Do Cold Calls Still Work in 2025?

Why do most cold calls fail before they even start? In this episode of CX Without the BS, we tackle the often-overlooked truth about outbound sales: the customer experience starts the moment someone picks up the phone. Whether you're leading an SDR team, building pipeline from scratch, or trying to get more than "not interested" before the hang-up, this episode unpacks the foundational mistakes—and the practical fixes—that can turn dials into deals. We sit down with John Karsant from LevelUp Leads, who manages a team of 40+ SDRs executing real outbound motions every day. He doesn’t sugarcoat it—most cold outreach sounds robotic, scripted, and forgettable. Together, we break down how tone, timing, and real human conversation create the kind of authentic connections that lead to pipeline growth (not just boxes checked on a call log). But it’s not just about calls. This episode explores how to build authentic presence on LinkedIn, why political signage matters in marketing, and how to stop treating every “no” like a full stop. Spoiler: most “no’s” are actually “not right now,” and we show you how to stay top-of-mind until it becomes a yes. You’ll also hear sharp insights about multi-threaded outreach, how SDRs can block objections before they arise, and why leaning too hard on AI might be the biggest BS in outbound right now. If you're tired of sales being treated like a numbers game and want to focus on real human connection, this is your cheat code. By the end of the episode, you'll walk away with an upgraded playbook for outbound CX—from how you speak to what you post to how you follow up. It’s raw, it’s real, and it just might change how you train your team this quarter.