Cold Calling vs. Cold Emailing: Which Works Best?

If you could only choose one—cold calling or cold emailing—which would it be?

It’s a question I hear all the time, and the answer isn’t as simple as you might think.

Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice depends on your goals, your prospects, and your sales strategy.

Let’s break it down: the pros and cons of cold calling and cold emailing—and why the real magic happens when you combine the two.

The Case for Cold Calling

Cold calling is often seen as old-school, but its effectiveness hasn’t faded. Here’s why:

Strengths:

• Real-Time Conversations: Nothing beats the immediacy of a live conversation for building rapport and addressing objections.
• Higher Engagement: A phone call demands attention in a way that an email can’t.
• Faster Results: You can gauge interest and move prospects through the pipeline more quickly.

Weaknesses:

• Time-Intensive: Calls take more time and effort than emails.
• Lower Answer Rates: Many prospects don’t answer calls from unknown numbers.

Best Use: Cold calling works best when you need to build trust quickly or handle complex objections in real time.

The Case for Cold Emailing

Cold emailing has become the go-to for many sales reps, and for good reason.

Strengths:

• Scalability: You can reach hundreds of prospects with just one well-crafted email.
• Convenience: Prospects can engage with your message on their own time.
• Easy to Personalize: Tools like templates and dynamic content make personalization scalable.

Weaknesses:

• Lower Response Rates: Many emails get ignored or end up in spam folders.
• Lack of Immediate Feedback: You can’t address objections or questions in real time.

Best Use: Cold emailing shines when you need to scale your outreach or start the conversation with a well-researched prospect.

Why You Shouldn’t Choose Just One

Here’s the truth: cold calling and cold emailing aren’t competitors—they’re teammates. When you combine them into a multi-channel strategy, the results speak for themselves.

Why the Combo Works:

1. Warm Calls: Use cold emails to prime prospects before calling them.
2. Follow-Ups: Send a quick email after a call to recap key points and keep the conversation going.
3. Broader Reach: Some prospects prefer calls, while others respond better to emails—this approach ensures you cover both.

For example, one of our clients saw a 30% increase in meetings booked after adding follow-up calls to their cold email cadence.

How to Combine Cold Calls and Emails

Here’s a simple strategy to get started:

1. Start with a Cold Email: Personalize your message and introduce your value proposition.
2. Follow Up with a Call: Reference the email and build on it with a real-time conversation.
3. Send a Recap Email: After the call, send a quick summary to reinforce your points and outline next steps.
4. Repeat: Space out your touchpoints over 1–2 weeks to stay top of mind without overwhelming your prospect.

Ready to Master Both?

Cold calling and cold emailing each have their place in a field sales strategy. When you use them together, you’re not just doubling your efforts—you’re maximizing your chances of success.

Download our free ebook on field sales to start closing more deals. Or schedule a demo with me to see how easy it is to cold email or call from your mobile phone. Prefer a quick chat? Send me an InMail to get on my calendar.

Let’s put the best of both worlds to work for you.

Your friend,

Samir

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