When you’re running an IT or cybersecurity sales business, the last thing you want your reps doing is cold calling just to hit quota. Decision-makers in your space are tech savvy, cautious, and busy, and they’re bombarded with generic pitches on a (near) daily basis.
They’ll only hold court for value-driven conversations that cut straight to their pain points—not a scripted monologue. That’s why growth-focused organizations only partner with the top outsourced cold calling companies to fill their pipelines.
When cybersecurity cold calling is done right, it earns attention, sparks genuine interest, and gets meetings on the books. In this post, we’ll break down what to look for in an outsourced cold calling partner and share a list of the best companies to choose from so you can ensure your cold calling efforts are home runs.
What to Look for in a Cold Calling Partner for B2B Tech Sales
Cold calling has long been a cornerstone of sales, and it’s still a powerful outbound channel that reps focus on: Nearly 50% of organizations say cold calling is either their primary or secondary sales channel.
And while it’s possible to handle cold-calling in-house, many organizations in cybersecurity and IT sales choose to outsource. It makes sense why: prospecting is high-stakes, time-intensive, and requires specialized expertise. Outsourcing allows you to quickly and cost-effectively ramp up your team, with reps who are experienced at engaging with senior decision-makers of complex solutions.
However, when choosing a cold calling partner, it’s important to choose wisely—not all outsourced teams are created equal. Especially if you’re selling complex tech: your reps need to know the difference between a firewall and a follow-up.
When evaluating a cold calling partner, start by asking: Can they handle long, consultative sales cycles?
Almost one-third of reps say lengthy sales processes are the primary reasons prospects back out of deals—you need a team that’s comfortable building relationships over weeks or months, and nurturing multiple stakeholders.
Next, ask: “Do they get cybersecurity sales and how to speak to technical decision-makers?” The right outsourced Sales Development Representatives can hold their own with a CIO, CISO, or network architect, translating complex solutions into business outcomes (all while respecting the buyer’s expertise).
Ultimately, your outsourced SDR team should feel like an extension of your in-house experts.
The Best Outsourced SDRs for Tech Sales Teams Who Need to Hit the Ground Running
Don’t waste your time with an outsourced cold calling partner who isn’t going to drive more deals. We’ve rounded up some of the best outsourced providers for B2B companies who want more than just call logs and calendar invites.
1. Inside Sales Solutions
If you want to work with cold calling experts who can reach the right leads at scale and speed, then Inside Sales Solutions is what you’re looking for.
Our Sales Development Services are designed to fix your biggest (and smallest) pipeline problems, whether you’re dealing with a low-quality pipeline, a lack of pipeline volume, low sales bandwidth, or a lack of MQLs.
What makes us different?
- Laser-targeted dials: Our SDRs are cybersecurity and IT specialists who excel at making real calls—instead of just relying on stale scripts. Plus, our dials are precise and data-driven—we maintain a proprietary, continuously updated database of verified contact information, which includes working mobile numbers crucial for successful phone outreach (no outdated contact information).
- Flexible services: With Inside Sales Solutions, you can choose from our flexible models: embedded retainer-based SDR services, or our pay-per-performance model, where you only pay for results—not just dials (because this model is more risky for the agency, many don’t offer this option). This allows you to quickly scale your top-of-funnel strategy up or down as needed.
- Industry expertise: ISS is ideal for businesses in complex B2B industries (like cybersecurity, Big Data, and IT), where impactful conversations matter.
- High-quality conversations: Our cold calling approach goes beyond lead generation—we use proven techniques to enhance conversations, shorten sales cycles, and increase pipeline quality.
Our services are well-suited for companies of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.
2. Martal Group
Martal Group is a B2B lead generation agency and sales enablement partner that delivers a boutique feel, but with technical fluency baked in—meaning you’re not sacrificing expertise for personalized attention. They also leverage AI and “reliable business data” to inform their outreach.
Martial Group is well-versed in the nuances of B2B tech sales, making them a strong fit for companies that need reps who can navigate both business and technical conversations seamlessly. While Martal works with businesses of all sizes, they’re an especially good fit for startups in “growth mode,” where every booked meeting counts and agility is critical.
3. CIENCE
CIENCE is another top outsourced cold calling provider, which offers performance-based lead generation, ensuring you’re only paying for results. CIENCE’s services are efficient and scalable, and they lean on AI SDR agents to support the work of their human SDR agents.
They also tap into loads of data to back their decisions: their AI tech identifies leads that match your ICP by analyzing extensive datasets to create a list of high-quality target prospects. This makes CIENCE an excellent choice if you’re going big and need lots of pipeline volume to support your growth.
At-a-Glance Comparison: Who Does What Best?
