Cold Calling Software: Expert-Tested Tools and Tips

Cold calling gets a bad rap, but it still works. Sales teams book meetings in 4.8% of calls. Even with a 2% conversion rate, the results add up when you scale and stay smart.

Although the numbers may seem small, cold calling delivers big outcomes.

Outbound success comes down to using the right data, tools, and strategies. Cold outreach campaigns, when supported by an effective outbound calling strategy, can significantly enhance efficiency and improve call quality.

This guide covers the key challenges of cold calling and shows how cold calling software drives more deal volume. Together, these tools enable better lead management, tracking of interactions, and ensure that no prospect falls through the cracks.

Challenges Facing the Cold-Calling Industry

Sales teams face major hurdles today:

• Prospects are bombarded with generic pitches.
• Spam filters block legitimate calls.
• Reps waste time on low-quality leads.

Overcoming these challenges is crucial to enhancing sales efforts and improving overall productivity.

Cold outreach fatigue

Prospects carry phones everywhere, so disruptive calls often irritate them. Many become defensive and wary of unknown numbers. However, more than 80% of buyers still book meetings when reps call the right way.

When cold calls feel random or impersonal, they create brand damage. It’s smarter to use outbound dialers and best practices that maintain high productivity without alienating prospects.

A predictive dialer can help manage call volumes and improve efficiency by predicting agent availability and maximizing call volume. This technology allows for simultaneous calling and reduces downtime for sales representatives, significantly enhancing productivity in high-volume calling campaigns.

Ways to improve:

• Move toward warm outreach: Use LinkedIn or prior emails to personalize calls and justify the interruption.
• Focus on research-driven conversations: Reference industry trends or known pain points to add immediate value.
• Prioritize quality leads: AI-driven scoring helps identify the most promising prospects.
• Use real-time coaching: Modern software gives reps on-the-spot feedback to sharpen skills.

Caller ID reputation management

Frequent outbound calls can flag your number as spam. Carriers watch for high call volumes, customer complaints, and incomplete caller ID setups.

Once a number is flagged, it’s tough to undo the damage. Using caller ID reputation management tools helps monitor your status, rotate numbers, and avoid blocks.

• The history of the number
• Feedback sourced from people
• Compliant or reputation data

This is typically because your outbound call volume is high or someone flagged your number in their carrier’s database. This might have happened even before you bought a new number. Conversely, your outbound caller ID number needs to be properly set in. If it’s incomplete or invalid, your number will be automatically marked as spam.

To fix this, you can use caller ID reputation management tools to monitor numbers and rotate between multiple caller IDs. This prevents your number from getting blocked and helps maintain call effectiveness for both inbound calls and outbound calls by avoiding being marked as spam.

Additionally, ensuring that call details are automatically logged can help track interactions and maintain a good caller ID reputation, especially if an upstream provider needs to verify campaign activities.

SHAKEN/STIR compliance

SHAKEN/STIR standards authenticate caller identity to block robocalls and protect consumers from spoofing. However, these systems can sometimes block legitimate sales calls too.

SHAKEN/STIR combines two acronyms:

• SHAKEN stands for Signature-Based Handling of Asserted Information Using ToKENs
• STIR stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited

Cold calling software or a VoIP phone system with SHAKEN/STIR compliance keeps your outreach running smoothly and builds trust with prospects. Data security is also crucial in this context, as it ensures the protection of sensitive customer information while complying with SHAKEN/STIR standards.

Here’s an overview of how the SHAKEN/STIR system works:

As this STIR/SHAKEN diagram illustrates, phone calls are authenticated by a third party to verify the identity of incoming callers.

Telephone service providers use SHAKEN/STIR to authenticate an originating caller’s identity. This prevents malicious phone calls and fraudulent robocalls. It also safeguards call recipients against caller ID spoofing, maintaining trust in the phone service.

These systems are well-equipped to block robocalls. However, at times, they inadvertently block legitimate calls too. This prevents your sales team members from reaching a lead or a prospect.

To combat this challenge, you need cold-calling software or a VoIP phone system that ensures your calls are STIR/SHAKEN-compliant. This will prevent call blocking while authenticating caller IDs.

10DLC Regulations for Texting

North American businesses use a 10-digit long code (10DLC) phone number for application-to-person (A2P) messaging. This enables businesses to send high volumes of promotional messages, including orders and updates, to customers.

The 10DLC regulations also apply to personal phone numbers, which are subject to specific rules under the Do-Not-Call registry. Certain organizations may have exemptions, but compliance is crucial to avoid penalties.

10DLC allows businesses to send high-volume messages using local numbers. To stay compliant, companies must register their 10DLC numbers. Non-compliance can result in filtering, penalties, or the outright blocking of messages.

These codes look like local phone numbers, making bulk messages or text message marketing more trustworthy. However, with the new rules for 10DLC text messaging, proper registration is required to avoid being filtered or incurring penalties.

Opting for cold-calling software that helps with 10DLC registration is advisable to ensure hassle-free and compliant texting outreaches.

