The Steady Craft Cold Call Playbook
CLOSER plus disarm positioning. Five minutes from hello to texted demo. We diagnose first. We never pitch in the first 60 seconds. We tell prospects not to buy when they shouldn't. That's the entire script.
The 5-Minute Structure
Time budget per CLOSER step. If you blow 6 minutes, you lost the call.
CLOSER
The framework that runs every call. Plus the move that disarms every defense.
Small Business Script
Full V2 script for any local service business under $1M revenue. 4:30 to 5:30 runtime.
Mid-Market Script
10 to 60 FTE businesses replacing fragmented stacks. Closes to a booked audit. 5 to 6 min.
Voicemails + Texts
VM #1 day 0, VM #2 day 3, VM #3 day 7 breakup. Plus follow-up text templates.
Mindset + Rules
The one sentence. LAER objection framework. Power phrases. Hard rules. Tone calibration.
Links + Logins
Solev. Ops dashboard. Public site. Every URL reps open daily, plus what you need from Levi day one.
The 5-Minute Call
Both scripts follow the same CLOSER spine with time budgets baked in. If you blow past 6 minutes, you lost the call. Book a follow-up and move on.
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0:00 - 0:15OpenOne question. Are you booked, or could you take more?
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0:15 - 1:00C - ClarifyWhere do customers come from? What happens after hours?
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1:00 - 1:15L - LabelMirror their words back. Get a "fair?"
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1:15 - 2:00O - OverviewEver paid anyone for any of that? If yes, how'd it go? If no, normalize and move on.
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2:00 - 3:15S - Sell the VacationOutcomes, not features. Use their language.
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3:15 - 3:45Demo reveal"Ideas and changes I'd make if it were mine." Text it.
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3:45 - 4:45While they look"Anything stand out?" Shut up and let them react.
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4:45 - 5:30E - Explain Away ConcernsOne objection, one response, move on.
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5:30 - 5:45R - ReinforceRemove pressure. Invite a small next step.
CLOSER
Two frameworks running in parallel. CLOSER is the spine. The disarm is the move that breaks the agency-pitch defense.
CLOSER (One line each)
- C - Clarify the situation by asking questions about their current state.
- L - Label the problem out loud using their own words.
- O - Overview what they've already tried and how it went.
- S - Sell the vacation, not the airplane. Outcomes, not features.
- E - Explain away concerns with one acknowledgment and one question.
- R - Reinforce by removing pressure and inviting a small next step.
The Disarm Move
Telling the prospect NOT to buy is the most counterintuitive trust builder in sales. Every other vendor they've talked to in the last six months pushed harder when met with resistance. You're the only one who agreed with them.
- They say they're booked out / slammed.
- They say they don't need a website.
- (Mid-market) They claim they have all the tools handled.
After the disarm line, you ALWAYS follow with a question that re-opens the conversation:
Small Business V2
Target: any local service business. Trades, beauty, fitness, dental, legal, restaurants, retail, real estate. Goal: get them to look at the texted demo, then close to Starter / Pro / Growth or book a 15-min follow-up. Runtime: 4:30 to 5:30.
Open15 sec
[yes]
C - Clarify45 sec
If they say "could take more"
Listen. Examples: referrals, Facebook, Google, repeat customers, signs, word of mouth.
If they say "we're slammed"
L - Label15 sec
Let them agree. Wait for the yes.
O - Overview45 sec
Two paths depending on their answer.
If YES (they've tried something)
Listen for: "expensive," "no results," "they ghosted us," "wasted money," "didn't work." Do not interrupt. Their pain is your wedge into Sell the Vacation.
If NO (never paid for any of that)
Skip the pain-mining and go straight into Sell the Vacation. No prior burn means no defense to overcome, but no proof point either, so the value pitch has to land clearly.
S - Sell the Vacation60 sec
Use their own words back to them.
If pushed back (with "I don't think I need a website")
Flow straight into Demo Reveal below. Don't pitch the demo at the end of this disarm, the next step already handles it.
Demo Reveal30 sec
While They Look60 sec
Get them talking. Don't sell. Their reaction tells you which tier they need.
