How the best prospectors combine tech and talk tracks to consistently book meetings.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the sales bullpen: Are cold calls still worth it?
Ask around and you’ll get mixed answers—especially from sellers raised on automated workflows and TikTok tutorials about “how to get leads without making a single call.”
But at Sandler Summit 2025, legendary prospector Sean Coyle delivered a hard truth (backed by decades of results):
“The best salespeople aren’t afraid of the phone—they’re afraid of wasting time not using it.”
In a world flooded with new tools, the question isn’t “Should we still call?”
It’s “How do we combine old-school behavior with new-school tools to win more business—faster?”
Here’s what sales pros and leaders took away.
Prospecting Is a Behavior Game, Not a Tech Game
Sure, we’ve got sequencing software, AI-driven insights, and CRM integrations that can trigger a follow-up when someone so much as clicks your LinkedIn profile.
But the real problem with pipeline generation? It’s not the tech.
It’s that most reps don’t do enough of the right prospecting behaviors—consistently.
Sean broke it down Sandler-style: B.A.T.
Behavior: Are you doing the right things daily (not just weekly or “when it’s slow”)?
Attitude: Are you seeing the phone as a tool or a threat?
Technique: Are you saying the right things—or just winging it and hoping for luck?
And let’s be clear—automation is amazing. But without human connection, there’s no trust. No urgency. No real conversation.
The Myth of the Cold Call is Dead. But the Phone is Not.
Here’s the deal:
Random cold calling with zero research? Dead.
But targeted, strategic calls based on insight, relevance, and a strong call structure?
That’s how top performers still fill their calendars.
Sean’s point was clear: The phone is not a fallback. It’s a force multiplier—when used correctly.
He challenged attendees to:
Use AI and tech to prioritize who to call
Prep with intent (no more “just checking in”)
Call with a plan, not a pitch
Because no tech will replace the power of hearing a buyer’s tone, asking a follow-up in real time, and building rapport in a matter of minutes.
Three Prospecting Truths Sales Leaders Can’t Ignore
1. Your Team’s Prospecting Problem Might Be a Planning Problem
Most reps don’t wake up saying, “I’m going to waste today.”
They just don’t have a clear, repeatable cookbook—a personal prospecting plan that breaks down activity by day, week, and month.
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
And if you’re only managing outcomes (calls made, meetings booked) without managing behaviors, you’re coaching in the rearview mirror.
2. Call Reluctance is a Belief Problem—Not a Script Problem
Sean put it bluntly:
“You can’t talk your way out of a belief you haven’t dealt with.”
If a rep thinks:
“I’m bothering them”
“They’ll never answer”
“No one wants to hear from me”
…then no script in the world will save them.
Leaders need to coach the belief as much as the message. And reps need to remember:
The buyer isn’t rejecting you. They’re just protecting their time—until you give them a reason not to.
3. Prospecting is a Muscle. If You Don’t Train It, You Lose It.
The best prospectors treat it like a workout:
They block time.
They warm up.
They follow a routine.
And they track their performance so they can improve week over week.
When you combine repetition, refinement, and reinforcement, you create a pipeline machine.
When you rely only on tech and clever copy? You create busy work that feels productive but rarely converts.
Final Takeaway: Stop Looking for the Shortcut. Use the Whole Toolbox.
To be world-class at prospecting in 2025, you don’t need to pick a side between tech and the phone.
You need to use both intentionally.
Tech is a tool. The phone is a weapon. The system is your advantage.
And if your team’s still treating prospecting as an afterthought—or worse, outsourcing it to AI—you’ve already lost the game.
Want to learn how sales leaders are blending modern tools with timeless technique to build bulletproof pipelines?
Join us at Sandler Summit 2026 in Fort Lauderdale.
Get the frameworks, the mindset, and the real-world playbooks that help teams fill the pipeline without burning out.
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