SDRs who have made the call before they dial
A cold call is won or lost in the first thirty seconds and the first brush-off. Shadowpitch lets new SDRs practice both out loud against a voiced prospect, so their first live calls sound like their fiftieth.
How a cold call goes
Four moves in about two minutes. Each one is a play to practice.
The opener
Who you are and why you are calling them, in one breath, with permission to take thirty seconds.
The reason
One problem their role usually owns, said as a question, not a feature list.
The brush-off
Send me an email, we already have someone, call me next quarter. Each has a good answer, and an SDR should have said it before the call.
The ask
A specific time for a short meeting, asked for while they are still on the line.
What your SDRs will hear
Each one with what a good answer covers, a strong answer and a five-minute drill.
A play, start to finish: the opener
A Tuesday at 9:40. The prospect, a sales director, picks up on the second ring between two meetings. They don’t know the SDR’s name or company.
Yeah, who’s this?
The prospect
Hi Dana, this is Sam. I’m calling because you’re hiring four new reps this quarter. Can I take thirty seconds to say why that made me call, and you tell me if it’s worth another minute?
The SDR
Why it works
- It says who and why in one breath, and the why is about them.
- Asking for thirty seconds gives the prospect control, which is why they usually say yes.
- It ends on a question they can answer, not a pitch they have to sit through.
What managers see
New SDRs usually learn the opener on live calls, with real prospects, and a manager hears a fraction of them. The first weeks of a new hire’s calls are the most expensive practice on the team.
In Shadowpitch the opener and every common brush-off are plays: the prospect’s line, what a good answer covers and your best SDR’s answer. Reps practice out loud and keep the takes worth hearing, and a manager approves who is ready to dial.
Questions
What should a new SDR practice before their first live call?
The opener and the three brush-offs they will hear most: send me an email, we already have someone, and call me next quarter. Those decide most first calls.
Is this an AI that grades the call?
No. The prospect’s lines are spoken in natural AI voices and the rep answers out loud, but no AI grades the answer. Reps compare their take with a strong answer, and a named coach reviews the takes they send.
Can we use our own talk track?
Yes. Your talk track becomes the plays: your opener, your reasons for calling and your best SDR’s answer to each brush-off.