Like many professionals, I face a deluge of sales messages every day. It\u2019s easy to tune out emails, display ads, and LinkedIn messages. But a phone call? Love it or hate it, it captures my attention.<\/p>\n
I set out to discover if B2B telemarketing is dead in 2025, or if it\u2019s due for a comeback. I talked to sales experts and dug into data to find out whether cold calling still has a place in the modern sales strategy.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n Follow along as I share what I found and the expert tips I uncovered on how to turn conversations into conversions with a phone call.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n What is B2B telemarketing?<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n B2B telemarketing is an outbound sales tactic in which one company attempts to build a relationship and sell its products or services over the phone to another. It\u2019s better known as cold calling, \u201ccold\u201d because the seller is initiating contact with the buyer instead of the other way around.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n To answer my question, I turned to HubSpot\u2019s State of Sales<\/a> report to see what sales reps say about telemarketing as a lead gen and sales tactic.<\/p>\n First, I saw data that confirmed what I already knew: 71% of consumers want to start with self-service tools to do their own research rather than speak to a human.<\/p>\n However, this finding doesn\u2019t mean that a lead won\u2019t start their buying journey with research before talking to the sales team later on.<\/p>\n\n Just 19% of sales pros say that telemarketing is their best source of high-quality leads. That lags behind referrals, social media, and email marketing but shows that phone calls still work well for some companies and industries as a first point of contact.<\/p>\n\n I also found this surprising statistic. When HubSpot asked over 1,400 sales professionals about their most effective sales tactic, they reported 1) in-person meetings and 2) phone calls.<\/p>\n This tells me that high-dollar deals aren\u2019t done over email or chat alone. Personal conversations \u2014 in-person, phone, or video \u2014 are key channels for conversion.<\/p>\n\n Leslie Venetz<\/a>, founder of the Sales-Led GTM Agency<\/a>, is bullish on phone-based outreach.<\/p>\n \u201cInbound gets fewer results than it ever has before. The same is true with PLG<\/a> \u2014 it’s a very, very crowded market, and our buyers are frazzled, distracted, and overwhelmed. This is why I think we are seeing a resurgence in cold calling. Because so many folks are overly reliant on email right now, I believe cold calling will be a primary channel for revenue generation in 2025,\u201d Venetz says.<\/p>\n Based on everything I\u2019ve learned, I believe B2B telemarketing still deserves a place in most company\u2019s sales strategies. It still needs an effective inbound marketing, social media, and email strategy to be effective, so your prospect has some brand awareness.<\/p>\n When you pick up the phone, a well-timed cold call can bridge the gap from awareness to interest.<\/p>\n (Psst: Subscribe to Masters in Marketing newsletter for weekly insights from top brands. Plus, for one week only, 100 readers can win our limited Kit!)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n What can this 150-year-old channel, the phone call, give us that email and social can\u2019t?<\/p>\n Buying enterprise software or multi-million dollar equipment isn\u2019t like buying a pair of socks off Amazon. The average B2B software purchase<\/a> takes three to six months and involves four to six decision-makers.<\/p>\n For that reason, 57% of C-level executives and VPs<\/a> still prefer to speak to a sales rep on the phone to ask questions and fully understand the product or service they would be buying.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile Gen Z does not like the phone, it\u2018s important for them to remember that most of the decision-makers they\u2019re calling on are still in that older millennial+ age bracket,\u201d says Venetz. \u201cEspecially if we look at senior level executives, the data repeatedly shows us that they prefer to be reached with a phone call.”<\/p>\n The most important factor B2B buyers look for, more than support and integration potential, is the trustworthiness of the organization and sales team, according to Gartner<\/a>. To showcase your value and build trust, you need to build rapport and a relationship \u2014 you need conversations.<\/p>\n According to Cognism\u2019s State of Cold Calling<\/a>, the average cold call connect rate is 16.6%, and the average success rate is 4.82%.<\/p>\n Compare that to the average conversion rate of 0.80%<\/a> for B2B display ads, and that number starts to look pretty good. It\u2019s also more than double the cold calling success rate from 2022 \u2014 a good indicator that cold calling is gaining traction again.