Yes. The more channels the better.
But we have to be honest about the fact that different channels work better for different people, and there’s still no way of truly knowing what the best channel is to reach an individual prospect. So you need to cover your bases.
Phone is still the most important channel
This might be an unpopular opinion given how much the industry has invested in email and LinkedIn automation, but phone is consistently the quickest way to get to a yes or a no. No other channel gives you a live conversation where you can gauge interest, handle objections, and qualify in real time.
It is getting harder, though. AI call screening is becoming more common, and that’s a trend worth watching. Despite that, some companies are sourcing 50% of their qualified opportunities from cold calls. The phone got quieter while everyone piled into email and LinkedIn automation, and that’s created an opening for teams willing to pick it up.
Practically, make sure you have a decent primary data source for mobile numbers and secondary sources to plug the gaps. Connect rates are everything. And for reps who are dialling in volume, segmenting their lists by persona or trigger makes cold call blocks much easier. They build up a muscle memory of having similar conversations with similar prospects rather than working through a random list.
Email alone isn’t enough anymore
Cold email reply rates are at 1-1.5%. You can still get results from email, but filling a pipeline with email alone, unless you’re sending at massive volume, is going to be very difficult. And massive volume comes with its own problems (deliverability damage, brand risk, domain reputation).
Email’s role has shifted. It’s better for building familiarity and conveying value than for driving a direct response on its own. Think of it as one touch in a sequence, not the whole sequence.
The real question for larger teams
For enterprise marketing teams, the real question isn’t “which channel?” but “how does outbound coordinate with what demand gen programmes are already doing?”
If an ABM campaign has already warmed up an account, your outbound should build on that awareness, not start from scratch. The buyer has seen your ads, engaged with your content, maybe downloaded a white paper. Now a targeted, relevant outreach message lands. That sequence is far more powerful than either channel working alone.
That coordination (where outbound and demand gen work as a single motion) is where the biggest gains live. Most companies treat them as separate functions, and the buyer gets a fragmented experience.
The practical takeaway
Don’t bet on one channel. Phone for live conversations and quick qualification. Email for familiarity and value. LinkedIn for relationship-building and social proof. Each channel does something different, and the combination is what drives results.
But get the orchestration right. Random touches across multiple channels aren’t multi-channel outbound. They’re just noise from more directions. The channels need to work together, building on each other, not operating independently.
I help B2B SaaS teams fix, build, and scale their outbound. Whether it’s an audit, a playbook, or a full AI-enabled system, get in touch.