Is Cold Calling Still Effective in 2025? A Data-Driven Reality Check for B2B Sales

Major Takeaways: Is Cold Calling Effective

Cold Calling Remains a Key Driver of Pipeline Growth

• Over 50% of B2B leads still originate from cold calling in 2025, making it a foundational channel in outbound strategies.

Buyers Are Still Answering the Phone

• 49% of B2B buyers prefer to be contacted via phone first, and 82% accept meetings from cold outreach, confirming buyer openness to calls.

Cold Calling Is Hard—But Worth Mastering

• Rejection rates are high, but sales reps who persist beyond 5 attempts win the majority of conversions. Training and follow-up are essential.

Omnichannel Outreach Outperforms Single-Channel

• Reps using cold calls alongside email and LinkedIn see 28% higher conversion rates, proving the value of coordinated multi-touch campaigns.

Success Rates Vary, But Optimization Moves the Needle

• Average success rates are 2–5%, but top-performing teams reach 6–10% by improving targeting, timing, and technique.

Cold Calls Excel at Booking Meetings

• While rarely closing deals on the spot, cold calls are highly effective at securing first meetings, demos, and qualified sales conversations.

Timing, Frequency, and Tone Matter

• The best times to call are late afternoons; 3–6 follow-ups increase results; and tone impacts 93% of success. Execution is everything.

Cold Calling Is Still Cost-Effective

• Compared to ads or inbound sales campaigns, cold calling remains one of the most scalable, budget-friendly ways to reach decision-makers directly.

Introduction

If you’re a B2B sales leader, you’ve likely heard conflicting claims about cold calling. Some insist “cold calling is dead,” while others swear it’s still a cornerstone of outbound sales. So, does cold calling still work in 2025? In this data-driven reality check, we’ll cut through the hype and analyze cold calling’s effectiveness today. You’ll learn why many sales professionals continue to dial prospects, what benefits (and challenges) cold calling brings, how it compares to other outreach methods like email and LinkedIn, and how to incorporate it into a modern omnichannel strategy. We’ll draw on the latest research and our experience at Martal to give you a clear, confident picture of cold calling’s role in B2B sales – and actionable insights to make it work for your team.

Short answer up front: Yes, cold calling is very much alive in 2025 – but it has evolved. Companies are finding success with cold calls, especially as part of a coordinated outreach strategy. However, the approach today is smarter and more data-driven than the “spray and pray” phone blitzes of the past. Let’s dive into the numbers and practical advice so you can confidently decide how cold calling fits into your sales plan.

Does Cold Calling Still Work in 2025?

Cold calling’s obituary has been written many times over the years, yet it remains a widely used and effective tactic in B2B sales. In 2025, the phone is far from obsolete. Consider these facts and figures that prove cold calling still works:

• Many sales ready leads still come from calls. Recent industry data shows that 51% of leads come from cold calling – yes, over half (1). In fact, a majority of sales directors (over 80%) say that the telephone is essential to their outbound strategy (1). Clearly, sales teams haven’t abandoned the phone; it’s actually a primary channel for reaching decision-makers.
  
• High-growth companies leverage cold calls. Cold calling is a common practice among the most successful organizations. According to Chorus.ai data, 55% of high-growth companies utilize cold calling as one of their main prospecting and lead generation strategies (3). There’s a strong correlation between picking up the phone and revenue growth. Companies that don’t cold call may actually be handicapping their growth – one study found businesses that shun cold calling experienced 42% less growth than those that continue to cold call (3). In other words, cold calling drives growth.
  
• B2B buyers are open to cold calls. Despite the rise of digital communication, many buyers still engage via phone. 49% of buyers prefer to be contacted first by a phone call in B2B (4), and 69% of B2B buyers have accepted a cold call from a new provider in the past year (4). Notably, 57% of C-level executives prefer phone calls over other outreach channels (4). These stats bust the myth that “no one picks up the phone anymore” – nearly half of prospects welcome a well-placed cold call.
  
• Cold calls still generate sales and meetings. While cold calling’s conversion rates are modest (more on that later), it does contribute to sales pipelines. A Salesforce survey found that cold calls account for about 8% of all B2B sales (2). That might sound small, but think of it this way: without cold calling, you could be missing nearly a tenth of your revenue. Moreover, cold calls reliably produce meetings: Rain Group research noted 82% of buyers have accepted meetings at least occasionally with salespeople who reached out cold (1). The opportunity is there if you make the calls.
  
