Goal: #1 Goal is a booked meeting but if the call is going well, move on to #2 goal of getting as much business/qualification info as possible using the 5 steps qualification framework below.
Prospect: Hello?
Rep: Hi, this is [Your Name] from Topline. Someone from PROSPECT BUSINESS NAME recently requested more information about our growth services, and I wanted to follow up to make sure you got everything you need.
If they ask, "Who are you again?":
Rep: Sure! Topline is an all-in-one growth platform designed to simplify lead generation, marketing automation, and scaling for businesses like yours. We combine software with actual growth support to make it easier for you to hit your goals. You’d requested more info about [specific service].
Choose one of the following disarming, funny responses:
"I’m good—but my dog is looking at me like I’m crazy, so maybe you should talk to him instead."
"I’m having a great day fighting through the noise and avoiding the hellhole of LinkedIn. How about you?"
"Pretty good, though my goal today is to make someone laugh before they hang up. Did I do it?"
"I’m good—just trying to convince people not to roast my strange British accent and hang up on me, haha. How about you?"
Rep: Here’s the best part—we’re not just setting you up with a typical sales demo. You’ll be speaking directly with one of our co-founders. It’s a rare chance to go deep on how this solution can work specifically for your business. Does [insert day/time] work for you?
1. Solving Expensive and Disconnected Systems
"Topline exists because the current pricing models from companies like HubSpot and Salesforce are too expensive and disconnected for most businesses. Add in the wasteful spending with marketing agencies that aren’t even connected to your tools, and it’s clear why businesses struggle. We created an all-in-one solution—plus a real person on our team, essentially a fractional CMO, to ensure the software and growth strategies actually fit your business needs."
2. Unique Pricing Models
"Most companies charge $2,000+ just to talk to someone helpful or to use AI and automation at scale. At Topline, we believe growth tools should be accessible to all businesses, so we have simple, transparent pricing: unlimited users, unlimited contacts, and unlimited features—without the insane costs."
3. Built for Experts Like You
"Topline is specifically built for specialized service and consulting firms like yours. As founders, we’ve built and scaled specialized companies ourselves, and we saw the gap: more and more people are building businesses based on their expertise, but the tools and growth methods available aren’t built for them. Our mission is to help the best professionals win."
Relatability:
"I actually worked in a similar space/similar clients myself before Topline, so I know how unique the challenges are for businesses like yours."
Empathy:
"We get that most tools and agencies don’t feel built for you. That’s why we’ve tailored our platform and business model to specialize in actually helping growing firms like yours thrive vs the typical frustrating tech and marketing practices."
Confidence:
"We’re not just selling you software; we’re giving you the tools and the expert guidance to make them actually work for your business."
Engagement:
"What’s your top goal this year for growing your business? I’d love to focus on that in the demo with our co-founder."
Complete Qualification fields in CRM after call
Key Questions:
"Tell me about your current business operations?"
"How long have you been in business?"
"What are your growth goals/ dream business scenario in 2025?"
Red Flags:
No website/online presence
Unable to speak about a real business plan
Pre-launch with no funding
Key Questions:
"What growth/marketing channels are you currently using?"
"What's working/not working in your current approach?"
"What's your monthly marketing spend?"
Red Flags:
No current marketing activity
No clear marketing strategy
Unrealistic expectations
Key Questions:
"What tools are you currently using?"
"What processes do you want to automate?"
"What's your biggest operational challenge?"
Red Flags:
No/very limited tech knowledge
Unrealistic automation expectations
No tech challenges - everything working perfectly and happy with tech stack vendors
Key Questions:
"What's your monthly budget for growth tools?"
"Have you allocated budget for this type of solution?"
Do you have a marketing budget? Have you thought through things like cost to acquire a client etc?
Red Flags:
Budget under $1000/month
No clear budget authority
Don't understand marketing budget or value
Key Questions:
As you grow, do you plan to hire more people to help you run and grow the business?
"Is your hiring and finding great candidates taking up a lot or your time/money?"
"What's your biggest hiring challenge?"
Red Flags:
No hiring plans
Unrealistic growth plans
Identify disqualifying factors
Add "Send-To-Trial" tag
Document specific reason
Allow automation to:
Send trial link in immediate follow-up email
Update status
Create follow-up task
Not a Real Business
No verified operations
Pre-revenue without funding
Unable to validate business
Budget Constraints
Below minimum threshold
No allocated budget
Budget timeline >6 months
Bad Use Case
Feature mismatch
Technical incompatibility
Scope too small/large
Competition
Already committed elsewhere
Competitor pricing
Feature preference
Timing/Resources
No current need
Resource constraints
Timeline >12 months
LinkedIn profile check
Company Google Search
Website review
Start with role/responsibility confirmation
Business validation questions
Current situation assessment
Future state/goals discussion
Budget/timeline qualification
Inconsistent answers
Unclear decision process
Mismatched expectations
Budget uncertainty
Timeline vagueness
