Cold Calling Statistics 2026: 40+ Data Points From 12M Dials

The definitive 2026 cold calling statistics report, sourced from 40+ recent studies, our own internal call data across 12M+ dials, and public benchmarks from Cognism, Gong, and Salesloft.

Connect rates

• Average cold call connect rate: 4.8% (2026, up from 3.9% in 2024 thanks to better data)
• Best time to call: Tuesday to Thursday, 10 to 11 AM local time and 3 to 5 PM local time
• Worst time to call: Monday morning, Friday afternoon
• Mobile number connect rates are 3.2x higher than direct desk lines

Meeting booking rates

• Average meeting book rate per connected call: 2.1%
• Top-quartile SDRs book at 4.5% or higher
• It takes an average of 8 touchpoints across channels before a meeting is booked
• Cold calls that follow a targeted email get 2.7x higher connect rates

Volume benchmarks

• Average dials per SDR per day: 60 (manual), 250 (power dialer), 400+ (parallel dialer)
• Average conversations per SDR per day: 8 to 15
• Average meetings booked per SDR per day: 0.8 to 1.5
• Monthly meeting quota (realistic): 15 to 25 qualified meetings per SDR

Cost benchmarks

• Average cost per dial (outsourced US-based): $1.20
• Average cost per booked meeting: $250 to $600
• Average cost per closed deal from cold call source: $2,800 to $8,500