Cold-calling statistics reveal the enduring efficacy of this potent sales strategy in connecting with potential clients.
Notably, 82% of buyers not only welcome but actively accept meetings initiated through cold calls, highlighting the significant impact a well-crafted approach can have on buyer engagement.
Furthermore, organizations that dismiss cold calling as ineffective witness a substantial 42% less growth than their more proactive counterparts.
So, let’s take a look at cold-calling statistics and explore how it is essential for growing a business and finding new opportunities in the competitive world of sales.
Table of Contents
2.1. Cold Calling C-Level Executives Statistics
- Cold Calling Metrics
- Telemarketing Success Rates
- Sales Call Statistics
- Average Cold Call Conversion Rate
6.1. Cold Calling Effectiveness
6.2. Average Conversion Rate By Industry
6.3. Average Call Rate By Industry
- Cold Calling Statistics for Salespeople
- Cold Calling Statistics for Buyers
- B2B Cold Calling Statistics
9.1. Problems in B2B Cold Calling
- Cold Calling Best Practices
- How many sales calls to make a sale?
- How many sales calls per day?
- Statistics To Help Increase the Cold Calling Success Rate
- Cold Calling Statistics to Improve Your Results
- Cold Calling Mistakes You Should Avoid
- Cold Calling Challenges
- Impact of AI on Cold Calling
- Telemarketing Vs Cold Calling
- FAQs
1. Cold Calling Key Statistics
- The phone is deemed the most effective channel for booking meetings by 27% of sales teams.
- As a primary customer acquisition channel, cold calling is utilized by 17% of B2B marketers, ranking second only to email.
- A mere 9% of B2B marketers believe that decision-makers never respond to cold outreach.
- Phone engagement remains strong, with 70% of sellers successfully connecting with buyers and generating meetings.
- Over the past year, 9% of buyers accepted one or more cold calls from salespeople.
- On average, it requires 8 cold call attempts to successfully reach a prospect.
- Voicemail receives 80% of cold calls, highlighting the challenge of direct contact.
- Appointment conversion from cold calls is modest, with just 1% leading to scheduled appointments.
- A substantial 90% of top-level B2B decision-makers report non-responsiveness to cold outreach efforts.

2. Cold Calling Success Rate
- The average cold-calling success rate is 2%.
- Using a specific cold calling script can boost B2B success rates to 10.01%, with asking prospects about themselves being a key approach, according to Gong.
- Starting a sales call with “I understand we share a common LinkedIn group” can increase meeting chances by 70%, as per LinkedIn.
- Including a reason for calling in your opening line can increase call success rates by 2.1%.
- Unexpected cold calls prompt 75% of prospects to attend events or schedule meetings.
- Making a few more cold call attempts can boost the conversion rate by 70% for sales reps.
- 65% more collaborative statements like “we” rather than “I” are used in successful cold calls.

- On Wednesdays, the success rate of cold calls is 50% greater than on Mondays.
- The ideal number of calls to win a sale once you’ve reached the decision-maker is 6.
- There’s a 450% disparity in response time between leads who receive a follow-up phone call within an hour of inquiry and those who do not.
- In a Baylor study, about one appointment was scheduled for every 330 cold calls.
- Listening was cited by 78% of sales reps as having a significant impact on conversion rates in cold calls, according to Salesforce.
- A striking 90% of cold sales calls end up in voicemail.
- Leaving a third voicemail after a cold call can result in a notable 33% callback rate, according to Crunchbase.
- While 27% of sellers consider cold calling among the most effective methods for acquiring new clients, only 1% of cold calls result in appointments.
- Immediate contact with prospects upon being tagged as leads can enhance the conversion likelihood by nearly 400%.
- More than 80% of buyers are receptive to meetings initiated by salespeople who reach out to them first, and the first contact often leads to a sale between 35% to 50% of the time.
- However, delaying the contact response within 30 minutes can reduce conversion chances by 62%. Waiting an hour decreases engagement chances eightfold, and a 24-hour delay can lower the chances to 17%.
- The initial 50 minutes after a lead expresses interest in your product is the optimal time for a cold call, particularly valuable when monitoring web log-ins.
- In 2020, voicemail received 94% of calls from unknown numbers, a notable increase from the 80% recorded in 2014.
- Consequently, leaving well-crafted messages has become essential for salespeople, with the potential to boost response rates between 3% and 22%.
- Time sensitivity is a crucial factor, as the optimal message length is less than 30 seconds. Beyond this threshold, every additional second decreases the chances of connection by 2%.


