Cold Calling Software: Do’s and Don’ts for Outbound Sales

Cold calling software makes hard work easy and keeps your agents productive and happy. Learn about the do’s and don’ts of cold calling for your outbound sales team.

Cold calling doesn’t work. 

Is this something you’ve heard before?

This statement is far from true. According to the latest research, 49% of buyers prefer to be contacted through phone calls.

Cold calls may not be the problem here, but rather the way in which your sales team tries to reach out to prospects. What about investing in cold calling software? Is it going to solve the problem?

If you have any doubts, this piece will show you why cold calling software could be a good way to improve the effectiveness of your calls. We’ll show you the best and worst practices of using this type of software. Learn how this solution can help your agents get the most out of their work.

What is cold calling software and should I use it?

Cold calling software are solutions that are designed to streamline sales teamwork by managing leads and making calls more efficient. This type of software makes automating calls possible, which helps with reaching out to more prospects.

Having access to many metrics that the software gives us, including sales activity and call performance, can provide your business with deeper insights into agents’ productivity to help you improve.

What are the other benefits of such a solution? Here are some of the main ones:

• Streamlines workflow – by using automated dialling, you and your team will be able to run through calls much faster while increasing your productivity.
• Increases chances of closing a deal – it helps with tracking leads and getting information about your potential clients, which you can use to lead conversations better.
• Saves time – it helps organize and optimize your time, which is essential for boosting your performance.
• Makes calls more personal – by integrating cold calling software with CRM systems, your agents will have more information about their leads so they can personalize their pitches.
• Contributes to development – cold calling software provides advanced call statistics that help you identify areas for improvement and determine friction points.

Now that you know the advantages of cold calling software, you need to learn some best practices to give you the most value. Get a grasp on cold calling strategies and learn what to do and what to avoid (primarily from a legal aspect).

Do’s of using cold calling software

The following are a few tips you can follow to ensure that you use cold calling software effectively and, more importantly, safely.

Choose reliable software

Let’s start with aspects that you should take into account when choosing cold calling software. The one you pick should definitely be trustworthy. Ultimately, it will somehow hold the key to your business. Is there any way to guarantee you are making a good choice?

There are certain steps you should not skip, because they might tell you a lot about the potential provider:

1. Make sure you carry out thorough research and check references, not only on the company website but also on forums and platforms like G2 or Capterra.
2. Verify the safety of their software, whether they adhere to the highest security standards. Make sure the company regularly audits their data centers and that all information is encrypted.
3. Cold calling software must also follow GDPR guidelines (For example, Cloudtalk.io uses them for clients outside of the EU, who are not directly affected by these regulations, to improve the overall safety of the product).

Choosing the right software is quite difficult. Clearly, you have to consider more than just a good price and a wide range of features.

Research your local laws

Cold calls are a legitimate way to reach new customers if you follow specific rules. Not doing so can lead to problems. Laws vary by country and in the USA, each state has different rules regarding cold calling.

Countries must establish such limitations to prevent harassing residents or gaining access to sensitive information about them illegally. Otherwise, some companies could exploit such data. What should you do to make sure that you have covered every aspect of applicable laws in your country?

Some countries impose time restrictions in which a caller can try to reach out to new customers. These limitations don’t apply to people who are already a particular company’s customer.

There are also specific rules about how callers should introduce themselves, what information must be given, etc. There is also a thin line for automatic connections. In some cases, they’re forbidden entirely. Remember to get to know the local laws and see how restrictions look in your country.

Create a script

How about the next “Do”? You need to be prepared for the conversation and create a cold calling script. This means you should:

• Introduce yourself
• State which company you’re calling from 
• Establish contact by asking some questions first
• Use a positioning statement to show your prospects that you understand their problems

Even if you have a well-prepared script, remember that people can sense if you read from written notes or artificially try to proceed with a conversation. As a result, they will assume that what you’re saying is a waste of time. Try to give your voice a natural tone and be energetic – people will appreciate you not sounding like a robot.

Remember to practice the script before you start calling. Prepare yourself for the questions that people might ask you. Try to intrigue and interest the prospect right at the beginning of the conversation.

