BY Jessica Helinski
Once a mainstay of sales, modern salespeople may wonder if cold calls are outdated. While we now have many other outreach methods available, don’t discount calls.
It’s true that sellers do prefer to meet in person with a rep when considering a purchase. But phone calls are the next most-preferred way of engaging with sellers, according to SalesFuel’s B2B BuyerSCAN study.
Specifically, the preference for phone calls is higher among small companies, as well as buyers who are baby boomers. Additionally, buyers in the health care vertical are much more likely to prefer a call from sellers.
Making cold calls? Here’s when buyers are most receptive
But keep in mind that when you call matters. The study also shone light on the importance of timing when it comes to calling on prospects.
Approximately 62% of buyers say that Wednesday is the best time for them to talk by phone to reps. The next-best-day is Tuesday, cited by 55%. And the best time of day? 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Note that there are slight differences when it comes to buyer types:
- Gen Zers are the demographic most open to calls on Mondays (55%).
- Baby boomers are the group least likely to want to talk on Fridays (only 19%).
- Millennials are the most willing to take a phone call before 9 a.m.
- Companies with 500+ employees are more likely than smaller ones to say after 5 p.m. is the best time.
- The 9 a.m.-11 a.m.-window is most important to buyers in the retail business vertical (cited as best by 60%).
Cold call best practices
Now that sellers know when to make their calls, it’s important to understand how to execute them. Cognism’s Daisy Shevlin reports that in 2025, the average cold-calling success rate is 2.3%. This is notably down from 4.82% in 2024.
To boost rates, sellers must optimize their cold-call strategies.
Have a plan
Don’t “wing it.” Draft a short outline of key points to guide your call and practice it until you can sound natural and confident. Avoid being too rigid, though, with your script. You want to come across as authentic but also leave room for spontaneity.
Overly scripted calls can turn prospects off. If you sound like you’re reading instead of talking, they’ll feel like just another name on your list.
Personalize
Making cold calls relevant to each and every lead is vital. Buyers are busy, and unless what you have to say is relevant, they won’t be interested. Immediately draw them in by demonstrating value.
SalesFuel’s Tim Londergan suggests opening strongly. Effective openers should be personalized, brief, transparent, value-driven, and engaging to capture attention and start a meaningful conversation.
He also warns against coming on too strong during that initial cold call.
“Leading with a hard sell is what I call prescription without diagnosis,” he writes.
“Instead, you should open a cold call with value and curiosity.”
Prepare for objections
Likely, you’ll hear objections more than once when making cold calls. That’s typical and it shouldn’t dissuade you. Instead, be ready to counter pushback, using pre-call research to counter each objection.
By understanding the challenges that the prospect is facing and gathering basic intel on the organization, sellers can anticipate concerns. By doing so, they can tailor responses and steer the conversation productively.
Cold calls may feel old-fashioned, but when done thoughtfully, it’s still a powerful way to connect with prospects. By calling at the right time and embracing best practices, sellers can make each call count.
Modern cold calls aren’t about pitching blindly. Instead, they’re about engaging meaningfully, building trust and starting conversations that can lead to real results.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
