How to Find and Hire Cold Calling Lead Generation Companies

Struggling to convert more leads into buyers?

Despite the bad reputation it gets from some critics, cold calling is still a highly effective strategy to get you there. But in order for it to work, you need to have a solid team of well-trained sales reps to handle the whole process.

Hiring and training an inside sales team is far from ideal because it costs you time, energy, and a lot of money. So that’s when outsourcing cold calling services to a lead gen agency becomes the perfect solution.

This article will answer all the questions you have about cold calling lead generation companies.

You’ll find out what cold calling lead gen agencies do, why they’re important, and how much they cost. More importantly, you’ll learn a simple process for hiring reputable cold calling partners to get you started.

So let’s get into it!

Cold Calling for Lead Generation – What Is It?

Cold calling lead generation is a strategy that companies use to attract new prospects through cold calls. It involves building a list of potential prospects and reaching out to them via the phone, with the end goal of enhancing their interest in a brand’s product or services. 

Mastering cold calling requires a blend of experience, confidence, and adept communication skills. It remains a cornerstone of effective sales tactics, yet many companies encounter challenges in executing it successfully. These difficulties can result in missed opportunities for growth and customer acquisition.

Businesses looking to streamline their operations often choose to outsource cold calling services to dedicated agencies for more efficient lead generation. By entrusting this task to specialized professionals, companies can harness expertise in cold calling techniques, ensuring more effective outreach and maximizing potential growth opportunities.

How can cold call leads expand customer base?

Cold call leads represent a crucial avenue for businesses seeking to expand their customer base through direct engagement. These leads are generated by reaching out to individuals or businesses who have not previously shown interest in a product or service. The process involves initiating conversations over the phone to introduce offerings, identify potential needs, and nurture prospects toward making a purchase decision. 

Effective cold call lead generation requires a combination of persuasive communication skills, a thorough understanding of the product or service being promoted, and the ability to handle objections gracefully. 

While challenging, successful cold call leads can significantly boost sales pipelines and contribute to sustained business growth by tapping into previously untapped markets and converting prospects into loyal customers.

What Is a Cold Calling Lead Generation Agency?

A cold calling lead generation agency is a firm that offers cold calling services to help companies improve their sales performance. It’s the perfect solution for organizations that want to leverage the power of cold outreach without having to hire and train in-house sales reps.  

The most important duties of a cold calling lead gen agency are:

• Researching potential customers
• Creating personalized call scripts
• Initiating sales conversations with cold leads
• Following up with targeted buyers
• Setting up appointments with high-value prospects
• Closing deals with sales-ready leads

Reputable cold calling lead generation agencies are also well-aware of the different laws and regulations in every country. Not only are they experts at avoiding abusive cold calling tactics, but they also know how to stay in compliance with the law to keep your business safe.

Why Hire a Cold Calling Lead Generation Agency?

What makes outsourced cold calling services so attractive for business owners?

Outsourcing cold calling and lead generation has become an increasingly popular strategy for business owners looking to enhance their sales and marketing efforts. The allure of these services lies in their ability to streamline operations, reduce costs, and drive significant growth. 

Here are four major benefits that make outsourced cold calling and lead generation services so attractive:

1. Improve Prospecting Performance

By hiring a reliable lead generation partner specializing in cold calls, you’ll get instant access to a team of trained sales reps. Those are highly experienced SDRs who have been doing outbound outreach for many years. 

Your sales performance will improve significantly as a result of that. For instance, your average number of outgoing calls will increase and so will improve your lead-to-customer conversions. You’ll also be able to get a lot more prospects to enter your sales funnel, and then convert most of them into loyal buyers.

2.  Get Higher Lead Quality

Experience plays a major role when it comes to identifying target leads and focusing on them. If you hire a new in-house team to handle lead generation cold calls, you’ll have a hard time determining who you should be after and how to reach them.