• Usage is holding steady (or even increasing). Far from fading away, phone outreach persists in modern sales. The average length of a B2B cold call has actually increased from 83 seconds a few years ago to 93 seconds in 2025 (1) – indicating that when reps connect, they’re having longer conversations. Sales teams are also investing in call technology and training, suggesting they still see phone prospecting as worthwhile. A HubSpot study of 350+ sales pros found 72% believe cold calling is at least somewhat effective in 2025 (only 28% called it “not effective”) (7). In short, most teams report that cold calling works to some degree, especially when executed skillfully.

Why hasn’t cold calling died? In a digital era of overflowing inboxes and LinkedIn messages, a phone call can actually be a refreshing human touch. It allows real-time conversation, tone of voice, and immediate handling of questions or objections – things emails can’t do. Cold calling also empowers proactive outreach; you don’t have to wait for a prospect to stumble across your website or email. You can initiate the connection and create opportunities. As long as businesses need more leads and a personal touch helps close deals, cold calling will continue to work. The key is doing it the right way (we’ll cover how in upcoming sections).

📊 Data snapshot: Cold calling remains a core outbound method in 2025. It produces 50%+ of leads (1) for many companies, and organizations that excel at it grow faster. Most buyers don’t mind receiving a cold call – and many actually prefer it or will set meetings from it. So yes, cold calling still works – and can work wonders when combined with modern techniques.

Data from a 2025 cold calling study shows that Tuesday tends to yield the highest success in booking meetings via cold calls, while other weekdays see slightly lower results (1). Conversion rates of calls to meetings hovering around ~2–3% on average across the week. This reinforces that cold calling, though a “numbers game,” reliably produces meetings when done consistently. (1)

Why is Cold Calling Done by Sales Professionals?

If cold calling can be challenging and often has a low hit rate, why do sales professionals still bother with it? Simply put, because the benefits of cold calling make it worthwhile. Top sales teams continue to cold call in 2025 for several compelling reasons:

• It generates a sales pipeline proactively. Cold calling allows your team to create sales opportunities instead of waiting for inbound leads. By picking up the phone and reaching out to prospects, sales reps can consistently fill the appointment funnel with new leads and meetings. This proactive pipeline building is essential for hitting revenue targets. Organizations have learned that relying solely on inbound marketing or email outreach can leave the pipeline dry – companies that stopped cold calling saw 42% less growth (3), as noted earlier. Sales professionals cold call because it ensures a steady flow of prospects to work, quarter after quarter.
  
• Direct human connection = higher impact. A phone call enables a personal, two-way conversation in real time. This helps build rapport and trust much faster than an email exchange. Hearing a human voice – and having a dialogue – makes your outreach more memorable. You can convey enthusiasm, adjust your tone, and truly engage the prospect. As one industry blog put it, cold calling offers “direct and immediate engagement with potential customers, helping establish a personal connection and build a relationship” (2). Sales pros know that people ultimately buy from people; a conversation can lay that groundwork in ways written channels often can’t.
  
• You can uncover valuable insights on the call. In a live call, a skilled sales executive can ask questions and gather information from the prospect on the spot. Even if it’s not an immediate sale, a cold call can yield intel about the prospect’s needs, decision process, or referral to the right contact. That’s value you might not get from an ignored email. In fact, in one HubSpot survey a small percentage of reps said a positive outcome of cold calls is simply “gathering valuable information” for the future (7). Salespeople use cold calls as a discovery tool – learning about the market and refining their approach with each conversation.
  
• Cold calling drives immediate action. Unlike passive emails or ads, a phone conversation pushes the sales process forward right now. You can ask for a meeting or demo on the spot. According to Rain Group, 82% of buyers will accept meetings at least occasionally from a cold outreach (1) – but you often have to call to secure that meeting. Many sales professionals report their #1 goal of cold calls is to set an appointment or demo (7). With a call, you can handle objections in real time and get a commitment. It’s a fast-track to the next step, versus an email chain that drags on.
  
