Banned opener 1
“How’s your day going?”
You don’t care, they know you don’t, and you’ll get a sigh and “fine — what’s this about?”, which means “what are you selling?”
Most cold calls are lost in the first minute — same openers, same chirpy tone, same buzzwords, and the prospect files you under “telemarketer”. This toolkit gives you two openers that lead with context, a way to describe the problem so the solution takes one sentence, and four complete first minutes written for Mozaik.
When the prospect picks up, they’re listening for the first sign you’re a telemarketer: the chirpy voice, the script, the lack of research, the line everyone uses. These two lines give you away instantly.
You don’t care, they know you don’t, and you’ll get a sigh and “fine — what’s this about?”, which means “what are you selling?”
It’s a cold call — of course it’s a bad time. They say yes, and you never reach them again.
They realise you may work with their peers, so you’re not someone they can brush off without consequence.
The context is unique to them, so it never sounds like a script — even if everyone used it.
You prove in five seconds that you did your homework.
Context first, then your name, then a question that makes them wonder whether they should have heard of you.
Most will. Smile and go straight into the problem: “Ha — guess we’re not as famous as I thought. The reason I’m calling is…”
“Oh good — we’d normally be working with someone like you by now. What did you hear?” They usually still don’t know what you do, so give the same short pitch.
Lead with something about them that connects to a problem you solve, admit it’s a cold call, then ask for 30 seconds — and give them control of what happens next.
Not their university or hobby — something that implies a problem we solve: a new branch opening (a fit-out on a deadline), a renovation announcement, a new head of projects, a tender notice.
They’re refusing the interruption, not your product. Give them a reason to say more, then offer now or later.
Forget the value proposition. Buzzwords (“premium quality”, “one-stop solution”, “leading manufacturer”) set off the telemarketer alarm, and people act on pain far more than on benefits. Describe the problem so vividly that the solution only needs one sentence.
Paint it like a film scene so they remember the worst part of their week.
“We do X so the problem goes away.” X is your single biggest differentiator — not every feature.
Check interest before asking for a meeting. A small yes first.
Read them out loud. Slow down, sound curious, not chirpy — tone does half the work.
Tap each one when you can do it without reading.
The full toolkit (in English), with the original talk tracks. The Mozaik openers and examples above are our own adaptation.
Say something that proves you did your homework before you even say your name. Describe a problem they recognise so well that the solution takes one sentence. Then ask if they’re interested — not for an hour of their time.