- In the same study, it’s revealed that 71% of these buyers express a desire to hear from callers early in the buying process.
- IDC reports that almost 75% of executives lean towards working with salespeople who come from referrals.
- A robust LinkedIn presence for your company and sales team can enhance the success rate of cold calling. IDC notes that 63% of C-level and VP executives use LinkedIn, compared to 56% of non-executives.
- Before responding to outreach efforts, 82% of buyers check providers on LinkedIn.
- Commencing a cold call with the statement “I understand we share a common LinkedIn group” can elevate meeting acceptance by 70%.
- Almost half of buyers proactively search for potential vendors on LinkedIn even before a cold call.
- Active listening is highly valued by 42% of customers during cold calls, and research suggests an optimal balance with salespeople talking 55% of the time and listening 45% of the time.
- Successful cold calls involve sales reps spending an average of 37 seconds in their monologue, compared to 3.5 seconds for each prospect.
- Initial contact via a cold call is preferred by 49% of buyers, with technology buyers showing a higher preference at 54%, surpassing financial (40%) and professional services (50%) buyers.

3. Cold Calling Metrics
- Sales professionals have a narrow 5 to 10 minutes to persuade prospects via cold calling.
- Successful cold calls, progressing to the meeting stage, typically last between 5:50 and 7:30, featuring a 37-second uninterrupted sales pitch—twice the length of an average unsuccessful call (3 minutes and 14 seconds).
- The tone and words used significantly impact cold call success, with 93% attributed to the tone of the salesperson’s voice.
- Initiating calls with “How have you been?” has a 6.6X higher success rate compared to “Is this a good time,” while “How are you?” boasts a 5.2% success rate.
- Stating a reason for cold outreach can more than double success rates, and using “we” instead of “I” boosts success rates by 35%.
- Certain words and phrases like “Discount” (17%), “Show you how” (13%), “Contract” (7%), and “Free trial” (5%) can diminish cold-calling success.

- Successful cold calls address three to four of the prospect’s current business problems.
- Highlighting how a product or service resolves these problems is considered important by 66% of buyers.
- 96% assert that the value proposition presented during a cold call is pivotal in decision-making.
- Asking questions plays a crucial role, with salespeople posing one to six questions achieving a 40% success rate, while those asking 11 to 14 questions soar to a 70% success rate.
4. Telemarketing Success Rates
- Phone communication dominates client interactions, accounting for 92%.
- After a series of contacts, 82% of buyers express their acceptance of meetings with salespeople.
- Customer service significantly influences brand choice for 58% of customers.
- Proactive customer service notifications are considered helpful by 70% of both local and international customers.
- A substantial 69% of buyers are open to accepting new calls from salespeople.
- Making phone calls to new connections is highly effective, according to 27% of sellers.
- When facing issues, 62% of the buyers prefer to hear from their sellers.
- Outperforming their competitors, 78% of sales reps using social media achieve higher sales.