E - Explain Away Concerns45 sec
| Objection | Response |
|---|---|
| "We already have a website" | Totally fair. Quick question, does it actually bring you customers, or is it more of a digital business card? |
| "Not interested" | No worries. Usually when people say that it's either timing or they had a bad experience. Which one? |
| "How much?" | Depends. Some businesses need a couple fixes, others want the whole setup. For most owners it runs $49 to $249 a month plus a one-time setup, depending on what makes sense. |
| "Send me info" | I can do that. Quick question first, if I send it over and it actually solves the problem we just talked about, what would stop you from getting started? |
| "I need to think about it" | Of course. What specifically do you want to think on? Sometimes I can answer it right now and save you a couple days. |
| "Call me back next month" | Happy to. What changes between now and next month that would make it a yes? |
R - Reinforce15 sec
Pause.
Tier reference (after R only)
| Tier | Price | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49/mo + $297 setup | Solo, brand new, need to look real |
| Pro | $149/mo + $497 setup | Established, wants site to stay current. 10 pages, 5 edits/mo (24h SLA) |
| Growth | $249/mo + $997 setup | Actively growing. 25 pages, 10 edits/mo, 2 SEO pages/mo, review engine |
If they need more time, book a 15-min follow-up at a specific date and time. Never leave with "I'll follow up soon."
Small Business Quick Ref
The 1-page laminate version. Keep this next to the phone.
Open
C - Clarify · "Could take more"
C - Clarify · "Slammed"
L - Label
O - Overview (PAID prior attempts)
YES: "How'd that go?" (listen for pain) · NO: "Got it." (brief acknowledgment, the new S opener covers the framing)
S - Sell the Vacation
Demo Reveal
While They Look
Top 4 Objections
| "We have a website" | Does it bring you customers, or is it more of a digital business card? |
| "Not interested" | Usually it's timing or a bad experience. Which? |
| "How much?" | $49 to $249/mo + one-time setup. Depends what makes sense. |
| "Send me info" | If I send it and it solves the problem we just talked about, what would stop you from getting started? |
R - Reinforce
Tier Pitch Cards
Built for live-call reading. Click a tier or press S, P, or G to jump. The big yellow "SAY THIS" box is what you read out loud. Everything else is reference.
Starter
$49/mo + $297 one-time setupFor: Solo operators, single-location shops, brand-new businesses that just need to look real when somebody Googles them by name. One city, no employees, no ad budget.
What's actually included
- 5-page site (Home, About, Services, Contact, plus one of gallery or testimonials)
- Their own domain, registered in client's legal business name. They're the listed owner from day one.
- Hosting, SSL, security updates bundled. No separate bills.
- Mobile-responsive design
- Contact form drops into their email
- Full GBP setup at launch — we configure primary + up to 9 secondary categories, services list with prices, 5+ photos, 750-char keyword-rich description, booking link pointed at their /contact
- 2 small edits/mo (text, photo swap, hours, phone). Overage $50 each.
- Home-city SEO. Site built to be findable for "[service] in [home city]."
- Day 30 check-in with their closing rep
- Cancel anytime. Domain stays theirs.
What it does NOT include
- No dedicated page per service (Services is one overview page)
- No per-city service-area pages — home city only
- No professional email at their domain
- No reviews widget pulling Google reviews onto the site
- No analytics report (Pro gets monthly email, Growth gets dashboard)
- No ongoing GBP posts, replies, or photo updates — client owns it after Day 1
- No edit SLA promise — done when we get to them that week
Pro
$149/mo + $497 one-time setupFor: Established businesses past the basics that want the site to pull weight. Multiple services, a few cities they actually work in, a need for the site to stay current without thinking about it. This is where most owners land.
Everything in Starter, plus
- 10-page site — Starter's 5 + 4 dedicated service pages + service-areas overview
- 5 service-area cities, each with a real page built for "[service] in [that city]"
- Professional email forwarding (hello@yourbusiness.com → their existing inbox). We configure it for them on Cloudflare.
- 5 small edits/mo, 24-hour SLA. They text us, we do it inside one business day. Overage $50 each.