With so many outsourced SDR providers out there, it can be tough to figure out which one actually fits your business needs. Each of the top contenders brings something different to the table—whether it’s industry expertise, pricing flexibility, or sheer volume.
To make the decision easier, here’s a quick side-by-side look at who does what best:
| Company | Tech Focus | Pricing Model | Ideal For | Superpower |
| Inside Sales Solutions | Cybersecurity, SaaS | Dedicated + Pay-for-performance | Mid-to-enterprise | Human-verified data + cold calling muscle |
| Martal Group | SaaS, Cybersecurity | Performance-based | Startups | Tech fluency and adaptability |
| CIENCE | SaaS, IT Services | Retainer | Enterprise orgs | Volume + multichannel |
While all three companies excel in different areas, the “best” choice comes down to your growth stage and sales strategy. If you need technical fluency and precision in complex markets, Inside Sales Solutions stands out.
If you’re a fast-moving startup that values flexibility, Martal Group might be the perfect fit. And if scale and volume are your top priorities, CIENCE delivers.
Use this comparison as a guide, but keep your team’s goals and buyer expectations front and center when choosing a partner.
Why Cold Calling in Tech Is So Hard (And How These Partners Make It Easier)
Turning to outsourced cold calling doesn’t mean your business is struggling or you’re doing something wrong, because the reality is that cold calling in tech is uniquely challenging.
Technical Buyers Can Smell B.S.
In cybersecurity and IT sales, technical decision-makers have zero tolerance for fluff. If your SDRs don’t understand what they’re selling—or can’t speak knowledgeably about the problem your solution solves—your leads won’t stick. Good outsourced cold calling partners coach their reps to hold real, consultative conversations (not just read lines off a script).
Getting Past the Noise
Face it: CISOs and IT directors aren’t answering vague “just checking in” emails. That’s why the top outsourced SDR firms root their calls in human-verified databases and direct lines to get past the gatekeepers.
By connecting straight to the right people (like high-level decision-makers), these SDR partners save time, preserve your brand’s reputation, and dramatically improve conversion rates.
Long Sales Cycles, Low Patience
In tricky B2B industries, the first cold call is rarely a close: It’s the first step in an expansive buying process, where buyers gather information, secure budget, and align stakeholders. The right outsourced partner ensures their reps ask smart discovery questions, build relationships, and stay persistent until the deal is inked.
When It’s Time to Tap Appointment Setting Services
Cold calling is just one piece of the sales development puzzle—sometimes what you really need is appointment setting services to bridge the gap between prospecting and your sales team.
The difference comes down to focus: While cold calling is about sparking interest and generating conversations, appointment setting is about taking those conversations to the finish line by securing a spot on the calendar.
For many B2B tech companies, especially those selling complex solutions, having a dedicated partner for appointment setting ensures that valuable conversations don’t fizzle out before they turn into real opportunities.
An outsourced provider with strong appointment-setting capabilities will:
- Confirm that prospects meet your qualification criteria before booking time
- Reduce wasted meetings for your sales team by filtering out low-quality leads
- Keep momentum going in long sales cycles by following up consistently until a meeting is locked
When you combine high-quality cold calling with expert appointment setting services, you get a stronger, more predictable pipeline that keeps your reps focused on closing deals—not chasing calendars.
How to Choose the Right Cold Calling Partner
Not every outsourced provider is built for the demands of inbound vs outbound sales strategies, and that’s where making the right choice becomes critical. If your business leans heavily on inbound, you’ll want a partner that can quickly qualify and convert warm leads into sales-ready opportunities.
On the other hand, if outbound prospecting is your growth driver, you need a team skilled at breaking through noise, navigating gatekeepers, and booking meetings with hard-to-reach decision-makers.
When evaluating a partner, look beyond call volume and ask questions like:
- Do they offer flexibility to support both inbound lead qualification and outbound prospecting?
- How do they ensure alignment with your buyer personas and messaging?
- What metrics do they report on—just dials, or true outcomes like meetings and pipeline generated?
Ultimately, the best outsourced SDR partner won’t just “make calls”—they’ll integrate with your broader go-to-market strategy and act as a natural extension of your in-house team.
Let’s Chat: Need Help Scaling Your Cold Calling Game?
If your sales team is feeling the pressure and your pipeline isn’t where it should be, it might be time to call in backup. The right outsourced cold calling partner can give you the bandwidth, expertise, and consistency necessary to keep qualified opportunities flowing—without overloading your in-house reps.
Whether you need one SDR or a full sales development outsourcing engine, a great partner like Inside Sales Solutions makes all the difference.
What could a tailored cold calling approach look like for your team?
Let’s talk today.