• It’s cost-effective and scalable. Cold calling can be done with minimal expense – essentially just your team’s time and a phone system – making it a cost-effective outbound lead generation method (2). There’s no costly ad spend required. Once you have a repeatable calling process, you can scale up activity (by adding SDRs or using dialers) and predictably generate X meetings per Y calls. Sales professionals leverage this scalability: for example, the average salesperson makes about 52 calls a day (4), knowing that even a 2-5% success rate will yield a few leads daily. Over a month or year, those numbers add up significantly, at a far lower cost per lead than many marketing programs.
  
• It complements other channels (multi-touch outreach). Another reason reps still cold call is because it works synergistically with email and social outreach. A prospect who ignores your email might respond to a phone call, or vice versa. Many sales pros do “triple touch” cadences (phone + email + LinkedIn) because that multi-channel strategy boosts overall conversion – reps who leverage triple-touch have 28% higher MQL-to-SQL conversion rates than those using only phone and email (2). We’ll discuss omnichannel more later, but suffice it to say: sales professionals include calls as one touchpoint to maximize their chances of connecting with elusive prospects. Cold calling remains an important piece of a broader outbound puzzle.

In short, salespeople cold call because it works – it yields tangible results that other methods alone might not. The phone allows you to actively make something happen: spark a conversation, book a meeting, get feedback, or even close a deal. Top-performing SDRs and sales teams view cold calling as an indispensable tool in their kit for these reasons. As long as hitting quota matters, reps will keep dialing.

Why Cold Calling is Important in B2B Sales

Cold calling isn’t just an old habit that won’t die; it serves important functions in modern B2B sales. To summarize the key points of its importance:

• Pipeline Management and Growth: Cold calling is one of the fastest ways to generate new leads and appointments, preventing pipeline stagnation (3). Without it, you risk slower growth.
  
• Reach and Engagement: It helps you reach prospects you might otherwise never hear from. Not everyone responds to emails – some busy executives will only engage via phone, where you can catch their attention live (4).
  
• Personalization: A call lets you personalize your pitch on the fly and tailor the conversation to the prospect’s reactions, which is crucial for complex B2B offerings.
  
• Building Trust: Human-to-human conversation builds more trust than digital outreach. This rapport can be the difference in winning a new account.
  
• Lead Qualification: You can qualify leads in real time on a call. A 5-minute call might save weeks of chasing an unqualified lead by quickly determining fit.
  
• Competitive Advantage: Since many sales reps shy away from calling (due to fear or discomfort), those who do call have an edge. You might reach a decision-maker that your competitors emailed to no response. Cold calling is important because it’s an opportunity to differentiate your approach and connect when others don’t try.

Bottom line: Cold calling remains important in B2B sales because it produces results that matter – more leads, meetings, and ultimately revenue – in a way no other single channel quite replicates. As one Crunchbase analysis famously noted, businesses not doing cold calls end up growing far less than those that do (3). Sales professionals recognize that importance and continue to refine their cold calling to keep it effective.

Is Cold Calling Hard?

Let’s address the elephant in the room: cold calling isn’t easy. In fact, many sales reps find cold calling to be the most challenging part of their job. If you’ve ever spent a day dialing and faced voicemail after voicemail, you know the feeling. So yes, cold calling can be hard – but understanding why it’s hard (and how to overcome those difficulties) is key to success.

What makes cold calling difficult? A few factors contribute:

• Low connect rates and rejection: The reality is most cold calls do not reach a live person. Studies show 80% of cold calls go straight to voicemail (4), and 90% of first voicemails are never returned (4). It often takes persistence just to speak with someone. One HubSpot report found reps need to dial an average of 18 times to connect with one buyer (4)! With odds like that, it’s no wonder reps get discouraged. And when you do reach someone, you must be ready for skeptical or irritated prospects. Rejection (often brusque) is part of the game – and facing that repeatedly can be psychologically tough. In a recent survey, 63% of sales reps said cold calling is the aspect of their job they dislike most (4), largely due to the constant rejection and difficulty reaching people.
  
