Permission-Based Opener
Ask for a small slice of the buyer's time up front, which lowers resistance and respects their control.
Can I have twenty-seven seconds to tell you why I called, and then you can hang up if it's not relevant?
A permission-based opener asks the buyer for a short, defined amount of time before you launch in. “Can I have twenty-seven seconds to tell you why I called, and then you can hang up if it’s not relevant?” By handing them control, you lower the reflex to end the call and you signal respect for their time.
To use it, name a specific and small window (the oddly precise number, “twenty-seven seconds”, tends to land better than “a minute” because it sounds considered), then actually keep to it. The technique is associated with sales trainer and author Jeb Blount, among others, and is a staple of modern cold-calling training.
It works because the buyer feels they said yes to the conversation rather than being trapped in it. The mistake is asking for the time and then running long, which burns the goodwill instantly and teaches them never to grant it again.