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say that an outbound lead specialist makes 100 calls a day and actually speaks with 55 of them. That translates to 275 prospect convesations a week, not to mention voicemails to many more and about 13 qualified leads or appointments for your sales team each week.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The goals of B2B telemarketing can vary depending on your company\u2019s size, industry, and sales organization.<\/p>\n A sales rep for a small company might manage telemarketing from first contact through lead nurturing and closing. At a larger company, dedicated sales development representatives often focus exclusively on outbound calls with the goal of handing qualified leads off.<\/p>\n A lead generation call is when a sales development representative calls a prospect to qualify them as a lead. In a lead gen call, the caller should gather more information about a prospect, like job title, needs, and budget, and confirm their interest in learning more.<\/p>\n An appointment-setting call has a very specific goal: booking a next step, like a demo, tour, or sales call.<\/p>\n A lead nurturing call, also called a sales call, is when a sales team contacts a lead after they have expressed interest in the company\u2019s offerings. Often, a lead fills out a form or a demo request online \u2014 but a lead nurturing call would be a critical first point of personal contact.<\/p>\n Just like it sounds, a follow-up call is when a sales pro calls a prospect again after making an initial cold call or leaving a voicemail.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n If you\u2019re convinced that B2B telemarketing can help you generate leads, reach high-value buyers, and stand out from the crowd, it\u2019s time to create a killer B2B telemarketing strategy. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n A clean database is the key to success in any telemarketing strategy. If your contacts and phone numbers are incorrect, you won\u2019t get very far.<\/p>\n Consider multiple data sources<\/a> and data enrichment<\/a> for robust contact details. A powerful CRM<\/a> is a must to keep all your leads and prospects in one place.<\/p>\n [Video: HubSpot CRM Tutorial for Beginners<\/a>]<\/p>\n I also recommend creating a culture where both lead developers and sales reps take responsibility for maintaining contact data and notes in the CRM. Accurate contact details and notes set calls up for success.<\/p>\n Once you have clean and accurate prospect data, you can supercharge your chance of success with signal-based selling. That means prioritizing your telemarketing outreach based on data and prospect activity.<\/p>\n \u201cSignal-based selling isn’t strictly a new way of selling. It’s just a new term for a more advanced approach to figuring out how to reach the right person at the right time with the right message,\u201d says Venetz.<\/p>\n One example of a signal is someone opening an email you sent, downloading a white paper, or filling out a form.<\/p>\n A trigger like this could alert a sales rep or appointment setter that it\u2019s time to pick up the phonel. With AI, sales intelligence platforms can analyze multiple signals and assess which prospects are most likely ready to buy based on that analysis. Lead scoring, for example, is a helpful tool for a sales team to prioritize who to cold call.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a rule of three in B2B prospecting. The 3X3 rule means you should spend three minutes finding three pieces of information about your prospect before you call.<\/p>\n That could be personal details about your contact from LinkedIn, a mutual contact, or company news from their website. With this quick information-finding, you can personalize your outreach and connect with a prospect to earn the right to their time.<\/p>\n Every telemarketing call should start with a script.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to map out what you want to say before you call so you don\u2019t forget your pitch or lose focus. The average cold call length, according to Cognism<\/a> is 83 seconds \u2014 that means you have a very short window to get your message across. Every word counts. An effective cold call script can more than double<\/a> your success rate.<\/p>\n \u201cYour opening line needs to hook the prospect in the first 10 seconds, or the call is over before it starts,\u201d warns Venetz. \u201cThink, what can I say now that earns me the right to 30 more seconds of their attention or an additional 60 seconds of their attention?\u201d<\/p>\n Getting a sales rep to pick up the phone is one small victory, but then what? 11% of unsuccessful cold calls end with the recipient simply hanging up.