Has Cold-Calling Frozen Over?

In the age of Artificial Intelligence, it's becoming more difficult for cold callers to be perceived as humans, rather than scammers. This article explores whether cold calling is dead, some alternatives, and ways to boost cybersecurity measures against hackers.

There's some debate as to whether or not cold calling is dead. According to Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), many are adamant that it is not dead; it may just need a few modern tweaks. This includes being knowledgeable about the client and focusing on solving your clients' problems, rather than selling your service (SIA, 2015).

But thanks to modern-day technology, cold-calling no longer refers to just phone calls. Sales pitches can now be given online through a variety of channels. According to Forbes, cold-calling is getting more difficult due to AI and other tools that can fake phone numbers and voices. People simply aren't as interested in hearing a sales pitch, since they want to avoid scammers. The article offers a solution. Rather than cold calling, create attractors for your company instead, or "what you do differently and better than your competitors." These attractors can then be plastered all over the internet from social media, articles, paid ads, email, etc. This could save time (and money) otherwise spent on cold-calling rejections (Gaz, 2024).

But in the age of advanced hackers and AI, companies need to ensure their information is secure now more than ever. Plus, there are additional cold-calling hurdles that companies need to overcome because of AI.

Cybersecurity: Is Your Company Ready?

According to SIA, modern hackers can take over even the best security measures. Staffing companies are a great target for hackers, due to the nature of their stored content, including employee social security numbers, driver's licenses, and a whole plethora of personal information. Smaller staffing companies, in particular, are more prone to attack due to the likelihood of weaker preventative measures in place. In fact, according to IBM Security, the average amount lost for each stolen record during a data breach is $158. Depending on how many records are in your system, this could add up to a lot of money (Best, 2017).

But it's not just staffing companies that need to be cautious. Preventative measures need to be taken for any company to be safe from hackers and cyber attacks. SIA recommends insurance based on the company's needs and how much information they're storing. There are typically three types of cyber insurance coverage, which includes Liability (covers defense and settlement costs), Crisis Management (covers response costs such as PR), and Regulatory fines and penalties (costs associated with investigating, defending, and settling). (Best, 2017).

In addition to Cyber Insurance, employee education could help prevent attacks. According to Lincoln (2024), a recent report discussed an employee paying a hacker $25 million thinking he was in a video call with his CFO, which turned out to be a deepfake video.

Many companies agree there is a reduced risk if employees take phishing awareness training (Lincoln, 2024). Is your company prepared and secure against hackers and, if so, what policies do you have in place to prevent these attacks?

Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword

There are benefits to using AI, and many businesses are utilizing it. While AI can assist with your workload, such as schedules, chatbots, or meeting summaries, this comes at a cost. As SIA writes, "[W]hile AI can automate many tasks, it cannot provide empathy, creativity and human connection. Workers with strong soft skills such as communication, problem solving, leadership and adaptability will continue to be highly valued in an AI-driven economy" (Veraszto, 2024).

This is yet another hurdle cold-callers need to overcome. In such an AI-driven world, how can you prove to your prospects that there's a living, breathing human on the other side of the device? That's why adding a warm touch to your cold calls is pivitol.

In a separate Forbes article, there are tips for readers to use if they choose to continue cold-calling on various channels and ways to reach and connect with people. To name a few of the fifteen total tips, Forbes suggests treating prospects like people (duh), researching your clients, getting referrals and using them as introductions, and creating short, personal pitches. These tips are great ways to break the ice (pun intended) when cold-calling. They add the human element back in, reducing the risk of prospects thinking they're speaking with a bot (Forbes, 2024).

So maybe cold-calling should be renamed to cold-contacting, and maybe it isn't dead after all. Cold-calling simply needs to evolve to face the new challenges that AI and hackers present. Do you agree or disagree? Drop us a comment below!

Experience the Infinity Difference

One thing that sets Infinity Staffing apart is our determination to keep the human element alive. While we do "cold-call" through personalized messages (after heavy client research), more likely than not, prospects will see our team in person. This is how we show companies we are different. We take the time to visit you in person, so you can rest assured that we are not robots.

Our connections don't end here, however. You will frequently find our team assisting community members every chance we get. We have put together a variety of resources on our website for anyone to view, regardless of whether you are our employee or not. These resources include financial counseling, ESL classes, free GED classes, Domestic Violence training resources, energy and housing assistance, and more. These resources are all found on our website, which you can view here.

Additionally, Infinity staff participate in local high school "Interview Days" that help prepare students for interviews, donate to Sheltering Wings (a domestic violence shelter), and collect and distribute food, clothes, blankets, and more to those in need. After the horrible aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, Infinity Staffing took a trailer of essential supplies, toys, and $6,000 in gift cards to Florida for the victims, where we distributed these resources to those most in need.

We try to connect with as many community members far and wide as possible—more than just prospects and job seekers. We do this because we care about more than just sales numbers. Because at the end of the day, our field is people connecting with other people, not robots.

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Literature Cited

Best, Jake (2017, April 18). Staffing Firms Face Growing Threat of Data Breaches. Staffing Industry Analysts. https://www.staffingindustry.com/editorial/staffing-stream/does-cold-calling-really-work

Gaz, David (16, April 2024). Cold Calling Is Dead, Create Attractors Instead. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2024/08/16/cold-calling-is-dead-create-attractors-instead/

Forbes. (26, December 2023). Breaking The Ice: 15 Tips For Cold Calling Business Prospects. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/12/26/breaking-the-ice-15-tips-for-cold-calling-business-prospects/

Laker, Benjamin (7, July 2023). The Dark Side Of AI Recruiting: Depersonalization And Its Consequences On The Modern Job Market. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/benjaminlaker/2023/07/07/the-dark-side-of-ai-recruiting-depersonalization-and-its-consequences-on-the-modern-job-market/

Lincoln, Peter (12, March 2024). Staffing agencies must collaborate to strengthen cybersecurity within the industry. Staffing Industry Analysts. https://www.staffingindustry.com/editorial/staffing-stream/staffing-agencies-must-collaborate-strengthen-cybersecurity-within

Staffing Industry Analysts. (17 December, 2015). Does "Cold Calling" Really Work? Staffing Industry Analysts. https://www.staffingindustry.com/editorial/staffing-stream/does-cold-calling-really-work

Veraszto, Billy (9, July 2024). The impact of AI on staffing: A VP of technology’s perspective. Staffing Industry Analysts. https://www.staffingindustry.com/editorial/staffing-stream/impact-ai-staffing-vp-technologys-perspective

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