Prospecting Framework

The OPEN IT Framework

Six weighted steps built for cold calls and outbound prospecting. Every call gets scored, classified, and coached — whether it lasted 30 seconds or 10 minutes.

Built for teams that make 50+ calls a day. Calibrated for the reality of prospecting, not the theory.

Weighted Scoring Formula

Not all steps matter equally. Need carries the most weight because nothing else matters if there's no pain.

score = (O × 0.15 + P × 0.10 + E × 0.20 + N × 0.25 + I × 0.20 + T × 0.10) × 10
O
Open
15% weight
P
Pass
10% weight
E
Engage
20% weight
N
Need
25% weight
I
Invite
20% weight
T
Takeaway
10% weight

The Six Steps

O15%

Open

Weight: 15% of overall score

First 15 seconds. Did the rep deliver a pattern interrupt or compelling hook that stopped the prospect from auto-rejecting? A strong open creates curiosity or relevance before the prospect can hang up.

Strong execution

"Hi Sarah — I noticed your team just posted three compliance analyst positions. I work with banks your size that have cut that headcount in half with automation. Worth 90 seconds?"

Common miss

"Hi, my name is Mike from Acme Solutions, how are you today? I wanted to tell you about our product..."

P10%

Pass

Weight: 10% of overall score

Gatekeeper navigation. If no gatekeeper is present, this step auto-scores at 8. When a gatekeeper is present, the rep is scored on how cleanly they earned access to the decision-maker — without lying or burning the relationship.

Strong execution

"I'm following up on something I sent to Sarah regarding her compliance team expansion. She'll know what it's about — can you put me through?"

Common miss

"Can I speak to whoever handles purchasing decisions? It's regarding an important business opportunity."

E20%

Engage

Weight: 20% of overall score

Did the rep earn the right to keep talking? Look for curiosity, relevance, and micro-commitments. A rep who reaches the 2-minute mark without being cut off is engaging. The prospect saying "tell me more" or asking a follow-up question is a clear signal.

Strong execution

Prospect asked two follow-up questions about the automation process and referenced their own compliance challenges without being prompted.

Common miss

Rep talked for 90 seconds straight without a single pause for the prospect to respond. Prospect said "I'm not interested" at the first break.

N25%

Need

Weight: 25% of overall score

Did the rep uncover at least one real pain point or business need? Not features, not benefits — pain. If the prospect volunteered pain, the rep gets credit for capturing it AND for digging deeper. This step carries the highest weight because nothing else matters if there's no need.

Strong execution

"We're spending $180K a year on manual compliance reviews and we still missed two violations in Q3."

Common miss

Rep never asked a single question about the prospect's current process or challenges. Went straight to features.

I20%

Invite

Weight: 20% of overall score

Did the rep propose a clear next step with a specific date and time? Vague invites ("let's stay in touch") score low. A specific ask ("Are you free Thursday at 2pm for a 20-minute call?") scores high. The ask needs to be confident and concrete.

Strong execution

"Based on what you described, I think a 20-minute demo would be worth your time. I have Thursday at 2pm or Friday at 10am — which works better?"

Common miss

"Would it be okay if maybe I sent you some information and then we could possibly set up a call sometime?"

T10%

Takeaway

Weight: 10% of overall score

Did the rep close with value? Recap what was heard, confirm the next step, and end with professionalism and energy — not an awkward fadeout. A strong takeaway leaves the prospect thinking about the conversation after they hang up.

Strong execution

"Great — Thursday at 2pm, I'll send a calendar invite. I'll come prepared to show you how we handle the OFAC screening you mentioned. Looking forward to it."

Common miss

"Okay, um, thanks for your time. I'll, uh, follow up. Have a good day."

Outcome Tiers

Every prospecting call is classified into one of three outcome tiers. The tier determines score floors — because a rep who books the appointment is doing the job, even imperfectly.

1

Appointment Booked

A specific meeting or demo was scheduled with a confirmed date and time. This is a win.

Score floor: 70 — rep cannot score below this regardless of component scores.

2

Advancement

Meaningful progress — a callback was agreed upon, information was sent with a follow-up date, or the rep got a referral to the actual decision-maker.

Score floor: 55 — rep cannot score below this regardless of component scores.

3

Dead

No advancement — clear rejection, voicemail only, wrong number, or the call ended with no agreed next step. Scored honestly on execution.

No score floor. A clean, professional rejection still gets credit for Open and Engage execution.

Grading Scale

A
85–100

Appointment booked AND strong framework execution across most steps.

B
70–84

Appointment booked OR strong framework execution with clear advancement.

C
55–69

Partial execution — some steps done but significant gaps, no clear appointment.

D
40–54

Major gaps across multiple steps, prospect disengaged or rejected without progress.

F
0–39

No hook, no need uncovered, no attempt at a next step.

Call Length Calibration

Under 2 Minutes

Short calls are normal in prospecting. A rejection is not automatically a failure — the AI scores honestly on what happened, not how long it took. A clean 90-second call with a strong open that gets a polite no can still score a C.

Over 5 Minutes

Long prospecting calls that result in a booked appointment weight the Invite and Takeaway scores more heavily. Getting past the 5-minute mark on a cold call is itself a signal of strong engagement — the outcome should reflect it.

Part of the FIND IT System

OPEN IT isn't a standalone tool — it feeds into the same trend tracking, coaching engine, and rep improvement system as FIND IT. Prospecting scores show up on manager dashboards, feed into rep trend lines, and trigger the same adaptive coaching personas.

When a prospecting call transitions into a discovery conversation (hybrid calls), both frameworks score simultaneously. The AI auto-detects the transition and applies the right scoring to each phase.

Read the full FIND IT Methodology

Grade Your Next Cold Call

Upload a prospecting call transcript. Get a full OPEN IT breakdown with outcome tier, weighted scores, and actionable coaching — in seconds.