If you use cold calling software with the right script, you will be able to easily have interactions that make your prospects feel heard. This will give you the confidence to close deals.

Create specific lists for calling

As you probably know, you can easily integrate your cold calling software with CRM systems. Be careful, though. 

Choose your prospects carefully rather than calling everyone from your database. Put them in specific groups to increase the effectiveness of your sales team. By doing so, conversations can take priority over entering data.

Prioritize your leads. Start by contacting those who are more likely to be interested in your offer. Cold-calling data indicates that if you reach a contact within the minute they are tagged as a lead, you increase your chances of conversion by almost 400%.

DON’Ts of using cold calling software

Now let’s discover which things you need to avoid at all costs. Here are some of the worst practices and tips on how to keep away from them. 

Don’t spend most of the time talking – listen instead

All sales agents focus on talking. What should they say, how to say it, and in what tone, etc. However, most of them forget about one of the most important things. There is a person on the other side of the phone who you should listen to carefully.

Listening to your prospects carefully is the key to success. Sounds too deep? It shouldn’t. Give your prospects the opportunity to speak. There is no doubt that you need to communicate a lot, but try to keep your monologue short (and not by throwing words out at the speed of light).

Listening is an easy way to build trust and make people feel more valued. It’s also a great way to get to know more about prospects’ needs and expectations. 93% of buyers believe that the ability to collaborate during a call is a deciding factor for their purchasing decision.

Cold calling is a two-way conversation. Make sure you ask open-ended questions to make prospects feel comfortable speaking up. 

Don’t use any number

The next thing that you should avoid is using the same number for all countries that you operate in. A phone number being unfamiliar or from abroad makes people suspicious that it is a scam. Because of that, it is essential to use local numbers.

Furthermore, local numbers allow your customers to call you at standard local rates or for free from abroad. So if your company operates in more than one country, you should use a feature that gives access to international phone numbers.

Cloudtalk can help you with this. It gives you access to numbers from more than 160 countries around the World. Additionally, you can select between geocodes and non-geographic codes (which tend to be more familiar to users because they know it will be charged locally).

It is beneficial to use international phone numbers in the long term since fewer calls will go unanswered. 

Don’t call unprepared

Before you even think about calling a particular number, research the prospect thoroughly to ensure you have enough information to start a conversation. Luckily, cold calling software integration with CRM systems lets you quickly verify details with one click. There is nothing more frustrating than receiving a call that was not intended for you.

Look up the data about your prospect in advance to make your conversation more personal. This should be your ritual before a call. Thorough research will ensure that you are communicating with the right person within the organization. 

Cold calling software allows you to gather information such as caller ID. You may want to begin a conversation with “Hello, Beth”, for example. Also, such integrations will grant you access to contact history and possible past engagement.

By conducting proper research, you will appear unprofessional and selfish, so make sure you find out as much as you can about your prospects.

Don’t be unclear 

“Excuse me, can you repeat that please?” Don’t waste your and your prospects’ time by speaking too fast or being unclear. Trying to fit as many words into as little time as possible isn’t a good idea.

Explain the purpose of your call from the very beginning. Prepare a strong opening sentence. Think about something that will differentiate your call from other companies.

With each call, you will gain more confidence. Did you know that people can “hear” a smile when you speak? Be positive, talk clearly, briefly, and to the point. You will notice the difference.

Top 10 Cold Calling Software Solutions

1. CloudTalk

Cloudtalks’ benefits

CloudTalk is a cloud-based call center and business phone system built to maximize your customer support efforts across all channels. All you need to do is choose a number for one of the 160 supported countries, and you can instantly start optimizing your workflows with advanced features, including IVR, click-to-call, power dialers, and more! CloudTalk also supports 35 other powerful integrations for helpdesk, e-commerce, and CRM systems, including HubSpot and Zendesk.

Key features

• High-quality calls with guaranteed latency and minimal jitter
• Smooth workflow with our Intelligent call-routing tools
• Callback feature that redials the number until connected with the agent
• Redirecting calls during busy hours or when outside the office
• The call masking feature keeps your number private

What is CloudTalk missing?

According to some users, CloudTalk Analytics needed a refresh, which would afford our users deeper insights into the data that drives their business forward. 

