ventox35

Sales Leader

Politicker

Catalyst

Valued Contributor

HOT TAKE ON COLD CALLING PLZ READ

I'm bringing a new product to market. Haven't made one single cold call.

Personalized emails, not really even at scale has generated me over a million $ in pipeline in about 6 months.

Cold calling would not work in this industry - it is a thin market, tight-knit, incestuous even, relationship-based, outdated. Plus, I hate doing it. I will if I have to, and i'm good at it. but I have had the luxury of being able to be patient and strategic bringing my product to market.

I did have the gift of 2 annual tradeshows where I walked the floor and met people, combined with my personalized email strategy = success

This doesn't apply to a lot of industries, but has worked for me.

Anyone else been in an industry/situation where cold calling would have a negative impact on pipeline?

👑 Sales Strategy

📞 Cold Calling

👥 Social Selling

15 comments

Sort by:

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

I don't see how it would have a negative impact, but I do understand how it might not help.

I was at a company that had an extremely narrow target market, and cold calling just didn't yield anything. We had to leverage marketing, partnerships, associations, etc. Otherwise we were just pissing in the wind.

It helped that it was a small org with limited capacity. The owner didn't want to scale much.

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

I feel that.

Justatitle

Tycoon

Account Executive

Reading through this, you’ve created a narrative that cold calling can’t work. I disagree. Even in a niche market could your pipeline have been made larger by directly calling people with the value prop??? I don’t see a loss from also doing it and utilizing the email strategy…

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

nah cold calling is great! I have no beef with the cold call. once I got to know this market at tradeshows and under the personas i'm dealing with, I think there could have been a place for cold calling.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

IMO cold calling works. You're just probably doing it wrong.

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

sure does. I never said it didn't. I've closed tens of millions in deals from cold calling. in a unique market now that demanded I do something a bit different.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

I mean technically any industry can have a negative impact. Walk in. Get kicked out. "dId YoU nOt SeE tHe SiGn..." blah blah blah

Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

Well, as we all know “hard work brings good luck in sales”.

The key is to be available everywhere, call, email, and linkedIn.

For this niche you’re talking about, I get the idea that events and emails would work the best, but then again, we can’t rule out the effect of iMessage/sms or calling or LI, right?

Build a better sequence of tasks to generate more. Will be very difficult to comment without knowing more about the “niche” or the offering.

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

these goofballs don't hardly use LinkedIn! but yes, text messages are where it's at! I move as quickly as possible to text

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

AS long as you are bringing value, however you can reach them - reach them.

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

Cold Calling, just like every other method of outreach, works if you apply yourself and do it well.

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

thx

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

ERP Sales

I’m still very pro cold call

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

me too

Global Sales Consultant

First off, huge respect for the way you’ve approached this. Generating $1M+ in pipeline without cold calling proves that in some industries, strategic patience, relationship-building, and precision outreach outperform brute-force tactics.
Your industry sounds like one where trust and credibility matter more than volume and activity metrics. In such cases, cold calling can feel disruptive rather than value-driven. Here’s how I’d validate and build on your approach:

1. Double Down on What’s WorkingYou’ve already proven that a targeted, relationship-first strategy works. Instead of questioning whether you should cold call, ask:✅ How do I scale personalized outreach further while maintaining authenticity?✅ How can I turn those trade show relationships into long-term revenue engines?

Some ideas:🔹 Leverage Warm Introductions – Every deal you’re working on should lead to at least two referrals into their network. Thin markets thrive on reputation.🔹 Expand Your Influence – Hosting small industry dinners, exclusive webinars, or executive roundtables can deepen relationships.

2. Play the Long Game with Content & AuthorityInstead of cold calling, establish yourself as a trusted voice in the space.🔹 Start a monthly industry insights newsletter featuring key trends, pain points, and expert perspectives.🔹 Leverage LinkedIn and niche forums—become the go-to person people come to, instead of you chasing them.🔹 Consider earned media & thought leadership—guest spots on podcasts, panels, or industry blogs.

3. Cold Calling ≠ Cold SellingYou’re right—cold calling can be counterproductive in some industries. But relationship-driven outreach doesn’t have to mean no calls at all.
Instead of traditional cold calling, try:✅ Soft warm calls: Instead of pitching, call to say, “Hey, I came across something relevant to your business—wanted to share it with you.”✅ Leverage Voice Notes & Video: A quick personalized video message via LinkedIn or email can feel warmer than a random cold call.✅ Referral-Driven Calls: If you position it as “I was speaking with [trusted industry contact], and they suggested we connect”—it’s not cold anymore.

4. Optimize for Sustainability & ScaleWhat happens next? Your success now is built on a strong foundation, but in 12-24 months, can you sustain growth without exhausting your network?
Some ways to ensure longevity:🔹 Build an exclusive community (private Slack, LinkedIn group, invite-only events)🔹 Develop repeatable inbound sales motions (strategic partnerships, evergreen content, strategic lead magnets)🔹 Keep testing new approaches – Even though cold calling isn't the move now, markets evolve. Keeping a pulse on future outreach methods ensures you stay ahead.

Final Thought: Keep Owning Your Lane
Your patient, high-value approach is working—and your instincts about cold calling in this space seem spot on. Keep refining and scaling what works, rather than forcing traditional playbooks that don’t fit your industry.
Curious—what’s your plan for sustaining and scaling pipeline growth from here? Let’s strategize!
#SalesStrategy #RelationshipSelling #ABM #PipelineGrowth #NoColdCalling 🚀