GITNUXREPORT 2025

B2B Cold Calling Statistics

Cold calling remains vital despite low success; personalization improves results significantly.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

Only 1% of cold calls result in a scheduled appointment

Statistic 2

The average cold call lasts 58 seconds before the prospect hangs up or disengages

Statistic 3

The success rate of cold calling in B2B is approximately 2%

Statistic 4

49% of buyers say they have returned to a company after a positive experience with cold calling sales

Statistic 5

67% of salespeople believe that cold calling is the most effective way to generate high-quality leads

Statistic 6

The median number of contacts needed to reach a prospect is 8

Statistic 7

34% of salespeople say cold calling is their most productive activity

Statistic 8

61% of sales teams report that outbound sales, including cold calls, has increased in effectiveness over the past year

Statistic 9

Personalized cold calls are 20% more likely to result in a positive outcome

Statistic 10

57% of cold calls go unanswered, leading to a need for more call attempts

Statistic 11

90% of cold calls are ignored or rejected, emphasizing the importance of follow-up

Statistic 12

81% of sales organizations are actively investing in cold calling training

Statistic 13

78% of consumers have made a purchase after a cold call, if the call was relevant

Statistic 14

83% of cold calls are considered unproductive by sales reps, highlighting the challenge in cold calling efficiency

Statistic 15

54% of B2B buyers report that cold calling directly influences their purchasing decision

Statistic 16

Companies experience a 25% increase in lead conversion rates when combining cold calling with email campaigns

Statistic 17

51% of sales teams attribute increased sales to their cold calling efforts

Statistic 18

The average number of calls needed to reach a decision maker is 10, requiring persistent outreach

Statistic 19

58% of sales reps say that their biggest challenge is getting past gatekeepers

Statistic 20

66% of cold calls are from salespeople trying to reach multiple prospects at once, often leading to lower success rates

Statistic 21

92% of all B2B interactions happen over the phone

Statistic 22

85% of decision makers prefer to be contacted via cold calls

Statistic 23

63% of buyers prefer to be contacted by phone

Statistic 24

82% of prospects say they accept meetings with new vendors, if the vendor reasonably fits their needs

Statistic 25

53% of buyers say they prefer to be contacted by phone rather than email

Statistic 26

77% of sales teams use voicemail drops to increase contact rates

Statistic 27

65% of cold calls are made using mobile phones, indicating a shift towards mobile prospecting

Statistic 28

86% of B2B companies consider lead generation their top priority

Statistic 29

Cold calling costs on average $5.41 per lead

Statistic 30

78% of decision makers say that cold calls are an essential part of B2B sales

Statistic 31

60% of sales reps believe cold calling is a necessary skill

Statistic 32

57% of salespeople report that prospecting is the most challenging part of sales

Statistic 33

69% of buyers have made at least one purchase after a sales call

Statistic 34

55% of salespeople say they are more confident in cold calling when they have a script

Statistic 35

76% of buyers say they expect sales reps to demonstrate industry knowledge during calls

Statistic 36

89% of prospects say they hang up if a sales pitch doesn’t immediately address their needs

Statistic 37

70% of prospects say that they’ve taken a sales call from a competitor after initial rejection, indicating the importance of persistence

Statistic 38

44% of salespeople say they do not call at all due to lack of confidence

Statistic 39

64% of decision makers believe sales reps are unprepared during calls, highlighting the need for better training

Statistic 40

90% of buyers say they prefer to do business with companies that contact them proactively, including cold calls

Statistic 41

72% of salespeople believe cold calling is effective for building rapport

Statistic 42

65% of decision makers prefer to receive calls from familiar salespeople, indicating the importance of relationship-building

Statistic 43

40% of salespeople say they would prefer to replace cold calling with social selling

Statistic 44

88% of B2B buyers agree that cold calls are an acceptable way for salespeople to contact them, if necessary

Statistic 45

90% of prospects say that a prospecting call that was personalized was more effective

Statistic 46

79% of prospects say they do not answer cold calls from unknown numbers, making caller ID and other strategies critical

Statistic 47

80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls

Statistic 48

The optimum time for cold calls is between 4-5 pm, according to 70% of sales professionals

Statistic 49

85% of cold calls are made on a weekday, primarily between Tuesday and Thursday

Statistic 50

70% of cold calls are made during business hours, with the rest outside typical working hours to reach more prospects

Statistic 51

72% of decision makers prefer a follow-up email after a cold call, increasing chances of engagement

Slide 1 of 51

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Key Highlights

92% of all B2B interactions happen over the phone
85% of decision makers prefer to be contacted via cold calls
Only 1% of cold calls result in a scheduled appointment
80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls
63% of buyers prefer to be contacted by phone
The average cold call lasts 58 seconds before the prospect hangs up or disengages
78% of decision makers say that cold calls are an essential part of B2B sales
60% of sales reps believe cold calling is a necessary skill
The success rate of cold calling in B2B is approximately 2%
82% of prospects say they accept meetings with new vendors, if the vendor reasonably fits their needs
49% of buyers say they have returned to a company after a positive experience with cold calling sales
67% of salespeople believe that cold calling is the most effective way to generate high-quality leads
The median number of contacts needed to reach a prospect is 8

Despite making over 80% of B2B sales interactions via phone, cold calling remains a challenging and often unproductive strategy, with only about 2% success in securing appointments—yet its potential to generate high-quality leads keeps it at the forefront of sales efforts.