We answered the call and recently launched Analytics 2.0, a powerful new data-visualization framework that gives users in-depth reports on the day-to-day operations of their call center. Identify problem areas and apply data-driven solutions faster than you ever thought possible. 

What Type of Business Is It Best For?

CloudTalk is the perfect phone system for mid-sized companies looking to grow. Typically, it’s used in sales for outbound calls and customer service for inbound calls.

Pricing

• Lite plan (U.S. and Canada): $19 per user/month billed annually
• Starter plan: $25 per user/month billed annually
• Essential plan: 29 per user/month billed annually
• Expert plan: $49 per user/month billed annually
• Custom plan: Contact our team for a tailor-made offer

2. Aircall 

Aircall is an advanced calling solution used by 15,000+ clients. It’s designed to speed up sales processes, boost communication with prospects, and close more deals. You can automatically dial multiple candidates in a back-to-back queue and surface crucial contact information directly within the phone interface. 

Aircall’s benefits

Aircall excels when it comes to automation. The provider also features many useful integrations, including Intercom, Pipedrive, and Zapier. Furthermore, it offers Advanced automation tools, user-friendly apps, and reliable customer support.

Key features

• Automatic Call Distribution
• Call Monitoring
• Call Transfer
• Call Recording 
• Call routing

What is Aircall missing?

Aircall lacks some essential video-calling features. Webinar hosting and screen-sharing capabilities are severely limited on the platform, which can lead to a fair amount of frustration for users. 

What Type of Business Is It Best For?

Aircall is a calling software primarily targeted at small businesses using the phone to conduct sales and support business daily, but certainly not all of them. Think about how frequently your team uses smart dialers. You might consider looking elsewhere if they’re a core part of your day-to-day work. 

Pricing

3. Justcall

Justcall is a cloud phone system that provides businesses with a seamless calling experience. It’s a VoIP solution offering advanced features and tools for managing customer communications. The company was founded in 2016 and has grown to serve over 6,000 customers globally.

Justcall’s benefits

• Integrates with multiple CRM and helpdesk platforms, including HubSpot, Zendesk, and Freshdesk.
• Provides a dedicated mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.
• It offers local phone numbers in over 95 countries and enables you to make calls anywhere worldwide.
• It lets you track your team’s performance with real-time analytics and insights.

Key features

• Automatic Call Distribution: Route calls to the right agent or team based on their skill set and availability.
• Call Recording: Keep a record of all incoming and outgoing calls.
• Call Masking: Protect your agents’ privacy using Justcall’s masking feature, which replaces their phone numbers with a business number.
• International Phone Numbers: Get local phone numbers in over 95 countries worldwide.
• Conference Calls: Easily add up to 50 participants to a call with Justcall’s conference calling feature.

What is Justcall Missing?

Justcall doesn’t offer some of the more advanced features, such as auto-attendant, call tagging, or skill-based routing. Additionally, while it does offer some integrations with popular CRM platforms, it doesn’t offer as many as some other competitors.

What Type of Business is It Best For?

Justcall is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses that need a reliable phone system with advanced features. Its integrations with popular CRM and helpdesk platforms make it a great choice for sales and customer service teams.

Pricing

4. Ringover

Ringover is a cloud-based phone system offering various features to enhance business communications, including call recording, IVR, and analytics. The software provides multichannel communication options, including voice, chat, and video.

Ringover’s benefits

• Easy to set up and use.
• Integrations with various third-party tools.
• 24/7 customer support.
• Mobile application for on-the-go business management.
• Advanced analytics and reporting tools.

Key features

• Call Recording: Records and stores all calls for future reference.
• IVR System: Offers a menu of options for customers to direct their calls.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Allows managers to monitor calls and agents in real-time.
• Multichannel Communication: Offers voice, chat, and video options for communication.
• Analytics and Reporting: Provides data-driven insights into call volume and agent performance.

What is Ringover Missing?

Ringover’s pricing plans can be expensive for small businesses, and its customer service can be slow to respond. Additionally, some users have reported issues with the software’s call quality and reliability.

What Type of Business is it Best For?

Ringover is a good choice for businesses of all sizes that require a multichannel communication solution with advanced analytics and reporting tools.