5. Sales Call Statistics
- Responding first secures 30-50% of sales for the vendor.
- Five follow-up calls are often necessary for 80% of sales, yet 44% of sales reps give up after just one.
- Outselling peers is common for 78% of salespeople leveraging social media.
- Actively seeking and capitalizing on referrals results in 4 to 5 times higher earnings for salespeople.
- Optimal times for sales calls are between 4:00 and 5:00 pm, with the second-best between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. (Callhippo)

- Making sales calls within an hour of receiving the initial inquiry is most effective.
- Mondays and the second half of Fridays are the least favorable times to call prospects.
- Warm calls are the choice for 88% of sellers, while only 46% engage in cold calls.
- The most effective sales prospecting calls last an average of 14.3 minutes.
6. Average Cold Call Conversion Rate

- Cold calling averages a 2% conversion rate, translating to two closed deals for every 100 sales calls made by your SDR team.
- Surprisingly, 49% of buyers prefer being contacted through cold calls, leading to at least 2 out of 100 calls converting into warm leads.
- Phone calls to new contacts are deemed very effective by 27% of sellers.
- An impressive 82% of business buyers accept meetings with cold callers.
- On average, 8 call attempts are required to reach a prospect, with 20% of qualified leads eventually converting into a sale.

6.1. Cold Calling Effectiveness
- 80% of cold calls end up going to voicemail.
- High-level customers reveal that 90% of them never respond to cold calls.
- Companies that abandoned cold calling experienced 42% less growth compared to those that continued this strategy.
- A significant 82% of B2B buyers are willing to accept meetings proposed through phone calls, indicating the effectiveness of this outreach method.
- In the past 12 months, 69% of buyers accepted calls from new salespeople.
- According to a DiscoverOrg study, 75% of prospects in certain industries attended an event or scheduled a meeting based on cold emails or calls.

6.2. Average Conversion Rate By Industry

6.3. Average Call Rate By Industry
With an average call rate of 1.2% across all fourteen industries, big-ticket buyers frequently find themselves immersed in detailed and often lengthy negotiations.
In such cases, a phone call becomes instrumental, providing buyers the opportunity to discuss their requirements confidently and obtain answers that might elude them through a web form.
Furthermore, the preference for direct communication with a business is particularly evident, especially when dealing with sensitive information.

