Cold Emailing or Cold Calling: What’s Best and Where?

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In the world of outbound GTM, two tools dominate the conversation: cold emailing and cold calling. Both have been around for decades, both can be powerful when done right, and both are often misunderstood. Startups and sales teams frequently ask the same question: Which one should we prioritize?

The truth? It depends. Context, audience, and intent matter more than allegiance to one channel. Let’s unpack the strengths and weaknesses of each, and where they shine in your go-to-market playbook.

The Case for Cold Email

Cold emailing has become the default for modern outreach, and for good reason.

• Scalability: With the right infrastructure, a single rep can reach hundreds of prospects daily while maintaining personalization.

• Asynchronous Communication: Prospects can read and reply on their own time, which respects their schedules and avoids the “inconvenience factor.”

• Rich Media Options: Emails allow you to embed case studies, links, short videos, or calendars for booking.

• Paper Trail: Everything is documented, making it easier to track responses, A/B test messaging, and analyze data.

But cold email isn’t without its challenges. Deliverability has become a minefield—thanks to spam filters, compliance regulations, and prospects drowning in their inboxes. To stand out, teams need crisp targeting, relevant messaging, and disciplined sending practices.

Cold email works best when:

• You’re targeting busy executives who live in their inboxes.

• You need scalable campaigns to test multiple ICPs or value props.

• You’re nurturing long sales cycles where persistence and consistent messaging matter.

The Case for Cold Calling

Cold calling, by contrast, is often dismissed as “old school.” Yet, it remains one of the most direct and effective forms of outreach—if used correctly.

• Immediate Feedback: You can instantly gauge interest, objections, or curiosity. Emails rarely provide this level of real-time insight.

• Human Connection: A well-timed call can build trust faster than a dozen emails. Tone, empathy, and energy matter.

• High Conversion Potential: While email may generate more responses, a live conversation is more likely to progress into a meeting.

• Breaking Through Noise: With inboxes clogged, a phone call can sometimes cut through where email never gets opened.

The downsides? Calls can feel intrusive if poorly timed. Reps often face rejection or voicemail walls. And unlike email, calling doesn’t scale nearly as easily.

Cold calling works best when:

• You’re targeting SMBs or mid-market accounts, where decision-makers are more accessible by phone.

• You’re in a complex sale, where conversations uncover nuance faster than email threads.

• You need qualitative feedback quickly, such as testing a new pitch.

Email vs. Call: The Channel Equation

Instead of treating cold email and cold calling as competitors, think of them as complements. In high-performing outbound teams, they operate in tandem:

• Email warms the ground. It introduces your name, company, and value proposition.

• Calls follow up. Once your prospect has seen your name in their inbox, the call feels less intrusive.

• Multichannel increases trust. Seeing and hearing from you across platforms makes outreach feel intentional, not random.

A coordinated sequence—say, Day 1 email, Day 3 LinkedIn touch, Day 5 phone call—can dramatically increase conversion rates compared to relying on one channel alone.

Choosing the Right Channel for Your ICP

The real decision isn’t “email vs. call.” It’s who is your ICP and where do they live?

• C-Suite at Enterprises: Likely to prefer email or warm introductions. Calling rarely breaks through.

• Directors and Managers: Often respond well to a thoughtful mix—emails for context, calls for conversation.

• SMB Owners or Founders: Calls can be highly effective, as many still personally handle phones.

• Global Prospects: Time zones make calls tricky; email usually works better.

Mapping your ICP’s workflow should dictate your outreach playbook.

The GTM Guild Takeaway

Cold emailing is a scalpel. Cold calling is a hammer. Both are useful—but only if applied to the right problem. Startups that master both, and know when to deploy them, build more resilient pipelines.

So don’t ask, “Which one is better?” Ask instead: “For this ICP, at this stage of the funnel, which channel gets me closer to a real conversation?”

In the end, that’s the only metric that matters.

Until next time,

— Team GTM Guild