Cold calls have long been a staple of sales. In some cases, calling on prospects who have not had any interaction with your organization can generate direct, real-time conversations, but those calls come with the downside of being intrusive to the recipient. Meanwhile, cold emails provide scalability and flexibility but risk being ignored. Which approach drives better results? The truth lies in using both methods strategically.

Pros and Cons of Cold Calling

Anthony Iannarino, a best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur, addressed a common belief about cold calling. “You may have heard people say that cold calling is outdated or ineffective,” he said. In his experience, those who make such claims “lack experience, success or they have an ulterior motive for discouraging you from using this technique.”

Pros:

• Immediate feedback and real-time interaction. Unlike emails or LinkedIn outreach, cold calls provide instant responses. This allows sales professionals to gauge interest, adjust messaging, and address concerns in real time.
• Faster trust and relationship building. Direct conversations create a human connection that is difficult to achieve through digital channels alone. Speaking with a prospect allows tone, emotion, and engagement to play a role in the interaction.
• Effective objection handling. Objections that might stop progress in emails can be addressed immediately. By clarifying misunderstandings and providing value-driven responses, sales professionals can keep the conversation moving forward.

Cons:

• Low conversion rates. According to Cognism, only two percent of sales calls turn into warm leads.
• Potential for intrusiveness. Calls placed at inconvenient times may disrupt the recipient’s workflow, potentially creating a negative first impression rather than generating interest.
• Skill-dependent approach and handling rejections. Resilience and emotional intelligence are required to generate results from cold calling. Rejection is an inevitable part of the process, requiring persistence, a growth mindset, and the ability to detach emotionally from negative responses.

Pros and Cons of Cold Email

Cold emailing is a widely used B2B outreach method that can generate leads when done right. According to B2B Rocket, cold emails have an average open rate of 36 percent and a seven percent reply rate. While this approach offers scalability, it also comes with challenges.

Pros:

• Scalable outreach. Unlike cold calls, emails allow sales teams to reach multiple leads simultaneously, maximizing resources and efficiency.
• Gives prospects time. Instead of catching a lead off guard, emails give recipients the flexibility to review and respond when it’s convenient.
• Personalization at scale. With automation tools like Saleshandy and QuickMail, it has never been easier to tailor subject lines, content, and offers to make outreach more relevant and engaging.

Cons:

• Easily ignored or sent to spam. With more than 300 billion emails sent worldwide, each person receives about 121 emails per day. It’s no surprise that many cold emails never even get seen, let alone read. Businesses also need to be cognizant of spam and privacy regulations.
• Lack of tone and urgency. Unlike a live conversation, emails can feel impersonal, making it harder to convey enthusiasm or urgency.
• No immediate feedback. Unlike a phone call, emails don’t provide instant reactions, making it impossible to adjust messaging in real time.

Cold Call Best Practices

Before placing a cold call, it’s essential to be prepared. Take the time to research and understand the prospect’s industry, role, and pain points before making contact. Visit the company’s website, review notes in your CRM system, and take a look at the prospect’s LinkedIn profile. This level of preparation enhances credibility and increases the likelihood of a productive conversation. Well-prepared outreach demonstrates expertise and builds trust from the start.

Don’t go into a conversation with a prospect without a plan. Using a script provides a clear structure for the pitch. Meanwhile, maintaining a natural and conversational tone prevents interactions from sounding robotic. Have a list of talking points, key objections and responses, and other notes to make sure nothing is missed during the first call. Role play with sales teams to ensure they sound natural and are prepared to answer common questions. Regularly refine the script as needed.

To reduce the risk of immediate rejection, strive to offer value upfront to grab the prospect’s attention and increase the chances of them staying on the line. According to Iannarino, the primary concern among prospects is the fear of wasted time. Share a relevant case study or a quick solution to a pain point before making a request. Providing immediate value builds trust and makes prospects more open to continuing the conversation.

Cold Email Best Practices

Every day, professionals find their inboxes flooded with messages from sales reps pitching products and services offered by companies they have never done business with. It’s easy to turn off a prospect with an email, so it’s important to take a strategic approach.

To stand out in a cluttered inbox, personalize emails by using the prospect’s name. General emails and those addressed to [name] will likely wind up in the trash folder without a second glance.

Add value and boost engagement by incorporating relevant details about their business or industry. Emphasize direct benefits rather than simply presenting features or a special offer. Clearly answering “What’s in it for me?” helps capture interest and demonstrate relevance. Whether it’s saving time, reducing costs, or solving a specific pain point, aligning the message with the prospect’s priorities increases success rates.

Don’t leave the prospect wondering what to do next. Include a specific, low-commitment request (such as, “Are you available for a quick 15-minute call this week?”) to move the prospect forward in the buyer’s journey.

Research reveals that 60 percent of customers decline sales offers four times before purchasing. A well-structured follow-up sequence significantly improves response rates and conversion potential. Frequency varies based on the level of engagement and prior interactions, if any, so take the time to map the prospect’s journey and plan messaging based on their individual phase.

Combine Efforts to Maximize Results

For optimum results, combine cold emails and calls in a strategic sequence. When reaching out to a new prospect, start with an email to introduce the company, highlight key benefits, and provide a low-pressure way for them to engage. Then, follow up with a call, address objections in real time, and build rapport.

Both methods have their strengths. The most effective approach depends on the audience, industry, and sales goals. Instead of relying solely on one outreach method, businesses should test, analyze, and refine their strategies to maximize success rates. To improve response rates and boost conversions, cold outreach—by phone and email—needs to be strategic, personalized, and persistent. By combining both methods strategically, sales teams can improve response rates, build stronger relationships, and drive better results.