Vocabulary
8 key words for this lesson
OPENING
The first part of a call where you introduce yourself, build brief rapport, and set the tone before moving to business.
A strong opening puts the prospect at ease — it signals that you are organised and that their time will be well spent.
PURPOSE
The clear, specific reason for the call — stated early so the prospect knows why they are talking to you.
Stating your purpose in the first 60 seconds removes uncertainty and gives the prospect something concrete to respond to.
AGENDA
A brief outline of what the call will cover, shared at the start to set expectations and demonstrate structure.
I always share a quick agenda at the top of a call — it tells the prospect exactly where we're going and makes the time feel controlled.
RAPPORT
A warm, comfortable relationship built through conversation — the feeling that you are talking to someone who genuinely understands you.
Good rapport doesn't require small talk for its own sake — it comes from listening carefully and reflecting back what you hear.
OBJECTION
A concern, doubt, or reason a prospect raises for not moving forward — a natural and expected part of every sales call.
An objection is not a rejection — it is usually a question in disguise that tells you exactly what the prospect needs to hear.
COMMITMENT
An agreement or promise to take a specific next step — the concrete outcome you are working toward at the end of every call.
Every call should end with a commitment — even a small one. 'I'll send the document and you'll read it by Friday' is a commitment.
TRANSITION
To move deliberately from one phase of the conversation to the next using a signalling phrase.
Knowing how to transition between phases keeps the call feeling structured rather than like a sales pitch that wandered off course.
RECAP
To summarise the key points of a conversation before moving to the next step or ending the call.
Always recap what you heard before you make your offer — it shows you listened and connects your solution directly to their words.
Phrases
6 phrases and their meanings
THE REASON FOR MY CALL IS
State the purpose of the call clearly and early — removes ambiguity and gives the prospect something to engage with.
The reason for my call is that your colleague Priya mentioned you'd been looking at ways to improve your pipeline visibility.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN
A phrase used to signal the start of the structured part of the call, often followed by a quick agenda.
Before we dive in, I just want to give you a quick outline of what I'd like to cover — that way you know exactly where we're going.
CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT
A soft, professional transition into the discovery phase — signals that you want to understand before you recommend.
Can I ask you about your current setup? I want to make sure anything I show you is actually relevant to your team.
BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE TOLD ME
The key phrase for transitioning into your offer — it signals that your solution is built on what you heard, not on a generic script.
Based on what you've told me — the manual reporting and the team of 15 reps — here's what I think would genuinely help.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE IS
A professional way to introduce your offer or recommendation — confident but not pushy.
What I'd like to propose is a short demo where I show you exactly how the pipeline view and automated reporting would work for a team your size.
AS A NEXT STEP
The phrase that signals you are moving toward a concrete commitment — what happens after this call.
As a next step, would you be open to a 30-minute demo next week? I can have the dashboard set up with your team's structure before we even start.
Register
How these words change across different contexts
Register Awareness
Register = choosing the right language for the right situation.
Register Tips
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Riley
MarcusHi Marcus, this is Riley from Brightline — thanks for taking the time today. How are you doing?
Good thanks. I've only got about 20 minutes, just so you know.
Perfect — 20 minutes is plenty. Before we dive in, let me give you a quick agenda: two minutes of context, a few questions about your current setup, and if it makes sense, I'll suggest a logical next step. Does that work?
Sure, go ahead.
Great. The purpose of my call is that your colleague Priya mentioned you'd been looking at ways to improve your pipeline visibility. I wanted to reach out and see if a conversation made sense — I'm not here to sell you anything today, just to understand your situation.
That's right, yes. We've outgrown our current system.
Can I ask you about your current setup? What are you using at the moment?
A spreadsheet, if you can believe it. With 15 reps it's becoming a nightmare — my manager asks for a pipeline update and I'm pulling data manually for two hours.
That's really helpful. And is it mainly the reporting that's the issue, or is rapport with the team affected too — like people entering data inconsistently?
Both, honestly. The data quality is terrible because no one trusts the system, so no one maintains it properly.
Okay — let me recap what I've heard: 15 reps, spreadsheet-based, two hours of manual reporting, and data quality issues because the team has lost confidence in the system. Is that right?
That's exactly it.
Based on what you've told me, I think there's a genuine fit. What I'd like to propose is a short demo where I show you exactly how Brightline's pipeline view and automated reporting would work for a 15-person team. No objection to showing you that, I hope?