Pricing

5. 8×8

8×8 is an evergreen telephony solution focusing on integrations and analytics. The provider is well-suited for enterprises, but lower-tier subscriptions also work for smaller organizations. There are many benefits 8×8 can offer its subscribers.

8×8′ benefits

First, the provider has built an Analytics system that can effectively track large-scale business processes. 8×8’s reporting system centralizes all data in a single place so managers can make their teams more organized and speed up their workflow. You’ll also get real-time reports.

Then, we have the solution’s comprehensive integrations with software like Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and many more. Furthermore, 8×8 users get unlimited calling to 40+ countries. 8×8 telephony software has a smart dialer, click-to-call, and call recording.

Key features

• Call Center Management
• IVR
• Contact Management
• Analytics & Reporting
• Call Monitoring

What is 8×8 missing?

If you own a business that works globally, there are a few things about 8×8 you might want to consider:

A crucial restriction, mainly for big international companies, is that there are regional constraints on unlimited calling. Users with the basic Express plan can only use unlimited calling in the US and Canada.  

• Office is required: You need an office where you want to call to get a number from there.
  
• Geographical restrictions for SMS: You can only use the SMS feature within the US, and 8×8 does not cover costs for mobile numbers in Brazil.
  
• Integrations: 8×8 doesn’t partner with telco companies so users won’t have native integration with specific solutions like WhatsApp. The tech team must set up non-native integrations.
  
• Features: 8×8 lacks features like call tagging for more efficient calling processes, call masking for protecting your personal information, and API for connecting with the tools you love. Automation tools like IVR, skill-based routing, or automated callback come only with high-tier plans. You have to pay extra to get a call recording. 

What Type of Business Is It Best For?

Flexible for Any Business

Pricing

6. Dialpad

Unless you’re new to the VoIP telephony market, you’ll surely have heard of Dialpad. It’s a reliable, unified telephony solution with simple built-in AI and advanced analytics. A live chat, phone hotline, and knowledge base make it a great deal for customer support teams. 

Dialpad’s benefits

Dialpad’s main advantages are voice intelligence and uptime between 99% and 100%. You’ll get conference video calls, sentiment analysis, voicemail transcriptions, call tracking metrics, Speech-to-Text for an automatic call recording, and much more. 

With Dialpad, you can call the US and Canada for free from anywhere in the world. Inbound and outbound calling within your country is also free of charge. The provider has a modern, well-organized UI, plenty of training videos, and a well-built mobile application.

Key features

• Call Recording
• Machine Learning
• Call Analysis
• Customer Scoring
• Call Routing

What is the Dialpad missing?

While Dialpad offers a Power dialer, it lacks a Smart and Predictive dialer. The Power dialer feature is limited, as it only works with Salesforce. Unlike the CloudTalk app, the Dialpad app only allows users to dial phone numbers manually. 

The Preferred agent feature only works through API. 

Dialpad also lacks a visual flow editor for its Call flow designer. Furthermore, you can’t send SMS messages outside the US and Canada, although this feature will soon become available to UK users.

The provider offers a limited integration stack, and Voicemail drop comes only with Dialpad Sell.

What Type of Business Is It Best For?

Any size of sales organization looking to drive agent efficiency and speed up ramp times.

Pricing

7. Talkdesk

Talkdesk is a cloud-based contact center solution that enables businesses to provide customer support via phone, email, chat, and social media. It offers a range of features such as call routing, IVR, and workforce management and is used by companies of all sizes.

Talkdesk’s benefits

• Easy to set up and use.
• Wide range of features and integrations.
• 24/7 customer support.
• Advanced analytics and reporting tools.
• Voice and screen recording for quality assurance.

Key features

• Call routing: Route calls based on skills, language, and more.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Provide customers with options.
• Workforce management: Schedule and manage agents and their tasks.
• Real-time monitoring: Monitor calls and agents in real time.
• Voice and screen recording: Record calls and screens for quality assurance.

What is Talkdesk Missing?

Talkdesk doesn’t offer conference calling or auto-attendants, which may disadvantage sales teams. Additionally, some users have reported that the platform can be slow and prone to technical issues. There’s also no free trial available. 

