If your team is still manually dialing phone numbers every time they call someone, they’re wasting precious time that could be spent actually talking to people.
But deciding your team needs cold-calling software is just the first step—now, you need to figure out what features you need, which software options are available, what’s in your price range, and how long onboarding will take…
Yeah, it’s a lot.
With the right software, your sales team can automatically dial prospects, analyze calls, leave pre-recorded voicemails, and send contact data straight into your CRM.
But which software is the right software for your team?
Our goal is to help simplify this for you—we’re going to unpack the features sales teams should look for in cold calling software, and break down the top five options in 2024.
What Should Your Cold Calling Software Include? Top 9 Features
Modern cold calling offers (so) much more than just picking up the phone and dialing someone. Here are some of the features cold calling software now comes equipped with:
- Power Dialer: This feature automatically dials numbers from a sales rep’s call list to save time. It will connect a call when a lead picks up but automatically dial the next number if they don’t. Sales reps in the trenches know a lot of time can be wasted looking up contact numbers and dialing numbers, so a Power Dialer helps you speak to more prospects without the manual leg work.
- Predictive Dialer: This special calling feature saves your team precious seconds by calling multiple numbers simultaneously, scanning for busy signals, disconnected lines, answering machines, and no answers. The Predictive Dialer will automatically route the call to your sales rep if someone picks up.
- Call recording and coaching: Your cold calling software should have a recording feature to improve team performance and train reps. Some cold calling software also has a call coaching feature, which allows more seasoned reps to jump in on a call with a prospect if they need to help close a deal out.
- CRM integration: Your cold calling software of choice should connect seamlessly with your CRM at minimum. This will make it easier for your team to track calls with leads, store information, follow up, and stay on top of every deal in their pipeline.
- Call routing: Another fundamental feature of calling software is routing and IVR (Interactive Voice Response). That way, new inbound calls can be routed to the right person automatically, and outbound calls can be redirected if your team needs to hand off a lead to another team member.
- Call analysis and conversation intelligence. Analyzing calls helps sales managers know who is performing best on their team, and who needs some help. Basic call analysis will show call duration, talk time, and every key phrases or questions that can give you insights into the market.
- Pre-recorded voicemail drop: Make connecting with every prospect easy for your team. Store pre-recorded messages to leave on answering machines to increase callbacks and save your sales reps time.
- Mobile app: If your team is on the go, they should have access to a mobile app that allows inbound and outbound calling. That way, your team can stay connected and responsive with their call lists.
- International calling capabilities: Your cold calling software should also support calls to multiple countries without charging exorbitant fees. Your sales team can target prospects in any country without blowing your budget.
Another feature that’s also valuable to look out for when choosing a cold calling software is free trial availability. It’s only fair for your team to take it for a test drive before implementing it into their processes, and a free trial is a risk-free way to do it.
Now you know what features to look for in cold calling software, let’s take a look at our top five picks 👇
The Top 5 Cold Calling Software Options for Your Sales Team
Selecting the best cold-calling software for your sales team will have a ton of variables depending on needs, budget, and scalability.
Here are our top five recommendations for sales teams in 2024.
1. Close: Best for Growing Sales Teams
Are we biased in naming Close the number one choice on the list? Yes. Do we believe Close deserves to be a sales team’s top pick for cold calling software? Absolutely.
We built Close with features that help reps close deals. Close has a Power Dialer and a Predictive Dialer, recording capabilities, and pre-recorded voicemail drops so reps can make the most of every call. Salespeople can also use the Call Assistant tool to automatically transcribe and summarize every cold call so it’s easy to follow up later.
Besides that, Close is a CRM & communication tool combined, meaning every call, email, text, and meeting is automatically logged on a lead’s page. You can even set up automated Workflows that include different communication methods, optimizing every step of your sales process.
Add in the international calling capabilities, our mobile app, and detailed analytics… and we think Close is the full cold calling package 👌
Best features:
Pricing 💰
Close’s Startup plan is priced at $49/user/month
2. Aircall: Best for Saving Time On Pesky Admin Tasks
The next cold-calling software pick on our list is Aircall.
