Cold calling script in English and Lebanese Arabic, with the WhatsApp follow-up

A good cold calling script for Lebanon and the UAE fits into eight minutes and aims at one result: a booked meeting, plus the buyer's permission to continue on WhatsApp. Below is that script line by line in English and in Lebanese Arabic, with the message to send after the call and replies to six common objections, ready to copy into your team's notes.

The Arabic half is a sales script in Arabic as Lebanese buyers speak it: Lebanese dialect, written in Arabic script. Fill every [bracket] before you dial.

How the call is built

Minute	Step	What has to happen
0:00–0:30	Open	Who you are, why this company, and permission to take two minutes
0:30–1:00	Reason	One sentence on what you do, then ask to put three questions
1:00–4:00	Discover	Three questions, with the answers typed as they talk
4:00–5:30	Pitch	Their words back to them, then one line on how you help
5:30–8:00	Close	A meeting time, and permission to continue on WhatsApp

In B2B cold calling you are not selling your product on the call. You are selling the next meeting.

Cold calling tips before you dial

• Call the company line in business hours. In Lebanon that is Monday to Friday, and many offices are also open on Saturday mornings. In the UAE the week has run Monday to Friday since 2022; keep Friday around midday prayers free.
• Know one thing about them: their sector, their city, and something from their website you can mention.
• Hold two slots in the next five working days, so you can offer a choice instead of asking what suits them.
• Open in the language they answer in. In Lebanon a call can move between Arabic, French and English, so follow the buyer when they switch; our Lebanon page covers how selling there differs. In the UAE, open in English unless the buyer answers in Arabic, and remember that Gulf Arabic is not Lebanese; more on that market on our UAE page.

The opener

When nobody introduced you

English:

Good morning, is this [company]? This is [your name] from [your company]. I'm calling [sector] companies in [city]. Who looks after [purchasing / sales] there?

[Name], I'll be quick. We help [type of company] [result in one sentence]. Have you got two minutes now, or is there a better time?

Lebanese Arabic (عربي لبناني):

صباح الخير، هيدي [الشركة]؟ معك [اسمك] من [شركتك]. عم نحكي مع شركات [القطاع] بـ[المنطقة]، مين المسؤول عن [المشتريات / المبيعات] عندكن؟

[الاسم]، ما رح طوّل عليك. نحنا منساعد [نوع الشركات] [النتيجة بجملة وحدة]. معك دقيقتين هلّق، ولا في وقت أنسب؟

When someone introduced you

English:

Hi [name], it's [your name] from [your company]. [Person] at [company / chamber] suggested I call you. Have you got two minutes now, or is there a better time?

Lebanese Arabic:

مرحبا [الاسم]، معك [اسمك] من [شركتك]. [الشخص] من [الشركة / الغرفة] قلّي إحكي معك. معك دقيقتين هلّق، ولا في وقت أنسب؟

The reason for calling

Keep it to one sentence: no feature list, and no figure you cannot prove.

English:

We work with [sector] companies in [city] that [problem you solve]. Can I ask you three quick questions to see if it's relevant to you?

Lebanese Arabic:

منشتغل مع شركات [القطاع] بـ[المنطقة] يلّي عندها [المشكلة]. فيي إسألك تلات أسئلة سريعة لنشوف إذا بيعنيلك؟

Three questions that qualify the lead

Ask all three, in this order, and type the answers on the contact while they talk.

English:

1. How do you handle [area] today, and who do you work with for it?
2. Who makes the decision on it: the owner, a manager, procurement?
3. Where do things usually get stuck: the price, the delivery, the follow-up?

Lebanese Arabic:

1. كيف عم تدبّرو [الموضوع] اليوم، ومع مين عم تتعاملو فيه؟
2. مين بياخد القرار بهالموضوع: صاحب الشركة، مدير، ولا المشتريات؟
3. وين بتعلق الأمور عادةً: بالسعر، بالتسليم، ولا بالمتابعة؟

Then give their words back to them. It is the most persuasive minute of the call, because none of it is yours.

English:

So you [what they do] in [cities], [title] makes the decision, and things get stuck at [stage]. That's exactly where we help: [one sentence on how]. Would it be worth twenty minutes to look at it properly?

Lebanese Arabic:

يعني إنتو [شو بتعملو] بـ[المناطق]، يلّي بياخد القرار هو [المنصب]، والأمور بتعلق عند [المرحلة]. هون بالزبط منساعد: [جملة وحدة عن كيف]. بيستاهل نقعد عشرين دقيقة نشوفها عالمهل؟

The close: a time, then permission for WhatsApp

English:

Shall we take twenty minutes to look at it properly? Tuesday at 11 or Wednesday at 3?

