Here’s the reality I’m seeing every day as we close out 2024: cold calling is back, baby. At least in B2B. And It never really went anywhere. People just wanted a shortcut.
The shortcut arrived – automated and personalized emails, LinkedIn dm’s and even comments are now easily accessible to any sales team.
The result? More noise and less engagement than ever.
Getting your email heavy SDR team to dial is a battle in it’s own right.
After advising 100+ B2B companies across cybersecurity, SaaS and various services on how to build calling culture, I can say with certainty that cold calling isn’t most sellers favorite part of the job, and unless you enable them with the right tools that guarantee they don’t feel like they’re wasting their time – the excuses will roll and the KPI’s will suffer.
Below is a guide on how to choose the right dialer for your team.
The Three Main Types of Dialers
There are three primary types of dialers on the market today (and no, your sales engagement platform DOESN’T COUNT):
- Power Dialers
- Parallel Dialers
- Agent-Assisted Dialers
1. Power Dialers
A power dialer is the first step up from “click-to-call.” It calls one number at a time and automatically moves on to the next number the second a call ends or goes to voicemail. It’s faster than manually dialing or hitting that call button over and over, but it’s still “one call at a time.”
Pros:
- Inexpensive compared to more advanced solutions. ($40 – $150/license)
- Integrates with common CRMs and sales engagement platforms.
- Great starter solution if you’re brand new to outbound calling.
Cons:
- Slowest of the three types.
- You’ll still spend a lot of time listening to rings and voicemails.
Notable Vendors:
PhoneBurner and Trellus are two that I’ve used extensively and recommend to any starter.
2. Parallel Dialers
Parallel dialers jump you into the fast lane by calling multiple numbers simultaneously. While you’re waiting, the software’s AI is listening in on multiple calls, identifying which pick up so it can connect you instantly.
Pros:
- Faster connect rates.
- Advanced features like voicemail drops, local presence dialing, and dynamic number grading (i.e., learning which numbers are more likely to pick up over time).
- Some solutions have “virtual sales floors,” letting distributed teams call together from anywhere.
Cons:
- Pricier than power dialers. ($250+/license)
- Requires a moderate level of data quality and sales operations maturity to really shine.
Notable Vendors:
Orum and Nooks dominate this space. Their integrations with Salesloft, Outreach, and Apollo are rock-solid. I’ve seen clients ramp up their connect rates significantly with these tools.
3. Agent-Assisted Dialers
Agent-assisted dialers are the cream of the crop. In this model, a live call center agent (often offshore) does all the heavy lifting – navigating phone trees, dealing with receptionists, and ensuring that by the time your rep hears a “Hello?” it’s the right prospect on the line. You just hit “go,” and it’s like having your own personal concierge finding your ideal targets.
Pros:
- Easiest rep experience (fewest buttons to press, minimal downtime).
- Highest potential connect rates since humans are working behind the scenes on your behalf.
- Integrates with major CRMs and SEPs seamlessly.
Cons:
- Cost, cost, and did I mention cost? This is premium stuff. ($1000+/license)
- Less direct control over which numbers are dialed at any given moment – it’s a bit of a black box.
Notable Vendors:
ConnectAndSell and MonsterConnect are key players here. While they also offer parallel solutions, the real winner is the agent-assisted model.
Which One Is Right For You?
The perfect solution depends.
- Team Size & Budget: Smaller teams with tighter budgets might prefer power dialers or even just upgrading from “click-to-call” to something like PhoneBurner. Bigger teams with more budget can look at Orum or Nooks for parallel dialing or go all-in with an agent-assisted solution if every conversation counts big-time.
- Data Quality: If you’re just using Apollo’s built-in data (notorious for ~40% mobile accuracy), you might struggle to get ROI positive results from an expensive dialer. On the other hand, if you’ve got high-quality direct dials, a parallel or agent-assisted dialer can spin that straw into gold.
- Sales Motion Complexity: If you’re in an enterprise sales environment where each conversation is big money and you can’t afford to waste time playing phone tag, agent-assisted might be worth the investment. If your sales model is high-volume, wide-net outreach, parallel dialers will simply make more sense.
Don’t Go It Alone
I do trainings on how to use these dialers effectively, from handling objections to crafting a killer opening line that keeps people on the phone. Retaining my ongoing help isn’t cheap, but the first call is always free.
Final Word
At the end of the day, all these vendors – PhoneBurner, Trellus, Orum, Nooks, ConnectAndSell, Monster Connect – are building strong solutions. They’re all trying to solve the same fundamental problem: getting you more, better conversations, faster. The difference is in how they go about it and what you should invest at your current stage.
2025 will be big for cold calling. The noise machine will keep automating automations. Want your SDR’s to stand out and book high quality meetings? Enable them to pick up the phone CONSISTENTLY.
Cheers,
Kevin Hopp
Independent Consultant, Founder of Calling Culture
