Complete AI Training: Cold calling beats AI-written emails 6 to 1, yet 39% of sellers fear the phone

The article highlights ValueSelling Associates research showing that cold calling remains significantly more effective than AI-assisted email for reaching new B2B prospects. In a survey of 153 sales leaders and representatives conducted with Selling Power, 47% rated cold calls as effective, compared with only 8% for AI-personalized emails. Client referrals led all methods at 74%. Despite cold calling’s effectiveness, sellers continue to struggle with it: 39% fear picking up the phone, 46% give up too easily, and 40% struggle with objections. Only 19% of sales leaders rate their teams as excellent or very good at cold calling. The article suggests the problem is not the prospecting method but sellers’ skills and confidence. Rather than relying on AI to generate more emails, organizations can use it for prospect research, call preparation, and coaching. Combining AI support with deliberate sales training can strengthen human conversations and prospecting performance.