Why ISRs won’t make cold calls even if you tell them to do it.

Inside Sales Reps (ISRs) are often positioned as the bridge between marketing and field sales. They’re expected to qualify inbound leads, nurture accounts, and in many organizations, they’re also told to “just make some cold calls.”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: most ISRs won’t do it. Even when managers insist.

There are two reasons why:

Behavioral reality. Cold calling demands a tolerance for rejection that most ISRs simply don’t have. They were hired to manage conversations with interested prospects, not to chase uninterested strangers. When forced into outbound dialing, they hesitate, procrastinate, or go through the motions. The spinach gets pushed around the plate, but it doesn’t get eaten.

Organizational reality. Even if an ISR is willing, the structure works against them. Their KPIs are often tied to speed of response, inbound handling time, or pipeline conversion. None of these incentivize persistence in outbound cold calling. Worse, pushing them into a role they weren’t hired or trained for creates frustration, undermines morale, and accelerates turnover.

The result is predictable: cold calling initiatives fail, managers get frustrated, and ISRs look like they’re underperforming. But the real problem is a mismatch between role design and expectations.

The solution isn’t to bark louder—it’s to recognize cold calling as a specialized skill set. Telemarketers, unlike ISRs, are hired, trained, and motivated to focus entirely on this high-rejection, high-volume task. They do it well because it’s their discipline.

Bottom line: Expecting ISRs to make cold calls is a design flaw, not a management problem. Respect their role, and add dedicated outbound specialists where they belong.

More thoughtful content available from Growth Consortium, an organization dedicated to integrating data, creative, and teleservices into seamless growth campaigns.