• Gatekeepers and technology barriers: In B2B scenarios, sales reps frequently encounter gatekeepers (receptionists, assistants) whose job is to screen calls. Getting past these sentries to the decision-maker requires skill and sometimes luck. Moreover, technology is raising the bar – voicemail filters, caller ID, and mobile phone spam detectors all make it easier for prospects to avoid unknown callers. (Apple’s iOS even offers “silence unknown callers” features.) These barriers mean reps have to be even more strategic (using local presence dialing, adjusting call times, etc.) to actually speak with prospects. Overcoming the initial contact is one of the hardest parts of cold calling – in fact, 40% of sales professionals say reaching B2B decision-makers and getting past gatekeepers is the top challenge in cold calling today (7).
  
• Pressure to perform quickly: On a cold call, you have maybe 15-30 seconds to capture the prospect’s interest before they hang up. This high-pressure, high-stakes environment can fluster reps. If you fumble your opening or sound scripted, the call ends abruptly. It takes confidence and practice to deliver a strong intro that hooks the listener. Many reps find this “make or break in seconds” aspect very hard. As sales trainers often say, there are no second chances on a cold call opening. That pressure can cause anxiety (indeed, about 50% of BDRs report feeling anxious before cold calls according to anecdotal surveys). It’s a skill to stay calm and persuasive under this immediate pressure.
  
• Need for resilience and persistence: Because success rates per call are low, cold calling is truly a numbers game that demands persistence. The problem is, many reps give up too soon. Amazingly, 48% of salespeople never make a single follow-up call after an initial attempt (5). Yet we know that it often takes multiple attempts to break through – making at least 6 call attempts can boost contact rates by 70% (5). The average SDR and BDR might need to make 8+ calls to the same prospect over time to finally connect (6). That persistence is hard to maintain when you face repeated no-answers or “not interested” responses. It’s far easier to quit after one try – which is why many do. However, the minority of reps who persist beyond 4-5 attempts capture the majority of leads. Studies have found only ~8% of salespeople reach a fifth call attempt with a prospect (5), but those few reap 80%+ of the conversions. In short, cold calling is hard because it requires thick skin and relentless follow-up, and not everyone is cut out for that.
  
• Skill and preparation gap: Successful cold calling isn’t winging it – it requires skillful execution: researching prospects, crafting a good sales pitch, handling objections, and knowing how to navigate conversations. Many sales reps struggle because they aren’t adequately trained or prepared. In fact, 82% of B2B decision-makers feel sales reps are unprepared on cold calls (4), which leads to poor outcomes. Without effective training, a rep is more likely to flub calls and then conclude “cold calling doesn’t work.” The truth is, cold calling works when done well, but doing it well is hard and requires training, practice, and strategy. From cold call scripts to tone of voice to using the right tools (e.g. a CRM, dialer, quality data lists), there’s a lot that goes into making cold calling easier. Companies that don’t invest in these will find cold calling much harder.

So yes, cold calling is hard – but it’s certainly not impossible to master. Like any skill, it can be learned and improved. The difficulty is actually a competitive moat: because many reps find it hard and shy away, those who embrace it have an advantage. The key is to tackle the challenges head-on:

• Training and coaching: With proper training, reps can dramatically improve. (For example, sales training has been shown to improve cold call conversion rates by 38% (5) – a huge uplift.) Investing in coaching or programs like our Martal Academy can turn cold calling from a dreaded task into a confident strength. By learning effective techniques – from attention-grabbing openers to objection handling – your team will feel less fear and see more success on the phone.
  
• Better data and tools: Using high-quality, up-to-date contact data and dialing technology can mitigate the hard parts. Good data means fewer wrong numbers and more conversations; dialer tools (with local presence, power dialing, etc.) can increase connect rates. Many teams now use AI-based tools to identify the best times to call or to automate voicemails, making reps’ lives easier. Embracing these lead generation tools reduces the grind of cold calling.
  
• Persistence mindset: Encourage a culture of persistence and resilience. Reps should expect that “no” is common but not final. Track metrics like calls per lead and follow-up attempts to ensure your team isn’t giving up prematurely. Celebrate the meetings won on the 6th or 7th attempt to reinforce persistence. When reps internalize that multiple touches are usually needed, they’ll be mentally prepared for the long game (and less discouraged by each initial rejection).
  
