Selling by phone
How to sell by phone: telephone sales techniques that work in 2026
Jenny Cartwright's complete guide to selling by phone: plan your calling day, warm up every call, follow her 8 step call structure and win the sale at follow-up.
Free telesales tips, scripts and guides
Jenny's practical guides to selling by phone, written from more than 30 years of making and coaching sales calls. Read them, try the scripts on your next call and come back for the next one.
Quick answer
Where can I learn telesales for free?
You can learn telesales for free from Jenny Cartwright's guides on this page, which cover cold call openings, getting past the gatekeeper, handling objections, follow-up calls and Australian calling rules. Start with How to Sell by Phone, then download her free eBook, How to Make a Professional Telephone Sales Call.
Free eBook
How to Make a Professional Telephone Sales Call
Jenny's step by step guide to a professional sales call, free to download.
Telesales guides
Selling by phone
Selling by phone
Cold calling script template: how to write a telesales script that sounds natural
A free cold calling script template built on Jenny Cartwright's call structure, plus how to write, test and use a telesales script without sounding robotic.
Selling by phone
Sales questions to ask on the phone: how to uncover needs and qualify leads
The open, emotional and qualifying questions that turn a phone call into a real conversation, and how to listen so prospects tell you what they need.
Selling by phone
How to create a sales presentation that sells, by phone, video or in person
The five parts every sales presentation needs, how to use testimonials so prospects believe you, and how to adapt it for the phone, video calls and face to face meetings.
Selling by phone
How to build rapport on the phone: tone, words and listening
On the phone your voice does all the work. How to sound confident and caring, match each customer's style and earn trust in the first 15 seconds.
Selling by phone
Words to use in sales, and words to avoid when selling
Small words change big outcomes. The sales language swaps Jenny Cartwright teaches, from 'but' to 'and' and 'why' to 'how', plus a table of phrases to drop.
Selling by phone
Phone vs email for sales: why the telephone beats email every time
Email is easy to send and easy to ignore. When to call, when to email, how to make the two work together, and a template to send after every call.
Cold calling
Cold calling
Cold call opening lines that grab interest (and the ones that get you hung up on)
The first sentence decides whether a cold call continues. Jenny Cartwright's formulas for opening lines that grab interest, and the habits that get calls hung up on.
Cold calling
How to get past the gatekeeper and reach the decision maker
Receptionists are paid to protect the boss's time. Here is how to sound confident, plan honest answers to their questions and get put through to the decision maker.
Objections and closing
Objections and closing
How to handle objections over the phone, with word for word replies
Stop saying “Oh, okay then, goodbye.” Jenny Cartwright's five techniques for handling objections over the phone, with word for word replies to the five you hear most.
Objections and closing
How to deal with indecisive customers and turn procrastinators into buyers
You know the type: always about to buy, never quite ready. Jenny Cartwright's strategies for helping indecisive customers make a decision, without pressure.
Objections and closing
How to close a sale over the phone without sounding pushy
Most phone sales are lost by closing too early or not at all. Jenny Cartwright's trial closes, appointment close and what to say when the answer is no.
Appointments and follow-up
Appointments and follow-up
Appointment setting by phone: a B2B script and how to stop no-shows
Sell the appointment, not the product. A five step call structure, a B2B appointment setting script to adapt, and ten ways to make sure booked prospects turn up.
Appointments and follow-up
Follow up call script: how to follow up a quote by phone
Sending the quote is the easy part. How to book the follow-up, what to say when you call, and how to bring back a prospect who has gone cold.
Appointments and follow-up
Sales voicemail script: what to say so your next call gets answered
Many sales calls now end at voicemail. How to script a 30 second message that warms the prospect up, and how to make your own greeting work for you.
Prospecting and customers
Prospecting and customers
How to find prospects to call: B2B lead generation by phone
Where to find good B2B prospects, how to reach the right person at a business, and why you should never delete a name from your database.
Prospecting and customers
How to ask for referrals: a referral script that works by phone
Stop asking "Do you know anyone?" Use five specific referral questions, a ready-made phone script and the thank-you that keeps referrals coming.
Prospecting and customers
How to win back inactive customers with a phone call
Inactive customers already know you. Here is how to call them with care, find out what changed and turn a quiet account back into regular sales.
Mindset
Mindset
How to overcome call reluctance and the fear of cold calling
Call reluctance quietly costs more sales than any objection. Why it happens, how to talk yourself past it and the daily routine that gets you dialling.
Mindset
The sales mindset: how to stay motivated and persistent in sales
Skills without mindset rarely last on the phones. Jenny Cartwright's five habits for staying motivated, persistent and honest when sales are slow.
For managers
For managers
How to train a telesales team: a manager's guide to telemarketing training for staff
Product knowledge alone does not make sales. A practical guide for managers and owners on recruiting, training, coaching and tracking a telesales team.
For managers
Telemarketing rules in Australia: calling hours, the Do Not Call Register and more
A plain-language guide for sales teams to Australia's telemarketing rules: calling hours, the Do Not Call Register, caller ID, cooling-off and follow-up emails.
Sales Explosion with Jenny Cartwright
Jenny hosted the Sales Explosion podcast on SME Radio. Episodes included creating a good first impression and making a sale, whether we hide behind email, why your database matters and running public workshops.
Prefer to learn with a structured course? See Jenny's online telesales training or browse the books and eBooks.
Free 15 minute chat
Want these techniques taught to your team?
Jenny runs customised telesales training onsite in every capital city and live on Zoom.