A cold calling lead gen firm will guarantee the highest lead quality possible. Not only will they help you better understand your target customers, but they’ll also do an excellent job focusing on them. That’s because outsourced sales reps know how to engage prospects effectively through lead nurturing, lead qualification, and lead reports.

Instead of chasing uninterested leads that will waste your time, your salespeople will only receive top-quality prospects that have a high chance of converting.

3. Gain Quick Access to Lead Databases

One of the key advantages you’ll gain by outsourcing cold calling to a partner is improved business intelligence. Because lead generation agencies that specialize in cold calling often bring along large databases of potential customers. 

Getting instant access to a database of high-quality leads within your target market is everything your salespeople could ask for. As you become able to fill the knowledge gaps in your lead gen strategy, you’ll improve your understanding of the target leads you’re focused on. More importantly, you’ll be able to enrich your existing lead lists with verified contact information and data.

4. Shorten Sales Cycles

Lengthy sales cycles are a major challenge that lots of businesses are dealing with every day. And the problem with that often lies in the inexperience of the sales and marketing teams, the low quality of the targeted leads, as well as the unclear business objectives.   

That’s why a trustworthy cold calling lead generation firm can be the greatest time saver! The right team of external salespeople can help you solve all the issues above and save months of work in the long run. 

Outsourcing cold calling services is a great way to boost productivity as it frees up your sales reps’ time and allows them to focus on closing deals. Moreover, your sales reps will only receive sales-ready leads that are ready to convert at the slightest nudge.

What’s the Cost of Hiring a Cold Calling Outsourcing Company?

First things first, lead generation cold calling services are a cost-effective solution to boosting your sales performance. Instead of hiring a full in-house team to take advantage of cold outreach, you could just outsource the work to the pros and save yourself a fortune over the years.

Here’s the deal:

There are a lot of factors that can affect the cost when hiring a cold calling lead generation agency. A cold outreach service may cost more or less depending on the expected results, expertise, pricing model, team size, offered services, etc.

Some cold calling firms may prefer to charge you by the hour, while others may offer a monthly package with a targeted number of leads generated. 

For companies charging an hourly rate — cold calls can cost from 20$ to 80$ an hour, depending on how experienced the salesperson is. Other agencies may charge based on the number of calls made or appointments set. 

Now the interesting thing is…

If you hire the right cold calling agency and come up with an effective plan to close more deals, you don’t have to think about pricing at all. The service they offer you will be just a small cost of doing business. Thus, it should be incomparable to the leads you generate and the deals your sales team will close.

7 Steps to Selecting the Right Cold Calling Outsourcing Service

Step 1: Determine Your Business Needs

The first and most important step when outsourcing cold calling services is to identify your business objectives. 

• What are you trying to achieve with cold outreach?
• What makes cold calling the perfect way to get there?
• What challenges are keeping your company from accomplishing that?
• How can a cold calling lead generation partner help you?

Setting sales goals at the beginning is always crucial — no matter the strategy, the partner, or the big idea. But in this case, answering these questions from the start is especially important for keeping you on the right path when researching companies and reaching out to them.

For example, you’ll be able to tell which firms are best fit to work with you based on their case studies and past success stories. You’ll also do a better job at explaining the problems you’re facing to the cold calling lead gen agency to make their job easier.

Step 2: Research Cold Calling Lead Generation Agencies

Once your sales and business goals are clear, begin researching lead generation agencies that offer cold calling services. A quick Google search will reveal numerous firms in your industry, allowing you to compile a list of potential partners. 

Focus on relevance rather than worrying about the quality of service initially, ensuring they specialize in cold calling and have strong overall branding. Typically, cold calling companies offer a range of lead generation services beyond phone outreach. 

For instance, Martal Group provides comprehensive inbound and outbound services such as prospect research, target list building, personalized cold outreach, customer onboarding, and ongoing account management post-conversion.

Step 3: Shortlist Potential Partners Based on Their Rates and Services

When focusing on cold calling, prioritize finding a lead generation firm, especially one that offers appointment setting via outbound phone calls. Consider their relevant services and pricing carefully, aligning them with your business goals and addressing existing challenges in closing deals. 

