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Outside of marketing, I’ve worked as a trainer and business owner. While I love the work I do, it’s just as important that I get paid for my efforts, so purchase orders (POs) are a big part of my day-to-day. A purchase order is a document that buyers send to suppliers to confirm their intention to move forward with their goods and services.

But, how do purchase orders work? Well, a PO lays down an agreement, which establishes the expectations of the transaction, as well as the buyer’s approval of the terms of payment. Purchase orders are commonly used for bulk orders involving larger transactions, or when buyers are involved in recurring relationships with the supplier.

To help you learn about purchase orders and successfully create your own, I’ll cover the following topics in this article:

Table of Contents

• What is a purchase order?
• Types of Purchase Orders
• How does a purchase order work?
• Advantages of Purchase Orders
• Purchase Order Format: What to Include on Your PO
• Purchase Order Template
• How to Create a Purchase Order
• How to Create a Purchase Order System

Purchase orders are beneficial for both the buyer and seller. By issuing purchase orders, small businesses can specify what goods and services they need from their suppliers and when they’re needed by. A PO also allows the seller to ensure it can provide the goods and services requested before committing to fulfillment, giving the buyer time to plan accordingly.

Purchase Order vs. Invoice

So, is a purchase order the same as an invoice? No. But the two are often confused.

While purchase orders show the intent to make a purchase — and are created by a buyer — invoices outline the terms of payment and are created by a seller.

Both the purchase order and the invoice are legal documents that define the terms of the sale, but purchase orders are issued before a purchase is made, while invoices are issued afterward to confirm delivery of items, along with price and payment date.

To keep the two separate, here’s a list of features:

Purchase orders:

• Are created by the buyer.
• Are issued before a purchase is made or delivered.
• Specify the items to be purchased and at what price.

Invoices:

• Are created by the seller.
• Are issued after the products or services are delivered.
• Confirm delivery of items, along with price and payment date.

How does a purchase order work?

Now that we know what a PO is — and how that differs from an invoice — I can explain how businesses use these documents in their accounting practices. While this is a realm filled with jargon, I’ll break it down in plain, simple English.

Before purchase orders are created and submitted, employees must get approval for an order from their organization, usually from the purchasing department. Once reviewed and approved, the PO can be created and sent to the vendor. And even if your company doesn’t have a formal procedure for creating a PO, you may still need to generate a PO to serve as a form of contract for your purchase.

Here’s how the purchase order process works.

1. First, the buyer creates a PO and generates a PO number.

After the approval of the purchase requisition (PR), the buyer creates a purchase order containing the details of the product, including the quantity, per-piece pricing, total pricing, and expected date of delivery.

For example, if you need to order new boxes to ship your products, you’ll calculate how many boxes you need and when you need them — and that information goes on your PO.

Next, the buyer generates a PO number. With the PO number and the information above, the buyer drafts the purchase order and sends it to the seller for approval, making sure to indicate the date that approval is needed by.

This date should give the seller ample time to deliver on schedule, and also give the buyer sufficient time to source from another seller if the PO is not approved.

2. Next, the seller reviews and approves the PO.

When the seller receives the PO, they review it for approval. If the request can be fulfilled, they approve the purchase order, which becomes legally binding for both parties.

Sellers can ask for amendments, for example, if the information is incomplete or they’re not satisfied with the terms of the PO. They also have the right to cancel the PO if it doesn’t meet their policies.

3. After approval, the seller creates an invoice.

Here’s where the invoice comes in. If the purchase order is approved, the seller issues an invoice with the terms of payment, including price breakdown, goods provided, quantity, and total amount owed.

Invoices should be standardized to ensure consistency, making sure no critical details are accidentally omitted. Tools like HubSpot’s free Invoice Generator do just that — just use the provided template, fill in the blanks, and have your invoice ready in a matter of minutes.

Regarding payment, the seller may request it before, during, or after the delivery date, depending on the terms.

To go back to the example of boxes, if the vendor has a net 30 payment term, it means that when the boxes are delivered, you’ll receive an invoice with your shipment, and then you have 30 days to pay from the date of the invoice.

4. Next, the buyer conducts purchase order matching.

When the buyer receives the invoice, they’ll review it to ensure that the information on the invoice matches the information on the purchase order. This process of comparing the invoice and PO is called purchase order matching.

5. Finally, the invoice is sent for approval.

Once the matching process is complete, and any discrepancies corrected, the invoice is sent for approval to the accounts payable (AP) department, where payment is released to the seller. It will depend on the terms of the payment agreement when payment is released (for example, now or in 30 days).

With this, the PO is closed, unless the seller has more items to deliver to fulfill the order.

Advantages of Purchase Orders

Why would you want to use a purchase order? There are many reasons, but here are the highlights of how using purchase orders can help your business.

• Buy now, pay later. A PO lets you place an order for products and pay for them during or after delivery.
• Saves time for both parties. Digital POs and a PO system with automated workflows (both discussed below) mean a quick and seamless process.
• Provides legal protection. Purchase orders work as a legal document for buyers and sellers. Both parties can refer to this document if any concerns arise over the quantity of items, the pricing, the date of delivery, and so on.
• Manage budget spend. Businesses can use software to automate their workflow and track business spending. Most software updates in real-time so that the buyers can manage their spending right away.

Purchase Order Format: What to Include on Your PO

Ready to create your own purchase order? Here is the information you need to include.

1. Header. Provide your company details, including the company name, business address, purchase order date, and purchase order number.

2. Vendor information. Indicate the proper recipient for the purchase order. This is where you list the name of the seller company, your specific contact name, and the address of the seller company.

3. Ship to. Specify where the order should be sent, the shipping method, the shipping terms, and the intended delivery date.

4. Order details. For each product included in the order, provide a line item with the product code or SKU number, item name or description, quantity of units requested, the price per unit, and the delivery date of each item.

5. Summary. Complete the purchase order by providing a subtotal, any applicable discounts, taxes, shipping costs, and grand total.

Below, I’m sharing an example purchase order with all of these categories to help put the pieces together.

As you can see, you have the option of adding multiple products, so there’s no need to create different purchase orders per product. In addition, you can take discounts out of the final cost and take into account shipping and handling.

Purchase Order Example

Not sure what a purchase order should look like when all filled out? The PO example below checks all the boxes — it includes the customer’s information, the desired products, the shipping terms, and the PO number. Plus, it includes a note for the vendor. From what I’ve seen, this is a pretty standard PO and a great reference point to come back to if you need it.

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Purchase Order Template

If you want to create your purchase order following the above format, download our easy-to-use purchase order template.

This template comes in two versions: an Excel version and a fillable PDF. I recommend using the Excel version to create multiple POs for a single supplier and the fillable PDF for one-off purchases.

The Excel template will automatically calculate the final cost for you, making it easy and simple to see your totals and discounts.

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At this point, you might be thinking, “If you‘ve seen one purchase order, you’ve seen ‘em all,” but that’s just not true. I learned that there are actually five types of purchase orders, and they differ by how much information is included. I’ll explain them below.

1. Standard Purchase Orders

Standard purchase orders (like the example above) are the most widely adopted and are the easiest to use. In this situation, as the buyer I’m clear on the details of the purchase and can identify what item or service I’m buying, the quantity, delivery schedule, and payment terms.

Standard purchase orders should include the following:

• Delivery date.
• Number of items.
• List of items to be purchased.
• Terms and Conditions.

Best for: Standard purchase orders are best when sellers don’t expect to enter into a long-term contract with the buyer.

Standard purchase orders can be tailored to your needs, and could be adjusted for:

• Services to be rendered.
• Subcontracting.
• Consignment.

2. Planned Purchase Orders

When placing a planned purchase order (PPO), a buyer is estimating the future needs of their company for the item in question by submitting a purchase order in advance. Planned purchase orders are usually preferred for long-term contracts where the vendor provides items to the buyer at irregular intervals.

In this case, I’d be sure to detail items such as the item, price, and payment terms, but the quantity is based on an educated guess, and the delivery date is tentative.

Here’s what a PPO includes:

• Terms and conditions.
• List of items.
• Quantity.
• Price.
• Tentative date of delivery.
• Tentative location of delivery.

Best for: PPOs are considered best when a buyer expects delivery in parts from the seller. This could be because of a temporary contract, or perhaps if the buyer needs to plan their purchases and break down the payments into smaller installments. PPOs help with cost management since the buyer pays at the time of delivery.

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3. Blanket Purchase Orders

A blanket purchase order (BPO) is also called a “standing order” where vendors enter into a recurring relationship with their buyers. BPOs are less precise than the standard purchase order since they contain unspecific delivery dates and quantities of the items.

A typical blanket purchase order includes:

• Terms and conditions.
• Discounts.
• List of items.
• Pricing.

Best for: Blanket purchase orders are used for future purchases or ones that involve consistent purchases from the vendor, and are best for simplifying the purchases and reducing the administrative costs.

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4. Contract Purchase Orders

Contract purchase orders (CPO) are more of a legally binding contract between the vendor and buyer for future purchases. In this case, the buyer and seller sign a contract outlining the terms of the purchase before a purchase order referencing the contract is issued. This type of purchase order offers the most legal protection for those involved.

A CPO is often just an outline that lists the negotiated terms and all the necessary details between the two parties.

Best for: I’d say CPOs are best for creating a procurement contract between two parties that outlines the negotiated terms and conditions. Businesses should use CPOs when they enter into a long-term relationship with the vendor.

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5. Digital Purchase Orders

Having a set process in place for purchase orders can help the procurement process move efficiently and be mutually beneficial for both buyers and sellers. I think digital purchase orders are a great way to accomplish this.

One easy way to create and share a digital purchase order is in Microsoft Excel or Open Office. You can find pre-existing templates when you open a new spreadsheet, click on More Templates, and search “invoice.” I already made the distinction between invoices and purchase orders, but you can find both under this keyword in Excel.

And, of course, you can also download HubSpot’s purchase order template a well.

Now that we’ve gone through the different types of purchase orders, let’s talk about what one process of purchase order creation can look like.

How to Create a Purchase Order

While there are many variations in PO systems, there are some general steps you can follow to create a new purchase order. Here’s my quick, painless guide to creating POs.

1. Submit banking details to your system administrator.

The first step of the purchase order process happens before you even touch your computer. Your accounting team needs to load your vendor’s details into the system. That includes their address and any banking information for direct deposit. You may need to collect this information yourself, or your accounting team may gather these items, depending on your company.

Example of this step: Kaitlin Milliken, program manager of the Freelance Network here at HubSpot, says, “When working with freelance writers at HubSpot, our team gathers the writer’s payment details. Then, the accounting team loads this information into the system.”

2. Make sure you have the right level of access.

Not every user has the ability to make PO requests. If you don’t have access, you’ll need to contact your account administrator for this.

Example of this step: Milliken shares that, “On my first day at HubSpot, I had to reach out to our IT team to get the right access. So, there’s a possibility you’ll need to swap your settings.”

3. Add in your purchase details.

Once you’ve entered the system, you’ll start adding details, like who the vendor is (usually from a drop-down menu), what type of work they’ll be doing, and your estimated spend. Once you fill everything out, save and send the request.

Example of this step: Milliken describes her process: “When onboarding a new external writer, I put in the information related to their business and note they’ll be working on content. From there, I estimate how much we’ll spend with them annually and set the end date for the PO to the last day of the fiscal year.”

4. Add in additional information requested by your company.

In some systems, you’ll get a summary of your request, and there may be additional fields that your company requires you to complete. If so, fill out these sections to the best of your ability. Once all the fields are filled out, save and submit.

5. Submit and watch your request go up the chain.

That’s it for your part! From here, you get to watch the request go up the chain of your organization until it has reached final approval.

How to Create a Purchase Order System

Business doesn’t end after one purchase order is fulfilled. In supply chain management, there will always be an ongoing process to track. This is where I’ve seen how having a purchase order system eases the process.

A purchase order system is software that generates, tracks, and manages digital purchase orders in a streamlined and secure network. Without a system in place, important agreements can be lost in transition and cause friction between buyers and sellers dependent on one another.

To create a purchase order system from the ground up, here are some guidelines and steps to follow.

1. Determine the right forms for you.

Refer back to the types of purchase orders list and choose the purchase order format suitable for your business.

2. Design a workflow with outlined steps of the process.

To automate the process, you need to outline the steps necessary to take a purchase order from beginning to end. Create a step-by-step workflow showcasing interactions as well as where document data is inputted and transferred during the transaction.

3. Dictate role assignments and accessibility.

In your business, you need team members who know how to correctly assign roles to direct the workflow to completion. This same team will need to efficiently set access permissions to the stakeholders at hand so they can contribute to the order in a timely manner.

4. Begin, adhere to, and improve your purchase order system.

As you use and adhere to your PO system, you’ll have to actively collect feedback from both stakeholders and your own internal team. Figure out where certain steps can be improved and change them in your workflow. With time you’ll have a productive system going forward, and a smoother supply chain to manage.

Purchase Orders Lead to Stronger Relationships with Suppliers

Purchase orders benefit both you and your suppliers, ensuring there are no miscommunications throughout the purchase process. And, with the right template, as I learned from preparing lots of POs, purchase orders can be easy and simple to create — even if you don’t have a dedicated vendor relationship manager on your team.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

For businesses, AI agents can sound like a dream come true: increased productivity, reduced administration on internal teams, and humans outsourcing repetitive tasks in favor of the ones they love.

As a consumer, I personally love it when I can self-serve efficiently through an AI agent. It saves time, bypasses the need to listen to tinny hold music on the phone, and I don’t disrupt a hard-working human’s day with my easy-to-solve query. Win-Win.

So, where’s the rub?

Well, as a consumer, you probably already know. AI agents aren’t always as helpful as we want them to be. They can feel impersonal and waste time when you just want human engagement. Not to mention, it’s reported that Americans are concerned about the future of AI. Bentley University and Gallup found that 75% of respondents said that AI would reduce the number of jobs, and 77% of respondents don’t trust businesses that use AI.

That said, I’m an optimist in every sense of the word and don’t think we need to worry about our jobs or AI agents. This article is all about AI and AI agent usage. I’ll explain what an AI agent is, how it works, the benefits, drawbacks, and types, and how to use AI agents in a way that actually works. This article leans into AI agents positively, finding solutions to potential drawbacks. It helped me see how many AI agents are already in my life, with no disastrous consequences.

Table of Contents

• What is an AI agent?
• How do AI agents work?
• Benefits of AI Agents
• Drawbacks of AI Agents
• Types of AI Agents
• How to Use AI Agents That Work
• Trial an AI agent. It might surprise you!

What is an AI agent?

An AI agent is software that can interact with its environment or the data input. The AI agent can process information and then provide solutions.

To help understand what an AI agent is, see the screenshot below. It demonstrates an AI agent, in the form of a chatbot, at work.

The chatbot has processed its environment and the data input (the question I asked), then responded with a relevant and helpful reply.

Later, I’ll break down the types of AI agents, how they work, and what they can be used for.

How do AI agents work?

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As demonstrated in the helpful infographic above, there are four main components in the AI agent:

• The agent itself and its environment.
• Perception covers the AI agent’s ability to interpret inputs.
• The brain is where decision-making, planning, and reasoning take place.
• Action means the output or literal action.

The steps are:

• Receiving the input.
• Perceiving the information.
• Processing the information.
• Providing the output.

AI agents are not something to be daunted by. In fact, many AI tools are used by both small businesses and large, not to mention your personal life (I’ll show you how later).

Let’s understand how AI agents work using my HubSpot Chatbot example above.

I gave the chatbot an input. I said: “Hello, where can I find pricing information?”

The chatbot perceived and processed the information I had provided, even contextualizing the query and “understanding” this isn’t a simple answer.

The output was a message and a question. The chatbot said, “Hi there 👋 Welcome to HubSpot Sales! You can find pricing information in the chatbot or on our website. To point you in the best direction, what specific package or product are you looking to get pricing for?”

I liked the question back. It shows just how well the chatbot can perceive and process information; it knows it needs more information.

From this response, I knew how to get the pricing information I wanted, but the chatbot also encouraged further interaction so it could be more helpful. An example of an AI agent done well.

Benefits of AI Agents

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According to my research, the chatbot is one of the most familiar types of AI agents. When I reached out to people asking about their uses of AI agents, 51% of responses were on chatbots and customer service support. Naturally, I’ve included the benefits and drawbacks of those, but I wanted to dig deep and find other not-so-well-known benefits.

I’ve pulled in insights from people using AI agents, and I was impressed with the openness of those who contributed and their willingness to acknowledge the pros and cons of AI agents. I’ll share what I learned below.

Reduce customer service burnout and increase customer satisfaction.

Christian Hed, CMO of Dstny, has a lot of hands-on experience with AI agents. He was responsible for launching an AI chatbot agent at Dstny and deployed it with thousands of companies internationally.

AI agents can help customers handle thousands of customer support queries through simple interactions. We’ve already reviewed an exchange with a chatbot above, which was fit for this purpose.

Hed explains, “Many companies receive more than ten thousand customer support queries per day. Some receive direct calls that ping directly into an individual or team phone line, which can be a nightmare.

“AI agents are perfect for handling those initial interactions, like ‘Who do you want to talk to?’ or ‘What is this about?’ which significantly reduces the number of unnecessary interactions between human agents and customers.

“Many calls with easy responses can also get answered immediately by the AI agent — saving everyone time.

“If you have ten thousand inbound customer support tickets a day, this can save hundreds of hours of time over a week. This last year of AI innovation has cut costs dramatically for customer support teams.”

What I like: I have to admit, I am a big fan of AI agents used in this way, as long as the process is efficient. I don’t mind answering questions like ‘What is this about?’ or ‘Who do you want to talk to?’ if it speeds up my chances of reaching the correct department or person.

Analyze large data sets to improve products based on customer feedback.

Aljay Ambos, head of marketing and AI expert at Twixify, has an excellent use case and benefits from an AI agent. He uses AI agents as strategic collaborators during campaign ideation. When Twixify is ready to release new features, the team analyzes different types of information, such as customer feedback, market trends, and what competitors are doing.

But, they’re not doing this manually. Ambos uses Twixify’s AI agent to speed up the process.

Ambos said, “Our AI agent scanned thousands of customer support conversations. It presented a common problem: Many users needed assistance adjusting AI-made legal documents to comply with local rules. Such understanding, which a human team might not have seen because of the quantity of work, became the foundation idea of our campaign.”

Based on the AI agent’s findings, Twixify launched its campaign. I asked Ambos if there was a measurable success, and there was. Ambos said, “Our strategy boosted user engagement by 36%. It also enabled more people to use the new feature we introduced.”