Cold Calling Effectiveness and Success Rates

Only 1% of cold calls result in a scheduled appointment
The average cold call lasts 58 seconds before the prospect hangs up or disengages
The success rate of cold calling in B2B is approximately 2%
49% of buyers say they have returned to a company after a positive experience with cold calling sales
67% of salespeople believe that cold calling is the most effective way to generate high-quality leads
The median number of contacts needed to reach a prospect is 8
34% of salespeople say cold calling is their most productive activity
61% of sales teams report that outbound sales, including cold calls, has increased in effectiveness over the past year
Personalized cold calls are 20% more likely to result in a positive outcome
57% of cold calls go unanswered, leading to a need for more call attempts
90% of cold calls are ignored or rejected, emphasizing the importance of follow-up
81% of sales organizations are actively investing in cold calling training
78% of consumers have made a purchase after a cold call, if the call was relevant
83% of cold calls are considered unproductive by sales reps, highlighting the challenge in cold calling efficiency
54% of B2B buyers report that cold calling directly influences their purchasing decision
Companies experience a 25% increase in lead conversion rates when combining cold calling with email campaigns
51% of sales teams attribute increased sales to their cold calling efforts
The average number of calls needed to reach a decision maker is 10, requiring persistent outreach
58% of sales reps say that their biggest challenge is getting past gatekeepers
66% of cold calls are from salespeople trying to reach multiple prospects at once, often leading to lower success rates

Cold Calling Effectiveness and Success Rates Interpretation

While cold calling remains a numbers game—averaging around 10 calls per successful appointment—and despite 61% of sales teams seeing improved effectiveness, the harsh reality is that 90% of calls are ignored or rejected, making a compelling case that persistence, personalization, and strategic follow-up are the only ways to turn those fleeting 1% victories into meaningful conversions.

Communication Preferences and Contact Methods

92% of all B2B interactions happen over the phone
85% of decision makers prefer to be contacted via cold calls
63% of buyers prefer to be contacted by phone
82% of prospects say they accept meetings with new vendors, if the vendor reasonably fits their needs
53% of buyers say they prefer to be contacted by phone rather than email
77% of sales teams use voicemail drops to increase contact rates
65% of cold calls are made using mobile phones, indicating a shift towards mobile prospecting

Communication Preferences and Contact Methods Interpretation

With most decision-makers favoring phone calls over emails and a growing trend toward mobile prospecting, cold calling remains not just relevant but arguably the most effective gateway in the B2B sales labyrinth—if you can master the art of the reasonably fitting pitch.

Cost, Resources, and Investment in Cold Outreach

86% of B2B companies consider lead generation their top priority
Cold calling costs on average $5.41 per lead

Cost, Resources, and Investment in Cold Outreach Interpretation

With 86% of B2B companies prioritizing lead generation and cold calling costing just $5.41 per lead, it’s clear that dialing for dollars remains one of the most economical and essential strategies in the sales arsenal—if only it weren’t so daunting!

Salesperson and Buyer Attitudes Toward Cold Calling

78% of decision makers say that cold calls are an essential part of B2B sales
60% of sales reps believe cold calling is a necessary skill
57% of salespeople report that prospecting is the most challenging part of sales
69% of buyers have made at least one purchase after a sales call
55% of salespeople say they are more confident in cold calling when they have a script
76% of buyers say they expect sales reps to demonstrate industry knowledge during calls
89% of prospects say they hang up if a sales pitch doesn’t immediately address their needs
70% of prospects say that they’ve taken a sales call from a competitor after initial rejection, indicating the importance of persistence
44% of salespeople say they do not call at all due to lack of confidence
64% of decision makers believe sales reps are unprepared during calls, highlighting the need for better training
90% of buyers say they prefer to do business with companies that contact them proactively, including cold calls
72% of salespeople believe cold calling is effective for building rapport
65% of decision makers prefer to receive calls from familiar salespeople, indicating the importance of relationship-building
40% of salespeople say they would prefer to replace cold calling with social selling
88% of B2B buyers agree that cold calls are an acceptable way for salespeople to contact them, if necessary
90% of prospects say that a prospecting call that was personalized was more effective
79% of prospects say they do not answer cold calls from unknown numbers, making caller ID and other strategies critical

Salesperson and Buyer Attitudes Toward Cold Calling Interpretation

Despite skepticism about cold calls, the data reveals that nearly 9 in 10 buyers consider proactive outreach acceptable and effective—highlighting that with industry knowledge, personalization, and persistence, cold calling remains a vital, if challenging, tool for B2B sales success.

Timing, Techniques, and Follow-up Strategies

80% of sales require 5 follow-up calls
The optimum time for cold calls is between 4-5 pm, according to 70% of sales professionals
85% of cold calls are made on a weekday, primarily between Tuesday and Thursday
70% of cold calls are made during business hours, with the rest outside typical working hours to reach more prospects
72% of decision makers prefer a follow-up email after a cold call, increasing chances of engagement

Timing, Techniques, and Follow-up Strategies Interpretation

In the high-stakes game of B2B cold calling, persistence pays off—requiring five follow-ups on average, strategic timing between 4-5 pm on weekdays, and a savvy blend of calls and emails to turn prospects into partners.