12 Cold Calling Tips & Examples To Grow Your Sales

With fierce competition and attention spans fleeting in the sales world – is cold calling still effective?

Here’s what data says…

According to Cognism’s data, on average, cold calling success rate is 2%. On the other hand, 49% of buyers prefer to be reached through a cold call instead of other channels.

But most of the time, consumers hang up even before you can get your first sentence out.

Hence, the true challenge lies not in the act of calling, but in improving engagement – capturing attention, delivering a compelling message, and turning cold leads into warm opportunities.

So, what can you do to make sure that your information gets through to the recipient?

How can you utilize cold calling to its full potential?

How can you turn cold calls into hot leads & business opportunities?

Let’s find all the answers as we walk you through the intricacies of cold calling, offering actionable strategies and proven cold calling techniques to bring you closer to your sales targets.

● What is Cold Calling?
● How Cold Calling Helps?
● How to Build Rapport Before Cold Calling
● Understanding The Process of Cold Calling
● Cold Calling Tips & Techniques For Better Results
● Best Cold Call Script Examples
● Turning Cold Calls Warm: Following Up
● FAQs: Cold Calling Tips & Best Practices
● Cold Calling Techniques: Final Advice

What is Cold Calling?

Cold calling is the act of a salesperson reaching out to someone over phone who has never interacted with their business before- usually to introduce their product or service which they would like to sell. Think of it like cold emailing but over the phone.

In the past, cold calling was purely about dialing random numbers and hoping for the best.

But times have changed — With spam calls on the rise, businesses now focus on warm calling, where they reach out to prospects who have shown some interest—maybe through a referral, LinkedIn connection, or previous engagement.

So, is cold calling dead? Not at all. It just requires a smarter approach.

The best cold callers do their research, personalize their pitch, and provide value right away—turning an unexpected call into an opportunity. Read on to learn cold calling best practices.

How Cold Calling Helps?

Cold calling is primarily used for lead generation, helping businesses identify potential customers from a pool of unknown prospects. While not every call results in a sale, it creates opportunities to build connections and expand your network. Even if a prospect isn’t interested, you can always ask for referrals.

Aside from the sales, cold calling also raises awareness about your company, placing it in the potential customers' minds. Cold calling, when done with precision, can create credibility, trustworthiness, and brand awareness- but this all depends on your execution and strategy.

B2B vs. B2C Cold Calling: Key Differences

While both B2B and B2C cold calling involve reaching out to potential customers, their approaches, goals, and execution differ significantly.

Aspect	B2B Cold Calling (Business-to-Business)	B2C Cold Calling (Business-to-Consumer)
Goal & Approach	Relationship-building and long-term lead nurturing. Multiple touchpoints required.	Quick conversions. Must capture attention instantly.
Time Sensitivity	Gradual process—often involves multiple calls before closing.	Rapid pitch—first 5-10 seconds determine success.
Decision-Making Process	Involves multiple stakeholders (assistants, managers, executives).	One-person decision-making—faster but harder to hold attention.
Emotional Appeal	Logic-driven. ROI, efficiency, and business growth matter most.	Emotion-driven. Focus on personal benefits, security, and convenience.
Hierarchy & Tone	Must bypass gatekeepers and engage decision-makers with a professional tone.	Direct consumer contact. A casual, persuasive, and emotional approach works best.
Sales Cycle	Longer cycle (weeks or months); requires follow-ups & nurturing.	Shorter cycle (one-time interactions); decisions happen fast.
Best Practices	Research your prospect, personalize your pitch, and focus on business pain points.	Use a strong hook line, make an emotional connection, and highlight immediate benefits.

1. Time-Based Approach: Gradual vs. Rapid

B2B Cold Calling: This is, relatively, a long-term game. You often need to make multiple calls before reaching the decision-maker. The first call may be about securing an appointment, introducing your business, or getting past the assistant handling the call. The key here is patience and persistence. Your aim should be to build rapport over time while making a strong first impression.
B2C Cold Calling: Speed matters. Most consumers decide within 5-10 seconds whether they’ll stay on the call or hang up. A compelling hook line is crucial to grab attention instantly. You need to deliver your message quickly and persuasively before the prospect loses interest.
In both cases, you need to find the best time to cold call.

2. Evoking Emotions: Logical vs. Personal

B2B Cold Calling: Decision-makers care about one thing—business value. They won’t be swayed by emotional appeals or personal stories. Instead, focus on ROI, efficiency, and revenue growth to demonstrate how your product or service benefits their company.
B2C Cold Calling: Emotion is your biggest ally. Whether it’s selling insurance, home services, or a subscription, tapping into personal needs—family security, savings, or convenience—helps persuade consumers. The more they see how your offering improves their lives, the higher the chances of conversion.

