Team/Manager Checklist Free

Cold Call Ride-Along / Call Shadowing Checklist

A before/during/after checklist for shadowing a rep's live cold calling block: what to listen for in each phase of the call, and the rules for delivering feedback without shutting the rep down mid-session.

How to use it

Print this or keep it open on a second screen while you silently listen in on a rep's full dial block, checking items off in real time rather than trying to reconstruct the call from memory afterward.

What's inside

Before-session checklist: consent, block length, muting, scorecard-in-hand rules
Phase-by-phase listening checklist for the opener, discovery, objections, and next-step securing
Whole-block checklist: energy drop-off after rejection, warm-up time, timestamped moments worth replaying
After-session feedback rules: timing, sequencing, and the one-moment discipline
A short Do / Don't list for shadow etiquette

Use this every time you silently join a rep's live dial block: as a manager, peer mentor, or enablement lead.

Before the session

Rep knows this is developmental, not a performance review, and was told in advance: never surprise a rep with a silent shadow
Confirmed which block you're joining (minimum 45 minutes / a full dial session, not 2 cherry-picked calls)
Your line is fully muted; confirmed the rep can't hear you breathing, typing, or moving
Call Monitoring & Coaching Scorecard is open and ready: not filled in from memory afterward
Decided in advance whether you're giving live micro-feedback via chat, or saving everything for after (default: after, unless both agreed this is a live-coaching session)

During: Opener phase (per call)

Did the opener sound conversational, or read off a script?
Did the rep adapt when the first 5 seconds didn't go as expected?
Noted the exact prospect pushback line used (for the objection-handling review later)

During: Discovery phase

Counted how many open-ended questions were asked before any pitch
Did the rep let a silence sit, or fill it immediately?
Did the rep reference something the prospect said earlier in the same call?

During, Objection handling

Did the rep acknowledge before responding?
Did tone shift (defensive, rushed) after pushback?
Was the objection actually addressed, or talked past?

During: Next steps

Was a specific day/time asked for, or left vague?
Did the rep confirm the meeting before hanging up?

During, Across the whole block

Did energy or quality drop after a rejection or two in a row?
How many calls before the rep "warmed up"?
Any moment worth replaying in a coaching session: timestamp it now, not from memory later

After the session: feedback delivery

Feedback happens within 24 hours: never immediately after a bad call, in the middle of a live block
Lead with one specific thing that worked, named precisely (not "good job")
Pick ONE moment to work on and carry it into the 1:1 Cold Call Coaching Session Template: don't dump the whole list
Ask the rep what they noticed before giving your own read
End with a forward commitment, not just a critique

Do / Don't

Take timestamped notes so you can return to the exact moment later.
Shadow a full block, not a highlight call, average calls tell you more than best calls.

Don't

React audibly, laugh, or sigh: even muted, reps sense a shadow's energy through their own nerves.
Shadow the same rep the day right after a hard coaching conversation, let it land first.