• Outsource sales and marketing when appropriate: Some companies acknowledge that cold calling is hard to do in-house at scale, so they outsource to dedicated cold calling/B2B appointment-setting services. This is a valid strategy: by outsourcing inside sales to experts who do cold calling all day, you ensure it’s being done consistently and expertly, without burning out your internal team. For instance, Martal offers a sales outsourcing service with experienced SDRs who handle cold calling (and multi-channel outreach) for you. This gives you the results of cold calling, without putting that burden on your own sales reps if they lack the bandwidth or inclination. Many sales professionals outsource lead generation, the hardest part of prospecting, so they can focus on closing sales deals – a smart move if cold calling is proving too hard to execute internally.

In summary, cold calling is hard for most, due to low odds per call, psychological barriers, and execution challenges. But by addressing these with training, tools, persistence, and smart resourcing, you can turn cold calling into a repeatable, even enjoyable, process. As the saying goes, “hard but worthwhile” – the effort pays off in valuable new deals that make it all worth it.

Cold Calling Success Rates and Effectiveness

Let’s talk numbers: How effective is cold calling, really? We’ve established that it “works,” but what kind of success rates are we talking about? Understanding cold calling’s typical conversion metrics will help set realistic expectations and highlight how you can improve your results.

Average success rates: Cold calling is infamous for low conversion rates, and that remains true in 2025 – though averages differ by study. Broadly, a “success” (connecting with a prospect and achieving a next step like a meeting) happens a few percent of the time. Cognism’s large 2025 study across 200k+ calls found an average cold call success rate of 2.3% (1). Similarly, Salesforce data puts the average around 3% (with some companies achieving up to 10%) (2). Another analysis pegs general cold outreach conversions at roughly 2–5% in B2B (5). In plain terms, for every 100 calls, perhaps 2–5 will turn into a substantive lead or appointment on average. That may sound discouraging, but remember: in high-value B2B sales, those 2–5 wins can be very lucrative. And those are just averages – with the right approach, you can beat them.

Top performers do far better: The gulf between average and best-in-class is huge in cold calling. Top-performing outbound teams can greatly exceed the baseline. For instance, Cognism reported that teams using optimized data and tools achieved a 6.7% cold call to meeting rate – nearly 3x the industry average (1). Some elite sales orgs even report 10–15% conversion rates on cold calls (2) (5), though that’s the exception. In one survey, 10% of heavy cold-calling reps said they see over 20% conversion rates from calls (7) (likely those with very targeted lead lists or warm outbound calls). The takeaway is that cold calling effectiveness isn’t fixed – it highly depends on your execution. By targeting the right prospects, using a solid pitch, and following up diligently, you can push well beyond the 2% mark. Even moving from 2% to 5% doubles your results, and it’s doable with improvements in process.

Contact and conversation rates: Another way to gauge effectiveness is looking at how often you actually reach prospects and have conversations. Connect rates (the percentage of dials that reach a human) tend to be in the 10–20% range. Cognism’s 2025 data showed about a 16.6% connection rate on average (5), meaning roughly 1 in 6 call attempts reached someone. Of those connects, turning them into a meaningful conversation happens perhaps half the time – in Cognism’s study, 65.6% of connects became conversations (1). So roughly, about 1 in 10 call attempts results in a conversation with a prospect. Knowing this, reps can reverse-engineer their activity: e.g. if you want 5 conversations a day, you might aim for ~50 calls. It’s also why volume matters – the more calls, the more conversations and chances to convert. Indeed, one analysis found the average sales rep makes 330 cold calls per appointment booked (5); top performers might book meetings faster, but they also typically call more persistently.

Meetings and sales from cold calls: What ultimate outcomes can you expect from cold calling? As mentioned, about 8% of B2B sales are traced back to cold calls (2) across industries. But more tactically, cold calls excel at securing meetings. Rain Group’s research indicates that over 80% of buyers have agreed to meetings thanks to proactive outreach (calls included) (1). And a ZoomInfo study cited that unexpected cold calls prompted 75% of prospects to attend an event or take a meeting at least once (4) – showing that a well-timed call can directly generate pipeline events. In short, while a cold call rarely closes a deal on the spot (especially in complex B2B sales), its effectiveness is in opening the door. The phone is often the first step to a demo or discovery call, which then leads to proposals and deals. Many CEOs even say they would accept a meeting based on a cold call: 75% of CEOs have booked an appointment from a cold call or email (4). The ROI of cold calling should be measured in those initial meetings and opportunities created, which later translate to revenue.