The initial SMS to a new contact must include your brand name, a note about potential message and data rates, message frequency, and instructions to reply with STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for assistance.

Every first SMS must include:

• Brand name
• Disclosure of message/data rates
• Message frequency
• STOP/HELP instructions

Cold calling platforms that simplify 10DLC registration helps mitigate these risks and maintain open communication.

How Cold-Calling Software Benefits SDRs

There are several benefits that Sales Development Representative (SDRs) get when reaching out to prospects, including:

Cold calling systems help SDRs efficiently organize and track their interactions with potential clients. This ensures that no leads are overlooked and that follow-up strategies are streamlined. Additionally, these tools help manage leads effectively, which is crucial for maximizing conversion rates and ensuring that sales teams can operate efficiently.

Maximized efficiency in outreaches

Auto-dialers and predictive dialers enable representatives to make more calls by automating the dialing process, significantly improving efficiency. Predictive dialers automatically adjust calling speeds to agent availability, helping maximize outreach without overwhelming teams.

CRM integration allows click-to-dial functionality and quick access to lead histories. Reps get real-time context and waste no time hunting for details.

Cold-calling software equips sales development representatives with the necessary tools to increase their productivity. Auto dialers or power dialers let them make more calls in less time.

Sales reps don’t have to dial calls manually. The software does the dialing for them, making them more productive.

SDRs have access to click-to-dial functionality, allowing for faster call placement. The VoIP phone connects a call between two people by clicking a button. When your customer relationship management (CRM) system is integrated with the phone system, you can call the customer directly by clicking a button on the CRM, avoiding misdialing digits.

The CRM integration also lets salespeople quickly access lead data, giving them the right context to engage prospects effectively. Additionally, cold calling software often includes features for call recording and monitoring, enabling performance assessment and continuous improvement.

More effective record-keeping

The software allows SDRs to capture in-call notes and delivers post-call wrap-up options, empowering them to make effective follow-ups later. Every call made is automatically logged, reducing the manual work that an SDR is expected to do, among other things.

The software shows a complete picture of incoming and outgoing calls by tracking the total number of calls, calls in queue, international calls, and calls answered or missed. This streamlines call center activities to provide an overview.

Here’s how Nextiva’s call center solution performs tracking and delivers key insights:

Cold calling software automatically logs every call, tracks key metrics, and enables in-call notes. Reps can record calls for coaching and development, or use post-call wrap-ups to plan better follow-ups.

Better support for objection handling

Some cold calling solutions include scripts for easier objection handling. You can modify these based on how objections evolve. Modern solutions offer AI-driven suggestions and real-time coaching during sales conversations.

The prompts allow you to move conversations forward while maintaining some consistency in delivering CX. When new hires begin taking prospect calls, the prompts and scripts will enable them to navigate objections without straying from the script. Additionally, recording these interactions for future reference ensures that all conversations are accessible for review, enhancing decision-making and strategy adjustments.

Multi-channel outreach enabled

Cold calling tools are typically part of a broader contact center solution. This capability lets salespeople engage buyers across emails, text messaging, or voicemails to complement cold calls.

• Email
• Twitter
• Facebook
• SMS (text messages)
• Web chat
• WhatsApp
• Instagram

This automatically brings all communication together, allowing the salesperson or the whole team to make better follow-ups by considering all conversations they’ve had with a potential customer.

Voicemail drop features allow sales reps to leave pre-recorded messages, saving time and ensuring consistent communication. Additionally, the capability to initiate multiple calls at once optimizes resource utilization and significantly boosts the number of successful calls during high-volume campaigns.

How a Sales Manager Benefits From Cold-Calling Software

Below are some notable benefits of cold-calling software that complement the needs and requirements of sales managers.

Sales leaders can leverage this technology to review calls, provide training, and gain insights into their sales strategies, ultimately streamlining the coaching process and improving sales outcomes.

Real-time monitoring and reporting

Sales managers get a live dashboard on cold-calling software to monitor their SDRs’ call analytics, featuring advanced real-time analytics offered by contact center solutions.

The dashboard provides real-time insights, enabling managers to offer coaching that improves SDR performance and, in turn, enhances the sales team’s performance.

Customizable agent and supervisor interfaces

Cold calling platforms offer flexibility to modify agents’ and supervisors’ views of the platform through an intuitive interface. Sales call center solutions allow their teams to customize the interface based on what is most meaningful to their groups. Advanced call center features, such as Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and skill-based routing, are crucial for enhancing operational efficiency and managing high-volume communication.

Managers typically view team-level performance, with options to adjust workflows for improved agent productivity.

On the other hand, agents can view their performance on the dashboard, gaining insights into what they’re expected to do and what they could do better.

Some companies also have live wallboards that agents and supervisors can use to monitor their team’s performance.

Here’s an example of a live wallboard:

Compliance and security tools

Managers should be able to ensure that their systems are SHAKEN/STIR-compliant. It’s ideal to encrypt call recordings and maintain reasonable data retention limits, as they contain several types of personally identifiable customer information.

