How to Launch a Cold Call Campaign With Just a Spreadsheet and a Script

For businesses in insurance, financial services, or home improvement, the phone still works.

The phone may not be sexy, but it still sells.

In a time of auto-DMs, cold emails, and AI-generated social outreach, a well-timed phone call remains one of the most direct, high-conversion sales strategies. Whether you're selling final expense life insurance, solar panels, or B2B SaaS tools, phone outreach continues to drive ROI for those willing to pick up the receiver.

This guide breaks down how to run a lean cold call campaign using just two things: a spreadsheet of leads and a script tailored to your offer.

Step 1: Build (or Buy) Your Lead List

The quality of your cold call campaign lives and dies by the list. If you're targeting B2B prospects, you’ll want data that includes firmographics—company size, industry, role/title of contact, and direct phone number.

If you’re going B2C (say, health insurance or HVAC services), demographic filters like age, income bracket, and household status are more useful.

Where to get this data? You can:

• Purchase filtered leads from a database provider like Salesfully

• Use a service like Uplead or ZoomInfo (budget depending)

• Or DIY it with publicly available directories, although this will be time-intensive

Sample Lead Spreadsheet Layout

Name	Phone Number	Company (if B2B)	Title	Location	Notes
Sarah Lopez	555-123-4567	Acme Corp	HR Manager	TX	Warm
Tom Jennings	555-987-6543	—	Retired	FL	Cold

Step 2: Create a Conversational Script

A script doesn’t mean robotic. Think of it as scaffolding—enough to keep you on track, not so much that you sound like a call center bot.

Here’s a simple example for insurance agents:

"Hi [First Name], this is [Your Name]—I help folks in [City] find health plans that cost less but cover more. Just curious, are you currently paying more than $100 a month for health insurance?"

This opener:

• Identifies who you are

• Communicates value quickly

• Ends with a simple yes/no question to start the conversation

Want more structure? Gong.io found that successful cold calls include 4 elements: Introduction, Reason for the Call, Value Proposition, and a Clear Question.

According to Zippia, cold calling has an average conversion rate of 2%, but when the call is made within five minutes of a lead expressing interest (i.e., through a web form), that jumps to over 30%.

Step 3: Track, Adjust, Repeat

Every call is data. Log results in your spreadsheet. Color-code leads by status—Red for “No,” Yellow for “Call Back Later,” Green for “Interested.” Track your closing rate, number of calls per day, and best call times.

You can use basic formulas in Excel or Google Sheets to calculate:

• Call-to-appointment rate

• Appointment-to-close ratio

• ROI per list segment

Salesmate reports that it takes an average of 8 call attempts to reach a prospect—so don’t get discouraged after the first ring.

You don’t need a fancy CRM or a $10K sales coach to make your first 100 sales. You just need a good list, a clear message, and a willingness to hear “no” until you hear “yes.”