Factors that improve cold calling effectiveness: Given the baseline stats, what moves the needle? Data reveals a few levers:

• Multiple attempts: As discussed, calling a prospect once is usually not enough. The optimum number of call attempts seems to be about 3-6, depending on the study. Cognism found 93% of all conversations that ever happen occur by the 3rd call attempt (1), and virtually all by the 5th. Other research suggests 6 calls is ideal to maximize conversions (3). Very few prospects answer on the first try, so persistence boosts your effective reach and thus your success rate. Don’t be among the 48% who never follow up – if you push to that 3rd or 4th call, you’re exponentially more likely to succeed (5).
  
• Best times to call: Timing can influence contact rates. Various studies consistently find that late afternoons (4–5 PM) tend to be the most effective time window for cold calls, with connection rates up to 70% higher than midday (6). Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often cited as the best days to call, whereas Mondays and Fridays are less productive for B2B prospecting (6). Aligning calling blocks with these high-yield times can modestly improve your chances of reaching someone in a receptive mood. (Of course, every audience may differ, so it’s wise to test and track what works for your specific prospects’ schedules.)
  
• Good targeting & data quality: Cold call success is highly dependent on who you call. Target decision-makers who truly fit your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). A well-targeted list yields far better conversion than a random one. In fact, one Sales Management Association study noted that cold calling is “more successful when you target decision makers” (2) – seems obvious, but many teams waste calls on lower-level contacts or poor-fit companies. Additionally, ensure your contact data is accurate. Bad data (wrong numbers, outdated contacts) wastes reps’ time and drags down success. Inaccurate data can waste ~27% of a sales rep’s time (2). Using reputable data sources and keeping your CRM updated will make your calling far more efficient and effective.
  
• Skillful call execution: The effectiveness of a cold call often comes down to execution – how the rep communicates. Certain techniques have proven impact. For example, research by Gong.io found starting a call with “How have you been?” (a friendly, familiar opener) boosts success rates by 6.6X, whereas asking “Is this a bad time?” hurts your odds (3). Using a confident, warm tone is critical – studies suggest 93% of a call’s success is attributed to tone of voice (not just the words) (3). Top cold callers also listen more; successful calls have a roughly 55/45 talk-listen ratio (with reps listening almost as much as they talk) (3). The good news is these skills can be trained. By refining call scripts, practicing objection responses, and coaching reps on delivery, you can significantly lift your conversion rate on calls. It’s not just about dialing; it’s about what you say and how you say it once they pick up.
  
• Follow-up and multichannel touches: A cold call shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. Following up after a call (with an email or LinkedIn message) can reinforce your message and catch prospects who didn’t answer. Also, using voicemail effectively is part of success – while many voicemails go unanswered, a concise, intriguing voicemail can prompt a call-back or at least warm the prospect for the next call. Persistence across channels pays off. Statistics show 95% of all converted leads are reached by the sixth call attempt (3), and often those involve voicemail or email nudges along the way. The most effective cold calling programs integrate other touches (more on that below), which improves overall yield.

To sum up, cold calling’s effectiveness is real but modest in raw percentages – a few out of every hundred calls might turn into wins on average. However, those few can justify the effort given the potential deal size in B2B. And by applying best practices (persist, call at smart times, target the right people, hone your pitch, and follow up diligently), you can elevate your success rates substantially. Many organizations find that with optimization, cold calling becomes one of their highest-ROI lead generation activities. It might never be “easy,” but it absolutely can be effective.

Key cold calling performance benchmarks and tips (per 2024–2025 research): The optimal time to call prospects is often in the late afternoon (4–5 PM), with calls in that window being up to 70% more effective than late-morning calls. It typically takes 8 call attempts on average to connect with a single prospect, so don’t give up after one or two tries. And for high-volume outreach, aim for around 60 calls per day per rep – which is roughly achievable in ~5 hours when factoring research, ringing, talk time, and CRM updates (6). These stats underscore the importance of persistence and time management in cold calling. (6)

Why Integrate Cold Calling with Email & LinkedIn? (Omnichannel Outreach)

One of the biggest shifts in sales prospecting over the past decade is the move toward omnichannel outreach – using a combination of phone calls, emails, LinkedIn/social messaging, and other channels in a coordinated way. Cold calling on its own can work, but cold calling as part of an omnichannel marketing strategy works best. Sales leaders today are increasingly asking their teams to integrate calls with other touches to maximize results and avoid prospect fatigue. Here’s why an omnichannel approach is the gold standard, and how cold calling fits in:

No single channel wins 100% of the time. Buyers have communication preferences – some respond to phone calls, others prefer email, some engage on LinkedIn. If you rely on only one channel, you’re inevitably missing a segment of prospects. For instance, while many executives favor phone calls, studies also show 80% of business purchasers say they prefer to be contacted by email for a first touch (4). That doesn’t mean email is “better” than calling universally – it means you need to cover both. Omnichannel outreach ensures you meet prospects where they are most comfortable. The phone is great, but a few prospects truly hate cold calls; on the flip side, others ignore unsolicited emails but will talk on the phone. By doing both, you cast a wider net and increase your overall success. In practice, we often see at Martal that a prospect who doesn’t reply to a cold email might pick up on the third cold call attempt, or a prospect who brushes off a call might later respond to a LinkedIn message – eventually leading to a meeting. The channels reinforce each other.

Multi-touch sequences improve conversion. It’s not just using multiple channels, but using them in a sequence that’s key. Marketing wisdom (the “Rule of 7”) says people need to see a message several times before acting. In outbound sales, a prospect might need several touches across different media to warm up. For example, a typical omnichannel cadence might be: Day 1 email, Day 3 LinkedIn connection request, Day 5 cold call attempt, Day 7 email follow-up referencing the call, etc. Research backs up that this approach lifts results. As mentioned earlier, reps using at least 3 channels (calls, email, social) in tandem see significantly higher lead conversion rates (+28%) than those sticking to one or two channels (2). The reasons are clear: multiple touches create familiarity (“Oh, I recognize this company now”), demonstrate persistence (without being overly pushy on one channel), and give prospects different ways to engage. Cold calling plays a crucial role here as the voice touch that can humanize your outreach sequence.

Cold call + email = powerful combo. Sales professionals have found that combining calls with emails yields better outcomes than either alone. For example, you might send a tailored cold email to introduce yourself, then call the prospect a day or two later referencing that email (“Just following up on the email I sent…”). This often jogs the prospect’s memory and makes them more receptive – even if they ignored the email initially. Conversely, after a phone call (whether you reached them or left voicemail), a follow-up email can reinforce your message or provide additional info in writing. Many prospects need that one-two punch: the call to grab attention and the email to supply details they can review. In fact, one outreach study noted that using both phone and email in a coordinated way can increase the contact rate and lead conversion substantially (2). The phone primes the email and vice versa. Smart sales sequences alternate between mediums so each touch builds on the last.

Including LinkedIn/social taps wider networks. Beyond phone and email, LinkedIn has become a critical channel for outbound prospecting. Connecting or messaging on LinkedIn can warm up a cold call (“I saw you accepted my connection, thought I’d reach out by phone as well”) or serve as a follow-up (“Great speaking with you – I’ll send you that case study via LinkedIn message”). LinkedIn also offers insights into the prospect (role, recent posts) that can personalize your call approach. Sales professionals who incorporate LinkedIn or other social selling techniques report better results – in fact, reps who use social selling are 50% more likely to meet or exceed quota than those who don’t (2). That’s huge. The takeaway is not that LinkedIn replaces cold calling, but that it augments it. Cold calling is more effective when supported by social touches (and vice versa). An omnichannel rep might view a prospect’s LinkedIn activity for context, engage with a post, send a friendly note, and then call – by the time they call, they’re not a complete stranger anymore.

Prevents “channel fatigue” and prospect burnout. If you hit the same prospect with only phone calls every other day, they may get annoyed. Similarly, emailing someone five times in a week can drive them to spam you. Omnichannel outreach allows you to spread out touches across channels, which feels less intrusive. At Martal, we emphasize orchestrating touches so that the prospect doesn’t feel harassed on any one channel. For example, instead of calling someone five days in a row (which could irritate them), you might call twice, email twice, and send one LinkedIn message over a two-week span. You’re still being persistent, but in a varied, less repetitive way. This prevents burnout and improves engagement rates, as prospects encounter your outreach in different contexts rather than a flood in one inbox or call log. Our experience has shown that this approach yields higher reply and connect rates while maintaining a positive impression.

