The cold email vs cold calling debate is still alive in 2025. With remote work and new buyer behaviours reshaping outreach, knowing which converts better is critical for sales leaders.
The Current State of Cold Outreach
Cold outreach is used by 93% of sales professionals (Salesforce). But execution has shifted. Cold email has grown stronger thanks to personalisation and automation, while cold calling faces more obstacles such as stricter gatekeeping and mobile “Spam Risk” filters.
Cold Email: The Digital Workhorse
Cold email now averages an 8.5% response rate, with around 23% of those responses turning into qualified opportunities, giving an overall conversion of about 1.9% (Reply.io, 2024).
The appeal lies in its scalability—an SDR can send 50–100 personalised emails daily compared to 30–40 calls. Email also gives recipients flexibility to engage on their own time, while allowing richer content such as case studies or testimonials. Tracking tools provide detailed analytics for optimisation, and automation lowers costs.
Challenges remain, however. Inboxes are crowded, spam filters block outreach, and email lacks the personal connection or instant feedback of a call.
Cold Calling: The Personal Touch
Cold calling delivers fewer conversations but higher quality ones. Research from RAIN Group shows connection rates with decision-makers at just 2%, but when calls connect, 15% lead to qualified opportunities.
The strength of calling is human interaction. Voice builds rapport quickly, and skilled SDRs can handle objections and adapt their pitch in real time. Calls also give immediate insight into whether messaging resonates.
The downsides are the time intensity, low call volumes, and rising barriers like screening technology. Cold calling also requires a higher skill set than email to consistently succeed.
Industry and Audience Differences
Context heavily influences results. Tech buyers often prefer email, with response rates up to 40% higher than in traditional industries. In contrast, sectors like manufacturing and construction still favour calls, which achieve nearly double the average answer rate. Company size also matters—smaller firms respond better to calls, while enterprise prospects typically prefer email’s formality.
The Hybrid Approach Works Best
In practice, neither channel dominates outright. Modern sales teams get the best results by combining them in structured cadences: starting with email to warm prospects, following up with a call, and reinforcing with LinkedIn or additional touches. Research from Sales Hacker shows that such multi-channel approaches generate 65% higher response rates than single-channel campaigns.
At SendIQ, we consistently see the best outcomes when cold email, LinkedIn outreach, and calling work together. Email provides scalable awareness, calls deepen relationships, and LinkedIn adds social credibility.
The Verdict for 2025
Cold email wins on scale, cost, and reach, making it ideal for broad prospecting and initial contact. Cold calling wins on rapport and conversion quality, making it effective for high-value accounts and complex solutions. The most successful teams in 2025 don’t choose one—they integrate both strategically, using email to open doors and calling to close them.