What I like: Aside from the measurable success, I love this use of an AI agent — and I think it makes a lot of sense. AI agents can process data more efficiently than any human. I can see how the Twixify team would feed in large amounts of data from several sources to map out features they need to roll out to be competitive and meet customer needs.

Inventory Management

Iryna Balaban is the CEO and co-founder of Elite Maids NY, a cleaning service in New York City.

Before Balaban introduced an AI agent for inventory management, keeping track of cleaning products for thousands of cleaning jobs was a logistical disaster. Now, Balaban uses an AI agent and describes its mission to improve inventory management as a “tremendous success.”

Balaban describes how the AI agent tracks inventory: “The AI keeps track of cleaning supplies such as disinfectants, general-purpose cleaners, and microfiber cloths. [It] calculates usage history and anticipates upcoming cleaning. The AI knows when items are running out of stock and automatically reorders them. This way, our cleaning crews are never without supplies, which means there is never any delay or disruption in our service.”

Impressive.

The quantitative measures are easy to spot: There are no delays for customers, and frustrations to staff are diminished as they turn up to work with all the tools they need to do their best job.

Curious, I asked Balaban if there was a measurable impact.

There was. “This AI integration has had profound effects. Out-of-stock cases have decreased by 90% since implementing the system. This not only increases our client satisfaction but saves us money. Automating reorders and avoiding emergency purchases at the last minute has saved us some money on cleaning products. Also, AI allows us to detect patterns in our usage data so that we can get bulk purchase discounts from vendors and further grow our profit margins.”

What I like: This might be one of my favorite uses of an AI agent. It is an excellent example of AI automation understanding its environment and the information supplied, and how an action (reordering stock) can take the mental load off people. I like how impactful this is. It is also an excellent example of how AI agents benefit people: repetitive, boring tasks, like reordering stock and managing inventory, are given to the AI so humans can do what they love.

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Drawbacks of AI Agents

If you want to integrate AI agents into your business, it helps to know the drawbacks and common pitfalls so you can avoid them. Below, I’ve listed drawbacks and some solutions to avoid them when you integrate your own AI agent.

Since chatbots were the most common use of AI agents in my research, let’s start there.

Complex queries need a human.

Although Christian Hed has an innovative AI agent solution that reduces customer service burnout and increases the speed at which a customer can get an answer, he recognizes that some queries are beyond the AI agent. In these scenarios, the AI agent can cause frustration.

I appreciated Hed’s openness to acknowledge the pros and cons of AI agents, particularly with this matter.

Hed said, “Some queries are more complex and need a human to answer. An AI agent just causes frustration, as the customer knows they need support and wants to bypass it.”

What I like: I agree entirely with this. In fact, it was the first sticking point that came to my mind when I considered the drawbacks of AI agents. This is a disadvantage that I’m sure many of us can relate to. A personal recommendation for eliminating this issue is to use an AI agent that can quickly escalate a query to a human rep when the time calls for it. I feel most satisfied with AI agents that respond quickly to the request to speak with a human.

Lack of Empathy

I spoke to 55 experts about AI agents, and eight people mentioned the idea of “empathy.” It was a fairly common theme amongst AI experts when it came to drawbacks.

Empathy is a drawback of the AI agent; it simply can’t do it. If you have someone using an AI agent who really wants human connection, AI isn’t going to cut it.

There are solutions to avoid this, though.

Take a hybrid approach.

John Russo is VP of healthcare technology solutions at OSP Labs. Russo says, “To combat [lack of human empathy], businesses can implement AI agents in tandem with human agents. This hybrid approach ensures that more complex or emotionally sensitive queries are handled by real people, while routine tasks are automated. Additionally, constant fine-tuning and regular updates of the AI models can help reduce errors.”

In the world of healthcare, emotionally sensitive queries are going to be common for Russo and OSP Labs.

Russo explains how OSP balances chatbots and humans, “Chatbots handle FAQs on our website, improving response times and allowing human agents to focus on more complicated issues.”

What I like: As I said in my intro, I like being able to serve myself when it’s efficient. Chatbots handle FAQs, response times, etc., while human agents handle complicated or sensitive queries. Perfection.

Avoid AI agents entirely when human connection is needed.

There is always an option not to use AI agents for particular purposes.

Parker Gilbert, co-founder at Numeric, recommends “[using] AI agents strategically, focusing on tasks where human interaction isn’t essential or incorporating human oversight where needed.”

What I like: A strategic analysis of where an AI agent best works is beneficial (or where it isn’t) seems like the minimum a company can do for its customers. Considering where AI agents are most valuable will give you all the benefits of AI while avoiding the drawbacks.

Managing Data Accuracy

I think there’s a temptation to be too confident in AI agents to do their thing. But as Kevin Shahnazari, founder and CEO of FinlyWealth, learned, it doesn’t always provide accurate and helpful actions.

FinlyWealth uses AI agents across its credit card recommendation platform.

Shahnazari explains how the AI agent works, “The AI agent analyzes credit card application patterns. Our agents process thousands of data points to predict approval odds, saving users from damaging their credit scores with failed applications.”

Shahnazari credits the system with “[preventing] over 2,000 likely rejections while identifying better-matched card options for users.”

The challenge that Shahnazari found was that their AI agents started making overly conservative recommendations.

When asked how to solve this, Shahnazari said, “We solved this by implementing a hybrid approach where agents flag potential matches for human review. This combination improved recommendation accuracy by 35% while maintaining the efficiency of automated screening.”

What I like: While reliable, unless maintained and trained properly on good data sources, the AI agent’s quality may be low, or it could deteriorate. The value in what Shahnazari said is in the AI agent hybrid approach, adding that layer of human review. It’s a nice crossover with the hybrid approach mentioned earlier regarding AI and empathy.

I think the nice thing about a hybrid approach and making hybridity known to your workforce is that you will give them assurance that AI is not going to take their job anytime soon. Ultimately, AI agents and humans are better at working together. I also like that the AI agents can flag humans when action is needed, saving humans from having to constantly watch the AI.

Types of AI Agents

I think it helps to break down the types of AI agents to increase understanding and, therefore, remove the fear. Knowledge is power, and I think there’s a good chance you’ll be surprised by the types of AI agents that you are using nonchalantly and without threat in your day-to-day life. Even with an optimistic viewpoint, this was a pleasant surprise for me.

1. Learning Agents

Learning agents are the most familiar type of AI agent. You will have experienced learning agents if you shop online, stream TV, or listen to music online.

Learning AI agents work by improving their performance over time by learning from experience. For example, if you watched three movies over three days with the same actor and watched those movies to the end credits, then a learning agent might suggest another movie with the same actor.

Best for: AI-powered personal assistants, fraud detection systems, and self-learning robots.

2. Simple Reflex Agents

You’ll be familiar with this type of AI agent if you’re into smart homes. You might find this use case particularly non-threatening.

Simple reflex agents can be used in things like thermostats. These agents don’t have any context (unlike model-based, coming next). Simple reflex agents act based on the current situation without considering past experiences. They follow condition–action rules (if X happens, do Y). So, sticking with thermostats: If the temperature drops below a certain temperature, the heating kicks on. If the desired temperature is met, it turns off.

Best for: Basic automated systems like thermostat controls, spam filters, or rule-based chatbots.

3. Model-Based Reflex Agents

Model-based reflex agents are a type of AI agent that maintains an internal model of the world. They make decisions based on both current input and, importantly, stored knowledge. This helps the AI make informed decisions that are aligned with your brand.

Think of your model-based reflex agent as an AI with a boundary. It requires context assistance so that it understands and responds in accordance with your brand values, for example.

With these agents, you can input data that helps keep the AI on track, ensuring it makes decisions within a pre-defined framework.

Simply, these could be generative AI models that take into account your tone of voice.

Best for: AI assistants, like HubSpot’s Breeze Copilot.

Check out HubSpot’s AI Breeze Copilot.

4. Goal-Based Agents

Goal-based agents are a type of AI agent that you might be already using. Is your sales team using a CRM with built-in AI? You’re likely already moving and grooving with goal-based agents.

Goal-based agents make decisions based on pre-defined goals. The agent can evaluate the environment and select an action that brings a pre-defined goal closer.

Sticking with the CRM example, goal-based agents can assist sales teams in knowing what actions to take for which prospects. Instead of sales personnel following arbitrary actions for every prospect, a goal-based agent might spot commonalities between prospects that close and identify the information or action they want from your sales teams.

The goal-based agent, built within a CRM, can suggest sales strategies based on data. It might tell you to send follow-up emails because a follow-up email after xx days has xx% success rate. It takes the overwhelm out of what to do next and provides data-driven, goal-orientated action. Not bad, eh?

Best for: CRMs

Get started with HubSpot CRM.

How to Use AI Agents That Work

AI agents generally don’t work perfectly immediately, but they are pretty good. If you’re taking AI agents seriously, then you may benefit from these tips that will help you use AI agents that actually work.

Train them.

I introduced Aljay Ambos earlier; he used the AI agent to come up with new features. Since his use case was so impactful, with a 36% boost in user engagement, I asked him for tips on how he got there.

Ambos said, “We trained it. We made special datasets that focus on the specific language, worries, and goals of our audience.

“If you are considering using AI agents, focus on making them personal. A standard AI model can only help you to a certain point. When you customize it to understand your niche and integrate seamlessly with your team, you can go beyond simple automation and build a real partnership that produces significant results.”

Be strategic.

This point of using AI strategically has cropped up earlier in this article, but I wanted to keep it here as I think it is essential if you want to use AI agents in a way that works.

The world is abuzz with AI, its benefits, and all the use cases. It is very easy to get distracted by the promise of an AI agent that will change your life or business, but if you’re not integrating AI strategically, it will fail.

Matthew Franzyshen, business development manager at Ascendant Technologies Inc., warns that businesses must integrate AI agents into their workflows. He says, “Make sure that you actually know what you need them for. Don’t add AI agents just because that’s what everyone else is doing. Audit and understand your business needs so you can choose one that is aligned with your unique business goals.”

I like Franzyshen’s tip. If you audit your business and understand why you’re integrating an AI agent, you’ll be more likely to use it (especially if it’s integrated into workflows) and assure staff who feel AI is going to replace them.

Refine chatbot scripts.

There are ways in which you can manage chatbot outputs and customer satisfaction using AI agents.

Nikita Sherbina, co-founder and CEO at AIScreen, provides an example of how managing chatbots contributes to success. He says, “A specific example of our success is the implementation of AI chatbots, which handle 80% of routine customer queries, reducing response times by 60%. To maximize effectiveness, we continuously refine chatbot scripts based on user feedback and ensure seamless escalation to human agents for complex issues.”

I like this idea. No matter how much information you give an AI agent, you don’t know how effective it will be until you try it. No doubt, once you put a chatbot in front of your customers, you’ll get feedback, good and bad, about how it works. It’s important to consider all feedback and work on improving the chatbot bit by bit.

The good news is an AI agent can help you analyze all the feedback, just like Ambos from Twixify taught us earlier.

Trial an AI agent. It might surprise you!

When I’m on the internet, particularly social media, there seem to be two camps: one for AI, another against it, and there’s rarely any common ground. Putting this article together made me see AI agents differently.

As I said, I was pleased with the openness of people using AI and their acknowledgment of the good and the not-so-good. In writing this article, I got to dig into the types of AI agents, and even I (an optimist) became more optimistic about AI. I was introduced to AI uses that I hadn’t considered for an AI agent and these uses were in my everyday life already.

The more hype I hear around the cons of AI agents, the more I believe that well-intentioned professionals need to get behind AI to drive this incredible tool into ethical usage that feels good for all.

AI is in more places than we realize, and it’s not going anywhere, but at least we can see that AI can be helpful, especially if used with some of the tips provided in this article.

Outside of marketing, I’ve worked as a trainer and business owner. While I love the work I do, it’s just as important that I get paid for my efforts, so purchase orders (POs) are a big part of my day-to-day. A purchase order is a document that buyers send to suppliers to confirm their intention to move forward with their goods and services.

But, how do purchase orders work? Well, a PO lays down an agreement, which establishes the expectations of the transaction, as well as the buyer’s approval of the terms of payment. Purchase orders are commonly used for bulk orders involving larger transactions, or when buyers are involved in recurring relationships with the supplier.

To help you learn about purchase orders and successfully create your own, I’ll cover the following topics in this article:

Table of Contents

• What is a purchase order?
• Types of Purchase Orders
• How does a purchase order work?
• Advantages of Purchase Orders
• Purchase Order Format: What to Include on Your PO
• Purchase Order Template
• How to Create a Purchase Order
• How to Create a Purchase Order System

Purchase orders are beneficial for both the buyer and seller. By issuing purchase orders, small businesses can specify what goods and services they need from their suppliers and when they’re needed by. A PO also allows the seller to ensure it can provide the goods and services requested before committing to fulfillment, giving the buyer time to plan accordingly.

Purchase Order vs. Invoice

So, is a purchase order the same as an invoice? No. But the two are often confused.

While purchase orders show the intent to make a purchase — and are created by a buyer — invoices outline the terms of payment and are created by a seller.

Both the purchase order and the invoice are legal documents that define the terms of the sale, but purchase orders are issued before a purchase is made, while invoices are issued afterward to confirm delivery of items, along with price and payment date.

To keep the two separate, here’s a list of features:

Purchase orders:

• Are created by the buyer.
• Are issued before a purchase is made or delivered.
• Specify the items to be purchased and at what price.

Invoices:

• Are created by the seller.
• Are issued after the products or services are delivered.
• Confirm delivery of items, along with price and payment date.

How does a purchase order work?

Now that we know what a PO is — and how that differs from an invoice — I can explain how businesses use these documents in their accounting practices. While this is a realm filled with jargon, I’ll break it down in plain, simple English.

Before purchase orders are created and submitted, employees must get approval for an order from their organization, usually from the purchasing department. Once reviewed and approved, the PO can be created and sent to the vendor. And even if your company doesn’t have a formal procedure for creating a PO, you may still need to generate a PO to serve as a form of contract for your purchase.

Here’s how the purchase order process works.

1. First, the buyer creates a PO and generates a PO number.

After the approval of the purchase requisition (PR), the buyer creates a purchase order containing the details of the product, including the quantity, per-piece pricing, total pricing, and expected date of delivery.

For example, if you need to order new boxes to ship your products, you’ll calculate how many boxes you need and when you need them — and that information goes on your PO.

Next, the buyer generates a PO number. With the PO number and the information above, the buyer drafts the purchase order and sends it to the seller for approval, making sure to indicate the date that approval is needed by.

This date should give the seller ample time to deliver on schedule, and also give the buyer sufficient time to source from another seller if the PO is not approved.

2. Next, the seller reviews and approves the PO.

When the seller receives the PO, they review it for approval. If the request can be fulfilled, they approve the purchase order, which becomes legally binding for both parties.

Sellers can ask for amendments, for example, if the information is incomplete or they’re not satisfied with the terms of the PO. They also have the right to cancel the PO if it doesn’t meet their policies.

3. After approval, the seller creates an invoice.

Here’s where the invoice comes in. If the purchase order is approved, the seller issues an invoice with the terms of payment, including price breakdown, goods provided, quantity, and total amount owed.

Invoices should be standardized to ensure consistency, making sure no critical details are accidentally omitted. Tools like HubSpot’s free Invoice Generator do just that — just use the provided template, fill in the blanks, and have your invoice ready in a matter of minutes.

Regarding payment, the seller may request it before, during, or after the delivery date, depending on the terms.

To go back to the example of boxes, if the vendor has a net 30 payment term, it means that when the boxes are delivered, you’ll receive an invoice with your shipment, and then you have 30 days to pay from the date of the invoice.

4. Next, the buyer conducts purchase order matching.

When the buyer receives the invoice, they’ll review it to ensure that the information on the invoice matches the information on the purchase order. This process of comparing the invoice and PO is called purchase order matching.

5. Finally, the invoice is sent for approval.

Once the matching process is complete, and any discrepancies corrected, the invoice is sent for approval to the accounts payable (AP) department, where payment is released to the seller. It will depend on the terms of the payment agreement when payment is released (for example, now or in 30 days).

With this, the PO is closed, unless the seller has more items to deliver to fulfill the order.

Advantages of Purchase Orders

Why would you want to use a purchase order? There are many reasons, but here are the highlights of how using purchase orders can help your business.

• Buy now, pay later. A PO lets you place an order for products and pay for them during or after delivery.
• Saves time for both parties. Digital POs and a PO system with automated workflows (both discussed below) mean a quick and seamless process.
• Provides legal protection. Purchase orders work as a legal document for buyers and sellers. Both parties can refer to this document if any concerns arise over the quantity of items, the pricing, the date of delivery, and so on.
• Manage budget spend. Businesses can use software to automate their workflow and track business spending. Most software updates in real-time so that the buyers can manage their spending right away.

Purchase Order Format: What to Include on Your PO

Ready to create your own purchase order? Here is the information you need to include.

1. Header. Provide your company details, including the company name, business address, purchase order date, and purchase order number.

2. Vendor information. Indicate the proper recipient for the purchase order. This is where you list the name of the seller company, your specific contact name, and the address of the seller company.

3. Ship to. Specify where the order should be sent, the shipping method, the shipping terms, and the intended delivery date.

4. Order details. For each product included in the order, provide a line item with the product code or SKU number, item name or description, quantity of units requested, the price per unit, and the delivery date of each item.

5. Summary. Complete the purchase order by providing a subtotal, any applicable discounts, taxes, shipping costs, and grand total.

Below, I’m sharing an example purchase order with all of these categories to help put the pieces together.

As you can see, you have the option of adding multiple products, so there’s no need to create different purchase orders per product. In addition, you can take discounts out of the final cost and take into account shipping and handling.

Purchase Order Example

Not sure what a purchase order should look like when all filled out? The PO example below checks all the boxes — it includes the customer’s information, the desired products, the shipping terms, and the PO number. Plus, it includes a note for the vendor. From what I’ve seen, this is a pretty standard PO and a great reference point to come back to if you need it.

Source

Purchase Order Template

If you want to create your purchase order following the above format, download our easy-to-use purchase order template.

This template comes in two versions: an Excel version and a fillable PDF. I recommend using the Excel version to create multiple POs for a single supplier and the fillable PDF for one-off purchases.

The Excel template will automatically calculate the final cost for you, making it easy and simple to see your totals and discounts.

Source

At this point, you might be thinking, “If you‘ve seen one purchase order, you’ve seen ‘em all,” but that’s just not true. I learned that there are actually five types of purchase orders, and they differ by how much information is included. I’ll explain them below.