- Google reviews widget on the site, pulling their actual 5-star reviews live from GBP. New reviews appear automatically.
- Monthly analytics email, first of every month. Visits, top pages, lead sources, form submissions. Plain English, two paragraphs, no dashboard to learn.
- "Request edit" button on their published site routes straight to their assigned rep
What it does NOT include
- No new SEO pages written each month — site stays at 10 unless they upgrade
- No automated review engine — the widget shows reviews; it doesn't go ask new customers for them
- No real-time dashboard — monthly email only
- No same-day edit turnaround promise — 24 hours is the SLA
- No ongoing GBP posts, replies, or weekly photo updates. We set it up at launch. Client owns it after that.
- No citation building beyond GBP (Yelp, BBB, etc.)
Stop selling. Don't pile on Growth features as "well actually for $100 more..." unless they specifically ask what's bigger. Validating the choice closes 90% of the time.
Growth
$249/mo + $997 one-time setupFor: Owners who aren't just trying to stay current, they're taking ground. Multi-city service area, real call volume, ambition to actively grow. First tier with the actual ranking lever (the review engine).
Everything in Pro, plus
- 25-page site at launch (up to 9 service pages + 10 per-city service-area pages + standard pages)
- 15 service-area cities with 70/30 unique content (programmatic structure, human-customized differentiators)
- 2 new SEO pages written + published every month. Targeted to high-intent searches in their service area.
- Automated review engine. Asks customers for Google reviews after every job. Happy customers go straight to their GBP review page; unhappy feedback routes to the owner privately first.
- 10 small edits/mo (text, images, hours, phone). Overage $50 each.
- Real-time analytics dashboard. Three numbers up front: visits, leads, sources. They log in any time.
- Priority support
What it does NOT include
- Not a paid-ads service. Growth is organic SEO + reviews + content. Facebook/Google Ads management is Getting Serious.
- Not full GBP management. We don't post weekly, reply to reviews, or update photos for them.
- Not citation building. Yelp, BBB, industry directories. Real gap in the product — be honest if they ask.
- Not unlimited edits — 10/mo cap, overage $50 each
- Not a CRM, SMS automation, or AI voice receptionist (that's Getting Serious)
Don't second-guess. Don't downsell. They told you they want to grow, take the win.
The honest upgrade ladder
For solo operators (one person, no employees), the real ladder is Starter → Growth, skip Pro. Pro's headline features (5-city pages + reviews widget) don't deliver meaningful value at solo volume. Growth's review engine is the actual lever.
For established businesses (3+ employees, existing call volume), the natural ladder is Pro → Growth. Pro keeps the lights on. Growth makes them brighter.
What every tier includes (don't forget to say this)
- Domain registered in client's legal business name from day one. They take it with them if they ever leave.
- Hosting, SSL, security updates bundled — no separate bills.
- Mobile-responsive design on every tier.
- Cancel anytime. Domain stays theirs.
- Go-live: Starter in 24 hours once we have info + photos. Pro and Growth in 1 to 3 business days.
- Day 30 check-in with their closing rep.
- Same rep stays with them. Whoever closes is their ongoing point of contact.
Drop this any time the prospect feels jittery about commitment, lock-in, or moving fast. It handles four predictable stalls in one block.
What we need from them to launch
If they ask "what do you need from me?" on the call, this is the honest answer:
- Business legal name (exact spelling, for the domain WHOIS)
- Primary contact name + title + phone + email
- Hours of operation (per day, plus holidays)
- Services list (5 to 10 items, one-line descriptions)
- Service areas (cities + zip codes — drives the SEO pages)
- Logo (high-res, transparent PNG ideal)
- 3+ job photos (we'll ask for more monthly for Pro/Growth)
- GBP claim status — already claimed? share Manager access. If not, we'll help them claim it.
- Existing domain? Where it's registered. Or pick a new one on the call.
- Brand colors / fonts (or "you pick")
- Social profile URLs (Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Nextdoor) for the footer
- 5 to 10 existing customer reviews to seed the site
Mid-Market V2
Target: local service businesses (any vertical) with 10 to 60 FTE paying for a fragmented stack. Goal: book a 30-minute technical audit. We do NOT close on this call. Runtime: 5 to 6 min.
