Vocabulary
8 key words for this lesson
OPENING
The first part of a call or meeting, when you greet people and begin.
My opening was short and friendly.
PURPOSE
The reason why you do something or why you call someone.
The purpose of my call is to understand your current challenges.
AGENDA
A list of the things that will be discussed in a meeting or call.
Our agenda has four points: introduction, goals, solution overview and next steps.
RAPPORT
A friendly relationship where people understand each other and feel comfortable.
We built good rapport quickly because we both enjoy the same sport.
OBJECTION
A reason you give for disagreeing with something or not wanting it.
My main objection is the price, and I also worry about the time.
COMMITMENT
A promise or agreement to do something.
Are you ready to make a commitment and schedule the next step?
TRANSITION
To move from one part of a conversation to the next.
Now that we've covered that, let me transition to the solution.
RECAP
To repeat the main points of something in a short way.
Let me recap the three key points before we choose a next step.
Phrases
6 phrases and their meanings
THE REASON FOR MY CALL IS
A phrase you use at the start of a call to say why you are calling.
The reason for my call is to review your pipeline for this quarter.
BEFORE WE DIVE IN
A phrase you use to say something first, before the main discussion starts.
Before we dive in, let me quickly explain how today's meeting will work.
CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT
A polite phrase used to begin asking someone a question about a topic.
Can I ask you about your current setup and your team?
BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE TOLD ME
A phrase meaning you are using the information that someone gave you.
Based on what you've told me, this strategy should help you improve your ROI.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE IS
A polite phrase used to introduce a suggestion or plan.
What I'd like to propose is a solution designed for your needs.
AS A NEXT STEP
A phrase used to say what will happen or be done after this.
As a next step, I'll schedule a demo and share the proposal.
Register
How these words change across different contexts
Register Awareness
Register = choosing the right language for the right situation.
Register Tips
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Riley
MarcusHi Marcus, this is Riley from Brightline — thanks for taking the time today. How are you doing?
Good thanks. I've only got about 20 minutes, just so you know.
Perfect — 20 minutes is plenty. Before we dive in, let me give you a quick agenda: two minutes of context, a few questions about your current setup, and if it makes sense, I'll suggest a logical next step. Does that work?
Sure, go ahead.
Great. The purpose of my call is that your colleague Priya mentioned you'd been looking at ways to improve your pipeline visibility. I wanted to reach out and see if a conversation made sense — I'm not here to sell you anything today, just to understand your situation.
That's right, yes. We've outgrown our current system.
Can I ask you about your current setup? What are you using at the moment?
A spreadsheet, if you can believe it. With 15 reps it's becoming a nightmare — my manager asks for a pipeline update and I'm pulling data manually for two hours.
That's really helpful. And is it mainly the reporting that's the issue, or is rapport with the team affected too — like people entering data inconsistently?
Both, honestly. The data quality is terrible because no one trusts the system, so no one maintains it properly.
Okay — let me recap what I've heard: 15 reps, spreadsheet-based, two hours of manual reporting, and data quality issues because the team has lost confidence in the system. Is that right?
That's exactly it.
Based on what you've told me, I think there's a genuine fit. What I'd like to propose is a short demo where I show you exactly how Brightline's pipeline view and automated reporting would work for a 15-person team. No objection to showing you that, I hope?
No — a demo makes sense.
Great. As a next step, I'd suggest a 30-minute call next week. I can have the dashboard set up with your team's structure before we start. I need a commitment from you on a time — does Thursday afternoon work?
Thursday works. Let's say 2pm.
Thursday at 2 — perfect. I'll send the calendar invite now. Before I let you go, is there anything specific you'd want to see in the demo?
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
Before we dive in, let me give you a quick— — —so you know exactly where we're going.
Sentence 2
The— — —of my call is that your colleague mentioned you'd been looking at new tools.
Sentence 3
Can I ask you about your current setup? I want to understand before I— — —to the offer.
Sentence 4
Let me— — —what I've heard — 15 reps, manual reporting, and data quality issues. Is that right?
Sentence 5
— — —what you've told me, I think there's a genuine fit here.
Sentence 6
What I'd like to propose is a short demo — no— — —to that, I hope?
Sentence 7
As a next step, I need a— — —from you on a date — does Thursday work?
Sentence 8
A strong— — —puts the prospect at ease and signals that their time will be well spent.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.What does Riley do immediately after Marcus says he only has 20 minutes?
2.How does Riley describe the purpose of her call?
3.What is Marcus's biggest day-to-day problem, as he describes it?
4.Why does Marcus say the data quality is terrible?
5.What does Riley do before making her offer?
6.What does Riley propose as the next step?
7.What does Riley ask Marcus at the very end of the call?
8.What is the purpose of sharing an agenda at the start of the call?
Group Activities
Role-play scenarios and discussion questions for group classes
🎯 Choose the Best Response
Work in groups. Each situation is from a real sales call. Decide which response handles it best — and be ready to explain why using the call structure language from this lesson.
Customer says
“You dial a prospect and they answer: 'I've only got about 10 minutes — just so you know.'”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“After your opening, the prospect asks: 'So what are you actually selling?'”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“You've finished the discovery questions. How do you transition to your offer?”
Salesperson responds…
Customer says
“The call has gone well and the prospect says: 'This looks interesting — I'd like to see more.'”
Salesperson responds…
🔗 Customer Profile Match
Read the three call situations. As a group, identify which phase of the sales call each one represents — and what the right move is. Use the five-phase structure from this lesson to guide your thinking. Click 'Check Matches' when you agree.
Plans / Options
Opening + agenda
The first 60-90 seconds of the call. Introduce yourself, build brief rapport, and share a quick agenda so the prospect knows where the call is going. The goal is to earn enough trust to move to purpose.
Discovery questions
The longest phase of the call. Ask open questions to understand the prospect's current situation, specific pain points, and what a solution would need to achieve. Listen more than you speak. Don't pitch yet.
Offer + next step
Connect what you heard to what you offer — start with 'Based on what you've told me.' Then propose a specific, valuable next step and get a commitment on a date. The call ends with something agreed, not something left open.
Customers — which plan fits each one?
Situation A
Riley has just dialled Marcus for the first time. He has answered. Riley knows nothing about his situation yet. She has 20 minutes and Marcus is cautious. She needs to establish trust and make him feel the call is worth his time before anything else.
Situation B
Riley has introduced herself and stated her purpose. Marcus has confirmed he has a problem. Now Riley needs to understand the details before she can recommend anything — team size, current tools, biggest pain points, what a solution would need to look like.
Situation C
Riley has recapped everything Marcus told her and he confirmed it was accurate. She now has everything she needs. The next move is to connect what she heard directly to what Brightline does — and propose a concrete next step with a date.
✏️ Finish the Salesperson's Line
The salesperson's line has been cut off at a critical moment in the call. As a group, finish it using the five-phase structure and key phrases from this lesson. Compare your versions — then click to see one possible answer.
Customer
“The prospect answers your call and says: 'Hi — who is this?'”
Salesperson
“Hi Sarah, this is Riley from Brightline — thanks for picking up. Before we dive in, I just want to give you a quick …”
Customer
“The prospect asks: 'Why are you calling me specifically?'”
Salesperson
“The reason for my call is that …”
Customer
“You've just heard everything from the prospect. Now it's time to make your offer.”
Salesperson
“Based on what you've told me — …”
Customer
“The prospect says: 'This looks interesting — I'd like to see more.' You're ready to close the call.”
Salesperson
“As a next step, would you be open to …”