1. Standard Purchase Orders

Standard purchase orders (like the example above) are the most widely adopted and are the easiest to use. In this situation, as the buyer I’m clear on the details of the purchase and can identify what item or service I’m buying, the quantity, delivery schedule, and payment terms.

Standard purchase orders should include the following:

• Delivery date.
• Number of items.
• List of items to be purchased.
• Terms and Conditions.

Best for: Standard purchase orders are best when sellers don’t expect to enter into a long-term contract with the buyer.

Standard purchase orders can be tailored to your needs, and could be adjusted for:

• Services to be rendered.
• Subcontracting.
• Consignment.

2. Planned Purchase Orders

When placing a planned purchase order (PPO), a buyer is estimating the future needs of their company for the item in question by submitting a purchase order in advance. Planned purchase orders are usually preferred for long-term contracts where the vendor provides items to the buyer at irregular intervals.

In this case, I’d be sure to detail items such as the item, price, and payment terms, but the quantity is based on an educated guess, and the delivery date is tentative.

Here’s what a PPO includes:

• Terms and conditions.
• List of items.
• Quantity.
• Price.
• Tentative date of delivery.
• Tentative location of delivery.

Best for: PPOs are considered best when a buyer expects delivery in parts from the seller. This could be because of a temporary contract, or perhaps if the buyer needs to plan their purchases and break down the payments into smaller installments. PPOs help with cost management since the buyer pays at the time of delivery.

Source

3. Blanket Purchase Orders

A blanket purchase order (BPO) is also called a “standing order” where vendors enter into a recurring relationship with their buyers. BPOs are less precise than the standard purchase order since they contain unspecific delivery dates and quantities of the items.

A typical blanket purchase order includes:

• Terms and conditions.
• Discounts.
• List of items.
• Pricing.

Best for: Blanket purchase orders are used for future purchases or ones that involve consistent purchases from the vendor, and are best for simplifying the purchases and reducing the administrative costs.

Source

4. Contract Purchase Orders

Contract purchase orders (CPO) are more of a legally binding contract between the vendor and buyer for future purchases. In this case, the buyer and seller sign a contract outlining the terms of the purchase before a purchase order referencing the contract is issued. This type of purchase order offers the most legal protection for those involved.

A CPO is often just an outline that lists the negotiated terms and all the necessary details between the two parties.

Best for: I’d say CPOs are best for creating a procurement contract between two parties that outlines the negotiated terms and conditions. Businesses should use CPOs when they enter into a long-term relationship with the vendor.

Source

5. Digital Purchase Orders

Having a set process in place for purchase orders can help the procurement process move efficiently and be mutually beneficial for both buyers and sellers. I think digital purchase orders are a great way to accomplish this.

One easy way to create and share a digital purchase order is in Microsoft Excel or Open Office. You can find pre-existing templates when you open a new spreadsheet, click on More Templates, and search “invoice.” I already made the distinction between invoices and purchase orders, but you can find both under this keyword in Excel.

And, of course, you can also download HubSpot’s purchase order template a well.

Now that we’ve gone through the different types of purchase orders, let’s talk about what one process of purchase order creation can look like.

How to Create a Purchase Order

While there are many variations in PO systems, there are some general steps you can follow to create a new purchase order. Here’s my quick, painless guide to creating POs.

1. Submit banking details to your system administrator.

The first step of the purchase order process happens before you even touch your computer. Your accounting team needs to load your vendor’s details into the system. That includes their address and any banking information for direct deposit. You may need to collect this information yourself, or your accounting team may gather these items, depending on your company.

Example of this step: Kaitlin Milliken, program manager of the Freelance Network here at HubSpot, says, “When working with freelance writers at HubSpot, our team gathers the writer’s payment details. Then, the accounting team loads this information into the system.”

2. Make sure you have the right level of access.

Not every user has the ability to make PO requests. If you don’t have access, you’ll need to contact your account administrator for this.

Example of this step: Milliken shares that, “On my first day at HubSpot, I had to reach out to our IT team to get the right access. So, there’s a possibility you’ll need to swap your settings.”

3. Add in your purchase details.

Once you’ve entered the system, you’ll start adding details, like who the vendor is (usually from a drop-down menu), what type of work they’ll be doing, and your estimated spend. Once you fill everything out, save and send the request.

Example of this step: Milliken describes her process: “When onboarding a new external writer, I put in the information related to their business and note they’ll be working on content. From there, I estimate how much we’ll spend with them annually and set the end date for the PO to the last day of the fiscal year.”

4. Add in additional information requested by your company.

In some systems, you’ll get a summary of your request, and there may be additional fields that your company requires you to complete. If so, fill out these sections to the best of your ability. Once all the fields are filled out, save and submit.

5. Submit and watch your request go up the chain.

That’s it for your part! From here, you get to watch the request go up the chain of your organization until it has reached final approval.

How to Create a Purchase Order System

Business doesn’t end after one purchase order is fulfilled. In supply chain management, there will always be an ongoing process to track. This is where I’ve seen how having a purchase order system eases the process.

A purchase order system is software that generates, tracks, and manages digital purchase orders in a streamlined and secure network. Without a system in place, important agreements can be lost in transition and cause friction between buyers and sellers dependent on one another.

To create a purchase order system from the ground up, here are some guidelines and steps to follow.

1. Determine the right forms for you.

Refer back to the types of purchase orders list and choose the purchase order format suitable for your business.

2. Design a workflow with outlined steps of the process.

To automate the process, you need to outline the steps necessary to take a purchase order from beginning to end. Create a step-by-step workflow showcasing interactions as well as where document data is inputted and transferred during the transaction.

3. Dictate role assignments and accessibility.

In your business, you need team members who know how to correctly assign roles to direct the workflow to completion. This same team will need to efficiently set access permissions to the stakeholders at hand so they can contribute to the order in a timely manner.

4. Begin, adhere to, and improve your purchase order system.

As you use and adhere to your PO system, you’ll have to actively collect feedback from both stakeholders and your own internal team. Figure out where certain steps can be improved and change them in your workflow. With time you’ll have a productive system going forward, and a smoother supply chain to manage.

Purchase Orders Lead to Stronger Relationships with Suppliers

Purchase orders benefit both you and your suppliers, ensuring there are no miscommunications throughout the purchase process. And, with the right template, as I learned from preparing lots of POs, purchase orders can be easy and simple to create — even if you don’t have a dedicated vendor relationship manager on your team.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Getting ghosted in any facet of life is pretty brutal, and sales is no exception. Nobody likes thoughtfully prospecting, conducting thorough discovery, and maintaining what feels like a productive conversation only to hear radio silence. But that’s often how it goes.

Nobody bats 1.000. A 100% close rate doesn‘t exist, but having a deal cut short with no response is especially tough. That’s why you need to have a pulse on why that might happen and how you can handle those situations as they arise.

So to help you maximize your chances of bringing dead sales conversations back to life, we here at The HubSpot Sales Blog — the most trusted, “finger on the pulse” outlet in the wild world of sales-related and sales-adjacent media — reached out to some sales experts for their takes on how to handle being ghosted by prospects.

6 Reasons Prospects Ghost You and What to Do When They Do

1. They‘re feeling overwhelmed with choices and don’t know how to move forward.

Jehann Biggs, President & Owner of In2Green, says, “A prospect may ghost you because they‘re feeling overwhelmed with choices and simply don’t know how to move forward. When faced with too many options or an overabundance of information, people sometimes disengage because they fear making the wrong decision. The decision-making process becomes paralyzing, and they retreat rather than risk choosing poorly.

“I‘ve encountered this before when potential customers have been interested in our sustainable products but were unsure which option would best fit their needs. In these situations, I don’t push for a quick decision.

“Instead, I simplify the process for them by offering a side-by-side comparison of options or suggesting a clear next step. I may even offer to walk them through the selection process. Taking the complexity out of the decision-making equation gives them a clearer path forward and often brings them back into the conversation when they’ve felt less overwhelmed.”

2. They’re overwhelmed with other priorities.

Katie Breaker, Sales Director at BirdieBall, says, “One big reason prospects ghost you is that they‘re simply overwhelmed with other priorities. In B2B, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks, especially if you‘re not the only one they’re evaluating. Sometimes, they‘ve gotten busy or even moved on to other potential solutions … When this happens, don’t take it personally.

“Instead, send a follow-up email or message that‘s friendly and non-pushy. Acknowledge that you understand things can get busy and ask if they need more information or time. It’s also helpful to reframe the conversation by asking if there’s anything about your product they need clarification on or if their needs have changed.

“Being empathetic and offering value will keep the door open. And if they still don’t respond, sometimes it’s best to let them be for a while, then check back in after a few weeks or months. Timing can make a huge difference when they’re finally ready to re-engage.”

3. There’s a lack of perceived value or urgency.

Samir ElKamouny, Founder & CEO of Fetch & Funnel, says, “When prospects ‘ghost’ you in the B2B SaaS space, it‘s often due to a lack of perceived value or urgency. From my experience scaling businesses, a crucial step is ensuring your messaging resonates with the prospect’s pain points and aligns with their current priorities.

“For instance, at Fetch & Funnel, we’ve seen success by applying custom retargeting strategies that dive deep into specific product benefits, reaffirming the value proposition at crucial stages of the buying journey.

“One effective tactic is leveraging social proof through testimonials. In one campaign, showcasing real customer success stories for a SaaS product significantly increased engagement. Prospects often hesitate due to trust issues, so hearing how others have succeeded can be a game-changer. Testing different message variations also helps refine the approach until it resonates.

“It’s equally important to maintain a follow-up process that keeps you top of mind without being intrusive. Creating a sequence that offers valuable insights or problem-solving tips custom to your prospect not only adds value but also keeps the conversation open. This approach consistently helps in re-engaging leads who initially disappeared.”

4. They don’t fully grasp how your solution will fit into their current workload.

Kacper Rafalski, Demand Generation Team Leader at Netguru, says, “One reason a prospect might ghost you is they don‘t fully grasp how your solution will fit into their current workflow. It’s easy to assume they‘re not interested, but in reality, they’re just unsure how it‘ll align with what they already use. And honestly, it happens all the time — prospects seemed engaged but then vanished after the demo. But the issue isn’t price or competition. In most cases it was clarity on implementation.

“To break the silence, I’ve learned to approach it differently. Instead of pushing for a close, I offer value through resources that specifically address their concerns. Even a quick message like ‘Hey, I thought this case study might help you see how our solution actually fits with your current setup’ can make all the difference.

“In my experience, once you give them that ‘aha moment’ about how your solution works in their world, they often come back to the conversation. And it’s not even about chasing them down with follow-ups. You simply help them see your product solving their actual day-to-day problems. Once that clicks, the ghosting usually stops.”

5. You rushed through discovery and missed what actually matters to them.

Shantanu Pandey, Founder & CEO of Tenet, says, “When a salesperson rushes through discovery, they miss what actually matters to the prospect. They end up pitching a solution to a problem the prospect doesn’t have or care about.

“If this happens, go back to basics with what we call a ‘reset’ email: ‘I’ve been reflecting on our conversations and realize I may have missed understanding your core challenges. Could we schedule a quick 15-minute no-commitment call where I ask just three questions about what success actually looks like for you?’

“This gives them permission to correct your course without making them feel like they’ve wasted time. When they respond, shut up and listen twice as much as you talk.”

6. You’ve overloaded them with information.

Stephen Dominic Giuttari, Founder & CEO of Market Boxx, says, “Prospects can get overwhelmed if bombarded with too much technical jargon. I mitigated this by ensuring our communication was clear and focused. During onboarding, we break down strategies into digestible steps, avoiding technical overload, which keeps the prospects engaged without losing interest.

“When prospects ghost, I re-engage by tapping into competitive insights we have on the market. Recently, I reignited discussions by sharing industry-specific trends and competitor analyses, providing actionable insights. This approach consistently sparks renewed interest, proving that delivering relevant, strategic insights can effectively pull them back into the conversation.”

I discussed it at the beginning of this post, and I‘ll say it again: Getting ghosted is often a fact of sales life. It’s rude, frustrating, and unfortunate — but it’s more or less bound to happen from time to time.

While there’s no remedy that guarantees every prospect who leaves you on read will respond with, “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry for ignoring you! Let’s get back into it! Bless your heart for touching base again,” you can still put yourself in a solid position to get your sales conversations back in motion if you play your cards right.

Hopefully, this article offers enough perspective for you to avoid getting ghosted in the first place and thoughtfully navigate it when it happens.

You have a list of names and phone numbers. Before the end of the day, you need to make 100 calls. Your sales manager has given your team a big pep talk encouraging you to dial, dial, dial.

Imagine picking up the phone with no idea what you’ll say or how prospective customers will respond. Yikes!

Now, imagine what you could accomplish with a clear and persuasive script. In this piece, I’ll share more about cold calling and show you what a typical cold call looks like — plus what I consider to be the best cold call script ever.

(If you’re in a hurry, skip to the script or download free sales call templates.)

Table of Contents

• What is a cold call?
• 25 Cold Calling Tips
• Cold Call Script Examples
• How to Create a Cold Call Script
• The Best Cold Calling Script Ever To Warm Up Leads
• Cold Calling Script Variation
• Cold Calling Script Templates
• 7 Techniques to Master Cold Calls

What is the purpose of cold calling?

I’ve found that cold calling is an excellent way to engage prospects one-on-one and move them to the next step in the buying process.

In the past, cold calling meant using a “spray and pray” method, spending time making intrusive calls with no prior qualification. You hoped that your message would resonate with someone, but there were no guarantees.

Thankfully, there’s a better way.

Cold calling is most effective when paired with strategies such as prospecting and sales qualification. It can also be used with the inbound methodology.

In inbound sales, prospects willingly “opt in” and become a lead after encountering your website or campaign. Digital channels, however, may not be enough to close a sale. Prospective buyers may need a “cold call” that helps them make a decision. As a result, inbound sales calls aren’t entirely cold. Instead, they’re lukewarm. Customers have some knowledge of an interest in your product — you’re just providing more data.

Outbound sales happen when you reach out to prospects who have never interacted with your company or your website. Research helps narrow your focus and increase the chances of a sale, and enterprise communication solutions help simplify your outbound communications by connecting your telephone sales with your other digital channels.

This means that with enough research and qualification, a cold call can be executed in a way that’s no longer “cold.”

So, what does a typical cold call look like in sales?

Cold Call Script Examples

1. The “Introducing a New Offering” Call

During a cold call, you‘re working from an inherently disadvantaged position. Your prospect can hang up at any point — and you don’t have that luxury.

It‘s on you to keep the conversation going, so having an incentive in your back pocket is a big help. One of the better selling points you can reference is a new offering. Pique your prospect’s interest by referencing the amazing, cutting-edge, or novel game-changer of a new product or service your company just released.

Here’s what that call might look like:

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I wanted to introduce you to our latest product/service, [Product/Service Name] — which has been extremely well-received by early users. It’s designed to [brief description of the product’s purpose].

I’d love to schedule a brief call or meeting to show you how [Product/Service Name] can benefit your business. Would you have some time this week to discuss further?

2. The “Referral Introduction” Call

Customer referrals are one of the most — if not the most — effective avenues sales professionals have for warming up leads and successfully converting cold calls.

With that said, you can’t just call up a referred prospect and say, “One of your friends said I should call you, so I‘m calling you. As someone who was referred, you are obligated to buy my product or service by default. You’re welcome.”

You need to be a little more tactful than that. Here’s a look at how you could structure that call:

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. [Referrer’s Name] suggested I reach out to you. They mentioned you might be interested in [specific area related to your product/service].

I’d love to share more about how we’ve helped other businesses like yours and explore if we might be a good fit. Could we set up a quick call this week?

3. The “Offering a Free Trial” Call

You always benefit from having some sort of incentive to back your cold call. The object of cold calling is to create and capitalize on urgency in a tight window — and sometimes, offering a little reward can help that case.

One of the more common “little rewards” sales organizations offer is a free trial. Here’s a script that plays into that:

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I’m excited to let you know about a free trial we’re offering for [Product/Service Name]. It’s a great way to experience the benefits firsthand without any commitment.

Would you be interested in giving it a try? I can help you get started and answer any questions you might have. How does that sound?

4. The “Requesting Feedback” Call

Sometimes, you can pique a prospect‘s interest by asking for their expertise. It’s a great way to connect and quickly build rapport with a potential customer. The caveat? Aim for sincere rather than “schmoozy.”

Here’s how to tell the difference: If you ask for expertise but then launch directly into your sales pitch, you’re schmoozing. If you take time to consider and respond to honest feedback, you’re being sincere.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company]. We’re in the process of developing [Product/Service Name], and I’d love to get your expert feedback on it. Your insights would be incredibly valuable to us.

Would you be open to a brief conversation to share your thoughts? I promise it won’t take more than 15 minutes of your time.

5. The “Event Invitation” Call

In-person or virtual events are another way to add value for prospects and develop rapport. In some cases, the best way to raise awareness of these events is through direct contact via cold calls.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. We’re hosting an exclusive event on [Date] that I think you would find very valuable. It’s focused on [Event Topic] and will feature industry leaders like [Speaker’s Name].

I’d love for you to join us. Can I send you more details and register you for the event?

6. The “Special Offer Introduction” Call

Remember the first and third scripts on this list? The ones where I talked about how having some sort of incentive makes a cold call script even more compelling? This one is also in that wheelhouse. A special offer is an excellent centerpiece to a thoughtful, effective cold call.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. We’re currently offering a special promotion on [Product/Service Name] for a limited time. It’s a great opportunity to [describe the offer’s benefits].

Would you like more details on how you can take advantage of this offer? I’d be happy to help you with that.

7. The “Network-Building” Call

Prospects make invaluable additions to your broader network, even if you don’t hard sell them right away. This call script gives you an approachable, not-too-intrusive avenue to connect and develop rapport with prospects.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I’ve been following your work at [Prospect’s Company], and I’m very impressed with what you’re doing in the [Their Field/Industry] space.

I’d love to connect and see if there are any opportunities for us to collaborate or share insights. Would you be open to a brief call sometime this week?

8. The “Customer Success Story” Call

Social proof can be a huge asset in sales. If you can demonstrate that your prospect’s peers have been successful with your offering, you can establish trust. Use this script to help you get there.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I wanted to share a success story about how we helped [Another Company’s Name] achieve [specific result]. I thought you might find it relevant given your focus on [specific area].

Could we schedule a call to discuss how we might be able to achieve similar results for you?

9. The “Complimentary Consultation Offer” Call

The incentive is back again. This time, I’m suggesting a free consultation to help a prospect identify and remedy issues relevant to your expertise.