The tool's slick design and powerful integrations are some of the first things that grab your attention. But it also has many features out of the box. The click-to-dial feature allows sales teams to line up calls and move onto leads quickly if their calls go unanswered.
Aircall is more of an all-around calling tool than software focused on sales teams. But its automation tools are worth a shout-out. The automated post-call workflows cut out wasted time between calls. Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) means every call-related task, like data entry, can be handled from existing devices through a single interface.
All in all, Aircall is a solid cold-calling tool for teams that want to cover the basics.
Best features:
Pricing 💰
The Essential Plan starts at $30/user/month
3. Freshcaller: Best for Teams That Want a Basic + Free Tool
Freshcaller is a cold calling tool from the folks over at Freshworks.
It made it onto our list for one reason: Freshcaller is one of the only free options for small startups that need a cold-calling tool with a very limited budget. This tool is perfect if your sales team has never used a cold calling tool and wants to see if the tech has a place to improve your outreach efforts. You only need to pay for the minutes you use.
Now, we're not going to sugarcoat it. The free version is basic. It doesn't have features like call recording, queues, or monitoring. However, you will get basic call metrics, an easy-to-use dashboard, and a power dialer out of the box.
If you like Freshworks and want to put it through its paces, your team can access a 14-day trial and unlock the paid features.
Best features
Pricing 💰
Free plan available, but it's very limited. Paid plans start at $12/user/month
4. Nextiva: Best for Lead Filtering Features
The next cold calling software we are happy to plug is Nextiva—a VoIP solution that packs in enough features for sales teams of all sizes.
Yes, it includes call routing, recording, and voicemail drop. However, Nextiva's lead filtering features are what really steal the show. Sales reps can select contacts for cold calling based on specific area codes or regions, and prioritize leads based on third-party data to determine buying intent. These small (but mighty) features give sales reps the best chance of turning a cold call into a promising prospect.
Best features
Pricing 💰
The Essential Plan starts at $18.95/user/month /us
5. RingCentral: Best for Sales Teams with Complex Needs
The last cold calling software we are comfortable recommending to sales teams is RingCentral.
The interface is a little more old-school than the other tools on our list, but it has everything you expect from one of the most popular cloud-based communication software on the market. Think call routing, call recording, international calling capabilities, business or toll-free phone numbers, and top-notch security.
RingCentral also has a cool gamification feature. Sales teams can set up a badge, challenge, and prize system to add competitiveness to cold-calling efforts.
But (and there is a but), there’s one huge drawback to using RingCentral. If you are a small(ish) sales team with a limited budget, RingCentral doesn’t support CRM integration unless you pay for a Premium or Ultimate Plan.
Best features
Pricing 💰
The Core Plan starts at $20/user/month
Ready to Choose Your Next Cold Calling Software? Ask Yourself These Questions
It should be pretty obvious from our list that cold calling software is necessary to make this sales tactic a successful one. Before investing in a tool, there are really only two aspects to consider:
🧑💻Your team. Make an honest assessment of what your sales team needs. Think about their quotas, goals, and outreach capabilities. Would they benefit from power/predictive dialers? Will a built-in CRM help make their information gathering easier? Do they need international calling capabilities, or would regional lead optimization features make more sense?
💰Your budget. Cold calling software pricing varies wildly depending on which platform you look at. Here is where thinking about your team’s needs can impact your spending. Some of the best cold-calling tools have a lot of features, but they’re also really expensive.
Your team and budget are the only considerations when picking cold-calling software. Don't get caught up on what tool has the most features or the highest reviews on G2. Concentrate on picking a cold calling software that's built for sales teams, can help them crush their outbound game and ultimately—grow your bottom line 💰
Speaking of the best cold-calling software. It’s pretty clear Close is the best choice for sales teams like yours, right? Test it out for free today with our free trial—no credit card required.