7. Cold Calling Statistics for Salespeople
- Cold calling is disliked by 63% of salespeople, despite being utilized by 55% of high-growth companies.
- On average, a sales representative makes 33 cold calls daily, yet 88% of buyers avoid engaging with cold callers, and 58% find cold calls currently useless.
- It takes an average of 1.5 hours of cold calling per day for five days to secure one appointment or referral.
- Only 18% of high-quality leads are generated through outbound practices like cold calling, with 18% of salespeople considering email as their second most effective tool.
- Email marketing is deemed twice as effective as cold calling, potentially because 80% of business buyers are more comfortable receiving cold call emails than phone calls.
- Although the best days for sending email prospecting messages are any weekday, over 80% of cold emails remain forever unopened. Of those opened, 91% are accessed the day after being sent. Surprisingly, 70% of sales reps abandon cold email attempts after the first try.
- While nearly 75% of salespeople believe they effectively communicate and pitch during a cold call, only 37% of prospects feel provided with the necessary information to address their concerns.
- A significant 42% of sales reps report lacking essential information for making high-quality cold calls, with 48% being afraid to make such calls.
- Studies indicate that 53% of salespeople give up too early in their cold-calling efforts, revealing untapped opportunities for increased success rates.
8. Cold Calling Statistics for Buyers
- Within the past year, 69% of buyers acknowledged accepting one or more cold calls from sales representatives.
- Reaching a prospect through cold calling now takes an average of eight attempts, compared to the 3.68 attempts in 2007. The complexity of the buying decision involving an average of 7 individuals, with at least 5 needing to agree, poses a challenge for salespeople to connect with the right person.
- Even when reaching the right person, 50% of prospects are deemed unsuitable and would not benefit from the offered product or service.
- Despite half of buyers being open to a second cold call, 50% of salespeople never make a second attempt, and the rest give up after just two cold-calling tries.
- Recommendations from friends and family significantly influence 84% of buyers, making referrals a potent tool for salespeople.
- While 91% of customers express a willingness to provide referrals, only 11% of salespeople ask for them during cold calls.
- Additionally, a mere 22% of salespeople have a formal referral system, leading to lost opportunities even when customers are willing to offer leads.
Source: Zippia
9. B2B Cold Calling Statistics
- 17% of the B2B marketers primarily use cold calling for new customer acquisition.
- Decision-makers never respond to cold outreach according to only 9% of B2B marketers.
- Voice calls are the preferred communication channel for resolving customer issues (41%), closing sales (29%), and scheduling appointments (35%).
- In the technology sector, 54% of buyers prefer being contacted by cold call, compared to 40% in financial services and 50% in professional services.
- Among 15 outreach methods studied, three of the top five in terms of effectiveness for prospecting are telephone-based.
- B2B technology reps average 35 calls per day and spend 55 minutes daily speaking to prospects.
- 76% of top sales performers conduct research before calling leads, compared to only 47% of other sales reps.
- Accessing decision-makers poses a significant challenge for 46% of B2B sales reps.
- Only half of B2B sales reps are achieving an optimal outbound call volume.
- A contact initiating a contact request leads to 70% of B2B sales.
- In the realm of B2B sales, cold-calling budgets typically make up 22% of the total sales budget, on average.
9.1. Problems in B2B Cold Calling
The reality is, whether you’re a seasoned veteran or it’s your first day on the job, making cold calls is likely something you don’t enjoy, especially without the right resources.
- 63% of salespeople express their dislike for cold calling the most.
- Cold calling proves ineffective 90.9% of the time.
- Less than 2% of cold calls result in a meeting.
- Less than 1% of cold calls lead to a sale.
- In 2007, it took an average of 3.68 cold call attempts to reach a prospect; today, it takes 8 attempts.
10. Cold Calling Best Practices
Effective cold calling hinges on several factors coming together seamlessly. It’s crucial to confidently articulate the purpose of your outreach and promptly showcase how your solution or product adds value – all within an appropriate time frame.
Equally important is the art of building rapport by actively listening and fostering meaningful dialogue. The following statistics highlight key elements that contribute to a compelling cold call:
- Successful cold calls tend to be twice as long as unsuccessful ones.
- Calls resulting in demos typically involve a sales rep monologue lasting an average of 67 seconds, compared to less successful calls that last 47 seconds. However, the best cold callers strike a balance between talking and attentive listening.
- Stating the reason for your call or request can elevate success rates to up to 94%, a significant improvement from the 60% baseline.
- Successful sales reps adept at cold calls often convey their solution’s value within 5-10 minutes (RAIN Group).
