December 7, 2022

Is Cold Calling Still Relevant? Here's What You Need To Know About The Current Cold-Calling Trends

Is cold calling still relevant? It depends on the situation and the context in which cold calling is being used. In some cases, cold calling is still effective to generate leads and make sales.

Christopher Jan Benitez

Reading time: 5 minutes

According to cold-calling experts, cold calls are still alive and kicking.

It’s understandable why you would wonder about its relevance today, though. Fair enough — cold calling hints at aggressive and forceful marketing.

Nowadays, people appear more responsive to gentler and more permission-based marketing approaches.

So, let’s look into it in this article. We’ll discuss why cold calls are still relevant and the current cold-calling trends.

Why is Cold-Calling Still Relevant?

A cold-calling technique can produce (more than) satisfactory results. And many marketers continue to use it.
Below, let’s look into the reasons cold calling is still relevant.

Receive Instant Feedback

Whatever happens during your cold call is instant feedback. Getting immediate feedback allows you to know how to improve your call.

While the prospects won’t directly tell you they’re giving you feedback, you should think outside of the box and recognize it.

There are two ways to approach the subject.

If they are unresponsive, you might have called at the wrong time. Maybe you called when they were busy.
To resolve this, identify the right time. You may research and learn about timing. Then, you may call these people the second time around.
If they answer but express zero interest in your offer, the content of your call may be the issue. Your delivery may also be a problem.
The answer to this is to review your sales calls. Then, finetune what needs work.

Build More Personal Relationships with Prospects

Cold calls take place in real time.
You get to hear the voice of prospects on the other line. You also get to explore emotion, the volume of voice, and other variables that aren’t evident when chatting with them through text.

It lets you adjust your outreach to increase your chances of closing the deal. It’s important in B2B marketing. After all, in B2B marketing, you have to appease large accounts to close them based on their customer needs.

Gives Your Brand a Competitive Advantage

People don’t cold call — thinking it’s a “dead” practice. They feel this way because:

Cold calls get a lot of hate
They assume emails will do all the work
Cold calls are intrusive

Does the majority of brands in your industry feel the same way? And because they look at things the same way, do they avoid incorporating cold-calling techniques into their sales and marketing strategies?

Then, look at it this way: you have a competitive advantage.

Being the only one of the brands that still use cold calling right enables you to gather leads. And these are leads your competitors can’t reach — resulting in more sales opportunities for you.

What Businesses Can Cold Calling Be Useful For?

Cold calling can be useful for a variety of businesses, particularly those that sell products or services that require a high level of personalization or customization.

Some vital factors you need to consider when creating this include demographics, lines of work, and challenges while buying.

Luxury goods or high-end services

A business that sells luxury goods or high-end services might find cold calling to be an effective way to reach potential customers, since they can use the phone call to learn more about the customer’s needs and preferences and tailor their pitch accordingly. .

B2B businesses

For businesses that sell complex or high-cost products or services, such as financial services or IT consulting, might find cold calling to be a useful way to start a conversation with potential customers and assess their needs.

Products with short shelf life

Cold calling can also be useful for businesses that offer products or services that have a short shelf life, such as event tickets or limited-time promotions, as it allows them to quickly reach a large number of potential customers and generate interest in their offering.

Cold Calling Trends and Tactics You Must Use for Higher Conversion Rates

Identify & Research Your Target Audience

Research your target audience.

Before making any calls, it’s important to thoroughly research your target audience. This will help you tailor your approach and messaging to their specific needs and interests, which can increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.

Here are tips on how to identify your target audience:

Conduct a sales discovery call – Ask your prospects about their needs, wants, and other relevant questions. It lets you profile them and find ways to serve them better.
Analyze competitors – Determine who they’re targeting. Because your competitors offer similar products and services, their audience may be your audience, too.
Mingle with your prospects – Engage with them outside a typical sales call. Then, ask them if they have peers who are the right fit for your offer.

Know When to Call

Prospects are not available every time. You need to know when to call them and what time to maximize your conversion rate.

Here are tips on how to determine the best times to call prospects.

Check out research papers – Call prospects on Wednesday and Thursday, according to a 2020 study. View other studies, too, because they may have relevant data for you.
Empathize with prospects – Put yourself in their shoes and imagine receiving calls at a specific time. Note how these people might feel.
Avoid office hours – Prevent making calls around 9:00 to 5:00. Most people work during these times. If they do not answer your calls, they may be preoccupied.

Be Mindful of Words

Knowing what to say in cold calls can increase a prospect’s confidence in you. If you pick the proper terms, are careful with your tone and delivery, and note the language you’ll be using, your chances of closing leads are higher.

Here are tips on how to use words wisely:

Refer to a cold call script – Having a clear and concise script can help you stay focused and on track during the call. A good script should include an introduction, a brief overview of your product or service, and a call to action.
Think of your pitch as an infomercial – Discuss informative and relevant elements. Crafting an excellent pitch is one of the best ways of getting on the good side of potential customers.
Use specific words – Go through a list of words from high-performing sales calls. Some of these are challenges, mistakes, and problems.

Track Your Progress

After launching your campaign, you want to monitor your progress over time. The idea is to see how much your calls impact your sales.

Here are the top cold calling Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track:

Contact rate – The contact rate is the percentage of calls that reach a live person. This KPI can help you determine how successful your calling strategy is at reaching potential customers.
Average call duration – The average call duration is the average length of time that a call lasts. This KPI can help you determine whether your calls are too long or too short, and whether there is room for improvement in your script or delivery.
Conversion rates – Find out how many people availed of your offer. Then, track those who want to set appointments for follow-up calls. It allows you to measure the effectiveness of your calls.
Rate of answered and unanswered calls – Analyzing this metric lets you understand how many of your calls go through and why.
Cost per lead – The cost per lead is the amount of money that you spend on cold calling efforts divided by the number of leads generated. This KPI can help you determine the cost-effectiveness of your cold calling efforts.

Conclusion

Despite what some people assume, cold calling is still relevant in 2023.

As cold calling is less widely used as it once was, cold calling has become more effective due to it being a less saturated form of marketing.

However, whether or not cold calling is relevant for a particular business will depend on a variety of factors, including the type of product or service being offered and the target audience.

Remember, if you want to make cold calling work in your favor, make sure you have prepared well for it, such as researching prospects, following a good script, and of course, practice makes perfect.

Christopher Jan Benitez

Christopher is a writer who specializes in the digital marketing field. His work has been published on SEO and affiliate marketing-specific niches.

Ultimate guides