Hello [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We’re offering complimentary consultations to help businesses identify key areas for improvement with [specific focus].

I think you’d find this extremely valuable, and I’d love to arrange a time for us to discuss how we can help. Are you available for a quick call?

10. The “Discount Offer” Call

Discounting is another form of incentive. While it remains a contentious concept among salespeople, reduced prices can help pique customer interest. Curious about trying a discount call? Go with a script like this.

Hello [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We’re currently running a special promotion on our [product/service] that I think could be a great fit for your needs.

I’d love to provide you with more details and see how we can help you take advantage of this offer. Can we schedule a brief call?

How to Create a Cold Call Script

In my experience, the typical, cold calling script most salespeople use doesn’t work. Here’s how to create a standout cold call script to improve your connect rate.

1. Identify 2-3 verticals.

First, you need to cherry-pick who you‘ll call. Your time is valuable — don’t waste it on prospects that aren‘t a good fit for your product. Think about who your best customers are (or who you’ve had the most success calling in the past) and look for common attributes.

Industry verticals are a good place to start. For example, maybe you deal exclusively with hospitality and retail companies. Or, your target markets could be finance and banking. Once you’ve figured out which verticals to target, you’re ready for step 2.

Cold calling expert Alex Hobbs describes identifying verticals for outbound sales as “critical to revenue attainment today … even inbounds need to be worked with an outbound motion! You can’t just be an order taker/the fish are not jumping into the boat anymore!”

2. Identify 20 good-fit prospects.

I’ve found that it’s easier to find specific companies or people who could use your product or service using a tool like LinkedIn.

Let‘s say you’re looking for US-based hotel companies who might benefit from your on-site goat yoga classes (I mean, who doesn‘t want to do Shavasana with a baby goat while they’re on vacation?).

Search “General manager” with the “Hospitality” filter.

Voila — a list of potential customers.

I’ve also found that regional companies are a great start to your list, as people love to do business with other locals.

3. Research each prospect.

I know, I know, you’d rather just pick up the phone and call. But, spending just a few minutes on research can significantly increase your success rate.

Since you‘re already on LinkedIn, check out each prospect’s profile to personalize your approach. You’ll want to know:

• What the company does.
• What the prospect does specifically.
• If you’ve helped a similar company in the past.
• One “fun fact” about them.

Here‘s one thing I never fail to do: Look up how to pronounce the prospect’s name.

Nothing makes people more annoyed and less likely to listen than hearing their name butchered by some fast-talking rep, so this step is crucial.

Some people add how they pronounce their name on Facebook and LinkedIn. If your prospect hasn’t added this feature to their profile, try using PronounceNames to get an idea.

And if you‘re still out of luck? Be honest. When you start the call, say: “I want to be sure I’m saying your name correctly. How do you pronounce it?”

You should also follow their pronouns if they are listed in their LinkedIn bio. If you’re not familiar with how to use gender-neutral pronouns, here’s a great blog on the topic.

The Best Cold Calling Script Ever To Warm Up Leads

If you’re having trouble coming up with a cold call script of your own, try this one. I’ve used this script before, and it works because it focuses on a simple introduction, rapport, and then a positioning statement. I also think it works because your research helps establish immediate value.

Sample Script

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

I‘ve been doing some research on [prospect’s company name], and I‘d love to learn more about [challenge you’ve discovered in your research].

At [your company name], we work with people like you to help with [value proposition 1, value proposition 2, and value proposition 3.]

Is this something you think could help with [common challenges/pain points]?

Option 1: Yes, tell me more.

Great! [This is where you’re going to ask them to attend a demo, or continue the conversation with an Account Executive, or take whatever next steps are part of your sales process.]

Option 2: Objection

I understand. Is it okay if I send you a follow-up email to review at your convenience? Then, I can follow up with you tomorrow.

If yes, send the email and set a reminder to follow up. If not, thank them for their time and ask if there’s another point of contact they can connect you with. Make sure to include resources that clearly explain what your company does and ask to continue the conversation.

You may have noticed you‘re not really cold calling anymore, as you’ve already winnowed down your list and done some homework all before picking up the phone. I’ve found this extra work to be well worth it in securing customers.

Now, let’s get to the script.

1. Introduce yourself.

First, state your name and the company you work for. You need to be clear, confident, and energetic. I can’t tell you how many cold calls I listen to that begin with, “This is *mumbles* from ‘mumbled company name.’“

The confused prospect goes, “What? Who?” and you’re already off to a rough start.

You don’t need to yell your greeting, but you do need to articulate the words.

After you say, “This is [name] from [company],” pause.

This is hard for cold callers. They want to jump straight into their pitch because they’re afraid of rejection. However, I caution you to take a deep breath and say nothing for eight whole seconds. Count it off, and it doesn’t seem like a long time. But trust me, during a cold call, it feels like an eternity. Hold the line, though, and it will be worth your while.

Why? Because when you pause, your prospect is searching their brain for who you could be. It sounds like you know them — are you a client? A former coworker? A current one?

2. Establish rapport.

Our call is already deviating from the standard cold call script, so why not ask them a question to establish some rapport? Your goal here is to get them talking and prove you’re familiar with them and their company.

Here are some sample questions:

• I see you’ve been at [company] for [X years]. What do you enjoy about your role?
• Congrats on your recent promotion. How is your new position going?
• I’ve always been fascinated by the [enter industry they work in] industry. Can you tell me more about what your company does?

A good question is topical and makes someone smile. If they seem receptive to chatting, ask them a follow-up question. You don’t want to ask something too personal since this is likely the first time they’ve spoken to you, so stay away from information that’s not readily available on LinkedIn.

For instance, if they say, “I’m enjoying my new promotion; I’m able to get a lot more done,” you can respond, “That’s great. How did you get started in this industry?” Maybe comment on a post they’ve recently made and how it made you think.

Eventually, they’ll ask, “Alright, why are you calling?”

Acknowledge that their time is valuable and you have a pitch for them while still keeping the mood light. Be cordial and merry on the phone. This will change the energy from one of awkwardness to lightheartedness.

3. Use a positioning statement.

A positioning statement shows your prospect that you work with similar companies and understand their challenges. You’re not talking about yourself, which is what most cold callers do. Keep the conversation focused on them and have a genuine discussion.

Here’s a hypothetical positioning statement:

“I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”

Since you‘ve pre-qualified them, they’ll likely say “yes.”

Simply say, “Tell me more about that.”

Now, it‘s all about them! They’ll explain their pain points and objectives, which is valuable information you can use to build your sales pitch.

4. Thank them for their time.

Never end a cold call without letting your prospect know you’re grateful for the chance to speak with them.

Pranav Rawat, a cold calling professional, teaches this concept by stating that “no matter who your prospect is, their time is important. By saying thank you, you’re letting them know that you respect them, which is not only a good opening line but a great way to start a relationship, too.”

Cold Calling Script Variation

As a sales leader at HubSpot, I love assisting newer reps in closing big deals because I‘ve been in their shoes. It’s good for the company and the reps’ careers. To do that, I use a slightly altered process and script.

We have a team culture of “just ask,” encouraging junior reps to request help from sales leaders when they want to set up meetings with CEOs or prospects at Fortune 500 companies.

Once a rep asks for my help, I ask for something in return: The website URL, the LinkedIn profile of the person and company I’m speaking with, and their HubSpot CRM record.

This allows me to quickly familiarize myself with the person and company I’m about to call. Once the phone rings and the prospect answers, I use the greeting from above, “This is [name] from [company],” then pause.

If you‘re calling a C-level executive or even a mid-level employee at a large organization, you likely had to get past an assistant or front desk, which is where your senior title helped. Gatekeepers are more likely to pass along “Dan Tyre, Director of Sales at HubSpot” than “[Name], a sales rep at HubSpot.”

They‘ll know who you are, but they’ll still be curious why you called. Keep them in suspense a bit longer. As in the script above, I’ll spend a few minutes asking about them. Here are a few more questions I turn to:

• “Are you a cat or a dog person?”
• “Read any good books or blogs lately?”
• “What‘s your favorite restaurant in [Prospect’s city]? I’ve always wanted to visit.”

When the conversation turns to why I called, I say, “I called to help.” This line usually stops the prospect in their tracks.

Then, I follow up with, “My sales rep asked me to start a conversation with you.” This allows me to easily hand the conversation off to the rep if it goes well.

From there, I use a positioning statement like the one above:

“I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”

The pre-qualified prospect will answer “Yes,” and that’s when my active listening turns on, and I say, “Tell me more about that.” Once they‘ve explained their pain points, I repeat what I’ve heard back to them: “So, what I’m hearing is …” and offer to set up a discovery call.

Usually, the prospect agrees and throws out a time for weeks or months in the future. I often reply with, “How about tomorrow?” Most of the time, prospects respond with, “Sure, what time?”

I‘ll then check the junior rep’s calendar and schedule the discovery call.

Cold Calling Script Templates

Ready to start cold calling? Here are some cold-calling script templates you can use to get started.

Featured Resource: 10 Sales Call Templates for Outreach.

This downloadable resource contains ten templates, including the examples listed below. I like that each script can be customized to fit your specific needs and scenarios. As stated previously, the more research you do on your prospect prior to calling, the better your results will be.

Discovery Sales Calls

Discovery is one of the trickier aspects of any sales process — it’s often as frustrating as it is necessary. You can‘t deliver on any other stage of your sales process if you don’t gather thorough, thoughtful context on your discovery call. Use this template to get the insight you need to support smooth, successful sales efforts.

Download Template

Gatekeepers

Learning how to handle interactions with gatekeepers is one of the trickier aspects of sales communication. You‘re bound to hit walls with administrative assistants, office managers, or other intermediaries between you and decision-makers at points in your career. Here’s the best script for working through those screening conversations.

Download Template

Mutual Colleague Recommendations

People trust their people — much more than they trust some random salesperson, at least. If you want to cultivate some quick social proof and approachability with prospects via an existing connection, consider leveraging a script like this. It shows you the most effective way to use a recommendation from a mutual colleague.

Download Template

Follow-ups

So much of sales is powered by measured persistence. In many cases, you‘re not going to get the response you need (or a response at all) without following up. If you’ve already tried reaching out to a prospect, use this script to get a response.

Download Template

Connection Requests

Failing to connect with a prospect? This script provides an alternative route to reaching out.

Download Template

Now that you have your script, here are some tips to keep in mind.

1. Be selective with prospects.

As a HubSpot employee, I try to live and breathe inbound marketing and sales, relying on my strong sales teams to close deals.

I know that a 100% inbound method might not work for your business — at least not overnight.

So, be selective with your prospects to mimic the success of inbound sales. That means you‘ll need to get creative with whom you add to your list.

If you can find hand-raisers (people already interested in the product or service your company provides), prioritize calling them first. If they’re interested in what you have to offer before you call, you’ll be well on your way to closing them on the solution you sell. And that brings me to my next point.

2. Use the right tools.

Although a solid script and an excellent sales team will yield good results, remember that they can only take you so far.

As I just mentioned, you need to pick and choose between prospects so sales reps won’t waste time reaching out to people who don’t show much interest in your business. That requires data — lots of it.

Most dedicated sales tools help you reach the right prospects by providing you with the tools necessary to score and qualify leads as well as track prospects as they move through the sales funnel.

Other tools bring more to the table. For example, HubSpot’s sales software can record and transcribe cold calls, so you can later leave feedback to sales reps via its Conversation Intelligence feature.

Or, if you want to ensure your reps nail cold calls on the first try, set up interactive playbooks. You can store use-case-specific call scripts, training materials, and more to give sales agents the ability to adapt and get the guidance needed mid-call.

Meanwhile, scheduling meetings is just a matter of letting prospects pick a time and date that works best for them. You can also send quotes and collect payments directly within HubSpot, so you don’t have to always jump from one software solution to the other.

3. Practice your cold call script.

While you don‘t want to sound robotic and rehearsed, you do want to repeat your script so you don’t forget it.

The better you know the goals of the script, you‘ll be able to think on your feet if the prospect comes back with a comment or question you hadn’t planned for.

With each call, you‘ll get a chance to practice your cold calling script — and you’ll learn strategies to make future cold calls more effective.

4. Focus on them.

When I craft a cold-calling script, I find it’s easy to fall into the me-me-me trap:

• “We at [Company] offer…”
• “We’re the best at…”
• “I want to schedule a meeting to…”

Instead, you should be putting your focus on the prospect using “you” language:

• “Are you experiencing challenges with…”
• “What roadblocks kept you…”
• “Would you benefit from…”

Doing so centers them in the conversation, making it personalized and relevant.

5. Do your research.

Before you pick up the phone, make sure you have plenty of information about your prospect.

I try to learn what the company does, find the prospect’s role at the company, and discover whether I’ve worked with their company or a similar company in the past.

Other publicly available information is also useful: Where did they go to school? Do you know a friend or colleague? Did they recently attend an industry event? These are some rapport-building topics you can use to start the conversation.

6. Find the best time to call.

Although there isn’t a universal “best” time to make a cold call, some experts recommend early mornings or late afternoons since individuals haven’t yet started their day or are already wrapping it up — thus increasing your chances of getting through.

However, the more cold calls you make, the more you’ll get a feel for the days and times that have the most success. Once you do, prioritize your calls and make the most important ones during those windows.

7. Pique curiosity.

I try to open the conversation by generating intrigue and interest. If you can get prospects invested in the conversation, you’ll give them a reason to keep listening.

The Harvard Business Review notes that “curiosity is a powerful practice to infuse into a company’s culture.” It can reduce stress, as curious individuals are seen as more communal and friendly. So, curiosity is a key component of effective cold-calling. Curious prospects might give you more of their time to explore solutions to their problems.

8. Be respectful of their time.

While it’s essential to establish rapport and start the conversation off on a positive note, be mindful that cold-calling is somewhat intrusive. You have interrupted their day, so get to the point quickly.

Use your positioning statement early on in the call or make a transition like this one: “The reason I’m calling is to … ”

These will signal to the prospect that you’ll be quick and to the point.

9. Ask open-ended questions.

I avoid asking “yes or no” questions. Instead, I ask open-ended questions that will keep the conversation going, especially when asking the prospect about their pain points and goals.

You could say:

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

I‘ve been doing some research on [prospect’s company name], and I just wanted to ask you a few questions about [insert chosen topic].

What roadblocks have kept you from finding a better solution to [insert chosen topic challenges]?

(They answer)

I’d love to continue the conversation because I think [your company name] would be able to help you figure out a solution. [Then take whatever next steps are part of your sales process.]

Asking open-ended questions helps you get more information and helps you create a tailored solution to their specific challenges.

10. Be an active listener.

It can be easy to get lost in the conversation, but ensure you‘re listening carefully to the prospect’s responses.

When appropriate, repeat what they said about their company or goals. This helps you clarify what they said and shows the prospect that you truly care about what they’re saying.

11. Pick out their pains.

I often find that eliminating pain points is a more powerful approach to incentivizing prospects than adding value. As you get the prospect to open up about their organization, role, and situation, listen for current struggles, points of contention, or problems they may be experiencing.

This may give you an “I can help with that” moment with the prospect.

You can build off of the open-ended questions script:

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

We‘re a [type of company] platform that helps companies like yours [the problem you solve]. I’m calling to see if we can provide assistance.

What roadblocks have kept you from finding a better solution to [insert chosen topic challenges]?

(They answer)

I can totally understand your frustration with that. It sounds like your team is having trouble with [summarize their pain points/issue]. We work with a few companies like yours, and most have found our services to be [how your product/service helped]. Do you have something similar in place?

This script helps you nail down their challenges and presents your services as a remedy.

12. Anticipate objections.

The more calls you complete, the more you‘ll get a feel for the types of objections you’ll get.

For example, the prospect may already be working with a competitor. You could respond with:

“Yes, I am familiar with them. Why did you choose [company name]? What‘s working? What’s not? Allow me to explain how [your product/service] is different.”

In some cases, they will have no intention of changing providers, so there’s no reason to continue the call.

But for the cases where it is a good opportunity to press on, having a scripted response to handle the objection will keep you from getting caught off guard and allowing the call to come to a grinding halt.

13. Use social proof.

Once I’ve discovered that my prospect is an ideal client, I guide the conversation to what I have to offer them. But I don’t expect them to take my word for it; I will:

• Tell stories about customers with similar business structures as them, illustrating what I was able to do for those customers.
• Use case studies that show what they stand to gain.
• Show testimonials and success stories.

14. Focus on your goal.

Cold calls have two goals: Introducing yourself to the prospect and setting up a discovery call with them. Remind yourself of the desired results to help you stay on track as you’re cold-calling prospects.

15. Have a ‘close’ in mind for every conversation.

Sales Pro Jeff Hoffman recommends always having a small close in mind for every point of contact you have with a prospect. For a cold call, that small close might be getting five more minutes of a prospect’s time or setting up a follow-up call for later in the week.

Before each email you send and phone call you make, identify the close you’ll use to encourage more streamlined and focused communication.

16. Make it easy to say yes.

Regardless of which ‘close’ you end up choosing, focus on selling just that ‘close.’ The more complicated you make it for the prospect, the easier it is for them to say ‘no.’

For example, if the big goal is to sell a turn-key software package in the four figures, but you know that your demo will blow them out of the water, just sell the demo.

Make it easy for them to commit to the demo with no strings attached, and make it easy for them to schedule and show up to the demo. Don’t fuss with the details about software packages in this initial step when you can deal with those details later (presumably after the demo). Doing so will plant objections in their mind before you get your foot in the door.

If I know that a prospect won’t commit to a demo, I assume they need more time in the purchase funnel, which means they need more useful content. I send them articles, blogs, handouts, white papers, etc., that will make their life easier and help them excel in their industry. Remember, “Value is not what you say it is; it is always what the buyer perceives it to be” (Art Sobczak).

17. Follow up after the call.

If my prospect isn’t available to meet again until the next week or so, I will follow up with them within a day after our initial cold call. I try to go beyond the traditional “thanks for your time” and offer some valuable information that could help them in the period between our last conversation and their decision about my product.

You could try something like:

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

Did you get a chance to take a look at the materials I sent over?

If they say yes, follow up with some discovery questions or the next step in your sales process.

If they say they’re not interested, you could end with:

Thanks for letting me know. Just out of curiosity, could you tell me why you aren’t interested? [Try to use their answer to overcome this objection].

18. Leave a voicemail.

In today‘s digital world, voicemails seem like an old-fashioned method of communicating with your prospects, but they’re a smart way to keep yourself top-of-mind with them when they check their messages. When your prospects have overflowing email inboxes daily, stand out with a voicemail.