Can I send you the invitation and a short summary on WhatsApp, on this number?

Lebanese Arabic:

منعمل عشرين دقيقة لنشوفها عالمهل؟ بيناسبك التلاتا الساعة 11 ولا الأربعا الساعة 3؟

فيي إبعتلك الموعد وملخّص قصير عالواتساب، على هالرقم؟

Always offer two times. The second question matters as much as the first: Meta's WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy only lets a business message people who have given their number and agreed to hear from it. A clear yes on the call is that agreement, so note it on the contact with the date. If they would rather not use WhatsApp, send the invitation by email and carry on.

The WhatsApp message after the call

Send it within five minutes of hanging up, while they still remember your voice.

English:

Hi [name], it's [your name] from [your company], thank you for the call. As agreed, here is the short summary. We're on for [day] at [time], and I'll send the link just before. Reply STOP if you'd rather not get WhatsApp messages from us.

Lebanese Arabic:

مرحبا [الاسم]، [اسمك] من [شركتك]، شكراً عالمكالمة. متل ما اتّفقنا، هيدا الملخّص. موعدنا [النهار] الساعة [الساعة]، ورح بعتلك الرابط قبل بشوي. إذا ما بدّك رسايل منّا عالواتساب، ابعتلنا STOP.

On the WhatsApp Business Platform this first message has to go out as a template Meta has approved, because the buyer has not written to you yet. Get it approved once and reuse it. A WhatsApp CRM keeps the template, the consent and the reply on the same contact.

Six objections, and what to say

Agree with the true part first, answer with something they can check, and end with a next step. Each reply below is given in English first, then in Lebanese Arabic.

"Not now, I'm busy"

"Not now" is not "no". Book the callback as a task before you hang up.

No problem. When is better: later today or tomorrow morning?

ولا يهمّك. إيمتى بيناسبك أكتر، بعد الضهر ولا بكرا الصبح؟

"Just send me something on WhatsApp"

That is permission, so take it, but keep the call alive.

Happy to. So I send the right thing: does [A] or [B] matter more to you? And can I call you on Thursday to hear what you think?

أكيد. لحتى إبعتلك الشي الصح: شو بيهمّك أكتر، [أ] ولا [ب]؟ وفيي إتصل فيك الخميس لإسمع رأيك؟

"We already work with someone"

Do not attack the incumbent. Ask what they would improve.

That's good, it means you know what good looks like. I'm not asking you to change anything today. If you could improve one thing about it, what would it be?

منيح، يعني بتعرف شو المطلوب. ما عم قلّك غيّر شي اليوم. إذا فيك تحسّن شغلة وحدة، شو بتكون؟

"It's not the time to spend money"

Agree, then make the next step smaller.

That's fair. It's why I'd rather show you first: if it doesn't pay for itself, you shouldn't buy it. Can I show you in twenty minutes?

معك حق. لهيك بفضّل فرجيك الأول: إذا ما رح يرجّعلك حقّو، ما لازم تشتريه. فيي فرجيك بعشرين دقيقة؟

"How did you get my number?"

It is a fair question. Answer it plainly.

It's the number on your company's [Google Maps listing / website]. If you'd rather I didn't call again, I'll note that now.

هيدا الرقم المنشور عـ[Google Maps / موقع الشركة]. إذا بتفضّل ما إتصل مرّة تانية، بسجّلها هلّق.

"Not interested"

Thank them, mark the lead lost with their reason, and do not call again.

Understood, thank you for your time. I won't call again.

مفهوم، شكراً عوقتك. ما رح زعجك مرّة تانية.

After the call

Within five minutes, write three lines on the contact: how they handle it today, who decides, and where it gets stuck. Put the next step in as a dated task, and if the answer was no, close the deal as lost with the reason in their words.

If you record calls to coach your team, ask the other person first. In LeadsMind, a rep records the call on their phone and uploads it; it is transcribed, the AI coach scores it and reads Lebanese Arabic, French and English, Arabizi included, and the call log and the follow-up task are drafted for the rep to confirm.

FAQ

How long should a cold call last?

About eight minutes when it goes well, and two when it does not. The aim is the next meeting, not the sale, so stop once you have a time in both calendars.

Should I call first or send a WhatsApp first?

Call first. A number on a listing is not permission to message it: Meta's policy requires the person's agreement, and a yes on the phone gives you that.

Does this cold call script work in the UAE?

Yes, in English. Use the Lebanese Arabic lines with Lebanese buyers; with other Arabic speakers, follow their lead, because dialects differ.

Need a list of companies worth calling? Type your website at leadsmind.ai/start and LeadsMind shows the companies in your strongest segment that have a number on their listing.