- The most successful cold calls generally average about 14.3 minutes.
- Effective sales calls maintain a dialogue without periods of silence exceeding 10% of the total call duration.
11. How many sales calls to make a sale?
- In 2007, it took approximately 3.68 cold calls to reach a sales prospect, whereas now, it takes around eight.
- To convert a prospect into a customer, an average of 6 calls is required, resulting in about 48 calls to make a single sale.
- According to other studies, around 18 calls are needed to connect with a lead.
- On average, companies lose about 20% of their leads, while a proficient company can achieve a higher close rate of about 30%.
- Surprisingly, 48% of all calls end without an attempt to close the sale, as per the same study.
12. How many sales calls per day?
The notion of completing 100 calls a day is a common guideline, yet many sales teams find this impractical. Conversely, achieving sales goals may be challenging with just 20 calls a day. The key lies in determining what works best for your team.
- On average, successful cold call conversion rates require sales representatives to make 6 to 8 phone calls per prospect.
- According to the Sales Trail, securing a lead typically takes about 6 calls. For instance, aiming for 25 leads weekly would mean your reps need to make 150 calls (6 x 25) each week, or 30 calls daily.
- While making 100 dials a day may seem substantial, it could be too many if it indicates a lack of meaningful conversations with prospects..
13. Statistics To Help Increase the Cold Calling Success Rate
- According to LinkedIn’s Global State of Sales 2022, 76% of top performers consistently conduct research before reaching out to prospects.
- In the TechTarget XDR Benchmarking Study 2021, it was found that only 39% of SDRs never utilize intent data for prioritizing outreach. Those who consistently use intent data are 42% more likely to schedule a meeting within 1 to 3 conversations with a prospect.
- Implementing conversation analytics in cold calling coaching can lead to a 39% increase in appointment booking rates, as suggested by Gartner’s 4 Ways to Boost SDR Pipeline Generation.
- The Bridge Group 2021 State of Sales Development Report reveals that 66% of high-growth companies utilize B2B contact data and sales intelligence tools, with 63% incorporating conversation analytics and call recording technology.
- Companies equipped with a sales onboarding tool/platform enjoy 7% higher win rates compared to those without, according to the State of Sales Enablement 2020 by Highspot.
14. Cold Calling Statistics to Improve Your Results
- According to The Bridge Group, the average salesperson needs to make 52-60 cold calls daily for success.
- Customers who are referred prove to be about 24% more profitable than others, as per the Wharton School of Business.
- The optimal time for cold calls is between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm in the prospect’s time zone, boasting 71% more conversions than the second-best time, which is between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm.
- Avoid making cold calls around 1:00 pm, according to Revenue.io, as it is considered the worst time.
- Wednesdays rank as the best day for cold calls, closely followed by Thursdays (InsideSales). It’s advisable to steer clear of Monday mornings and Friday afternoons when professionals are engrossed in starting or concluding their workweek.
- Successful cold calls incorporate 65% more “we” statements, as revealed by Gong. The power of “we” is harnessed in sales to foster a sense of partnership between the sales rep and prospect, signaling that the rep speaks on behalf of the organization.
15. Cold Calling Mistakes You Should Avoid
- According to Dreamforce, salespeople, on average, neglect to follow up on half of marketing leads. The remedy for this oversight is straightforward: increase follow-up phone calls.
- SmallBiz Genius reports that 44% of sales representatives abandon the sale after receiving negative feedback from their first call.
- After making initial contact with a prospect, salespeople typically need to make an average of 5 additional follow-up calls to seal the deal.
- Gong.io reveals that if sales reps fail to discuss follow-up steps on their first call, the close rate drops by 71%.
- Gong.io reports that initiating a call with the question, “Is now a bad time?” decreases the chance of booking a meeting with the prospect by 40%. Encourage your reps to employ more confident and engaging ways to kick off their cold calls.
- The success rate of a cold call diminishes by 61% if the call exceeds 5 minutes in length, according to Zipdo. Keep calls short to qualify leads and facilitate follow-ups.
- Sales representatives who talk for over 55% of a cold call are less likely to close a deal. Active listening during a call demonstrates to prospects that their problems matter, making a powerful positive first impression.
16. Cold Calling Challenges
- Market Splash reveals that 92% of people consider calls from unknown numbers as scams, making them reluctant to answer.
- Due to a high rate of ignored sales calls, 80% of cold calls end up in voicemail and only 15% of customers listen to voicemails from cold calls.
- Zipdo suggests that using local area codes can elevate the likelihood of a callback by 57%.
- While 90% of buyers may not return a cold call solely based on a voicemail, sending a follow-up email or, in some industries, a text message immediately after the voicemail can prompt a reply.