Hi, this is [your name] from [company name].

I’d like to learn more about [chosen topic] to see if [your company name] can offer a solution.

You can reach me at [your number]. I’ll also follow up with an email [specified date/time]. I look forward to speaking with you.

Have a great day.

You can even adjust your cold calling script to work with voicemail. Remember to address the prospect by name, introduce yourself, your company, and the need you‘re planning to address with them. Don’t sell in the voicemail; provide just enough information to pique their interest.

19. Conduct call reviews.

Don’t let your cold call script or etiquette get stale. As my product or service evolves, so should cold call techniques.

Conduct a call or “film” review with your sales team on a monthly or quarterly basis. Select a few recorded (with permission) calls, sit in on a few live attempts, and have reps provide constructive feedback on what went well and what could be improved for the next time.

20. Spend more time selling.

I’ve found that sales automation software is a sales rep‘s best friend. Little tasks like scheduling meetings, leaving voicemails, and sending follow-up emails might only take a few seconds to do, but when you multiply that by your daily quota, you’ll see hours per week spent on administrative tasks.

Automate these responsibilities with software and cold calling tools that can do the work for you. These platforms streamline manual tasks so you can spend more time doing something technology can’t — researching your prospects, building rapport, and closing deals.

21. Make sure you offer value.

I often ask myself after a call what value I offered my prospect. If I’m not answering their questions and solving their pain points, I’m wasting both their time and mine. If I don’t think I’ve established enough value, I send them more content to help them learn what my product/business has to offer them. Never underestimate the importance of educating your prospect with free, valuable content.

In his book Cold Calling Techniques, Stephan Schiffman says, “Success comes from helping people do what they want to do, not what you want to do.” Make sure your priority is helping your prospects accomplish the things they want to accomplish at their organization.

22. Remember your why.

Cold calling can get repetitive and robotic pretty fast. Dialing, reciting your script, asking for the next call, and doing it all over again can start to wear on your enthusiasm, but don‘t let it. When you’re struggling to make it through those last few calls of the week, remember why you love to do what you do.

Whether you keep your family‘s picture on your desk, an inspiring note from a colleague, or an encouraging quote from a leader, always keep your “why” in mind. On those amazing days when you’re closing left and right and those slower days when you can’t quite get into your groove, your “why” will keep you motivated.

Famous saleswoman Mary Kay Ash said, “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.”

23. Leverage AI for tailored cold calls.

David Breitenbach, Chief Marketing Officer at PatentRenewal.com, says, “One of the top tips for successfully conducting cold calls is to leverage AI tools for in-depth prospect research. AI can provide insights into a prospect’s recent activities, interests, and industry trends, allowing you to tailor your approach more precisely. For example, knowing a prospect recently expanded their business can help you position your product as a tool to support their growth.

“Additionally, personalize your opening statement by referencing a specific piece of information you discovered through your research, which can immediately capture their attention. Another innovative approach is to use AI to predict and preempt objections. By understanding common concerns within the prospect‘s industry, you can proactively address potential objections, showcasing your product’s value more effectively.

“By combining AI-powered insights with personalized and strategic communication, you can transform your cold-calling process and achieve higher success rates.”

24. Assume familiarity for a warm tone.

Tanya Slyvkin, Founder and CEO of WhitePage, says, “Pick up the phone and assume you are talking to your favorite cousin who just showed up on Christmas. You will have the perfect tone, as you won’t sound robotic or salesy. The conversation will be casual, enthusiastic, respectful, and somewhat familiar.

“It will have the client disarmed and keep them engaged long enough to create trust due to the familial pitch. They are more likely to hear you out and respond positively. Like everyone, it is okay to have a fear of rejection when cold-calling, and if a few calls don’t work out, remember they are not rejecting you. They are simply rejecting what you are proposing.”

25. Lead with empathy.

Tristan Harris, Demand Generation Senior Marketing Manager at Thrive Digital Marketing Agency, says, “Empathy is crucial. Remember, you’re talking to another human being who likely receives numerous unsolicited calls. Start with a friendly greeting and acknowledge their busy schedule. Being genuine and transparent about the purpose of your call can build trust.

“Ask open-ended questions to engage them in a dialogue rather than delivering a monologue. Listen actively to their responses, and adjust your approach based on their feedback. By focusing on building a relationship rather than just making a sale, you‘re more likely to leave a positive impression and lay the groundwork for future opportunities, even if the initial call doesn’t result in an immediate conversion.”

7 Techniques to Master Cold Calls

For many sales reps, even the words “cold call” are nerve-wracking. We all know what it’s like being at the customer end of a (not-so-great) cold call. Sales teams are often met with apathy, irritation, or outright hostility.

Despite these challenges, cold calls remain effective. So, how do you master the art of cold calling? Part of the answer lies in the scripts and tips listed above. By following tried-and-true methods, you can increase your chances of success and reduce the risk of outright rejection.

It’s also critical to train yourself in techniques that help improve your cold calling capabilities. Here are seven ways to boost your cold calling confidence.

1. Focus on problem-solving.

It’s easy to get caught up in the fact that you’re selling a product or service. This casts you in the role of the pushy salesperson and your prospect in the part of an unwilling call recipient. It naturally creates an oppositional dynamic that undermines your goal: Creating connection.

Instead, focus on problem-solving. You’re not trying to sell someone something they don’t need. You’re trying to help them solve a problem — one they might not even know they have — by creating a win-win scenario.

2. Know your product or service inside-out.

A little knowledge goes a long way. The more you know about your product or service, the better — in-depth information offers a soft landing place if you feel your confidence starts to waver. If you know your product inside-out and backward and forward, you’re never at a loss for words because you’re ready to answer any question and address any concern.

3. Expect the unexpected.

No matter how much prep work you do, calls never go as planned. You might have all your ducks in a row — you’ve got a solid prospect lined up, your company has just released a new product version, and you got a great night’s sleep — but five minutes into the call, your prospect is pulled into a meeting.

Two hours later, you call back only to discover that customer plans have changed, and the script you’ve spent so much time preparing no longer applies. The trick? Don’t get locked into a single format or sequence. Scripts act as a starting point, but you’re the one who makes the sale.

4. Create the right environment.

The right environment can help reduce your stress around cold calling. For some people, the ideal environment is a busy office. The presence of other sales staff boosts their energy and gives them increased confidence to tackle cold calling lists.

For others, a quiet space is the best option. This might be your desk at home or an office with a closed door at work. It might involve soothing music in the background or softer lighting to help you relax.

Bottom line? Do whatever works for you to maximize your comfort when cold calling.

5. Don’t take it personally.

Not everyone will be nice. It’s true in life, and it’s true in cold calling. While the potential for unpleasant interactions is higher for cold calls than everyday conversations, you never know how prospects will respond until you get them on the line.

In many cases, a negative reaction has nothing to do with you. Prospects may have had a tough morning or a rough week, or may simply be predisposed to dislike cold calls. No matter what happens, however, the outcome is the same: When the conversation is over, you’ll hang up the phone and go on with your day. Even if your last call was a total disaster, you’ll never hear from that prospect again — so don’t take it personally.

6. Recognize that “no” is better than nothing.

If you get a “no” it means you’re doing your job. No ends the conversation and lets you move on to the next prospect, satisfied that you’ve done everything you can to make the sale. This provides a closure.

Consider a prospect you simply can’t reach. Because you don’t have a “no” — or a “yes” — you have to keep calling. Getting turned down frees you up to focus on your next task.

7. Dive right in.

No matter what techniques you use to boost your confidence, there’s only one sure-fire way to get better at cold calling and reduce your anxiety: Diving right in, and making the call.

The more calls you make, the more you’ll learn. You’ll discover what works, what doesn’t, and where you can improve. You’ll pinpoint nuances in different prospect types that help you tailor your sales pitch, and you’ll get more confident in picking the right type of cold calling script.

Sure, the water’s cold, but diving right in is the best way to get over the shock.

Cold Call Script Templates That Work

This script and these tips will help you be a more effective cold caller. Just remember that it‘s all about providing value. By piquing a customer’s curiosity and solving their needs, you’ll build rapport and win prospects over, even if the conversation begins “cold.”

The work doesn‘t stop here. You’ll need to tailor your new script and template to fit your business, prospects, and personal style. Once you do, you’ll see a much higher return for your efforts.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

You have a list of names and phone numbers. Before the end of the day, you need to make 100 calls. Your sales manager has given your team a big pep talk encouraging you to dial, dial, dial.

Imagine picking up the phone with no idea what you’ll say or how prospective customers will respond. Yikes!

Now, imagine what you could accomplish with a clear and persuasive script. In this piece, I’ll share more about cold calling and show you what a typical cold call looks like — plus what I consider to be the best cold call script ever.

(If you’re in a hurry, skip to the script or download free sales call templates.)

Table of Contents

• What is a cold call?
• 25 Cold Calling Tips
• Cold Call Script Examples
• How to Create a Cold Call Script
• The Best Cold Calling Script Ever To Warm Up Leads
• Cold Calling Script Variation
• Cold Calling Script Templates
• 7 Techniques to Master Cold Calls

What is the purpose of cold calling?

I’ve found that cold calling is an excellent way to engage prospects one-on-one and move them to the next step in the buying process.

In the past, cold calling meant using a “spray and pray” method, spending time making intrusive calls with no prior qualification. You hoped that your message would resonate with someone, but there were no guarantees.

Thankfully, there’s a better way.

Cold calling is most effective when paired with strategies such as prospecting and sales qualification. It can also be used with the inbound methodology.

In inbound sales, prospects willingly “opt in” and become a lead after encountering your website or campaign. Digital channels, however, may not be enough to close a sale. Prospective buyers may need a “cold call” that helps them make a decision. As a result, inbound sales calls aren’t entirely cold. Instead, they’re lukewarm. Customers have some knowledge of an interest in your product — you’re just providing more data.

Outbound sales happen when you reach out to prospects who have never interacted with your company or your website. Research helps narrow your focus and increase the chances of a sale, and enterprise communication solutions help simplify your outbound communications by connecting your telephone sales with your other digital channels.

This means that with enough research and qualification, a cold call can be executed in a way that’s no longer “cold.”

So, what does a typical cold call look like in sales?

Cold Call Script Examples

1. The “Introducing a New Offering” Call

During a cold call, you‘re working from an inherently disadvantaged position. Your prospect can hang up at any point — and you don’t have that luxury.

It‘s on you to keep the conversation going, so having an incentive in your back pocket is a big help. One of the better selling points you can reference is a new offering. Pique your prospect’s interest by referencing the amazing, cutting-edge, or novel game-changer of a new product or service your company just released.

Here’s what that call might look like:

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I wanted to introduce you to our latest product/service, [Product/Service Name] — which has been extremely well-received by early users. It’s designed to [brief description of the product’s purpose].

I’d love to schedule a brief call or meeting to show you how [Product/Service Name] can benefit your business. Would you have some time this week to discuss further?

2. The “Referral Introduction” Call

Customer referrals are one of the most — if not the most — effective avenues sales professionals have for warming up leads and successfully converting cold calls.

With that said, you can’t just call up a referred prospect and say, “One of your friends said I should call you, so I‘m calling you. As someone who was referred, you are obligated to buy my product or service by default. You’re welcome.”

You need to be a little more tactful than that. Here’s a look at how you could structure that call:

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. [Referrer’s Name] suggested I reach out to you. They mentioned you might be interested in [specific area related to your product/service].

I’d love to share more about how we’ve helped other businesses like yours and explore if we might be a good fit. Could we set up a quick call this week?

3. The “Offering a Free Trial” Call

You always benefit from having some sort of incentive to back your cold call. The object of cold calling is to create and capitalize on urgency in a tight window — and sometimes, offering a little reward can help that case.

One of the more common “little rewards” sales organizations offer is a free trial. Here’s a script that plays into that:

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I’m excited to let you know about a free trial we’re offering for [Product/Service Name]. It’s a great way to experience the benefits firsthand without any commitment.

Would you be interested in giving it a try? I can help you get started and answer any questions you might have. How does that sound?

4. The “Requesting Feedback” Call

Sometimes, you can pique a prospect‘s interest by asking for their expertise. It’s a great way to connect and quickly build rapport with a potential customer. The caveat? Aim for sincere rather than “schmoozy.”

Here’s how to tell the difference: If you ask for expertise but then launch directly into your sales pitch, you’re schmoozing. If you take time to consider and respond to honest feedback, you’re being sincere.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company]. We’re in the process of developing [Product/Service Name], and I’d love to get your expert feedback on it. Your insights would be incredibly valuable to us.

Would you be open to a brief conversation to share your thoughts? I promise it won’t take more than 15 minutes of your time.

5. The “Event Invitation” Call

In-person or virtual events are another way to add value for prospects and develop rapport. In some cases, the best way to raise awareness of these events is through direct contact via cold calls.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. We’re hosting an exclusive event on [Date] that I think you would find very valuable. It’s focused on [Event Topic] and will feature industry leaders like [Speaker’s Name].

I’d love for you to join us. Can I send you more details and register you for the event?

6. The “Special Offer Introduction” Call

Remember the first and third scripts on this list? The ones where I talked about how having some sort of incentive makes a cold call script even more compelling? This one is also in that wheelhouse. A special offer is an excellent centerpiece to a thoughtful, effective cold call.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. We’re currently offering a special promotion on [Product/Service Name] for a limited time. It’s a great opportunity to [describe the offer’s benefits].

Would you like more details on how you can take advantage of this offer? I’d be happy to help you with that.

7. The “Network-Building” Call

Prospects make invaluable additions to your broader network, even if you don’t hard sell them right away. This call script gives you an approachable, not-too-intrusive avenue to connect and develop rapport with prospects.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I’ve been following your work at [Prospect’s Company], and I’m very impressed with what you’re doing in the [Their Field/Industry] space.

I’d love to connect and see if there are any opportunities for us to collaborate or share insights. Would you be open to a brief call sometime this week?

8. The “Customer Success Story” Call

Social proof can be a huge asset in sales. If you can demonstrate that your prospect’s peers have been successful with your offering, you can establish trust. Use this script to help you get there.

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

My name is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I wanted to share a success story about how we helped [Another Company’s Name] achieve [specific result]. I thought you might find it relevant given your focus on [specific area].

Could we schedule a call to discuss how we might be able to achieve similar results for you?

9. The “Complimentary Consultation Offer” Call

The incentive is back again. This time, I’m suggesting a free consultation to help a prospect identify and remedy issues relevant to your expertise.

Hello [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We’re offering complimentary consultations to help businesses identify key areas for improvement with [specific focus].

I think you’d find this extremely valuable, and I’d love to arrange a time for us to discuss how we can help. Are you available for a quick call?

10. The “Discount Offer” Call

Discounting is another form of incentive. While it remains a contentious concept among salespeople, reduced prices can help pique customer interest. Curious about trying a discount call? Go with a script like this.

Hello [Prospect’s Name],

This is [Your Name] from [Your Company]. We’re currently running a special promotion on our [product/service] that I think could be a great fit for your needs.

I’d love to provide you with more details and see how we can help you take advantage of this offer. Can we schedule a brief call?

How to Create a Cold Call Script

In my experience, the typical, cold calling script most salespeople use doesn’t work. Here’s how to create a standout cold call script to improve your connect rate.

1. Identify 2-3 verticals.

First, you need to cherry-pick who you‘ll call. Your time is valuable — don’t waste it on prospects that aren‘t a good fit for your product. Think about who your best customers are (or who you’ve had the most success calling in the past) and look for common attributes.

Industry verticals are a good place to start. For example, maybe you deal exclusively with hospitality and retail companies. Or, your target markets could be finance and banking. Once you’ve figured out which verticals to target, you’re ready for step 2.

Cold calling expert Alex Hobbs describes identifying verticals for outbound sales as “critical to revenue attainment today … even inbounds need to be worked with an outbound motion! You can’t just be an order taker/the fish are not jumping into the boat anymore!”

2. Identify 20 good-fit prospects.

I’ve found that it’s easier to find specific companies or people who could use your product or service using a tool like LinkedIn.

Let‘s say you’re looking for US-based hotel companies who might benefit from your on-site goat yoga classes (I mean, who doesn‘t want to do Shavasana with a baby goat while they’re on vacation?).

Search “General manager” with the “Hospitality” filter.

Voila — a list of potential customers.

I’ve also found that regional companies are a great start to your list, as people love to do business with other locals.

3. Research each prospect.

I know, I know, you’d rather just pick up the phone and call. But, spending just a few minutes on research can significantly increase your success rate.

Since you‘re already on LinkedIn, check out each prospect’s profile to personalize your approach. You’ll want to know:

• What the company does.
• What the prospect does specifically.
• If you’ve helped a similar company in the past.
• One “fun fact” about them.

Here‘s one thing I never fail to do: Look up how to pronounce the prospect’s name.

Nothing makes people more annoyed and less likely to listen than hearing their name butchered by some fast-talking rep, so this step is crucial.

Some people add how they pronounce their name on Facebook and LinkedIn. If your prospect hasn’t added this feature to their profile, try using PronounceNames to get an idea.

And if you‘re still out of luck? Be honest. When you start the call, say: “I want to be sure I’m saying your name correctly. How do you pronounce it?”

You should also follow their pronouns if they are listed in their LinkedIn bio. If you’re not familiar with how to use gender-neutral pronouns, here’s a great blog on the topic.

The Best Cold Calling Script Ever To Warm Up Leads

If you’re having trouble coming up with a cold call script of your own, try this one. I’ve used this script before, and it works because it focuses on a simple introduction, rapport, and then a positioning statement. I also think it works because your research helps establish immediate value.

Sample Script

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

I‘ve been doing some research on [prospect’s company name], and I‘d love to learn more about [challenge you’ve discovered in your research].

At [your company name], we work with people like you to help with [value proposition 1, value proposition 2, and value proposition 3.]

Is this something you think could help with [common challenges/pain points]?

Option 1: Yes, tell me more.

Great! [This is where you’re going to ask them to attend a demo, or continue the conversation with an Account Executive, or take whatever next steps are part of your sales process.]

Option 2: Objection

I understand. Is it okay if I send you a follow-up email to review at your convenience? Then, I can follow up with you tomorrow.

If yes, send the email and set a reminder to follow up. If not, thank them for their time and ask if there’s another point of contact they can connect you with. Make sure to include resources that clearly explain what your company does and ask to continue the conversation.

You may have noticed you‘re not really cold calling anymore, as you’ve already winnowed down your list and done some homework all before picking up the phone. I’ve found this extra work to be well worth it in securing customers.

