Cold calling: Does it work?
Cold calling works to a small extent, but it’s not tailored.
It doesn’t generate high-quality leads.
Cold calling can feel outdated in a world that prioritizes personalization and meaningful engagement. By adopting modern alternatives, businesses can connect with prospects in ways that are more effective and less intrusive.
Here are cold calling alternatives your sales professionals must know to drive high-quality leads.
8 Effective Alternatives for Cold Calling
Email Prospecting: Personalized and Scalable
Cold calls often feel intrusive, leading to immediate rejection. In contrast, emails offer a less aggressive and more scalable way to engage prospects. That’s why many marketers are switching to email marketing.
Emails are highly effective channels because they deliver incredible ROI. For every $1 spent, they deliver a return on investment (ROI) of $36.
In 2024, 4.48 billion users leveraged email for marketing efforts.
However, these figures are achievable only when emails are done right. Generic emails are often ignored or marked as spam.
To avoid this, segment and personalize your emails. Group audiences based on roles or industries to address specific challenges like improving ROI or reducing inefficiencies. Use tools like HubSpot to automate sequences and ensure consistent follow-ups.
For instance, a SaaS provider targeting HR professionals could share a case study showcasing how their platform reduced onboarding time by 50%.
Social Selling on LinkedIn: Building Relationships
LinkedIn is a powerful avenue for B2B engagement. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 84% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn outperforms all other platforms in delivering value for organizations.
However, sales teams often struggle to initiate meaningful conversations on LinkedIn without coming across as spammy.
Social selling addresses this challenge by focusing on relationship-building rather than pitching.
Optimize your LinkedIn profile, engage with prospects’ posts, and start conversations based on shared interests.
For example, a marketing consultant might comment on a prospect’s post about industry trends and later share an article on brand awareness strategies. Layering these interactions builds trust before initiating a sales discussion.
Content Marketing: Attracting and Educating Prospects
More than half of marketers use social videos (77%), branded stories (61%), and how-to videos (59%) in their video marketing initiatives (Content Marketing Institute).
Why is content marketing gaining popularity in prospecting?
Content marketing focuses on addressing the pain points of your prospects, making them aware of potential solutions—something cold calling often lacks. It educates your audience through valuable resources, such as SEO-optimized blogs, whitepapers, and videos tackling common industry challenges.
For example, a cybersecurity company might publish a blog titled “5 Overlooked Security Risks in 2025” and use it to generate leads through gated downloads.
Distributing this content via email, social media, and content syndication channels increases reach by promoting it on high-traffic platforms. Content syndication offers great ROI, helping you attract a broader, targeted audience.
Additionally, leveraging content marketing in lead generation and appointment setting, businesses ensure that prospects are nurtured effectively, laying the groundwork for meaningful sales conversations.
Doing this enables you to reach the right audience while positioning your business as a thought leader.
Hosting Webinars and Virtual Events: Engaging and Educating
Cold calls rarely allow for meaningful, two-way interactions.
Hosting webinars and virtual events solves this. It creates a platform for prospects to engage directly with your expertise.
Over half of B2B marketers say in-person events (56%) and webinars (51%) are the best channels for sharing content and achieving great results (Content Marketing Institute).
However, hosting webinars without relevant topics or post-event follow-ups can lead to wasted opportunities.
Choose topics that address key pain points, such as “How AI Streamlines Sales Processes.” Promote the event via email and LinkedIn. Include interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions to boost engagement. Follow up with attendees. Provide personalized resources or demos based on their questions.
AI-Powered Chatbots: Instant, Personalized Responses
Global retail spending on chatbots is forecasted to hit $72 billion by 2028, up from $12 billion in 2023 (Juniper Research).
Missed opportunities often occur when prospects visit a website but leave without engaging.
AI-powered chatbots eliminate this gap. How? They provide instant, personalized responses.
You’ll need to program chatbots to answer FAQs, guide visitors to relevant resources, and even schedule demos.
For example, a CRM company’s chatbot could ask visitors about their challenges and recommend tailored solutions. By capturing qualified leads 24/7, chatbots ensure no prospect slips through the cracks.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM): Focused Targeting
Finding high-quality leads was the biggest challenge for 61% of marketers in 2024 (RollWorks). Cold calling often wastes time on unqualified leads, but ABM focuses on high-value accounts.
ABM resolves this. It allows you to focus on high-value accounts. How does it work? Sales teams use intent data to identify prospects actively searching for solutions.
Moving further, they can also use personalized campaigns—such as targeted ads, direct mail, and custom video proposals. With this, you’ll be able to address specific challenges faced by these accounts.
For example, a software company might send a detailed proposal to a large enterprise outlining how their solution can streamline operations.
Aligned sales and marketing teams are a default feature of ABM. The result? You’ll provide tailored follow-ups with consistent messaging.
Paid Advertising and Retargeting: Staying Top of Mind
Retargeting campaigns are used by 77% of marketers to re-engage lost leads. (DemandSage).
Marketers often ask questions like, “How effective are retargeting campaigns?” “What do the latest retargeting statistics reveal?” and “Which platforms are best for retargeting?” when planning a retargeting ad strategy.
By targeting website visitors with ads offering free trials or case studies, you can guide them further along the buyer journey.
For example, a SaaS provider could retarget prospects who visited their demo page with ads promoting a limited-time discount.
For the best outcome, align ad content with the buyer’s journey—such as educational infographics in the awareness stage and ROI calculators in the decision stage. This ensures relevance and maximizes impact.
Referrals: Leveraging Existing Relationships
Cold calling often feels impersonal, making it difficult to build trust.
Referrals solve this by leveraging existing relationships. They are valuable, especially when they come from satisfied clients.
Such clients become brand ambassadors for your product or services.They introduce you to peers who trust their recommendations.
To further enhance effectiveness, offer incentives like discounts or exclusive resources to encourage referrals.
For instance, a digital marketing agency could ask a long-term client to recommend their services to another business in their network.
This warm approach increases the likelihood of conversion, making them loyal customers.
In Conclusion:
Cold calling can work, but it’s not always the best fit for every business or industry.
Thankfully, there are smarter and more effective alternatives.
These strategies help you engage your audience consistently and drive steady revenue.
Personalized approaches like these reach more customers and deliver better results.
