Almost every SDR interview ends with a mock cold call. The interviewer plays a busy prospect, and you have a few minutes to get a meeting. They're not grading perfection. They're watching how you open, whether you ask good questions, and how you handle "no."
Practice this out loud three or four times and you'll be ahead of most candidates.
The five-part call
1. Open with permission
Be honest that it's a cold call. It disarms people.
"Hi Sam, it's Alex from Acme. I know I'm calling out of the blue. Can I take 30 seconds to tell you why I called, and you can tell me if it's worth keeping talking?"
2. Give one reason, in their words
One problem you help people like them with. Not a feature list.
"We work with finance teams who are still closing the books in spreadsheets. Most of them tell us month-end takes a week longer than it should."
3. Ask, then listen
"How are you handling month-end close today?"
Then stop talking. Follow up on what they actually say. This is the part most candidates rush.
4. Handle the brush-off
Acknowledge it, ask a question, offer something small. Never argue. (Objections and answers below.)
5. Ask for a specific meeting
"Would it be worth 20 minutes on Thursday at 2 to see if we could take a few days off your close?"
Confirm the time, say thanks, and end the call.
The objections you'll hear, and what to say
"I'm busy right now." "Totally fair, I caught you cold. Is it worth 30 seconds now, or should I call back Thursday morning?"
"I'm not interested." "Understood, most people aren't when I first call. Out of curiosity, how are you handling [problem] today?"
"We already use [competitor]." "Makes sense, a lot of teams we talk to do. What do you like about it, and what would you change if you could?"
"Just send me an email." "Happy to. So I send something useful and not a brochure, what's the biggest thing on your plate around [problem] right now?"
"We don't have budget." "Fair enough. When do you usually plan for tools like this? I'll reach back out then with something relevant."
"How did you get my number?" "Fair question. From your company's public information. I called because teams like yours often run into [problem]."
"I'm not the right person." "Thanks for telling me. Who on your team would own [problem]? I'd appreciate you pointing me the right way."
"Call me next quarter." "Will do. So that call is useful, what will have changed by then?"
The pattern: acknowledge, ask, offer. Interviewers care far more that you stay calm and curious than that you "win."
Practice checklist
Record yourself on your phone and check:
- ☐ I said who I was and why I was calling in under 20 seconds.
- ☐ I asked permission to continue.
- ☐ I talked about their problem, not our features.
- ☐ I asked at least two open questions and followed up on an answer.
- ☐ I handled at least one objection without arguing.
- ☐ I asked for a specific day and time.
- ☐ I sounded like a person, not a script.
Before the interview
- Ask your insider what their role play looked like. Many will tell you exactly.
- Read the company's cheat sheet here if we have one: their buyer, a sample opener and the objections their buyers raise.
- Practice with a friend playing a grumpy prospect. Then swap.
After the role play, it's fine to say what you'd do differently. "I'd have asked one more question before pitching" shows self-awareness, which is coachability, which is the whole game.