Martal’s omnichannel approach: To illustrate, at Martal we integrate cold calling into every outbound campaign alongside email and LinkedIn. Our Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) follow carefully crafted email cadences that might start with an email, then a LinkedIn touch, then a phone call. We’ve found that this sequencing significantly boosts our connection rates and conversions. By the time our SDR dials, often the prospect recognizes Martal Group from a previous email or LinkedIn view, which warms the call. Or vice versa – a voicemail is followed by an email referencing it, giving the prospect two chances to respond. This strategy has delivered excellent results: in one case study, Martal’s team booked hundreds of additional meetings for a client by using a coordinated outreach strategy of email + LinkedIn + calls (8). We ensure messaging is consistent across channels, so prospects get a cohesive story whether they read it or hear it. The outcome is higher engagement and more booked appointments than relying on a single channel.

Including cold calling in omnichannel outsourcing: If your organization doesn’t have the resources to execute a robust omnichannel outreach internally, partnering with an outsourced SDR provider can help. Martal, for example, offers B2B appointment setting and sales outsourcing services where our team essentially becomes your omnichannel SDR team – handling cold calls, cold emails, LinkedIn outreach, etc., all in one package. This can be a game-changer for companies that have relied on one channel or have small sales teams. By outsourcing to a provider with an established omnichannel playbook, you instantly add cold calling plus the supporting touches, executed by experts. This often leads to a quick uptick in qualified meetings. It’s worth noting that high-growth companies often use a mix of internal and external resources to cover all channels effectively. The goal is to ensure cold calling doesn’t operate in a silo. Whether in-house or via a sales agency like Martal, integrating those phone calls into a larger multi-touch strategy is key to maximizing ROI.

In summary, cold calling is most effective when done in concert with other outreach methods as part of a unified strategy. An omnichannel approach yields more touches, more responses, and ultimately more conversions. Cold calls serve as the voice component that can humanize and accelerate your outreach, while email and LinkedIn provide additional reach and reinforcement. B2B sales professionals today should not be asking “phone or email or LinkedIn?” but rather “How can we use phone and email and LinkedIn together to engage prospects?” When you get that formula right – as Martal’s omnichannel clients can attest – your pipeline will grow faster than ever.

Conclusion & Next Steps

In 2025, cold calling continues to be a vital tool for B2B sales – not as a standalone tactic stuck in the past, but as a modern, data-informed component of a broader sales strategy. We’ve seen that cold calling is still effective at opening doors: it can consistently yield new leads, appointments, and revenue when executed well. At the same time, it’s clear that success today means evolving your cold call approach – leveraging omnichannel outreach, improving training, and using technology to work smarter. The data and insights we’ve covered serve as a reality check: cold calling is neither magic nor dead weight; it’s a challenging but powerful technique that rewards preparation and persistence.

If your sales team has been avoiding the phones, consider this your sign to reconsider. The statistics speak for themselves: your competitors who embrace cold calling (alongside emails and LinkedIn touches) are likely filling their pipelines faster and growing their business more quickly. There’s opportunity waiting on the other end of the line, provided you pick up the phone with the right strategy.

Ready to transform your outbound sales results with a smart cold calling strategy? We’re here to help. Book a free consultation with Martal Group to see how our omnichannel Sales-as-a-Service approach can generate a steady stream of qualified B2B sales leads for your organization. We’ll show you how we combine cold calling, targeted cold emailing, LinkedIn outreach, and sales outsourcing into a cohesive program that fills your calendar with demos and meetings. Our team of seasoned SDRs will do the heavy lifting – from prospect research to repeated call follow-ups – so your team can focus on closing deals. Let’s talk about your growth goals and how Martal’s proven outreach cadences (refined through Martal Academy training and real-world success) can help you achieve them. Book your free consultation today and discover how an optimized omnichannel outbound strategy – with cold calling as a key component – can drive your pipeline to new heights.

together Martal will help you cold call smarter, connect with more prospects, and convert them into long-term customers. It’s time to turn cold calling into warm relationships and hot revenue! 🔥

References

1. Cognism
2. Salesgenie
3. VoiceSpin
4. Smith.ai
5. REsimpli
6. Klenty
7. HubSpot
8. Martal Group – Outbound Consulting