Open15 sec
[yes]
C - Clarify60 sec
Listen. Take notes on the tools they name.
This question forces them to confront their leak. Most can't answer it cleanly.
L - Label15 sec
O - Overview45 sec
Listen.
S - Sell the Vacation75 sec
If pushed back ("we already have all that")
Demo Reveal30 sec
The teardown should already be prepped. If you cold-dialed without one, do not pretend you have one. Skip this step and go straight to the audit ask.
While They Look60 sec
E - Explain Away Concerns45 sec
| Objection | Response |
|---|---|
| "We have HubSpot / GoHighLevel / [CRM]" | Got it. What are you paying them, and what's their actual job? Not unusual to find we replace what they do for half. |
| "We have an agency" | Cool. What are they billing you monthly, and what's the deliverable? If they're charging $4K a month for ads management, we might be your alternative built in. |
| "Not interested" | Fair. Usually it's timing or a bad experience. Which is it? |
| "How much?" | Setup runs $1,997 to $3,500. Monthly is $999 to $1,997 depending on tier. Most clients save more than that off what they're already paying. |
| "Send me a deck" | I can. Quick question first, who else on your side needs to see this? I'd rather just get the right people on a 30-min audit so we're not playing email tag. |
| "We're not ready to change" | Totally fair. What would have to be true six months from now for it to be worth a look? |
R - Reinforce15 sec
Always close to a calendar invite, not "let's talk soon." Specific day, specific time, owner attending. Send invite within 5 min: teardown attached, one-line agenda, Zoom link.
Tier reference (for your head, do not recite)
| Tier | Price | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Core | $999/mo + $1,997 setup | 10 to 25 FTE, replacing 1 tool, 3 AI Employees |
| Full | $1,997/mo + $3,500 setup | 25 to 60 FTE, replacing 2 to 3 vendors, all 5 AI Employees + ads |
| Enterprise | $3,997+/mo + custom | 60 to 100 FTE, CSM, custom integrations, SSO |
You're not selling a tier on this call. You're selling the audit. The tier comes out of the audit conversation.
Mid-Market Quick Ref
The 1-page laminate version. Pre-call prep card required before dialing.
Open
C - Clarify (60 sec)
L - Label (15 sec)
O - Overview (45 sec)
S - Sell the Vacation (75 sec)
Demo Reveal
Top Objections
| "We have HubSpot / GHL" | What are you paying, what's their job? Not unusual to replace for half. |
| "We have an agency" | What are they billing monthly, what's the deliverable? |
| "How much?" | $1,997 to $3,500 setup. $999 to $1,997/mo. Most clients save more than that. |
| "Send me a deck" | I can. Who else needs to see this? Better to get the right people on a 30-min audit. |
R - Reinforce
Voicemail Scripts
~70% of cold dials go to voicemail. The VM is not a consolation prize. A good one gets a callback. A bad one gets your number blocked.
Small Business Voicemails
VM #1 · Day 0 · 22 sec
VM #2 · Day 3 · 18 sec
VM #3 · Day 7 Breakup · 16 sec
Mid-Market Voicemails
VM #1 · Day 0 · 22 sec
VM #2 · Day 3 · 20 sec
VM #3 · Day 7 Breakup · 16 sec
Follow-up Text Templates
Voicemails alone often get ignored. Follow every VM #1 with a text within 5 minutes.
Small business follow-up text
Mid-market follow-up text
When NOT to leave a voicemail
- Attempts 2, 4, 5, 6, 8+. Multiple VMs from the same number reads as spam.
- Full voicemail box or personal-sounding greeting where you can't tell if it's the owner.
- Generic robot greeting with no name. Verify the number before leaving VM #1.
The Team Mindset
Read this before every session. Not a wall of prose. A quick scan.
LAER Objection Framework
- L - Listen. Let them finish. Don't formulate your response while they're still talking.
- A - Acknowledge. "I hear you." / "Totally fair." / "That makes sense." Never start with "but."
- E - Explore. One clarifying question. "What specifically about that worries you?" / "When you say expensive, compared to what?"
