Individual
Cheat Sheet
Free
Cold Call Objection Cheat Sheet
A single printable page covering the 10 objections reps hear most in the first 30 seconds of a cold call, each with a 10-second response and a follow-up question to keep the line open.
What's inside
- One-page table of the 10 most common first-30-seconds objections
- A 10-second scripted response for each objection
- A follow-up question for each to keep the call alive
- The 'Acknowledge → Reframe → Ask' golden rule framework
- Covers 'not interested,' 'busy,' 'send an email,' 'already have someone,' and 6 more
- A print/pin formatting note for use during live dialing
One-page quick reference for the first 30 seconds of a call.
The Golden Rule: Acknowledge → Reframe → Ask. Never argue with the objection. Acknowledge it in one breath, reframe in one sentence, then ask a question that keeps them talking.
| # | You Hear | Say This (10 seconds) | Follow-Up Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "I'm not interested" | "Fair — most people say that before they know what this is." | "Can I tell you the one thing we help with in 10 seconds?" |
| 2 | "I'm busy / bad time" | "Totally get it — I'll be fast." | "Can I ask one qualifying question before I let you go?" |
| 3 | "Just send me an email" | "Can do — I want it to be useful, not generic." | "What's the one thing you'd want it to address?" |
| 4 | "We already have someone for that" | "Good to know — glad it's covered." | "What's the one thing you wish worked better with them?" |
| 5 | "How'd you get this number?" | "[Honest source] — I reached out for a specific reason." | "Want the 15-second version of why I called?" |
| 6 | "We don't have budget" | "Understood — that's common before people see the cost of the status quo." | "Worth 10 minutes to see if that changes anything?" |
| 7 | "Take me off your list" | "Done — you won't hear from me again on this." | "Just curious — bad timing, or genuinely not relevant?" |
| 8 | "What's this about?" | "[Company] helps [role] do [outcome] — calling because [trigger]." | "Worth two minutes?" |
| 9 | "I'm not the decision maker" | "Appreciate you saying so." | "Who owns this, and is it even on their radar right now?" |
| 10 | "We're all set" | "Good to hear — glad things are running smoothly." | "All set at a 9 or 10, or a 7 nobody's questioned lately?" |
Print/pin note: Keep this face-up next to your dialer. Read the matching row, not the whole sheet — this is muscle memory, not a script to be read verbatim on the call.
How to use it
Print it and keep it face-up next to your dialer; glance at the matching row the instant you hear the objection rather than reading the whole sheet mid-call.