You emailed a prospect and got no reply. On your first call, explain the offer in one sentence and find out whether they can use it.
“I sent you a note about late pickups. We collect parcels after the regular courier leaves. What happens when an order misses pickup at your dock?”
A local courier emailed a distributor about late pickups. Start at the top, then follow the reply you hear.
Hi [Name], it’s [Rep] with [Courier]. I sent you a note about late pickups. We collect parcels after the regular courier leaves. What happens when an order misses pickup at your dock? [They missed the email.] Buyer: “I didn’t see it. Most of those orders just go tomorrow.” You: “Fair enough. Does anything ever have to leave the same day?” Buyer: “Sometimes. The order desk calls around if a customer is waiting on a part.” You: “Who at the desk usually deals with that?” Buyer: “That’s me. I’d need to know how late you can come by.” You: “Which depot are you shipping from?” Buyer: “The east depot.” You: “Would ten minutes with our dispatcher help you see whether we can cover that route?” [If they agree, offer two times. Confirm the depot, the route they want checked, the time zone and the email for the invite.] [They read it and already use a courier.] Buyer: “I saw your email. We’ve got somebody for late pickups.” You: “Sounds like you’ve got it covered. Is there a run they can’t usually take?” Buyer: “Fridays can be tricky. Just send me your cutoff for Fridays.” You: “Sure. Which postal code should I have dispatch check?” Buyer: “I’ll give you the depot’s. Just email me the answer.” You: “Will do. I’ll send the Friday cutoff for that depot.” [Send the verified cutoff to the address they confirm. Record an email request.] [Someone else handles this.] Buyer: “I’m in receiving. Shipping chooses the courier.” You: “Thanks. Is there a name or a direct line for shipping?” [If they give you a contact, record who referred you. Introduce yourself when you call that person.] [There’s no fit.] Buyer: “Everything can wait until the morning truck.” You: “Got it. You wouldn’t need us for that. Thanks for your time.”
Use the fill-in version for your own call · See the email and both phone openings
Mention the subject in a few words, explain the offer aloud and ask how the buyer handles that situation today. They can answer a question about their work even if they never opened your email.
Listen for a concrete example of the problem. If the buyer names one, use their words in the next question. If they say their current process covers it, you can finish the call.
What happens to an order that misses your last pickup?
Who decides whether a parcel can go out on a different route?
Which detail would you need to decide if a late pickup could work?
Compare the email follow-up response with two other cold calling examples
Illustrative example from CallTeam. This is the email a courier rep could send a distributor, followed by the words to use when the buyer tells you what they saw.
Subject: Orders that miss the afternoon truck Hi Morgan, We pick up parcels in the east industrial park after the regular carriers leave. What do you do with a parts order that comes in after your last truck? Dani
Original subject and offer — [what you actually emailed] If the buyer missed it — [one sentence explaining the offer and a question] If the buyer read it — [a question about the work] Agreed outcome — [resend, referral, callback, meeting or close] Owner and date — [who agreed to do what and when]
“No problem. We pick up parcels after your carrier’s last run. Does anything still need to go out after that?” Give the buyer a moment to think. There’s no need to ask them to find the message.
“How does that work on a Friday afternoon?” Use a question about a real part of your service. If the current arrangement covers it, thank them.
“Of course. Was there a detail you wanted, or would you like the original note?” Confirm the address and send what they ask for. Agree on a callback only if they want one.
“Who looks after that at your company?” Ask whether you may mention their name. A department number can still help if they prefer to keep a colleague’s details private.
“Of course. I’ll mark that now. Thanks for telling me.” End the call and record the request before any further outreach.
Use the same specific offer you put in your first note.
Hi [Name], [Rep] with [Company]. I emailed you about [task]. We help [type of buyer] do [specific thing]. How do you handle that today? [They mention a gap] When did that last come up? Who took care of it? [They want details] What would be most useful to send?
Give them an easy way to decide whether to reconnect.
[Name], this is [Rep] from [Company]. The note I sent was about [specific job]. Do you look after that? [They do, but have to go] Is there a time that suits you, or would a short email be easier?
Include the topic and your number so the buyer can respond either way.
Hi [Name], it’s [Rep] with [Company]. We help [buyer] with [task]. I emailed a short example under the subject [subject]. If you want to talk about [specific issue], my number is [number]. Again, that’s [number].
Have your own opener? Check your cold call script.
Give your name, company and the business reason for calling. Then ask one question the prospect can answer from experience. For a distributor, that could be what happens to parcels after the last truck leaves.
Open with the issue you emailed about. Asking someone to search their inbox uses the first few seconds on the message itself. A question about their work gives them something they can answer straight away.
An open event cannot establish that the person read the message. Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection can load remote content in the background. Use the prospect’s own words to decide which branch of the call fits.
Confirm the address and whether they want the whole note or one detail. Send that item. If they choose a time to talk, record the date, time zone and purpose as a separate next step.
Yes. Provide the audience, the exact message you sent and the contacts to exclude. CallTeam can make the first calls, qualify the replies and flag who asked for information, referred a colleague or agreed to meet.
CallTeam wrote the courier email, phone dialogue and call record for this guide. The sources below cover previous touches, opening a cold call and the limits of email-open data.
Prepared by CallTeam ·
See what qualifies as a booked appointment at CallTeam. Use the standard when a buyer offers time to discuss a specific need.
CallTeam uses the offer your team already emailed, reaches the person who handles it and records what they agree to. Your seller gets the buyer’s reason to meet. People who ask for a resend or point you to a colleague are marked separately.
See CallTeam’s managed B2B cold calling service →Bring the email you sent, the list it went to and an example of a conversation your sales team would want to take.
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