- R - Respond. Now you can address the actual concern, which is often different from the stated one.
Most common mistake: Skipping Explore. Without it, you answer a generic objection instead of their specific one. That's the difference between a script reader and a professional.
Power Phrases (2 or 3 per call, not more)
| Phrase | Use when | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| "Can I be honest?" | Before a hard truth | Pre-frames vulnerability, builds trust |
| "Fair?" | After explaining | Requires yes/no, keeps momentum |
| "Here's the thing..." | Before a reframe | Softens what comes next |
| "What's there to lose?" | Before a small commitment | Frames risk as zero |
| "Let me show you instead of telling you" | Pivot to demo | Breaks pitch energy, creates curiosity |
| "I hear you, and..." | Acknowledging + pivoting | Never use "but," always "and" |
| "One new customer covers the year" | Small biz ROI moment | Tested landing page line |
| "Same outcome, fraction of the cost" | Mid-market math reframe | Tested landing page line |
Hard Rules
- "AI-powered," "AI-generated," "leverage," "synergy"
- "Templates," "drag-and-drop," "in 60 seconds"
- "Web design company," "marketing agency" (about us)
- "Free demo website," "I built you a website"
- "Sarah Mitchell referred me" or any other invented referrer
- GBP posts, GBP management, or any ongoing Google profile work. Setup help only across every tier.
- A feature you're not sure we have. Say "let me confirm with the team and send you a yes or no by end of day."
- Pitch in the first 60 seconds. Diagnose first.
- Use em dashes or en dashes in any written followup. Periods, commas, parentheses only.
- Badmouth a competitor by name. If you trash their vendor, you trash their past decision.
- Leave a call without a specific next action. A date, a time, a texted link.
- Answer "how much?" in the first 20 seconds.
- Dial a mid-market prospect without the prep card filled in.
- Dial cold on weekends.
- Smile before dialing. They hear it.
- Stand up for opening lines. Posture changes tone.
- Send the demo link within 10 minutes of the call.
- Log every call result, even 10-second hangups.
- Keep water at your desk. Voice is your only instrument.
The 20-Calls-Will-Suck Rule
Every new caller has 20 calls that sound terrible. You'll forget the opener. You'll answer "how much" too early. You'll rush the pause. That's the entry fee.
- By call 30: rhythm.
- By call 100: sounds like a conversation, not a script.
- By call 500: you're not reading anything. You're having real conversations that end in closes.
Do not change the script in the first 100 calls. Change your delivery. Earn the right to rewrite by putting in the reps first.
Daily KPIs + Follow-up Sequences
Patterns only emerge from data. Track in the shared sheet every day. Fortune is in the follow-up. Most closes happen between attempts 5 and 11.
Small Business KPIs
| Metric | Daily target |
|---|---|
| Dials | 60 |
| Live conversations | 8 |
| Demo links sent | 2 |
| Bookings (tier close OR follow-up) | 1 |
Bookings ÷ Conversations should land at 10 to 15% by week 3.
Mid-Market KPIs
| Metric | Daily target |
|---|---|
| Dials | 30 (slower, pre-call research takes time) |
| Live conversations | 4 |
| Stack reveals that land | 2 |
| Audit Zooms booked with owner attending | 1 |
Audit Zooms ÷ Conversations should land at 20 to 30% by week 3.
Small Business Follow-up Sequence
| Day | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 | Cold call. If VM, leave VM #1. Follow with text + demo link within 5 min. |
| 1 | If no response: cold call again, no VM. |
| 3 | Cold call. If VM, leave VM #2. |
| 5 | Text: "Thinking of you, any questions on the site?" |
| 7 | Cold call. If VM, leave VM #3 (breakup). |
| 10 | Case study text (if you have one for their vertical). |
| 14+ | Check-in every 5 to 7 days with a value touch, not a pitch. |
| 30 | Full re-engagement: "No hasn't meant never. Any shift since we talked?" |
Mid-Market Follow-up Sequence
| Day | Action |
|---|---|
| 0 | Cold call. If VM, leave VM #1. Text teardown / demo link within 5 min. |
| 1 | If no response: cold call, no VM. |
| 3 | Cold call. If VM, leave VM #2. Email teardown with subject "Real numbers on your stack." |
| 7 | Cold call. If VM, leave VM #3 (breakup). |
| 14 | LinkedIn connection request with a one-line note referencing the teardown. |
| 30 | Email: "Your [current vendor] renewal is probably coming up. Want me to rerun the audit?" |
| 90 | Repeat the full sequence. Their contract may be ending. |
When to Ask for Help
- Booking ratio more than 30% below team average after week 2: record a call, review with Levi.