No — a demo makes sense.
Great. As a next step, I'd suggest a 30-minute call next week. I can have the dashboard set up with your team's structure before we start. I need a commitment from you on a time — does Thursday afternoon work?
Thursday works. Let's say 2pm.
Thursday at 2 — perfect. I'll send the calendar invite now. Before I let you go, is there anything specific you'd want to see in the demo?
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
Before we dive in, let me give you a quick— — —so you know exactly where we're going.
Sentence 2
The— — —of my call is that your colleague mentioned you'd been looking at new tools.
Sentence 3
Can I ask you about your current setup? I want to understand before I— — —to the offer.
Sentence 4
Let me— — —what I've heard — 15 reps, manual reporting, and data quality issues. Is that right?
Sentence 5
— — —what you've told me, I think there's a genuine fit here.
Sentence 6
What I'd like to propose is a short demo — no— — —to that, I hope?
Sentence 7
As a next step, I need a— — —from you on a date — does Thursday work?
Sentence 8
A strong— — —puts the prospect at ease and signals that their time will be well spent.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.What does Riley do immediately after Marcus says he only has 20 minutes?
2.How does Riley describe the purpose of her call?
3.What is Marcus's biggest day-to-day problem, as he describes it?
4.Why does Marcus say the data quality is terrible?
5.What does Riley do before making her offer?
6.What does Riley propose as the next step?
7.What does Riley ask Marcus at the very end of the call?
8.What is the purpose of sharing an agenda at the start of the call?
Group Activities
Role-play scenarios and discussion questions for group classes
🎯 Choose the Best Response
Work in groups. Each situation is from a real sales call. Decide which response handles it best — and be ready to explain why using the call structure language from this lesson.
Customer says
“You dial a prospect and they answer: 'I've only got about 10 minutes — just so you know.'”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“After your opening, the prospect asks: 'So what are you actually selling?'”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“You've finished the discovery questions. How do you transition to your offer?”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“The call has gone well and the prospect says: 'This looks interesting — I'd like to see more.'”
Salesperson responds…
🔗 Customer Profile Match
Read the three call situations. As a group, identify which phase of the sales call each one represents — and what the right move is. Use the five-phase structure from this lesson to guide your thinking. Click 'Check Matches' when you agree.
Plans / Options
Opening + agenda
The first 60-90 seconds of the call. Introduce yourself, build brief rapport, and share a quick agenda so the prospect knows where the call is going. The goal is to earn enough trust to move to purpose.
Discovery questions
The longest phase of the call. Ask open questions to understand the prospect's current situation, specific pain points, and what a solution would need to achieve. Listen more than you speak. Don't pitch yet.
Offer + next step
Connect what you heard to what you offer — start with 'Based on what you've told me.' Then propose a specific, valuable next step and get a commitment on a date. The call ends with something agreed, not something left open.
Customers — which plan fits each one?
Situation A
Riley has just dialled Marcus for the first time. He has answered. Riley knows nothing about his situation yet. She has 20 minutes and Marcus is cautious. She needs to establish trust and make him feel the call is worth his time before anything else.
Situation B
Riley has introduced herself and stated her purpose. Marcus has confirmed he has a problem. Now Riley needs to understand the details before she can recommend anything — team size, current tools, biggest pain points, what a solution would need to look like.
Situation C
Riley has recapped everything Marcus told her and he confirmed it was accurate. She now has everything she needs. The next move is to connect what she heard directly to what Brightline does — and propose a concrete next step with a date.
✏️ Finish the Salesperson's Line
The salesperson's line has been cut off at a critical moment in the call. As a group, finish it using the five-phase structure and key phrases from this lesson. Compare your versions — then click to see one possible answer.
Customer
“The prospect answers your call and says: 'Hi — who is this?'”
Salesperson
“Hi Sarah, this is Riley from Brightline — thanks for picking up. Before we dive in, I just want to give you a quick …”
Customer
“The prospect asks: 'Why are you calling me specifically?'”
Salesperson
“The reason for my call is that …”
Customer
“You've just heard everything from the prospect. Now it's time to make your offer.”
Salesperson
“Based on what you've told me — …”
Customer
“The prospect says: 'This looks interesting — I'd like to see more.' You're ready to close the call.”
Salesperson
“As a next step, would you be open to …”