Do not pitch on the first call. Ask who handles IT today. An office manager at a 30-person company can answer that in one sentence, and the answer tells you whether you are talking to a company with a part-time IT person, an outside provider, or nobody at all. Each of those is a different conversation, and you can't tell which one you are in without asking.
This script is for an IT services company, such as a managed service provider, calling owners and office managers at companies of 10 to 100 people. It uses three questions that find out how IT works there without selling anything, a close that books the meeting on the call, and replies for "we have a guy." It also covers the voicemail and what to log so the call still pays off a year later.
Who to ask for, and the triggers worth mentioning
Bianca runs Fieldstone Tech Support, a three-technician shop that looks after small offices. She calls the owner or the office manager, whichever answers, because in a company this size one of them usually holds IT as an extra job. There are three triggers she watches for: a part-time or accidental IT person (the bookkeeper who is good with computers), a slow network or repeated outages, and a cyber insurance renewal that comes with a security questionnaire about backups and multi-factor authentication. Any of those is a reason to talk now. If you don't know of one, the call is a survey, and you should treat it as one.
The opener that asks who handles IT
Hi, is this Marguerite? This is Bianca at Fieldstone Tech Support. I'm not selling anything on this call, I'm just trying to find out how offices your size handle IT. Do you have a minute? Who looks after it for you today: someone in the office, an outside company, or you?
Notice that the question includes the three possible answers. People answer a multiple-choice question faster than an open one, and "you" is an option that gives permission to say "me, unfortunately." Do not lead with your company's history or your service list. You have one job in the first 30 seconds: get her talking about her own office.
Three discovery questions that don't pitch
Whatever she says, ask these in order. They are the whole discovery call.
- "When something breaks, a locked-out account, Wi-Fi down, a dead printer, what happens in the first hour?" Her answer tells you how IT works in practice. If it is "I text Sam, who does it on Saturdays," you have a single point of failure. If it is "we open a ticket and someone calls back in 20 minutes," she is already served, and you should say so and ask a different question.
- "When was the last time anyone checked that your backups actually restore?" Many offices have never tested one. It is a question about a fact, not a fear. Her pause is the information.
- "When does your current IT arrangement or your cyber insurance renew?" This gets you a date. Write it down. A renewal in 90 days makes this a live opportunity, and a renewal in 11 months makes it a call back in 8.
Between the questions, say "got it" and write things down. Do not rebut. You are collecting, not persuading.
The close that puts a meeting on the calendar
Marguerite, thank you, that's helpful. Here's what I'd suggest. I do a 45-minute review of an office's network and backups, and send you a one-page summary of what I find, ranked by how serious each item is. No charge, and no obligation to hire us. I have Tuesday at 10 or Thursday at 2. Which is easier? I'll send the invite as soon as we hang up. What's the best email?
Offering two times, naming the length, and sending the invite on the call are what make this a booked meeting and not a vague "sure, send something." Decide ahead of time what the review covers: backup status, who has admin rights, whether multi-factor authentication is on for email, how old the laptops are, and the Wi-Fi setup. Keep it to public information and what the office shows you on site. Never probe a network you do not have permission to touch.
"We have a guy"
This is the most common reply, and it is rarely a refusal. It is a fact.
That's good to hear. Is he full time, or does he do it alongside another job? And who covers when he's on vacation? I'm not here to replace him. A second set of eyes on backups and security often helps the person who's doing it alone.
If the answer is "he's part time" or "we call him when something breaks," continue to the review offer. If the answer is "we have a full-time team," thank her, ask for the renewal date, and ask permission to check back. For a longer view of the market behind this call, see how to get clients for an IT company and cold email templates for IT services.
Voicemail and email follow-up
Voicemail, 15 seconds: "Marguerite, Bianca at Fieldstone Tech Support, 555-0152. I'm trying to learn how offices in town handle IT, and who looks after it at yours. I'll send you a short email, and I'll try you again Wednesday." Then send two lines of email with your address and an opt-out, which CAN-SPAM requires:
Subject: Who looks after IT at Hollis Office Supply?
Hi Marguerite, I tried you by phone. I work with offices of 10 to 100 people on backups, security and day-to-day IT, and I offer a 45-minute review with a one-page summary at no charge. Would Tuesday at 10 or Thursday at 2 work? Bianca Lindqvist, Fieldstone Tech Support, 14 Orchard Rd, Spokane. Reply "stop" and I won't write again.
Related call habits that apply to any trade are in how to get past the gatekeeper when cold calling and sales call script for a local business owner. A version for any buyer, split by who picks up, is in cold call script for B2B.
Log the answers for the renewal date
The log is where this call pays off a year later. Record the company, the person, how IT is handled, whether backups have been tested, and the renewal date. Then set a reminder 90 days before that date. In Bianca's sheet, 40 calls produced 14 renewal dates, and the 90-day reminders are what she works from each quarter. The first calls are a survey. The reminders are the pipeline. If you sell on a similar calendar to another trade, how to sell to accountants covers selling around fixed dates.
Rocketship finds the buyers by name, emails them from your own Gmail, follows up, and books the meeting on its own, which leaves your time for the calls and the reviews. Plans that get you customers start at $24.99 a month (Launch), and every monthly plan starts with a 7-day free trial, card required. See the AI workers. Answering your existing number is included; a dedicated line is $5 a month. Check the telemarketing rules that apply to you, including the Do Not Call Registry, before you start calling; this article is general information.