A reputable cold calling lead generation agency should provide a detailed services page outlining their cold prospecting process and showcasing case studies to demonstrate their success in similar projects. This transparency helps you set realistic expectations and ensures they can meet your specific needs effectively.

Step 4: Check Case Studies, Ratings, and Customer Reviews

When outsourcing cold calling, verifying the agency’s qualifications can be challenging. Even inexperienced teams can create compelling service pages with empty promises. Therefore, social proof is crucial. 

Reviews and case studies from satisfied clients are invaluable in assessing the reliability of a lead generation agency. 

Look for positive testimonials on platforms like Clutch.co to gain an objective view of the agency’s performance, client feedback, and industry reputation. These insights help ensure you choose a trustworthy partner capable of supporting your growth objectives.

Step 5: Book an Initial Consultation to Learn More 

By now, you’ve likely filtered out unsuitable and inexperienced partners based on their branding, processes, services offered, and online social proof. However, you still have a few cold calling lead generation agencies to consider. In this step, schedule meetings with each to evaluate potential for a successful partnership.

There are three essential qualities to look for in the initial consultation:

• Relevant experience — is a no-brainer and should be the #1 factor when hiring a partner.
• Communication and transparency — this will get a quick glance into what to expect once you start working with the agency.
• Costs and pricing structure — are necessary for lowering your expenses and avoiding hidden/unexpected costs in the future.

To inquire about all of that and have all the answers you need, here are some of the questions you should ask to get started:

• Does the agency have any relevant case studies in your industry?
• What are the benefits of working with this particular partner?
• What is their cold outreach process like?
• How do they report progress updates to clients?
• How will the outsourced team be structured?
• What cold calling tools/platforms do they use?
• Do they comply with data protection laws in your country?
• What is the pricing structure like?
• Are there any additional costs that you should be aware of?
• When should you expect to start seeing results?

Step 6: Sign a Contract Agreement

By now, you should have developed a cold calling strategy aligned with your business goals and discussed reporting metrics and communication protocols to support ongoing progress and sales team engagement. 

The next step is to formalize these agreements in a written contract, ensuring clarity and mutual accountability. 

Opt for terms that prioritize your safety and satisfaction, and consider starting with a trial period to evaluate the cold calling service before committing to a long-term agreement. This approach allows you to mitigate risks and make informed decisions moving forward.

Step 7: Track, Learn, and Improve

Hiring a cold calling lead generation partner is just the beginning. Now, closely monitor their work to ensure they help achieve your goals. 

Achieving optimal sales success requires refining your strategy based on ongoing performance tracking. Since you’ve established goals and KPIs earlier, focus on tracking these metrics and discussing progress with your lead generation partner to optimize results effectively.

Cold Calling – In-House vs. Outsourced

Cold calling encompasses a range of activities aimed at initiating contact with potential customers or clients who have not expressed prior interest in a product or service. Whether managed in-house or outsourced to external agencies, these services typically involve dedicated teams trained to engage prospects effectively.

The decision to outsource cold calling services or manage it in-house depends on factors such as budgetary constraints, scalability needs, and the level of control desired over customer interactions. Each approach offers distinct advantages tailored to the strategic goals and operational preferences of the business.

Here’s a pros and cons list for both approaches:

In-House Cold Calling

Pros:

• Internal Teams: Employees trained to represent the brand possess deep knowledge of products/services for personalized engagement.
• Direct Control: Full oversight of operations, script tailoring, performance monitoring, and strategy adjustments.
• Company Culture Integration: Teams aligned with company values, enhancing authenticity in communications.

Cons:

• Higher Costs: Expenses for recruitment, training, salaries, and benefits.
• Limited Scalability: Harder to scale operations quickly based on demand.
• Resource Intensive: Requires significant time and effort to manage and train teams.