Reputable cold calling tools offer these features to help users avoid hefty fines and reputational damage, allowing your customers to maintain trust in the business. Additionally, compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is crucial for mitigating legal risks and ensuring ethical telemarketing practices.

Flexible list management

Managers should seek flexibility in segmenting and prioritizing leads based on customer behavior or sales campaigns. Effective contact management, integrated with cold calling software, can streamline operations and enhance sales processes. This allows the team to remain targeted at deals that will most increase revenue.

Look for cold calling software that offers contact list management features, and ensure it has lead recycling tools that automatically follow up with unresponsive prospects. This will free up agents’ time and allow them to pursue deals more strategically. Additionally, integrating cold calling software with CRM systems can streamline workflows and reduce manual data entry, enhancing overall productivity.

Support for hybrid and remote teams

If you’re a distributed team, it’s advisable to use phone software on cloud-based platforms. This will allow the whole team to collaborate effectively while working remotely. A cohesive tech stack enhances productivity by ensuring that your cold calling syncs with CRMs and other tools.

Integrate your outbound dialer with collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, enabling professionals to focus on business activities rather than switching between apps.

Top 3 Cold Calling Software Providers in 2025

Based on the requirements of SDRs and sales managers, we’ve curated a list of the best cold calling software in 2025.

Choosing the right cold calling software enhances sales team performance by reducing the manual burden of updating records and ensuring your data remains fully up-to-date in real-time. Here are the best phone systems for cold calling.

1. Nextiva

Nextiva offers the top-rated call center solution, enhancing business communications with tools that efficiently handle both outbound and inbound calls. It empowers sales and support teams to provide faster service to customers regardless of whether you work in a hybrid or remote work setting.

The software offers an interactive voice response system, a dashboard, integration with CRM systems, and call insights for personalization. These features help agents drive memorable customer experiences more effectively. At a reasonable cost, you also get options to monitor call queues, manage incoming and outgoing calls, and perform call routing, call monitoring, call tracking, and much more.

Top features of Nextiva

Here are a few useful features of cold calling:

• Flexible list management: This lets managers quickly segment leads and prospects while prioritizing follow-ups for their teams.
• Better compliance: Nextiva supports SHAKEN/STIR and 10DLC-readiness, keeping call data safe and secure.
• Increased security: Call encryption and role-based access controls provide high security. The software promises 99.9999% uptime for the SLA.
• Additional support: The platform delivers personalized support for managers and agents.
• Call recording features: Integrating call recording features within the CRM system enables the tracking of conversations, management of notes, and ensures continuity in communication among staff, leading to improved engagement and higher conversion rates with prospects.

Pricing

Nextiva offers its Core plan at $30 per user per month for small teams, helping them create delightful customer experiences. Here’s an overview of Nextiva’s different plans and pricing details:

2. SalesLoft

SalesLoft allows businesses to connect with customers and close deals using effective call management and voice analytics tracking. Sales teams handle calls directly from their computers, making the calling process smoother and more organized.

This software empowers the sales team to make and receive calls or record conversations from one place. It also includes call scripts and templates to keep agents on track.

Top features of SalesLoft

Below are some notable features of SalesLoft:

• Multi-channel capabilities let users interact with their customers across different channels.
• Automated follow-ups at a set cadence can actively engage the audience across different touchpoints.
• Real-time coaching capabilities equipped with conversational intelligence allow managers to support their teams better.

Pricing

SalesLoft pricing is available on request in line with users’ custom requirements.

3. Outreach.io

Outreach.io is a sales execution platform offering several useful cold-calling features. It enables managers to identify skill gaps in real-time, empowering their team to make informed decisions and take actions that drive revenue.

Top features of Outreach.io

Below are some notable features of Outreach.io:

• Predictive analytics identifies high-priority leads based on prospects’ interactions, behavior, and actions.
• Workflow automation allows the team to perform automated follow-ups after cold calls.
• AI insights allow SDRs and managers to uncover opportunities to optimize messaging and improve their win rates.

SDRs and Sales Managers Prefer Nextiva

With Nextiva, SDRs and sales managers gain access to the features and functionality they need. They also get an intelligent list management feature to segment leads and prioritize follow-ups.

The top-rated cloud communications platform securely manages all customer data while ensuring the cold calling system meets and exceeds telecom requirements. Achieving outbound sales success is essential, and Nextiva’s cold calling capabilities improve follow-up sales tasks and contact management.

You can easily customize dashboards to align your workflows with business needs. Overall, when it comes to remote and hybrid use cases, Nextiva is a platform that delivers 99.9999% uptime, giving the whole team the confidence they need to service prospects and customers remotely.

Most importantly, Nextiva delivers Amazing Service® through dedicated account managers, which means the entire team is well-supported, allowing you to crush your quota and maintain superior performance.

Try Nextiva to see how it transforms your prospects’ experience with your brand. 👇

Cold Calling Software FAQs