What Type of Business is It Best For?

Talkdesk is a good choice for businesses of all sizes that need a flexible and scalable contact center solution. It’s especially useful for companies that want various integrations and analytics tools.

Pricing

8. RingCentral

When you think about VoIP telephony solutions, RingCentral is among the first ones that come to mind. It’s no wonder the company has been on the market for over 20 years and has built quite a reputation. 

RingCentral’s benefits:

RingCentral has a great variety of features and offers HD-quality voice and video. The provider is a good fit for enterprises since it provides an omnichannel experience, lead qualification tools, management, collaboration, and performance features – all in a single software.

Key features

• SIP Trunking
• IVR
• Call Recording
• Call Routing
• Contact Management

What is RingCentral missing?

Despite all the positives, RingCentral lacks many essential tools that modern businesses require. 

Features like native sentiment analytics, Speech-to-Text transcription, smart dialers, or Skill-based routing are only included in Contact Centre Solution. The same goes for some agent management features, like monitoring.

The Call recording tool and Toll-free numbers are only available as add-ons for an additional cost. 

Furthermore, RingCentral’s implementation can take as much as 90 days and involves an implementation fee. 

RingCentral UI is also not always the friendliest to work with. 

What Type of Business Is It Best For?

RingCentral MVP is a flexible cloud-based solution ideal for businesses of all sizes.

Pricing

9. Nextiva

Nextiva is a big player in the VoIP market, providing services to more than 15,000 customers. Nextiva is widely regarded as user-friendly — users can start calling within minutes thanks to a simple and intuitive setup process. Furthermore, the system is hosted by Nextiva, which makes maintenance of the software Nextiva’s responsibility.

Nextiva’s benefits:

Nextiva offers advanced features, including conference calling, voicemail transcription, multi-level attendant, and much more. The provider also integrates with solutions like Zendesk, ConnectWise, or MS Teams.

Nextiva’s HIPAA-compliant virtual faxing makes it a great solution for healthcare workers. Medical employees can share information without having to worry about data breaches. 

Furthermore, 24/7 support means agents are always on hand to assist you. 

Key features

• Unlimited Calling
• Video Conference Recordings
• Mobile & Desktop Apps
• Workflow Optimization
• Omnichannel Communications

What is Nextiva missing?

Although Nextiva is a well-known VoIP solution, there are some issues you should know about when considering this provider:

• Integrations: Nextiva is missing certain integrations, like Slack or Zapier. With Zapier, users can connect their VoIP telephony system with thousands of non-native systems. 
• Prices: Many consider Nextiva’s prices high, especially for small businesses.

What Type of Business Is It Best For?

Pricing

Businesses need a robust, secure, and reliable enterprise phone system that works across every device and has advanced features like video conferencing, mobile apps, call recording, and more.

10. Five9

Five9 is a cloud-based contact center solution offering various features for customer service and sales teams. These include omnichannel support, workforce optimization, reporting and analytics, and more.

Five9’s benefits

• Offers an all-in-one cloud contact center solution.
• Omnichannel support for a seamless customer experience.
• Advanced workforce optimization features for improved agent productivity.
• Robust reporting and analytics capabilities.
• Easily integrate with other software.

Key features

• Omnichannel Support: Enables interaction across all channels.
• Workforce Optimization: Improves agent productivity and engagement.
• Reporting and Analytics: Provide insights to improve performance.
• Integrations: Easily connect with other software.
• All-in-one Solution: Offers an all-in-one cloud contact center solution.

What is Five9 Missing?

Five9’s pricing can be higher than other contact center solutions in the market, which may make it less attractive to some businesses. Additionally, some users have reported issues with the platform’s call quality.

What Type of Business is it Best For?

Five9 is suitable for mid-sized and large enterprises that require an all-in-one cloud contact center solution with omnichannel support, advanced workforce optimization features, and robust reporting and analytics capabilities.

Pricing

Conclusion

It might seem that cold calling is outdated, but if you choose the right software solution, you can empower your sales team and make cold calling an effective way to gain new customers.

Integrating a good piece of cold calling software with a CRM system will make the cold call process seamless. Do you want to give it a try?