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Art Sobczak’s cold call intro formula

If you’re new here, I’m Haris. I spend hours every day digging through the internet to find the most practical sales advice—so you don’t have to.

This is the daily newsletter where I share it.

A few months ago, Art was kind enough to send me a signed copy of his book Smart Calling. It’s packed with real examples, clear frameworks, and no fluff.

Here’s Art Sobczak’s approach to starting cold calls, explained by Victor Antonio.

It’s built to help you sound confident, relevant, and credible from the first second—not like every other desperate rep.

Don’t say things like this

• I'm calling people in your area

• I was going through my files and thought I'd reach out

• I'm updating my database

• Just wanted to check in

• You probably guessed this is a sales call

• I'm not trying to sell you anything

They make you sound fake, generic, or unsure—and immediately trigger resistance.

Use this simple structure instead
The opener model in Chapter 10 has 8 steps.

Here’s the framework with examples straight from the book.

1. Introduce yourself and your company

“Hi Dr. Mohler, this is Victor Antonio with Smile Marketing.”

→ Short and clear. No need to overdo it.

2. Make a connection

“I noticed the coupons you’re running in the school paper and spoke with your office manager about your current marketing.”

→ This shows you’ve done your homework—it doesn’t feel cold anymore.

3. State your specialty

“We specialize in working with pediatric dentists.”

→ The niche matters. It proves you understand their world.

4. Mention a common problem or goal

“Who are looking to build their practice and reduce patient acquisition costs.”

→ Always tie it to something they care about—not your product.

5. Offer a possible value prop

“One way we might help is by cutting the cost of acquiring new patients.”

→ Sobczak uses “possible” to avoid sounding like you’re assuming too much.

6. Describe the outcome

“We’ve helped similar practices lower acquisition costs by 50% and increase new patients by 25% in six months.”

→ Results = credibility. Keep it specific and real.

7. State your intent

“Depending on what you’re focused on, we might have a few things worth exploring.”

→ This keeps it low-pressure and opens the door.

8 . Shift to a question

“Would now be a bad time to ask a few quick questions?”
or
“Would you be open to a 10-minute call later this week?”

→ It’s casual, respectful, and gets you to the conversation without sounding like a closer too early.

1. Example for a Pediatric Dentist:

"Hi Dr. Moeller, I’m Stephen Drury with Smile Marketing. I noticed the coupons you are running in the school paper and spoke with your office manager about some of the marketing you are doing to build your practice. We have helped other pediatric dentists cut their cost of new patient acquisition by 50% on average, while increasing their number of new patients by 25% within six months. Depending on what your goals are, we might have a few options worth taking a look at."

2. Example for a Recruiting Scenario:

"Heather, I’m Kyle Johnston with Personnel Solutions. I saw your Twitter posting mentioning how many unqualified applications you had to go through the other day. We specialize in reaching high-level managers in your industry who otherwise might not be looking for positions. Recruiters who use our career postings tell us that the candidates they attract are better-qualified — which saves them hours per week by not having to deal with applicants who would never be considered."

A better way to open cold calls

This take comes from two Josh Braun posts on cold calling—how to stop sounding like you’re asking for permission to talk.

Most reps lose the call in the first 10 seconds

⇢ Ask for permission to speak
⇢ Sound unsure or overly polite
⇢ Use lines like “Did I catch you at a bad time?” or “Can I have 27 seconds?”

What happens:
You sound like every other rep
You signal low status
You trigger instant resistance

What to do instead

✔ Speak like a peer
✔ Be clear, calm, and confident
✔ No gimmicks or clock-based openers

Example:
“Hi Josh, this is Mandy Jones with X. We haven’t spoken before. I’m calling about [topic]. Was hoping to speak briefly.”

It lands because:
↳ It's direct
↳ It’s neutral
↳ It sets even ground

Avoid sounding like you need permission to exist

These openers kill your chances:

✘ “Do you have a few seconds?”
✘ “I’ll be super quick.”
✘ “Can I steal a moment?”

Use this mindset instead:
You’re not begging—they’re lucky you called (if you did your homework).

Show up like a pro, not a pitch

✔ Respect their time without asking for it
✔ Lead with relevance, not charm
✔ Let the tone do the work, not the gimmick

Start with calm authority. Make it feel like a conversation, not a trap.

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How to open without getting shut down

In a live session, Zac Thompson and Jack Frimston show what real cold calls actually sound like.

I’ve summarized the key lessons for you — all the stuff that actually worked (and what didn’t):

Most cold calls fail because they’re annoying 

✔ Reps hide their intent or use fake-sounding intros
✔ Prospects don’t hear a reason to care in the first 15 seconds
✔ If it sounds like a script, you’re done

What works instead: 

⇢ Be direct and disarm with honesty
⇢ Use humor and normal language
⇢ Know when to shut up and when to dig deeper

Lead with brutal honesty

1️⃣ Start by admitting it’s a sales call
2️⃣ Ask for 30 seconds, not a minute
3️⃣ Let them decide if they want to hear more

Example:
↳ “It’s a sales call — want to hang up or give me 30 seconds to see if it’s worth your time?”

⇢ The lesson: Total honesty earns trust fast

Don’t fake rapport

✔ Skip the “how’s your day” small talk
✔ Sound like a normal person, not a pitch bot
✔ Jokes land better than buzzwords

Example:
↳ “You’re probably about to hang up — I would too.”

⇢ The lesson: Low pressure, high curiosity

Test for problems early

✔ Use 2–3 short pain points to qualify
✔ Shut up and listen after that
✔ Walk away if nothing sticks

Example:
↳ “Some teams want more qualified leads. Others just want shorter sales cycles. Is that relevant or way off?”

⇢ The lesson: Relevance before pitch

Handle ‘not now’ like a pro

✔ Respect the timeline
✔ Don’t beg for a meeting “just in case”
✔ Use the call to learn instead

Example:
↳ “Sounds like June is a better time. Want me to check in then?”

⇢ The lesson: Builds future pipeline

Always ask one last question

✔ Get insight even when rejected
✔ Learn how to improve your opener
✔ Keep it casual

Example:
↳ “What would I have needed to say for you to stay on the line?”

⇢ The lesson: Real feedback > assumptions

End strong, not desperate

✔ Leave something simple and memorable
✔ Point to your site, not a pitch deck
✔ Keep the tone light

Example:
↳ “Fair enough. If things change, we’re at wehaveameetingdotcom — easy to find.”

⇢ The lesson: Keeps the door open without pressure

Partnering with these newsletters:

• The Cautionary: Learn to challenge conventional wisdom

• B2B Whales: Proven B2B sales strategies

• Dynamic Business: Business is hard

• The Follow Up: We talk about Sales like your friend

Check them out!