3. Hierarchy: Structured vs. Direct

B2B Cold Calling: In B2B, it is important to know who you are approaching, what their requirement is, their pain point, etc. Only when you know all this, you can come up with a better pitch that engages the lead immediately. At least they would put in the time to listen.
B2C Cold Calling: No hierarchy here. You’re speaking directly to the end consumer, allowing for a more casual and emotional conversation. Since there’s no chain of command, your focus should ideally be on convincing them quickly and effectively.

How to Build Rapport Before Cold Calling

Prior to calling a cold prospect, it is important that the company you work for has some degree of acquaintance or credibility with the potential lead:

✅ Cold Emails & Ads – Try introducing your brand before you start calling them. This will help warm up the leads as well. You can send basic emails, run ads, and share social media posts with your target audience, before you pick up the phone..

✅ Social Media Engagement – Engaging with potential leads on LinkedIn, liking and commenting on their posts, or even send a connection request can bring you in the notice of your lead, making it a tiny bit easier for them to connect with you or respond to you.

✅ Word of Mouth & Referrals – This one trick is never going outdated. Ask your existing clients or connections to introduce you to the right people before approaching them, or atleast if you find a common connection, your pitch should start with this information. And ofcourse you can share referral & customer feedback to help build a rapport.

With a good rapport, you increase the chances of getting a positive response and it also makes having a proper conversation easier.

The best cold callers are those who listen first and then respond.

Understanding The Process of Cold Calling

Let’s be honest, cold calling is not a piece of cake. You need to keep a few points in mind while ringing up customers, and it is best if you have a rough idea of how you are going to go about this.

Here’s what an ideal cold calling process should look like:

1. Be Aware of What You Are Selling

You need to be thorough with the product or service that you are trying to pitch to the customer.
It is vital to know every aspect, as you can answer their queries only if you are thorough with what you are selling. Know about the pricing, how long it will take to be shipped, its expiry, maintenance, modes of payment, etcetera.
This would instill confidence in you, as well as the customer upon knowing the nooks of what you are offering.

2. Plan a Script

Don’t make your pitch impromptu. Make a plan of what you are going to say, in what tone you are going to say it, and how long you are going to present it for.
Having a rough sketch can make you more confident while speaking, and also provide a comprehensive order of points that need to be made during the conversation.

3. Maintain a Verified & High Quality Contact List

Call only the prospect clients - whose interest aligns with what your service/product offers or who have shown prior interest in your product, no matter direct or indirect.
For this, you need to have a clean list of numbers.
You can source these numbers organically- word of mouth, forms, networking, etcetera, or use tools like Clearout.
Clearout’s Chrome Extension helps you to extract contact details including their email, phone numbers, and other important insights directly from their LinkedIn extension and also verify numbers, giving you a clean list for outreach.
It is also important to validate the phone numbers you get from any source especially if the source is a database (does not do real-time search).
Phone validators like ClearoutPhone even provide additional details that make your outreach easier.

Cold Calling Tips & Techniques For Better Results

1. Know Your Product Inside Out

To be able to confidently deal with queries around the product, its features, and convince potential buyers, you need a deep understanding of your product or service firt. This is more than features—know:

How it addresses a genuine issue – You have only a few seconds to engage, use them to emphasize on how you can solve a specific issue for the person.
Unique Selling Points (USP) – What make your tool, service, or offer different or better?
Technical and functional specifics – This is particularly crucial for B2B selling.
Common objections and responses – You should be able to handle common concerns prospects may have. This can include, questions related to your service, about the industry, about the competitors, etc.

Example: If you're trying to pitch a CRM software, don't merely talk about its features. Describe how it minimises the users’ workload, enhances productivity, and simplifies operations. Provide actual customer success stories and testimonials to lend credibility.

2. Maintain a Clean & Targetted Cold Calling List

Not all leads are worth calling. A well-maintained calling list saves time, improves conversion rates, and avoids unnecessary frustration. Best practices include:

Regularly clean and update your list – Numbers may become inactive, or prospects may change jobs.
Validate phone numbers prior to calling – Verify if the phone numbers are valid, including carrier type, and line type (mobile or landline).
Segment your leads – Classify leads by industry, job title, or past interaction.

3. Find the Right Tools for Efficiency

Cold calling is far more effective when combined with automation and intelligence tools. Use:

For phone number validation: ClearoutPhone – Ensures you call only valid and reachable numbers.
For CRM and tracking: HubSpot, Salesforce, or Pipedrive – Track calls, follow-ups, and interactions.
For number extraction: Clearout, Kaspr, UpLead – Extract numbers from LinkedIn and other sources.
For call recording and analytics: RingCentral, Aircall – Analyze call quality and improve scripts.