- Stuck on the same objection three calls in a row: post it in the team chat. Someone else has a line for it.
- A prospect says something no handler covers: log it, share it. We'll add it to the playbook.
Silence is the enemy. Every objection another caller has heard is one you'll hear next week.
Links + Logins
Every URL a rep opens during a workday. Bookmark all of them. If you don't have a login for one of these, message Levi to get added before your first dial.
1 · The Playbook (this site)
| What | URL | When you open it |
|---|---|---|
| Full playbook | steady-craft-playbook.pages.dev | Read once before week 1. Reference for objections, mindset, rules. |
| Small Biz Call View | /call-small/ | Open this on every small-biz dial. Timer + step nav + objection drawer. |
| Mid-Market Call View | /call-mid/ | Open this on every mid-market dial. Same UI, different script. |
| Messages hub | /messages/ | Copy-paste FB DMs + recruiting outreach. Tap the line, send it. |
No login needed. Public-but-noindexed. Bookmark all four.
2 · Solev (build the prospect's demo site)
| What | URL | When you open it |
|---|---|---|
| Solev app | solev.io | Before the call. Spin up the prospect's preview site so it's ready to text. |
| Direct login | solev.io/login | Sign in here if the home page doesn't redirect you. |
- Open Solev → New Client.
- Paste the business's Google Maps URL — it scrapes the name, phone, address, hours, photos automatically.
- Pick the industry. Solev auto-generates the 5 pages with their real info.
- Hit publish. You now have a shareable link.
- Dial. When you hit "Demo Reveal," text the link.
3 · Ops Dashboard (your daily home base)
| What | URL | When you open it |
|---|---|---|
| Ops dashboard | steady-craft-control. | All day. Log calls, see your pipeline, run Comment Intel for FB outbound. |
| Login page | /login | Magic-link sign-in. Enter your email, check inbox, click the link. |
/login, you'll get a one-click sign-in link in your inbox in under 30 seconds. You need to be added to the platform admin list first — Levi runs one SQL line to grant access. Send him the email you want to use; once he confirms, you're in for good.
4 · Public agency site (so you know what prospects see)
| What | URL | When you open it |
|---|---|---|
| Steady Craft site | steadycraftsolutions.com | Anytime a prospect Googles us mid-call. Know the home page, pricing, and the Getting Started tiers cold. |
| Pricing page | /pricing | If they say "send me your pricing," send them this link. |
No login. Public site. Memorize the pricing block so you never fumble the "how much?" objection.
5 · Day-one setup checklist (request these from Levi)
- Solev rep account — role rep + tier agency. Without both, you can't build demos.
- Ops Dashboard access — added to
platform_admins. Without this, magic-link sign-in fails. - Steady Craft email (yourname@steadycraftsolutions.com) — for any prospect followup.
- Shared call-tracking sheet link — daily KPIs land here every day before EOD.
- Bookmark every URL above in one folder. You should be one click from any of them mid-call.
6 · Quick troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Solev login loops back to /login | Your account exists but doesn't have the agency tier. Message Levi — both role=rep and tier=agency are required. |
| Ops magic link email never arrives | Check spam. If still nothing in 5 min, you're not on the platform_admins list yet. Levi adds you with one SQL line. |
| Demo site link opens to a blank page | You probably didn't hit Publish in Solev. Click into the site → Publish button top-right → wait for the green checkmark → retest the link. |
| Prospect says "the site isn't loading" | Open the link yourself first. If it loads for you, ask them to refresh once. If it doesn't, republish and re-text. |