Now, let’s get to the script.

1. Introduce yourself.

First, state your name and the company you work for. You need to be clear, confident, and energetic. I can’t tell you how many cold calls I listen to that begin with, “This is *mumbles* from ‘mumbled company name.’“

The confused prospect goes, “What? Who?” and you’re already off to a rough start.

You don’t need to yell your greeting, but you do need to articulate the words.

After you say, “This is [name] from [company],” pause.

This is hard for cold callers. They want to jump straight into their pitch because they’re afraid of rejection. However, I caution you to take a deep breath and say nothing for eight whole seconds. Count it off, and it doesn’t seem like a long time. But trust me, during a cold call, it feels like an eternity. Hold the line, though, and it will be worth your while.

Why? Because when you pause, your prospect is searching their brain for who you could be. It sounds like you know them — are you a client? A former coworker? A current one?

2. Establish rapport.

Our call is already deviating from the standard cold call script, so why not ask them a question to establish some rapport? Your goal here is to get them talking and prove you’re familiar with them and their company.

Here are some sample questions:

• I see you’ve been at [company] for [X years]. What do you enjoy about your role?
• Congrats on your recent promotion. How is your new position going?
• I’ve always been fascinated by the [enter industry they work in] industry. Can you tell me more about what your company does?

A good question is topical and makes someone smile. If they seem receptive to chatting, ask them a follow-up question. You don’t want to ask something too personal since this is likely the first time they’ve spoken to you, so stay away from information that’s not readily available on LinkedIn.

For instance, if they say, “I’m enjoying my new promotion; I’m able to get a lot more done,” you can respond, “That’s great. How did you get started in this industry?” Maybe comment on a post they’ve recently made and how it made you think.

Eventually, they’ll ask, “Alright, why are you calling?”

Acknowledge that their time is valuable and you have a pitch for them while still keeping the mood light. Be cordial and merry on the phone. This will change the energy from one of awkwardness to lightheartedness.

3. Use a positioning statement.

A positioning statement shows your prospect that you work with similar companies and understand their challenges. You’re not talking about yourself, which is what most cold callers do. Keep the conversation focused on them and have a genuine discussion.

Here’s a hypothetical positioning statement:

“I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”

Since you‘ve pre-qualified them, they’ll likely say “yes.”

Simply say, “Tell me more about that.”

Now, it‘s all about them! They’ll explain their pain points and objectives, which is valuable information you can use to build your sales pitch.

4. Thank them for their time.

Never end a cold call without letting your prospect know you’re grateful for the chance to speak with them.

Pranav Rawat, a cold calling professional, teaches this concept by stating that “no matter who your prospect is, their time is important. By saying thank you, you’re letting them know that you respect them, which is not only a good opening line but a great way to start a relationship, too.”

Cold Calling Script Variation

As a sales leader at HubSpot, I love assisting newer reps in closing big deals because I‘ve been in their shoes. It’s good for the company and the reps’ careers. To do that, I use a slightly altered process and script.

We have a team culture of “just ask,” encouraging junior reps to request help from sales leaders when they want to set up meetings with CEOs or prospects at Fortune 500 companies.

Once a rep asks for my help, I ask for something in return: The website URL, the LinkedIn profile of the person and company I’m speaking with, and their HubSpot CRM record.

This allows me to quickly familiarize myself with the person and company I’m about to call. Once the phone rings and the prospect answers, I use the greeting from above, “This is [name] from [company],” then pause.

If you‘re calling a C-level executive or even a mid-level employee at a large organization, you likely had to get past an assistant or front desk, which is where your senior title helped. Gatekeepers are more likely to pass along “Dan Tyre, Director of Sales at HubSpot” than “[Name], a sales rep at HubSpot.”

They‘ll know who you are, but they’ll still be curious why you called. Keep them in suspense a bit longer. As in the script above, I’ll spend a few minutes asking about them. Here are a few more questions I turn to:

• “Are you a cat or a dog person?”
• “Read any good books or blogs lately?”
• “What‘s your favorite restaurant in [Prospect’s city]? I’ve always wanted to visit.”

When the conversation turns to why I called, I say, “I called to help.” This line usually stops the prospect in their tracks.

Then, I follow up with, “My sales rep asked me to start a conversation with you.” This allows me to easily hand the conversation off to the rep if it goes well.

From there, I use a positioning statement like the one above:

“I work with sales managers in hospitality with five to eight reps on their team. My customers are typically looking to increase rep productivity. Does that sound like you?”

The pre-qualified prospect will answer “Yes,” and that’s when my active listening turns on, and I say, “Tell me more about that.” Once they‘ve explained their pain points, I repeat what I’ve heard back to them: “So, what I’m hearing is …” and offer to set up a discovery call.

Usually, the prospect agrees and throws out a time for weeks or months in the future. I often reply with, “How about tomorrow?” Most of the time, prospects respond with, “Sure, what time?”

I‘ll then check the junior rep’s calendar and schedule the discovery call.

Cold Calling Script Templates

Ready to start cold calling? Here are some cold-calling script templates you can use to get started.

Featured Resource: 10 Sales Call Templates for Outreach.

This downloadable resource contains ten templates, including the examples listed below. I like that each script can be customized to fit your specific needs and scenarios. As stated previously, the more research you do on your prospect prior to calling, the better your results will be.

Discovery Sales Calls

Discovery is one of the trickier aspects of any sales process — it’s often as frustrating as it is necessary. You can‘t deliver on any other stage of your sales process if you don’t gather thorough, thoughtful context on your discovery call. Use this template to get the insight you need to support smooth, successful sales efforts.

Download Template

Gatekeepers

Learning how to handle interactions with gatekeepers is one of the trickier aspects of sales communication. You‘re bound to hit walls with administrative assistants, office managers, or other intermediaries between you and decision-makers at points in your career. Here’s the best script for working through those screening conversations.

Download Template

Mutual Colleague Recommendations

People trust their people — much more than they trust some random salesperson, at least. If you want to cultivate some quick social proof and approachability with prospects via an existing connection, consider leveraging a script like this. It shows you the most effective way to use a recommendation from a mutual colleague.

Download Template

Follow-ups

So much of sales is powered by measured persistence. In many cases, you‘re not going to get the response you need (or a response at all) without following up. If you’ve already tried reaching out to a prospect, use this script to get a response.

Download Template

Connection Requests

Failing to connect with a prospect? This script provides an alternative route to reaching out.

Download Template

Now that you have your script, here are some tips to keep in mind.

1. Be selective with prospects.

As a HubSpot employee, I try to live and breathe inbound marketing and sales, relying on my strong sales teams to close deals.

I know that a 100% inbound method might not work for your business — at least not overnight.

So, be selective with your prospects to mimic the success of inbound sales. That means you‘ll need to get creative with whom you add to your list.

If you can find hand-raisers (people already interested in the product or service your company provides), prioritize calling them first. If they’re interested in what you have to offer before you call, you’ll be well on your way to closing them on the solution you sell. And that brings me to my next point.

2. Use the right tools.

Although a solid script and an excellent sales team will yield good results, remember that they can only take you so far.

As I just mentioned, you need to pick and choose between prospects so sales reps won’t waste time reaching out to people who don’t show much interest in your business. That requires data — lots of it.

Most dedicated sales tools help you reach the right prospects by providing you with the tools necessary to score and qualify leads as well as track prospects as they move through the sales funnel.

Other tools bring more to the table. For example, HubSpot’s sales software can record and transcribe cold calls, so you can later leave feedback to sales reps via its Conversation Intelligence feature.

Or, if you want to ensure your reps nail cold calls on the first try, set up interactive playbooks. You can store use-case-specific call scripts, training materials, and more to give sales agents the ability to adapt and get the guidance needed mid-call.

Meanwhile, scheduling meetings is just a matter of letting prospects pick a time and date that works best for them. You can also send quotes and collect payments directly within HubSpot, so you don’t have to always jump from one software solution to the other.

3. Practice your cold call script.

While you don‘t want to sound robotic and rehearsed, you do want to repeat your script so you don’t forget it.

The better you know the goals of the script, you‘ll be able to think on your feet if the prospect comes back with a comment or question you hadn’t planned for.

With each call, you‘ll get a chance to practice your cold calling script — and you’ll learn strategies to make future cold calls more effective.

4. Focus on them.

When I craft a cold-calling script, I find it’s easy to fall into the me-me-me trap:

• “We at [Company] offer…”
• “We’re the best at…”
• “I want to schedule a meeting to…”

Instead, you should be putting your focus on the prospect using “you” language:

• “Are you experiencing challenges with…”
• “What roadblocks kept you…”
• “Would you benefit from…”

Doing so centers them in the conversation, making it personalized and relevant.

5. Do your research.

Before you pick up the phone, make sure you have plenty of information about your prospect.

I try to learn what the company does, find the prospect’s role at the company, and discover whether I’ve worked with their company or a similar company in the past.

Other publicly available information is also useful: Where did they go to school? Do you know a friend or colleague? Did they recently attend an industry event? These are some rapport-building topics you can use to start the conversation.

6. Find the best time to call.

Although there isn’t a universal “best” time to make a cold call, some experts recommend early mornings or late afternoons since individuals haven’t yet started their day or are already wrapping it up — thus increasing your chances of getting through.

However, the more cold calls you make, the more you’ll get a feel for the days and times that have the most success. Once you do, prioritize your calls and make the most important ones during those windows.

7. Pique curiosity.

I try to open the conversation by generating intrigue and interest. If you can get prospects invested in the conversation, you’ll give them a reason to keep listening.

The Harvard Business Review notes that “curiosity is a powerful practice to infuse into a company’s culture.” It can reduce stress, as curious individuals are seen as more communal and friendly. So, curiosity is a key component of effective cold-calling. Curious prospects might give you more of their time to explore solutions to their problems.

8. Be respectful of their time.

While it’s essential to establish rapport and start the conversation off on a positive note, be mindful that cold-calling is somewhat intrusive. You have interrupted their day, so get to the point quickly.

Use your positioning statement early on in the call or make a transition like this one: “The reason I’m calling is to … ”

These will signal to the prospect that you’ll be quick and to the point.

9. Ask open-ended questions.

I avoid asking “yes or no” questions. Instead, I ask open-ended questions that will keep the conversation going, especially when asking the prospect about their pain points and goals.

You could say:

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

I‘ve been doing some research on [prospect’s company name], and I just wanted to ask you a few questions about [insert chosen topic].

What roadblocks have kept you from finding a better solution to [insert chosen topic challenges]?

(They answer)

I’d love to continue the conversation because I think [your company name] would be able to help you figure out a solution. [Then take whatever next steps are part of your sales process.]

Asking open-ended questions helps you get more information and helps you create a tailored solution to their specific challenges.

10. Be an active listener.

It can be easy to get lost in the conversation, but ensure you‘re listening carefully to the prospect’s responses.

When appropriate, repeat what they said about their company or goals. This helps you clarify what they said and shows the prospect that you truly care about what they’re saying.

11. Pick out their pains.

I often find that eliminating pain points is a more powerful approach to incentivizing prospects than adding value. As you get the prospect to open up about their organization, role, and situation, listen for current struggles, points of contention, or problems they may be experiencing.

This may give you an “I can help with that” moment with the prospect.

You can build off of the open-ended questions script:

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

We‘re a [type of company] platform that helps companies like yours [the problem you solve]. I’m calling to see if we can provide assistance.

What roadblocks have kept you from finding a better solution to [insert chosen topic challenges]?

(They answer)

I can totally understand your frustration with that. It sounds like your team is having trouble with [summarize their pain points/issue]. We work with a few companies like yours, and most have found our services to be [how your product/service helped]. Do you have something similar in place?

This script helps you nail down their challenges and presents your services as a remedy.

12. Anticipate objections.

The more calls you complete, the more you‘ll get a feel for the types of objections you’ll get.

For example, the prospect may already be working with a competitor. You could respond with:

“Yes, I am familiar with them. Why did you choose [company name]? What‘s working? What’s not? Allow me to explain how [your product/service] is different.”

In some cases, they will have no intention of changing providers, so there’s no reason to continue the call.

But for the cases where it is a good opportunity to press on, having a scripted response to handle the objection will keep you from getting caught off guard and allowing the call to come to a grinding halt.

13. Use social proof.

Once I’ve discovered that my prospect is an ideal client, I guide the conversation to what I have to offer them. But I don’t expect them to take my word for it; I will:

• Tell stories about customers with similar business structures as them, illustrating what I was able to do for those customers.
• Use case studies that show what they stand to gain.
• Show testimonials and success stories.

14. Focus on your goal.

Cold calls have two goals: Introducing yourself to the prospect and setting up a discovery call with them. Remind yourself of the desired results to help you stay on track as you’re cold-calling prospects.

15. Have a ‘close’ in mind for every conversation.

Sales Pro Jeff Hoffman recommends always having a small close in mind for every point of contact you have with a prospect. For a cold call, that small close might be getting five more minutes of a prospect’s time or setting up a follow-up call for later in the week.

Before each email you send and phone call you make, identify the close you’ll use to encourage more streamlined and focused communication.

16. Make it easy to say yes.

Regardless of which ‘close’ you end up choosing, focus on selling just that ‘close.’ The more complicated you make it for the prospect, the easier it is for them to say ‘no.’

For example, if the big goal is to sell a turn-key software package in the four figures, but you know that your demo will blow them out of the water, just sell the demo.

Make it easy for them to commit to the demo with no strings attached, and make it easy for them to schedule and show up to the demo. Don’t fuss with the details about software packages in this initial step when you can deal with those details later (presumably after the demo). Doing so will plant objections in their mind before you get your foot in the door.

If I know that a prospect won’t commit to a demo, I assume they need more time in the purchase funnel, which means they need more useful content. I send them articles, blogs, handouts, white papers, etc., that will make their life easier and help them excel in their industry. Remember, “Value is not what you say it is; it is always what the buyer perceives it to be” (Art Sobczak).

17. Follow up after the call.

If my prospect isn’t available to meet again until the next week or so, I will follow up with them within a day after our initial cold call. I try to go beyond the traditional “thanks for your time” and offer some valuable information that could help them in the period between our last conversation and their decision about my product.

You could try something like:

Hi [prospect’s name], this is [your name] from [your company name].

Did you get a chance to take a look at the materials I sent over?

If they say yes, follow up with some discovery questions or the next step in your sales process.

If they say they’re not interested, you could end with:

Thanks for letting me know. Just out of curiosity, could you tell me why you aren’t interested? [Try to use their answer to overcome this objection].

18. Leave a voicemail.

In today‘s digital world, voicemails seem like an old-fashioned method of communicating with your prospects, but they’re a smart way to keep yourself top-of-mind with them when they check their messages. When your prospects have overflowing email inboxes daily, stand out with a voicemail.

Hi, this is [your name] from [company name].

I’d like to learn more about [chosen topic] to see if [your company name] can offer a solution.

You can reach me at [your number]. I’ll also follow up with an email [specified date/time]. I look forward to speaking with you.

Have a great day.

You can even adjust your cold calling script to work with voicemail. Remember to address the prospect by name, introduce yourself, your company, and the need you‘re planning to address with them. Don’t sell in the voicemail; provide just enough information to pique their interest.

19. Conduct call reviews.

Don’t let your cold call script or etiquette get stale. As my product or service evolves, so should cold call techniques.

Conduct a call or “film” review with your sales team on a monthly or quarterly basis. Select a few recorded (with permission) calls, sit in on a few live attempts, and have reps provide constructive feedback on what went well and what could be improved for the next time.

20. Spend more time selling.

I’ve found that sales automation software is a sales rep‘s best friend. Little tasks like scheduling meetings, leaving voicemails, and sending follow-up emails might only take a few seconds to do, but when you multiply that by your daily quota, you’ll see hours per week spent on administrative tasks.

Automate these responsibilities with software and cold calling tools that can do the work for you. These platforms streamline manual tasks so you can spend more time doing something technology can’t — researching your prospects, building rapport, and closing deals.

21. Make sure you offer value.

I often ask myself after a call what value I offered my prospect. If I’m not answering their questions and solving their pain points, I’m wasting both their time and mine. If I don’t think I’ve established enough value, I send them more content to help them learn what my product/business has to offer them. Never underestimate the importance of educating your prospect with free, valuable content.

In his book Cold Calling Techniques, Stephan Schiffman says, “Success comes from helping people do what they want to do, not what you want to do.” Make sure your priority is helping your prospects accomplish the things they want to accomplish at their organization.

22. Remember your why.

Cold calling can get repetitive and robotic pretty fast. Dialing, reciting your script, asking for the next call, and doing it all over again can start to wear on your enthusiasm, but don‘t let it. When you’re struggling to make it through those last few calls of the week, remember why you love to do what you do.

Whether you keep your family‘s picture on your desk, an inspiring note from a colleague, or an encouraging quote from a leader, always keep your “why” in mind. On those amazing days when you’re closing left and right and those slower days when you can’t quite get into your groove, your “why” will keep you motivated.

Famous saleswoman Mary Kay Ash said, “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.”

23. Leverage AI for tailored cold calls.

David Breitenbach, Chief Marketing Officer at PatentRenewal.com, says, “One of the top tips for successfully conducting cold calls is to leverage AI tools for in-depth prospect research. AI can provide insights into a prospect’s recent activities, interests, and industry trends, allowing you to tailor your approach more precisely. For example, knowing a prospect recently expanded their business can help you position your product as a tool to support their growth.

“Additionally, personalize your opening statement by referencing a specific piece of information you discovered through your research, which can immediately capture their attention. Another innovative approach is to use AI to predict and preempt objections. By understanding common concerns within the prospect‘s industry, you can proactively address potential objections, showcasing your product’s value more effectively.

“By combining AI-powered insights with personalized and strategic communication, you can transform your cold-calling process and achieve higher success rates.”

24. Assume familiarity for a warm tone.

Tanya Slyvkin, Founder and CEO of WhitePage, says, “Pick up the phone and assume you are talking to your favorite cousin who just showed up on Christmas. You will have the perfect tone, as you won’t sound robotic or salesy. The conversation will be casual, enthusiastic, respectful, and somewhat familiar.

“It will have the client disarmed and keep them engaged long enough to create trust due to the familial pitch. They are more likely to hear you out and respond positively. Like everyone, it is okay to have a fear of rejection when cold-calling, and if a few calls don’t work out, remember they are not rejecting you. They are simply rejecting what you are proposing.”

25. Lead with empathy.

Tristan Harris, Demand Generation Senior Marketing Manager at Thrive Digital Marketing Agency, says, “Empathy is crucial. Remember, you’re talking to another human being who likely receives numerous unsolicited calls. Start with a friendly greeting and acknowledge their busy schedule. Being genuine and transparent about the purpose of your call can build trust.

