- The opening line. The very first thing it says when someone picks up.
- The instructions. The brief that guides everything after that.
The opening line
This is the first sentence out of the agent’s mouth. It sets the tone for the whole call, so keep it short, human, and honest about who’s calling.- Good: “Hi, this is Sarah from Coleman Roofing, do you have a quick minute?”
- Not so good: “Hello, this is an automated call regarding your recent inquiry submission.”
The instructions
The instructions are the agent’s brief. This is where you tell it who it is, why it’s calling, and how to handle the conversation. Think of it as onboarding a new hire, not writing a movie script. A good brief usually covers:- Who the agent is. Its name, your company, its role.
- Why it’s calling. The reason, in one plain sentence.
- The goal. The one thing you want out of the call.
- What to do when. “If they’re interested, do this. If they’re busy, do that.”
- The hard rules. Things it must never do or say.
Write for the ear, not the eye
The agent’s words are spoken, not read. So write the way people talk.- Do say “January fifteenth.” Don’t write “1/15.”
- Do say “call us at four one five…” Don’t paste a raw link or a symbol the agent would have to read out awkwardly.
- Do keep sentences short. Long sentences sound out of breath.
- Do let it use small natural words (“sure,” “no worries”) so it sounds real.
