hope I'm not interrupting your day” — apologizing for the call invites the exit. State the reason instead.
“Am I catching you at a good/decent/bad time?” — measured at a 2.15% success rate in Gong's data, and on a real recorded call it got an instant “Nope” that the call never recovered from.
“I can assure you” — repeated assurance is what spam callers do. If someone doubts you, give facts (name, company, city), never assurances. See Card X14.