Outsourced Cold Calling Services

Pros:

• External Expertise: Agencies bring specialized skills, experience in cold calling techniques, and effective lead generation.
• Scalability: Easily ramp up or down based on demand without overhead costs.
• Cost-Effective: Reduces expenses related to maintaining an internal team while delivering targeted results.
• Advanced Tools & Technology: Agencies use advanced tools for lead management, CRM integration, and performance analytics.

Cons:

• Less Control: Cold-calling agencies that are more concerned with the quantity of prospects being contacted rather than the quality may not share the exact strategies and tactics used to generate leads.
• Potential Misalignment: Outsourced teams that do not prioritize client relationships often lack a deep understanding of the company’s culture and values.
• Quality Variation: Choosing an unknown or disreputable agency can lead to varying levels of service quality. 

Ready to hire your first lead generation company to help you take your cold calling performance to the next level?

Here are the best cold calling lead generation companies to get you started:

1. Martal Group

Martal Group is a lead generation agency that helps B2B software and tech companies with sales growth. The company has been active for well over 14 years — during which it has served hundreds of happy customers allowing them to reach their target customers and boost sales significantly.

Target locations: US and Canada

Industries:

• Information technology
• SaaS companies
• Telecom, Connectivity, and IoT

Ratings:

• Clutch: 4.8/5 (63 reviews)
• G2: 4.8/5 (74 reviews)
• Upcity: 5/5 (10 reviews)

Key strengths:

• 4 databases (+100M contacts)
• Personalized outbound outreach
• Lead qualification
• Appointment setting
• CASL compliance, CAN-SPAM act compliance

Languages:

• English
• French
• German
• Spanish

Costs: Inquire about pricing

2. Operatix

Operatix is a lead gen company that provides sales outsourcing to all-size B2B software vendors. With a multilingual team of over 250 sales development representatives, this company is helping lots of businesses across the globe reach more ideal customers and close more sales. 

Target locations: International

Industry:

• Information technology
• Business Processes
• Big data and analytics
• Infrastructure

Ratings:

• Clutch: 4.6/5 (15 reviews)
• G2: 4.6/5 (77 reviews)

Key strengths:

• Outbound sales development
• Pipeline generation
• Appointment setting

Languages:

• English
• German
• Spanish
• French
• Arabic

Costs: Inquire about pricing

3. Callbox

Callbox is a B2B lead generation services company that also offers cold calling services to worldwide customers. The agency has been around for almost 20 years and has generated and delivered over 1 million leads to its clients throughout that period.

Target locations: International

Industries:

• Information technology, software
• Medical and healthcare
• Digital marketing

Ratings:

• Clutch: 4.5/5 (97 reviews)
• G2: 4.4/5 (73 reviews)

Key strengths:

• Appointment setting
• Customer service
• Cross-border marketing
• GDPR compliance

Languages:

• English
• Portuguese
• Indonesian
• Malay
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Thai
• Vietnamese

Costs: Inquire about pricing

4. CIENCE

Cience was founded in 2015, and it has since been helping businesses succeed through lead gen and multi-channel prospecting. With its large and highly accurate lead database, this partner can help you set qualified appointments with potential buyers and convert them into customers.

Target locations: International

Industries:

• Software development
• Healthcare
• Education and training

Ratings:

• Clutch: 4.4/5 (128 reviews)
• G2: 4/5 (159 reviews)
• Upcity: 4.7 (103 reviews)

Key strengths:

• Sales data solutions
• Cold outreach
• Multi-channel prospecting

Languages:

• English
• Spanish

Costs: Inquire about pricing

5. Socialbloom

Socialbloom is a lead generation service provider that serves B2B companies in various industries. On top of cold calling services, the team behind this agency also provides customer research, data enrichment, and outreach campaign management services.  

Target locations: Global

Industries:

• Information technology 
• Advertising and marketing
• Business services

Ratings:

• Clutch: 4.9/5 (17 reviews)

Key strengths:

• Cold outreach
• Data sourcing
• Appointment setting

Languages:

• English

Costs: Inquire about pricing