“Ask open-ended questions to engage them in a dialogue rather than delivering a monologue. Listen actively to their responses, and adjust your approach based on their feedback. By focusing on building a relationship rather than just making a sale, you‘re more likely to leave a positive impression and lay the groundwork for future opportunities, even if the initial call doesn’t result in an immediate conversion.”

7 Techniques to Master Cold Calls

For many sales reps, even the words “cold call” are nerve-wracking. We all know what it’s like being at the customer end of a (not-so-great) cold call. Sales teams are often met with apathy, irritation, or outright hostility.

Despite these challenges, cold calls remain effective. So, how do you master the art of cold calling? Part of the answer lies in the scripts and tips listed above. By following tried-and-true methods, you can increase your chances of success and reduce the risk of outright rejection.

It’s also critical to train yourself in techniques that help improve your cold calling capabilities. Here are seven ways to boost your cold calling confidence.

1. Focus on problem-solving.

It’s easy to get caught up in the fact that you’re selling a product or service. This casts you in the role of the pushy salesperson and your prospect in the part of an unwilling call recipient. It naturally creates an oppositional dynamic that undermines your goal: Creating connection.

Instead, focus on problem-solving. You’re not trying to sell someone something they don’t need. You’re trying to help them solve a problem — one they might not even know they have — by creating a win-win scenario.

2. Know your product or service inside-out.

A little knowledge goes a long way. The more you know about your product or service, the better — in-depth information offers a soft landing place if you feel your confidence starts to waver. If you know your product inside-out and backward and forward, you’re never at a loss for words because you’re ready to answer any question and address any concern.

3. Expect the unexpected.

No matter how much prep work you do, calls never go as planned. You might have all your ducks in a row — you’ve got a solid prospect lined up, your company has just released a new product version, and you got a great night’s sleep — but five minutes into the call, your prospect is pulled into a meeting.

Two hours later, you call back only to discover that customer plans have changed, and the script you’ve spent so much time preparing no longer applies. The trick? Don’t get locked into a single format or sequence. Scripts act as a starting point, but you’re the one who makes the sale.

4. Create the right environment.

The right environment can help reduce your stress around cold calling. For some people, the ideal environment is a busy office. The presence of other sales staff boosts their energy and gives them increased confidence to tackle cold calling lists.

For others, a quiet space is the best option. This might be your desk at home or an office with a closed door at work. It might involve soothing music in the background or softer lighting to help you relax.

Bottom line? Do whatever works for you to maximize your comfort when cold calling.

5. Don’t take it personally.

Not everyone will be nice. It’s true in life, and it’s true in cold calling. While the potential for unpleasant interactions is higher for cold calls than everyday conversations, you never know how prospects will respond until you get them on the line.

In many cases, a negative reaction has nothing to do with you. Prospects may have had a tough morning or a rough week, or may simply be predisposed to dislike cold calls. No matter what happens, however, the outcome is the same: When the conversation is over, you’ll hang up the phone and go on with your day. Even if your last call was a total disaster, you’ll never hear from that prospect again — so don’t take it personally.

6. Recognize that “no” is better than nothing.

If you get a “no” it means you’re doing your job. No ends the conversation and lets you move on to the next prospect, satisfied that you’ve done everything you can to make the sale. This provides a closure.

Consider a prospect you simply can’t reach. Because you don’t have a “no” — or a “yes” — you have to keep calling. Getting turned down frees you up to focus on your next task.

7. Dive right in.

No matter what techniques you use to boost your confidence, there’s only one sure-fire way to get better at cold calling and reduce your anxiety: Diving right in, and making the call.

The more calls you make, the more you’ll learn. You’ll discover what works, what doesn’t, and where you can improve. You’ll pinpoint nuances in different prospect types that help you tailor your sales pitch, and you’ll get more confident in picking the right type of cold calling script.

Sure, the water’s cold, but diving right in is the best way to get over the shock.

Cold Call Script Templates That Work

This script and these tips will help you be a more effective cold caller. Just remember that it‘s all about providing value. By piquing a customer’s curiosity and solving their needs, you’ll build rapport and win prospects over, even if the conversation begins “cold.”

The work doesn‘t stop here. You’ll need to tailor your new script and template to fit your business, prospects, and personal style. Once you do, you’ll see a much higher return for your efforts.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Today’s buyer is more informed than ever, thanks to the vast amount of information at their fingertips. Because of this, the balance of power has shifted from the sales rep to the buyer in most sales conversations. This is why pushy sales tactics aren’t as effective as they used to be.

Instead, to be successful in sales today, sales reps must adapt their mindset from selling to helping. The best way to start this process is to become intimately familiar with the buyer and the journey they take on their path to purchase: the buyer’s journey.

In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the buyer’s journey, what it looks like in B2B versus B2C spaces, and how to apply it to your sales cycle.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents:

• What is the buyer’s journey?
• Difference Between the B2B Buyer’s Journey and the B2C Buyer’s Journey
• Buyer’s Journey vs. Customer’s Journey
• What are the three stages of the buyer’s journey?
• Tips for Applying the Buyer’s Journey to the Sales Cycle
• Final Thoughts: Making the Buyer’s Journey Work for You

By understanding the buyer’s journey, the pains and problems they experience as they navigate a potential purchase, along with the influencing factors that shape their thinking, salesfolks can better empathize with the buyer and position their product or service along that path.

However, not all buyer’s journeys look the same. Each process varies significantly depending on whether the buyer is an individual consumer or a business decision-maker. B2B and B2C buyers have different motivations, timelines, and decision-making processes, which impact how sales teams should approach them.

In the next section, I’ll break down the key differences between the two journeys so you can modify your sales strategy accordingly.

Difference Between the B2B Buyer’s Journey and the B2C Buyer’s Journey

The B2B buyer’s journey and the B2C buyer’s journey may sound the same, but, in practice, they’re entirely different. Like I previously shared, the decision-making process, sales cycle, and customer motivations vary, ultimately shaping how businesses approach their sales and marketing strategies. If you want to understand the ins and outs of either, it starts with distinguishing the two.

Check out the list I put together of how each process compares (with examples of what their respective buyer’s journey might look like) below:

1. Length of the Decision-Making Process.

Typically, the B2B buyer’s journey is longer and more complex than the B2C buyer’s journey. The B2B buyer’s journey involves multiple stakeholders, from C-suite executives to finance departments, so getting folks fully aligned on decisions takes some time.

Oppositely, the B2C buyer’s journey is quicker, primarily because it’s a process sustained on emotion. Customers make purchase decisions based on personal needs, desires, or impulses. While some B2C products (i.e., cars or real estate) require research and additional time, most B2C decisions involve fewer people and less deliberation.

2. The Sales Cycle Length.

As I previously mentioned, the B2B buyer’s journey involves multiple people from start to finish. Thus, it takes longer; sometimes, the B2B buyer’s journey can take weeks, months, or even years. It involves multiple touchpoints, such as:

• Lead nurturing
• Consultations
• Product demonstrations
• Proposals
• Contract negotiations

Because the B2C buyer’s journey operates more quickly, its sales cycle is shorter. It ranges from instant (i.e., e-commerce purchases) to a few days or weeks (i.e., renting an apartment). The journey moves quickly from awareness to purchase, often influenced by mass marketing, accessible customer reviews, or word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations.

3. The Marketing and Sales Approach.

If you’re ever struggling to fully remember how the B2B buyer’s journey and B2C buyer’s journey compare, take a moment to reflect on the differences between the two through their designated approaches to marketing and sales efforts.

In the B2B buyer’s journey, marketing and sales efforts often hyperfixate on relationship-building, education, and value-driven content (i.e., case studies, webinars, email nurturing, etc.). However, in the B2C buyer’s journey, there’s a reliance on brand awareness through ads, social media, influencer marketing, and promotional strategy.

For example, a B2B tech company might generate leads through LinkedIn outreach; a B2C fashion brand may focus on Instagram influencers and flash sales to drive conversions.

4. Pricing and Negotiation.

In the B2B buyer’s journey, prices are usually customized and involve lots of negotiation, not just over price but over contracts and other long-term agreements (i.e., volume discounts, service-level agreement, recurring subscriptions, etc.).

Conversely, the B2C buyer’s journey takes a more rigid, non-negotiable approach to pricing and negotiation. Usually, prices are fixed (with the exception of discounts, sales, or loyalty programs) and clearly communicated upfront to consumers.

For example, a B2B SaaS provider may offer custom pricing based on a company’s size and needs, while a B2C subscription service (i.e., Hulu or Netflix) has set monthly pricing.

Buyer’s Journey vs. Customer’s Journey

Now that I’ve covered the key comparisons between the B2B buyer’s journey and the B2C buyer’s journey, I think it’s only fitting that I transition to talking through some of the distinctions between the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey.

Take a glance at the list I assembled below for some further clarity on both journeys, their unique stages, and how each individual journey impacts the overall customer experience:

1. Definition and Focus.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? If you want to know why the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey are disparate, this understanding begins with having clarity on how each journey is actually defined.

The buyer’s journey is the process in which a potential customer goes through before making a purchase decision. It focuses on awareness, consideration, and decision-making prior to becoming a paying customer.

The customer’s journey, however, represents the entire experience a customer has with a brand after making a purchase, including onboarding, support, retention, and advocacy. The customer’s journey focuses on building loyalty, satisfaction, and long-term relationships; it’s about turning buyers into repeat customers and, hopefully, brand evangelists.

2. Different Stages.

I briefly mentioned the stages of the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey above. Here’s what each stage really means in a bit more detail:

The Buyer’s Journey Stages (Pre-Purchase)

• Awareness: The buyer realizes they have a problem or need
• Consideration: The buyer researches possible solutions
• Decision: The buyer evaluates options and makes a purchase

The Customer’s Journey Stages (Post-Purchase)

• Onboarding: The customer gets started with a product or service
• Adoption: The customer actively uses the product or service
• Retention: The company engages with the customer to prevent churn (i.e., sending post-purchase emails and details, etc.)
• Advocacy: The customer is satisfied and refers others

3. Different Primary Goals.

As the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey are separate processes, they have different goals.

The buyer’s journey prioritizes converting potential customers into paying ones. At this stage, businesses focus on educating prospects, addressing pain points, and positioning their product or service as the best solution. Strategies like content marketing, personalized outreach, and product demonstrations play a huge role in moving buyers toward a purchase.

The customer’s journey, on the other hand, is all about maintaining and strengthening the relationship after the purchase. It aims to always keep customers happy, engaged, and loyal to a brand. This phase often includes customer service interactions, loyalty programs, upsell opportunities, and encouraging brand advocacy through referrals and reviews.

When in doubt about specifying how these two journeys apart from one another, just remember: While the buyer’s journey ends at conversion, the customer’s journey is an ongoing process.

4. Different Metrics of Success.

The buyer’s journey centers the following metrics:

• Conversion rates
• Lead-to-customer ratio
• Sales cycle length

These metrics help businesses evaluate how effectively they attract, nurture, and convert potential customers into paying ones.

The customer’s journey relies these metrics:

• Customer retention rate
• Net promoter score (NPS)
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

These indicators help businesses assess the efficiency of their sales funnel and identify areas for improvement in the acquisition process.

What are the three stages of the buyer’s journey?

If you want to understand the buyer’s journey in its simplest form, I suggest thinking about the three stages that make the buyer’s journey flow seamlessly.

To help you grasp them more clearly, review my step-by-step breakdown of the buyer’s journey below:

1. Awareness Stage: The buyer becomes aware that they have a problem.

During this stage, the buyer is experiencing a problem or symptoms of pain, and their goal is to alleviate it. They may be looking for informational resources to more clearly understand, frame, and give a name to their problem.

2. Consideration Stage: The buyer defines their problem and considers options to solve it.

Next, the buyer will have clearly defined and given a name to their problem, and they are committed to researching and understanding all available approaches and/or methods to solving the defined problem or opportunity.

3. Decision Stage: The buyer evaluates and decides on the right provider to administer the solution.

Finally, the buyer has decided on their solution strategy, method, or approach. Their goal now is to compile a list of available vendors, make a short list, and ultimately make a final purchase decision.

If you don’t have an intimate understanding of your buyers, it may be difficult to map out the buyer’s journey in a way that will be helpful from a sales perspective. In this case, be sure to conduct a few interviews with customers, prospects, and other salespeople at your company to get a sense of the buying journey.

Tips for Applying the Buyer’s Journey to the Sales Cycle

Simply put, buyers don’t want to be prospected, demoed, or closed when they’re not ready. When offered at the wrong time, these steps add zero value from their perspective. However, a sales rep can shine when buyers seek additional information about your product that can’t be found online.

When it comes to mastering the buyer’s journey, timing is truly everything, so here are my suggestions for how to engage buyers at the right moment:

1. Awareness Stage

When buyers are in the awareness stage, they recognize a challenge or opportunity that needs attention. They also decide whether the challenge or opportunity should be a priority.

Because of this, sales folks must approach potential buyers with sensitivity, not sales pitches. As I mentioned above, instead of pushing a product or service, the goal should be to help buyers articulate their problem, explore potential impacts, and guide them toward the next steps in their journey.

In short, at this stage of the buyer’s journey, don’t expect customers to choose your brand because its the first option they come across. Buyers will take their time to think on what to do next; all you can do is provide resources that give them more insight about your offering.

Take a look at this chart I assembled to help you think through how you want to go about capturing buyers’ attention effectively during this stage:

Here are a few other tips to consider:

• Offer different types of engagement to customers based on readiness. Think low-commitment webinars for early-stage buyers, free product trials for those closer to a decision, and personalized consultations for customers who need some extra reassurance before making a purchase.
• Use lead storing whenever you can. Lead scoring will help you identify when a customer is actively researching vs. just starting their buyer’s journey.

2. Consideration Stage

By this point, buyers have clearly defined the goal or challenge and have committed to addressing it. They are now evaluating different approaches or methods to pursue the goal or solve their challenge.

This is a high-stakes, particularly fragile part of the buyer’s journey. Why? Because buyers are actively comparing solutions, possibly making a pros/cons list to help them choose what’s the best fit for them, and, all-in-all, seeking any final signs of validation for the decision they’ll make. Most likely, buyers are using these moments to:

• Scour social media for demos
• Look for testimonials/reviews from real customers
• Analyze case studies to see how others have successfully used the product or service

At this stage, salesfolks must position themselves as trusted advisors, not just sellers. Instead of pushing a one-size-fits-all solution, sales teams should provide as many value-driven resources as possible that help buyers confidently choose an approach — whether that includes their product or not.

Here’s another chart I organized to guide you through how to navigate this stage:

3. Decision Stage

Finally, when buyers make it to this part of their journey, they’ve decided on a solution category and are now evaluating providers.

This is a crucial part of the buyer’s journey because they’re on the verge of making a final commitment. Buyers are comparing features, pricing, implementation processes, and overall satisfaction with the product or service they’re considering. Trust and credibility play a huge role here; buyers want reassurance that they’re making the right choice.

So, what should salesfolks do when they’ve arrived to this stage of the buyer’s journey? Well, in my opinion, it’s all about eliminating friction and reinforcing confidence by addressing lingering doubts and offering tailored recommendations.

To figure out what to ask and what to do as a salesperson seeking alignment with this stage, review my list of recommendations below:

Some of these considerations may fall more under the marketing umbrella than the sales umbrella. Still, ultimately, the answers to these questions will provide a robust foundation for your buyer’s journey.

Final Thoughts: Making the Buyer’s Journey Work for You

Knowing how your buyers buy is invaluable as you create or refine your sales process. Once you’ve unlocked the hows and the whys behind their decision-making processes, you’ll better empathize with them, handle their objections, and provide them with correct information at the right time, helping you close more deals and win more business.

If you walk away from this post having learned anything, I hope it’s these three things:

• Take the time to understand your buyers
• Refine your strategy
• Meet buyers where they are (with the right information, at the right time)

Once you put these things into practice, watch your sales process become smoother, smarter, and more successful. Because when you sell the way buyers want to buy, everybody wins.

Today’s buyer is more informed than ever, thanks to the vast amount of information at their fingertips. Because of this, the balance of power has shifted from the sales rep to the buyer in most sales conversations. This is why pushy sales tactics aren’t as effective as they used to be.

Instead, to be successful in sales today, sales reps must adapt their mindset from selling to helping. The best way to start this process is to become intimately familiar with the buyer and the journey they take on their path to purchase: the buyer’s journey.

In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the buyer’s journey, what it looks like in B2B versus B2C spaces, and how to apply it to your sales cycle.

Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents:

• What is the buyer’s journey?
• Difference Between the B2B Buyer’s Journey and the B2C Buyer’s Journey
• Buyer’s Journey vs. Customer’s Journey
• What are the three stages of the buyer’s journey?
• Tips for Applying the Buyer’s Journey to the Sales Cycle
• Final Thoughts: Making the Buyer’s Journey Work for You

By understanding the buyer’s journey, the pains and problems they experience as they navigate a potential purchase, along with the influencing factors that shape their thinking, salesfolks can better empathize with the buyer and position their product or service along that path.

However, not all buyer’s journeys look the same. Each process varies significantly depending on whether the buyer is an individual consumer or a business decision-maker. B2B and B2C buyers have different motivations, timelines, and decision-making processes, which impact how sales teams should approach them.

In the next section, I’ll break down the key differences between the two journeys so you can modify your sales strategy accordingly.

Difference Between the B2B Buyer’s Journey and the B2C Buyer’s Journey

The B2B buyer’s journey and the B2C buyer’s journey may sound the same, but, in practice, they’re entirely different. Like I previously shared, the decision-making process, sales cycle, and customer motivations vary, ultimately shaping how businesses approach their sales and marketing strategies. If you want to understand the ins and outs of either, it starts with distinguishing the two.

Check out the list I put together of how each process compares (with examples of what their respective buyer’s journey might look like) below:

1. Length of the Decision-Making Process.

Typically, the B2B buyer’s journey is longer and more complex than the B2C buyer’s journey. The B2B buyer’s journey involves multiple stakeholders, from C-suite executives to finance departments, so getting folks fully aligned on decisions takes some time.

Oppositely, the B2C buyer’s journey is quicker, primarily because it’s a process sustained on emotion. Customers make purchase decisions based on personal needs, desires, or impulses. While some B2C products (i.e., cars or real estate) require research and additional time, most B2C decisions involve fewer people and less deliberation.