<\/p>\n To avoid this, revenue platform Gong recommends<\/a> stating your full name and company and stating the reason for your call (no bait and switch!). If you have a mutual connection, this is a good time to drop it as well.<\/p>\n Example: Hi [First Name], This is [Full Name] from [Company]. How\u2019ve you been? The reason for my call is \u2026 What the data says:<\/strong> Asking \u201cHow\u2019ve you been?\u201d in the opening line performs 6.6X higher<\/a> than scripts without it. Stating the reason you\u2019re calling also has a 2.1X higher success rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t been hung up on yet, you\u2019ve earned an additional twenty to thirty seconds of your prospect\u2019s time to hook them into a discussion.<\/p>\n It\u2019s okay to acknowledge the interruption at this stage, but don\u2019t wait for permission before getting into the topic at hand. Here, you want to mention a pain point they are likely facing or a discussion point that you know is relevant because of your industry and marketing persona research.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to show that you know something about their company, but don\u2019t make too many assumptions.<\/p>\n Example: <\/strong>I know we haven\u2019t spoken before, but I saw [company news\/LinkedIn post\/other], and it seems like [pain point] is a challenge. Is this something your team is focused on? <\/strong><\/p>\n Example: <\/strong>I saw you speak about [Topic] on this [Webinar\/Event] last week. I speak to a lot of business owners who are struggling with this. Could I ask you a few questions about how you handle this at [Company]? <\/p>\n What the data says:<\/strong> Asking, \u201cDid I catch you at a bad time?\u201d drops your chance of booking a meeting by 40%<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the impact statement is when you are going to sense that you\u2018ve got it right and that they want to continue the call. It\u2019s not about bulldozing people. It\u2019s just about moving that permission to continue the call to a little bit later. Once you ask that question, you get their buy-in, then you’ve earned the right to start building more rapport, which is when you transition into questions,\u201d said Venetz.<\/p>\n As an interviewer, there\u2019s nothing I love more than open-ended questions. They\u2019re a great starting point to get a prospect talking. Here are a few examples that you could ask on a cold call:<\/p>\n What are your top business priorities right now? Last, you need a succinct value proposition statement, the classic \u201cpitch.\u201d<\/p>\n At [company], we help customers like [relevant existing customers] solve [pain point] by [solution]. Would you be interested in receiving more information about how we do that? <\/p>\n If they say yes, you can then proceed to ask for a meeting. Don\u2019t leave the ball in the prospect\u2019s court \u2014 book a time before ending the call!<\/p>\n A cold calling script is an essential tool for lead developers and sales pros, but remember that it\u2019s a conversation. Don\u2019t stick to it too religiously that you sound like a robot, not a person.<\/p>\n “A great script is a guide, not a crutch,\u201d advises Venetz. \u201cReps need the flexibility to personalize and adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n Objections are a reality all telemarketers deal with. The most common objections are that the prospect doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s a good fit, doesn\u2019t have the budget, or simply isn\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n\n
\n Is telemarketing dead?<\/a>
\n Benefits of B2B Telemarketing<\/a>
\n B2B Telemarketing Types<\/a>
\n Tips for B2B Telemarketing [+ Experts and Data]<\/a> <\/p>\nWhat is B2B telemarketing?<\/h2>\n
Is telemarketing dead?<\/h2>\n
Benefits of B2B Telemarketing<\/h2>\n
Personalized Channel for High-Value Buyers<\/h3>\n
High Conversion Rate<\/h3>\n
B2B Telemarketing Types<\/h2>\n
1. Lead Generation<\/h3>\n
2. Appointment-Setting Call<\/h3>\n
3. Lead Nurturing Call<\/h3>\n
4. Follow-Up Call<\/h3>\n
Tips for B2B Telemarketing [+ Experts and Data]<\/h2>\n
1. Prioritize Data Accuracy<\/h3>\n
2. Use signal-based selling<\/h3>\n
3. Research your prospects.<\/h3>\n
4. Create a cold call script.<\/h3>\n
The Opening Statement<\/h4>\n
\n Example: Hi [First Name], This is [Full Name] from [Company]. We both know [Mutual Contact], and she suggested we connect about [Relevant Area]. <\/p>\nThe Impact Statement<\/h4>\n
Open-Ended Discovery Questions<\/h4>\n
\n How would you describe the challenges you’re currently facing in [business area]?
\n What approaches have you tried in the past to address [specific issue]
\n How are changes in your competitive landscape impacting your business?
\n If time and money were not factors, what changes would you make to your current system?
\n Who else is typically involved in decisions related to [relevant area]? <\/p>\nThe Pitch<\/h4>\n
5. Prepare for objections.<\/h3>\n