- Salesmate notes that a sales rep’s likelihood of receiving a reply increases when employing various forms of communication, as 80% of prospects prefer talking to a salesperson via email rather than phone.
- Selling Signals highlights that in offices with 50-100 people, there are, on average, 7 individuals involved in purchasing decisions.
- The challenge of pinpointing the ‘right person’ is compounded by the fact that, within a year, 30% of people change jobs, 66% change job titles or functions, 43% change their work number, and 37% change their email address, according to a ZoomInfo Study.
17. Impact of AI on Cold Calling
- According to Salesforce, high-performing sales teams are nearly 5 times more likely to incorporate AI compared to underperforming teams.
- McKinsey reports that sales professionals embracing AI experience a remarkable 50% increase in leads and appointments.
- Airgram forecasts that by 2025, 75% of B2B companies will leverage AI to enhance traditional cold calling.
- As indicated by Airgram, 70% of sales professionals affirm that utilizing AI contributes significantly to time savings in their workflows.
- Koncert notes that the implementation of AI for automating manual tasks has enabled sales reps to engage in 2-3 times more daily conversations, underscoring the correlation between increased calls and enhanced opportunities for sales closure.
- Outplay highlights the application of AI in phone verification processes, ensuring that sales reps reach accurate numbers with an impressive 98% accuracy rate.
18. Telemarketing Vs Cold Calling
Aspect | Cold Calling | Telemarketing |
Definition | Involves reaching out to potential customers without any prior contact or expectation, often to sell a product or service. | A broader term encompassing various telephone-based marketing techniques, including cold calling, but not limited to it. |
Contact Method | Can involve telephonic communication or even in-person visits. | Encompasses various communication methods over the telephone, including incoming calls from potential customers. |
Expectation of Contact | The person being contacted has no reasonable expectation of the call; it is unsolicited. | Can include both outgoing calls and incoming calls where customers respond to signs, advertisements, or other marketing efforts. |
Information Source | Information may be obtained from sources like the telephone directory or purchased contact lists. | Information can be gathered from various sources, including responses to ads or signs, customer follow-ups, and fact-finding efforts. |
Purpose | Primarily focused on selling a product or service during the initial contact. | A broader purpose may include gathering information, generating potential business, and making secondary contacts for sales. |
Advantages | It’s cost-effective, saving about 80% compared to other methods, while actively generating potential business. | It’s budget-friendly, offering a means to connect with potential customers and promoting customer response and interaction. |
Disadvantages | It has made telemarketing look bad because there’s a chance of bothering and annoying people. | It might have to follow rules because of bad tactics, and there’s a chance of bothering people and spending time on those who aren’t interested. |
Regulations | Cold Calling is governed by specific rules, such as those set by the Federal Trade Commission, to prevent unscrupulous tactics. | Subject to regulations governing ethical conduct and practices to prevent unwanted or unethical contacts. |
Feedback | Negative perception due to intrusive nature and potential for annoyance. | Can provide a platform for customer response, allowing for better feedback and understanding of customer needs and interests. |
19. FAQs
19.1. How successful is cold calling?
After a sequence of contacts initiated by sales cold calls, 82% of buyers reported accepting meetings with salespeople which proves cold calling is still effective.
19.2. How many cold calls per hour?
A diligent inside salesperson, on their initial run through a new list, can effortlessly achieve 8-10 calls per hour.
19.3. What is the average conversion rate of cold calling?
Cold calling usually converts at 2%, but when targeting highly-qualified prospects, the conversion rate jumps to 18%.
19.4. Is cold calling necessary?
Yes, cold calling is crucial for any business dependent on sales and aiming for growth. Companies that perceive cold calling as ineffective witness a 42% reduction in growth compared to those that maintain its significance.
19.5. What’s the average number of attempts for cold-calling success?
On average, achieving cold-calling success requires about six attempts. A noteworthy 93% of converted cold leads result from six calls, and making at least six cold calls can elevate contact rates by 70%.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cold calling stands out as a resilient strategy for business growth, evidenced by increased meeting acceptance rates and targeted approaches.
Notably, the statistics highlight its enduring relevance, emphasizing that it’s less work for a buyer and 82% need social proof than to build trust.
With an average 2% conversion rate, the integration of a strong social media strategy into the sales process can prove as a valuable consideration for achieving success in the long term.