4. Research Your Leads Before Calling

Prospects are more likely to engage with you if they are made to believe that their needs are understood by you. Before calling:

Check LinkedIn profiles – Learn about their role and company background.
Research recent company updates – Look for funding announcements, leadership changes, or product launches.
Identify pain points – Use industry-specific challenges to personalize your pitch.

Example: If a lead recently posted about struggling with sales pipeline management, tailor your pitch to explain how your solution can help.

5. Call at the Right Time for Maximum Engagement

Timing plays a crucial role in cold calling success. Consider:

Avoiding early mornings and late evenings – Most decision-makers are busy.
Using industry data to determine peak hours – Research suggests the best times are 10 AM - 11 AM and 2 PM - 4 PM on weekdays.
Accounting for time zones – Use tools to detect geolocation and schedule calls accordingly.

Stat: Prioritizing the best days over the worst days, given the 54% conversion rate difference.

6. Build Rapport Before Making a Pitch

Instead of diving into a sales pitch, engage prospects with a warm and friendly conversation. Strategies include:

Starting with a relevant question – “I saw your company is expanding. How has that impacted your sales process?”
Mentioning a mutual connection or industry trend – Increases trust.
Using social proof – “We recently helped a company in your industry double their lead conversions.”

7. Craft a Compelling Opening Statement

You have 5-10 seconds to capture interest. A strong opener should:

State who you are and why you’re calling.
Include a value proposition immediately.
Be interactive, not mechanical.

Instead of greeting with, "Hi, I'm John from XYZ company. We provide marketing solutions." Do this: "Hi [Name], I see that your company is hiring a lot of sales reps. A number of our clients use [Product] to get new teams up and running more quickly—does that ring a bell for you?"

8. Evoke Emotions to Increase Engagement

While B2B cold calling focuses on business outcomes, B2C calls thrive on emotional appeal. Strategies include:

Using storytelling – “Imagine never losing another lead because of a wrong number.”
Highlighting security and financial stability – Works well for insurance, real estate, and fintech products.
Creating a sense of urgency – Limited-time offers or exclusive deals encourage action.

9. Don’t Pitch Too Early—Identify the Problem First

Instead of immediately discussing your product, follow this structure:

Identify the prospect’s pain point – Ask discovery questions.
Create a need for the solution – Show them why the problem is costing them time or money.
Introduce your solution – Clearly explain how your product fits in.

Example: “How much time do your sales reps spend on bad leads? We help teams eliminate 30% of wasted calls with verified data.”

10. Sound Confident, Not Desperate

Your tone should be:

Professional yet conversational – Avoid sounding scripted.
Confident but not pushy – Focus on helping, not just selling.
Optimistic even if rejected – Keep calm and be professional.

Example: Rather than saying, "Give us a chance," say, "Numerous companies like yours have had tremendous success with this method."

11. Ask for Referrals Even If They Say No

If a lead is not interested, don't cut the conversation short. Instead:

Ask if they know someone who might benefit.
Leave the door open for future discussions.
Ask permission to call back later politely.

Example: "I totally get that this is not on your radar at the moment. But if you ever know someone who could use this, I'd love an intro."

12. Learn from Every Non-Conversion

Each call is a learning opportunity. Track:

Which objections come up most frequently?
Which opening lines work best?
Which time slots yield higher engagement?

Tip: Use call recording tools like Aircall or RingCentral for analysis. Review call performance and adjust your script and strategy accordingly. Doing this can help improve their response and conversion rates.

“The more you personalize your cold calls, the warmer the reception you’ll receive.”

Best Cold Call Script Examples

Here are some of the best cold call scripts for different scenarios:

1. The “Solving a Pain Point” Call

Best for: Prospects struggling with a common challenge your solution addresses.

Script:
Hi [Prospect's Name],

I'm [Your Name] and I represent [Company Name]. I've worked with companies like yours that struggle with [specific pain point]. Our [Product/Service Name] offers an instant solution to this in the form of [brief solution benefit].

I'd really like to hear more about what's challenging you and whether our [product/service] might make a difference. Would you be available for a brief call sometime this week?

2. The “Competitor Comparison” Call

Best for: Prospects using or considering a competitor’s product.

Script:
Hi [Prospect’s Name],

I noticed your company is using [Competitor’s Product]. Many businesses we speak with find that [common limitation of competitor’s product]. Our solution, [Product/Service Name], helps by [key differentiator].

I’d love to share how companies like yours have made the switch and seen [specific results]. Would you be open to a quick chat?

3. The “Re-Engagement” Call

Best for: Following up with a past lead who didn’t convert.

Script:
Hi [Prospect’s Name],

We contacted you previously at some point in time, and I would now like to invite you for another conversation. As we speak today, we have introduced [new feature/update] to our [service/product] that makes it even easier to [solve particular problems].