2. The Sales Cycle Length.

As I previously mentioned, the B2B buyer’s journey involves multiple people from start to finish. Thus, it takes longer; sometimes, the B2B buyer’s journey can take weeks, months, or even years. It involves multiple touchpoints, such as:

• Lead nurturing
• Consultations
• Product demonstrations
• Proposals
• Contract negotiations

Because the B2C buyer’s journey operates more quickly, its sales cycle is shorter. It ranges from instant (i.e., e-commerce purchases) to a few days or weeks (i.e., renting an apartment). The journey moves quickly from awareness to purchase, often influenced by mass marketing, accessible customer reviews, or word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations.

3. The Marketing and Sales Approach.

If you’re ever struggling to fully remember how the B2B buyer’s journey and B2C buyer’s journey compare, take a moment to reflect on the differences between the two through their designated approaches to marketing and sales efforts.

In the B2B buyer’s journey, marketing and sales efforts often hyperfixate on relationship-building, education, and value-driven content (i.e., case studies, webinars, email nurturing, etc.). However, in the B2C buyer’s journey, there’s a reliance on brand awareness through ads, social media, influencer marketing, and promotional strategy.

For example, a B2B tech company might generate leads through LinkedIn outreach; a B2C fashion brand may focus on Instagram influencers and flash sales to drive conversions.

4. Pricing and Negotiation.

In the B2B buyer’s journey, prices are usually customized and involve lots of negotiation, not just over price but over contracts and other long-term agreements (i.e., volume discounts, service-level agreement, recurring subscriptions, etc.).

Conversely, the B2C buyer’s journey takes a more rigid, non-negotiable approach to pricing and negotiation. Usually, prices are fixed (with the exception of discounts, sales, or loyalty programs) and clearly communicated upfront to consumers.

For example, a B2B SaaS provider may offer custom pricing based on a company’s size and needs, while a B2C subscription service (i.e., Hulu or Netflix) has set monthly pricing.

Buyer’s Journey vs. Customer’s Journey

Now that I’ve covered the key comparisons between the B2B buyer’s journey and the B2C buyer’s journey, I think it’s only fitting that I transition to talking through some of the distinctions between the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey.

Take a glance at the list I assembled below for some further clarity on both journeys, their unique stages, and how each individual journey impacts the overall customer experience:

1. Definition and Focus.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? If you want to know why the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey are disparate, this understanding begins with having clarity on how each journey is actually defined.

The buyer’s journey is the process in which a potential customer goes through before making a purchase decision. It focuses on awareness, consideration, and decision-making prior to becoming a paying customer.

The customer’s journey, however, represents the entire experience a customer has with a brand after making a purchase, including onboarding, support, retention, and advocacy. The customer’s journey focuses on building loyalty, satisfaction, and long-term relationships; it’s about turning buyers into repeat customers and, hopefully, brand evangelists.

2. Different Stages.

I briefly mentioned the stages of the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey above. Here’s what each stage really means in a bit more detail:

The Buyer’s Journey Stages (Pre-Purchase)

• Awareness: The buyer realizes they have a problem or need
• Consideration: The buyer researches possible solutions
• Decision: The buyer evaluates options and makes a purchase

The Customer’s Journey Stages (Post-Purchase)

• Onboarding: The customer gets started with a product or service
• Adoption: The customer actively uses the product or service
• Retention: The company engages with the customer to prevent churn (i.e., sending post-purchase emails and details, etc.)
• Advocacy: The customer is satisfied and refers others

3. Different Primary Goals.

As the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey are separate processes, they have different goals.

The buyer’s journey prioritizes converting potential customers into paying ones. At this stage, businesses focus on educating prospects, addressing pain points, and positioning their product or service as the best solution. Strategies like content marketing, personalized outreach, and product demonstrations play a huge role in moving buyers toward a purchase.

The customer’s journey, on the other hand, is all about maintaining and strengthening the relationship after the purchase. It aims to always keep customers happy, engaged, and loyal to a brand. This phase often includes customer service interactions, loyalty programs, upsell opportunities, and encouraging brand advocacy through referrals and reviews.

When in doubt about specifying how these two journeys apart from one another, just remember: While the buyer’s journey ends at conversion, the customer’s journey is an ongoing process.

4. Different Metrics of Success.

The buyer’s journey centers the following metrics:

• Conversion rates
• Lead-to-customer ratio
• Sales cycle length

These metrics help businesses evaluate how effectively they attract, nurture, and convert potential customers into paying ones.

The customer’s journey relies these metrics:

• Customer retention rate
• Net promoter score (NPS)
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

These indicators help businesses assess the efficiency of their sales funnel and identify areas for improvement in the acquisition process.

What are the three stages of the buyer’s journey?

If you want to understand the buyer’s journey in its simplest form, I suggest thinking about the three stages that make the buyer’s journey flow seamlessly.

To help you grasp them more clearly, review my step-by-step breakdown of the buyer’s journey below:

1. Awareness Stage: The buyer becomes aware that they have a problem.

During this stage, the buyer is experiencing a problem or symptoms of pain, and their goal is to alleviate it. They may be looking for informational resources to more clearly understand, frame, and give a name to their problem.

2. Consideration Stage: The buyer defines their problem and considers options to solve it.

Next, the buyer will have clearly defined and given a name to their problem, and they are committed to researching and understanding all available approaches and/or methods to solving the defined problem or opportunity.

3. Decision Stage: The buyer evaluates and decides on the right provider to administer the solution.

Finally, the buyer has decided on their solution strategy, method, or approach. Their goal now is to compile a list of available vendors, make a short list, and ultimately make a final purchase decision.

If you don’t have an intimate understanding of your buyers, it may be difficult to map out the buyer’s journey in a way that will be helpful from a sales perspective. In this case, be sure to conduct a few interviews with customers, prospects, and other salespeople at your company to get a sense of the buying journey.

Tips for Applying the Buyer’s Journey to the Sales Cycle

Simply put, buyers don’t want to be prospected, demoed, or closed when they’re not ready. When offered at the wrong time, these steps add zero value from their perspective. However, a sales rep can shine when buyers seek additional information about your product that can’t be found online.

When it comes to mastering the buyer’s journey, timing is truly everything, so here are my suggestions for how to engage buyers at the right moment:

1. Awareness Stage

When buyers are in the awareness stage, they recognize a challenge or opportunity that needs attention. They also decide whether the challenge or opportunity should be a priority.

Because of this, sales folks must approach potential buyers with sensitivity, not sales pitches. As I mentioned above, instead of pushing a product or service, the goal should be to help buyers articulate their problem, explore potential impacts, and guide them toward the next steps in their journey.

In short, at this stage of the buyer’s journey, don’t expect customers to choose your brand because its the first option they come across. Buyers will take their time to think on what to do next; all you can do is provide resources that give them more insight about your offering.

Take a look at this chart I assembled to help you think through how you want to go about capturing buyers’ attention effectively during this stage:

Here are a few other tips to consider:

• Offer different types of engagement to customers based on readiness. Think low-commitment webinars for early-stage buyers, free product trials for those closer to a decision, and personalized consultations for customers who need some extra reassurance before making a purchase.
• Use lead storing whenever you can. Lead scoring will help you identify when a customer is actively researching vs. just starting their buyer’s journey.

2. Consideration Stage

By this point, buyers have clearly defined the goal or challenge and have committed to addressing it. They are now evaluating different approaches or methods to pursue the goal or solve their challenge.

This is a high-stakes, particularly fragile part of the buyer’s journey. Why? Because buyers are actively comparing solutions, possibly making a pros/cons list to help them choose what’s the best fit for them, and, all-in-all, seeking any final signs of validation for the decision they’ll make. Most likely, buyers are using these moments to:

• Scour social media for demos
• Look for testimonials/reviews from real customers
• Analyze case studies to see how others have successfully used the product or service

At this stage, salesfolks must position themselves as trusted advisors, not just sellers. Instead of pushing a one-size-fits-all solution, sales teams should provide as many value-driven resources as possible that help buyers confidently choose an approach — whether that includes their product or not.

Here’s another chart I organized to guide you through how to navigate this stage:

3. Decision Stage

Finally, when buyers make it to this part of their journey, they’ve decided on a solution category and are now evaluating providers.

This is a crucial part of the buyer’s journey because they’re on the verge of making a final commitment. Buyers are comparing features, pricing, implementation processes, and overall satisfaction with the product or service they’re considering. Trust and credibility play a huge role here; buyers want reassurance that they’re making the right choice.

So, what should salesfolks do when they’ve arrived to this stage of the buyer’s journey? Well, in my opinion, it’s all about eliminating friction and reinforcing confidence by addressing lingering doubts and offering tailored recommendations.

To figure out what to ask and what to do as a salesperson seeking alignment with this stage, review my list of recommendations below:

Some of these considerations may fall more under the marketing umbrella than the sales umbrella. Still, ultimately, the answers to these questions will provide a robust foundation for your buyer’s journey.

Final Thoughts: Making the Buyer’s Journey Work for You

Knowing how your buyers buy is invaluable as you create or refine your sales process. Once you’ve unlocked the hows and the whys behind their decision-making processes, you’ll better empathize with them, handle their objections, and provide them with correct information at the right time, helping you close more deals and win more business.

If you walk away from this post having learned anything, I hope it’s these three things:

• Take the time to understand your buyers
• Refine your strategy
• Meet buyers where they are (with the right information, at the right time)

Once you put these things into practice, watch your sales process become smoother, smarter, and more successful. Because when you sell the way buyers want to buy, everybody wins.

When I think of ecosystems, I picture the rainforest, and I’m not too far off. Sure, in the business world, there are fewer plants and animals. However, there are still interconnected entities that coexist, compete for resources, and work symbiotically.

Some members of your ecosystem are your competitors. Others are partners who can work with you to enhance your offering. In the B2B space, partner organizations may offer additional software solutions that extend your platform. They may also provide services that help customers get the most out of your product.

These companion offerings are a win for you — allowing your team to expand your reach without investing R&D dollars and people power. Product extensions also allow customers to customize the platform beyond what’s available in the core product itself.

So, how can you leverage partners in your strategy and create business wins? Below, I’ll explore how partnerships can unlock the power of your ecosystem and share wisdom from HubSpot’s partner program.

What is an ecosystem?

A business ecosystem is a network of connected organizations that collaborate, compete, and coexist in the same market. Your company, competitors, customers, and partners all work in the same ecosystem. Savvy businesses know which organizations pose a threat, present healthy competition to monitor, and may prove a close ally.

In my experience covering businesses and writing case studies, I’ve noticed that most organizations keep a close eye on competitors. These teams run analyses to see their business’ strengths, weaknesses, and differentiating factors, so they know how their offerings measure up.

However, I’ve noticed that top-performing companies also identify which organizations align with their goals. These businesses can then partner with outside organizations to improve their outcomes.

What is a partner?

A partner organization forms a strategic relationship with a business to create mutual benefits. Ecosystem partners offer complementary products, services, or both to improve the experience for shared customers, creating more value for everyone involved.

The Benefits of Partnerships

The most important benefit of a partnership is mutual growth. Additional partner services and integrations allow B2B companies to expand their offerings. Meanwhile, partners can tap into an existing market for their services or products. All the while, customers have access to a wider array of options meeting their unique needs.

But, let’s get granular. Here are some of the benefits of partnerships.

B2B SaaS companies can extend offerings without massive investments.

Ecosystem partners provide complementary offerings that enhance a customer’s user experience. That offers a huge cost-saving opportunity for your business. You can increase the types of services you offer and the power of your platform without massive R&D investment. Instead, you can benefit from innovations created by partner organizations.

B2B companies see improved customer retention.

When a partner organization delivers exceptional implementation services, customer outcomes improve significantly. Users are more likely to adopt new tools on the platform and see value in the tools they’re using to drive outcomes.

App partners providing integrations take those improved outcomes even further. The data is clear, customers with integrations have significantly higher retention rates. Even in challenging economic environments, software implemented with even one integration have over 10% higher retention rates than those with none.

Partners grow their businesses, too.

By tapping into your customer base, your partners have the ability to grow their revenue. To demonstrate, we’ll dive into HubSpot’s partner program.

According to a 2025 IDC analyst brief on the HubSpot ecosystem, nearly one-third of solutions-partner revenue now comes from more technical services like integrations or data migrations. The analyst brief also highlights that for every dollar a customer invests in HubSpot software, partners generate multiples of that in services revenue.

For partners looking to scale, this means a huge opportunity to specialize in areas like AI model training, data optimization, and cross-platform automation, offering deeper value to clients while increasing profitability.

You’ll build a sustainable growth cycle that benefits everyone.

Remember, effective ecosystems facilitate mutual growth. When partners deliver exceptional implementation and service, customer outcomes improve significantly.

When our partners expand their businesses, HubSpot grows as well. This creates a sustainable growth cycle that continuously reinforces value across the ecosystem. The goal here is to build a comprehensive customer experience that generates value for all.

Partnerships In Action: How HubSpot’s Partner Program Drives Value

Before we move on to advice, I want to dive deeper into how HubSpot approaches ecosystem partnerships. Our team has two primary types of partners:

• Solutions Partners provide services that complement HubSpot’s platform offerings. That includes onboarding,implementations, migrations, SEO, advertising, AI-driven analytics, advanced custom integrations, and far more.
• Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partners build and sell apps that enhance our software’s capabilities.

Offerings from both of these partner types allow HubSpot to enhance our product suite with built-in AI features, advanced integration capabilities, and expanded global support. That comes with a dollar value.

Looking ahead, an analyst brief from IDC projects our partner ecosystem is on pace to surpass $30 billion in potential partner revenue globally by 2028. That’s huge. It means we’re well beyond a marketing automation tool or a standard channel program. HubSpot is a customer platform of solutions, spanning technical services, creative services, custom AI solutions, and more.

To help make that value tangible, let‘s dive into how a few partners operate within HubSpot’s ecosystem.

Consider Huble Digital, our Global Partner of the Year. Huble Digital helped the British Council modernize its fragmented marketing processes by implementing HubSpot. By leveraging Marketing Hub, the organization unified operations across 100+ countries through a phased, strategic approach.

Within months, the British Council achieved remarkable results: The organization saw a 178% reduction in email lag time and open rates of 48.9% (much higher than the 29.5% industry benchmark). Email click-through rates reached 34.2%, compared to the 12% industry average. Meanwhile, teams created campaigns 80% faster and reduced repetitive tasks by 20%.

There’s also SmartBug Media, our North America Partner of the Year. This partner evolved its service offerings from core marketing solutions to sales, RevOps, web development, and full lifecycle solutions. They also include AI and technical services. By doing so, they successfully expanded into larger, mid-market, and enterprise clients.

These examples illustrate the strategic value of well-executed partnerships. Partners develop sustainable businesses around the HubSpot platform. Customers receive specialized expertise that delivers measurable outcomes, and HubSpot benefits from increased customer success.

The best partnerships are win-win-win.

• New customers gain value from HubSpot tools quickly through an expert implementation from a solutions partner, quickly integrating HubSpot into the rest of their tech stack.
• Solutions Partners see high demand for their HubSpot services, getting referrals from HubSpot and commission for customers they bring to HubSpot.
• HubSpot sees new customers get value quicker, and customers stay with the platform longer.

Practical Tips for Building a High-Performing Partner Program

Now that I’ve covered the value partnerships provide, I wanted to share insights to help teams that are just getting started with partnerships. To do so, I spoke with Angela O’Dowd, global vice president of HubSpot’s Solutions Partner Program.

O’Dowd has been at HubSpot for over a decade, guiding our Solutions Partner Program from a startup network of inbound marketing consultants in 2010 to a global program of 7,000 partners today. Those partners provide services that span our entire customer platform.

Based on our conversation, I gathered four foundational principles to get started.

1. Define your ideal partner persona.

Similar to customer persona development, creating an Ideal Partner Persona (IPP) is essential for strategic recruitment. When you know the profile of the partner you’re trying to recruit — size, skill set, vertical expertise, geographic focus — you can ensure there’s a genuine overlap in target customers.

“At HubSpot, we implement a deliberate approach to partner identification,” says O’Dowd.

According to O’Dowd, key considerations include:

• Which partner profiles will most effectively complement our solution portfolio.
• What capabilities and expertise will be most in demand.
• Which market segments the partner currently serves.

An IPP also clarifies expectations. If you serve mostly SMBs, don’t chase giant enterprise-focused agencies. If your platform is geared toward mid-sized or larger organizations, you’ll want to find partners that can handle complex integrations.

“Clear criteria accelerate the identification of high-potential partners while reducing investment in partnerships unlikely to generate sustainable value,” says O’Dowd.

The clearer your criteria, the faster you’ll identify true fit — and avoid half-active partnerships that never gain traction.

2. Offer genuine mutual benefit.

A partnership has to be a two-way street. If you can’t create mutual benefit, your partnership program is in for a rough ride.

“The primary reason partner programs underperform is insufficient attention to balanced value creation,” says O’Dowd.

To avoid this hurdle, HubSpot maintains transparency regarding partner program benefits. That includes tools and incentives that help partners create value for customers and realize value for their own businesses.

The HubSpot team also makes sure to provide the resources partners need to succeed, says O’Dowd. That includes sharing marketing enablement resources and co-selling support. We also offer structured certification programs and dedicated partner management.

By providing both revenue opportunities and support, our partnership program can build a balanced approach that ensures sustainable value exchange, according to O’Dowd.

3. Create a path to grow.

“Partners require visibility into growth pathways within your ecosystem,” says O’Dowd. That’s why HubSpot offers a tiered structure, with partners at the Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Elite levels. This hierarchy establishes transparent progression based on performance metrics and customer outcomes.

Each tier provides incremental benefits aligned with partner contribution levels — from enhanced commission structures to dedicated support resources to increased market visibility.

Providing a clear framework allows for continuous capability development that ultimately generates more offerings for our customers.

4. Keep partner programs open and diversified.

Diversity drives ecosystem value. In our program, we intentionally cultivate partners with different specializations — technical integrators, creative agencies, and industry specialists — because complementary capabilities serve customers better.

“At the same time, we do set standards. We expect each partner to maintain high-quality service and represent HubSpot’s offerings accurately,” says O’Dowd. “We offer curated support — like technical docs and knowledge bases — so even niche players can plug in effectively.”

Building Lasting Partnerships

A partner ecosystem is truly beneficial when everyone involved has a clear, complementary role. That’s how we drive revenue and retention for HubSpot, create thriving businesses for our partners, and deliver real results for customers.

If you’re in tech leadership, a partner, or a CEO evaluating where to place your bet, building (or joining) a strong ecosystem is worth considering. I see a future where collaboration defines success in every corner of the business world.