Telemarketing still works, especially when it’s targeted and tied to a clear offer — the direct feedback loop is hard to beat.

That said, what I’ve seen is that results really depend on how well it’s integrated into the broader system. Cold calling on its own can feel noisy, but when it’s combined with data enrichment, email/LinkedIn touchpoints, and clear qualification criteria, it becomes much more effective.

In a lot of B2B cases like lead gen for SaaS, IT, or even logistics, the teams getting consistent results are the ones focusing on meeting quality, not just dialing volume.

I’ve seen this approach with a team I know at Salesar — they combine outreach channels, put a strong emphasis on deliverability and data accuracy, and align closely with sales so conversations actually convert into pipeline, not just contacts.

So yeah, telemarketing is definitely still relevant — it just works best as part of a structured, multi-channel system rather than a standalone tactic.