Would you like to go over how we can help? I will be happy to set up a brief call to go over the details.

4. The “Exclusive Insights” Call

Best for: Sharing valuable industry knowledge to spark interest.

Script:
Hi [Prospect’s Name],

Hi, I'm [Your Name] at [Company Name]. We recently published a report on [Industry Trend/Insight] which highlights the key challenges and opportunities affecting [their industry]. I thought you might be interested.

Do you want a quick call where I can share some key takeaways and how they might apply to your business and ease your sales?

5. The “Upsell/Cross-Sell” Call

Best for: Engaging existing customers with additional products/services.

Script:
Hi [Prospect’s Name],

I notice that you're already using our [Current Product/Service] and I'd like to tell you about how many of our other customers are enjoying our new [Additional Product/Service]. It assists with [specific advantages pertaining to their existing use case]. We believe you should try it.

Would you consider a brief call to discuss how this might bring additional value to your existing configuration?

6. The “Follow-Up After an Event” Call

Best for: Connecting after a webinar, conference, or networking event.

Script:
Hi [Prospect's Name],

I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with you at [Event Name]! We discussed [specific topic] just briefly, and I did want to follow up with you and find out if you'd be interested in learning more about how we [Company name] help companies like yours with [specific solution].

Would you be willing to have a quick call to carry on the discussion?

Why These Cold Call Scripts Work:

✅ Polite and Professional– Begins with a friendly greeting and requests permission to speak

✅ Personalised– Mentions the prospect's industry and typical pain points

✅ Value-Driven– Emphasises how the product has benefited similar companies

✅ Handles Objections Well– Responds to objections regarding ease of use and adoption

✅ Clear Call-to-Action– Books a follow-up demo with a definite date and time

Turning Cold Calls Warm: Following Up

Cold calling is not a one-time event—the follow-up is what really converts a cold prospect into a warm lead. A timely, strategic follow-up continues the conversation and establishes trust. Here's how to do it:

Email with Personal Touch – Immediately following your call, mail a short thank-you email to the prospect for his or her time. Refocus on most important points addressed and offer supplementary information or clarification on any queries raised.
Provide Value in Your Follow-Up – Rather than simply "checking in," provide something of value—an industry tidbit, case study, or a related blog post that is relevant to their issues. This makes you a valuable resource and not another salesperson.
Use Multiple Touchpoints – Try a LinkedIn connection request with a short message referencing your conversation. You can also follow up with a second call a few days later.
Be Persistent, Not Pushy – Give prospects space but maintain consistency. If they ask to be contacted later, respect their timeline while keeping them engaged with light-touch check-ins.
Leverage Social Proof – If they showed interest but hesitated, share a customer success story or testimonial to reinforce the value of your solution.

Cold Calling Techniques: Final Advice

Cold calling is most effective when combined with the proper techniques and tools. Make your approach personal—whether with referrals, free trials, or event invitations—and emphasize providing value.

Tip: Cold calling is relationship-building, not selling. Listen more, provide value, and follow up. Use CRMs and automation software to monitor conversations and improve the process.

🚀Before you begin dialing…remember to check your contact list. A clean list saves time and increases success. So, begin with verified data and make each call count!

Check Your Contact List Quality Now

Start Validating

Get 100 Free Credits

FAQs: Cold Calling Tips & Best Practices

1. Considering low conversion rates, are cold calls a wise investment?

Cold calls might have a low conversion rate, but they are an effective way to implant information about your product and help get the word out on the street.

Most consumers prefer cold calls over other e-marketing tactics. Just make sure you are reaching out to the right person at the right time.

2. What are the legalities surrounding cold calling?

Almost all countries allow you to telemarket and cold call, except the EU, which needs a person’s explicit agreement to receive cold calls. Most countries have only the following requirements:

Disclose the purpose of the call
Give opt-out options
Register as a telemarketing company
Maintain records of the telemarketing campaigns

3. How frequently should I cold call the same person?

You should call the same person more than once only if they express interest. If they explicitly say no, time to move on to the next.

4. How can I incorporate better timing for cold calling?

It is very important to time your calls perfectly and catch your prospects at the best time to cold call. This is one of the best cold-calling techniques, and these are the following steps you can take:

Optimizing and Validating Call Lists Based on Timezones:
By using timezone data you can organize call lists to reach prospects during their local business hours, maximizing the chances of connecting.
Prioritizing Leads with Timezone Segmentation:
Segmenting leads by timezone helps sales teams prioritize high-value or ‘hot’ prospects in specific regions. This is particularly useful when time is limited.
Configuring Automated Workflows Based On Timezone Data:
Timezone information helps you schedule your follow-up emails, reminders, and notifications better – to be sent automatically at a time when the contacts are most likely to respond.