2025 Sales Channel Effectiveness

Sales (especially SaaS) is getting increasingly competitive, and standing out in a crowded industry has never been more challenging. Executing with precision and knowing where to focus your efforts when it comes to outreach strategies are critical if you want to keep growing. 

That’s why with our 2025 Sales Channel Survey, we wanted to find out which channels are delivering results, and what’s just hype. This survey synthesizes insights from 64 sales professionals across roles, including account executives, SDRs, managers, and sales leaders. The results provide a snapshot of the challenges sales professionals face when it comes to connecting with prospects, the effectiveness or lack thereof with major sales outreach channels (email, phone, social media, events, texting, etc.), and the solutions. 

A contradictory pattern we noted was that while approximately nine in ten sales professionals rely on email or social media to reach new prospects, only a fraction take the effort to personalize and make those messages count.

According to our data, a staggering 88% of sales pros surveyed use either email or social networking as a primary sales outreach channel, signaling that these digital platforms have now become the undisputed backbone of B2C and B2B prospecting. 

Despite popularity, survey data also reveals low engagement as a top pain point for email outreach.

What’s causing low engagement? Is it buyer fatigue? Oversaturated markets? 

We found that when it comes to outreach execution, there’s a striking gap: a meager 21%, just 1 in 5 respondents say they fully personalize their outbound emails. The vast majority settle for only basic customization or mass messaging tactics.

This disconnect highlights a critical issue facing today’s sales leaders: buyers are flooded with generic sales pitches. And with inboxes crowded more than ever, the difference between a deleted message and a closed deal often hinges on how tailored you make your buying experience, and how relevant that initial point of contact feels to the customer. 

Therefore, the winners in 2025 and beyond are those who combine sophisticated data tools with deeply personalized and precise messaging. 

But the good news is that personalization doesn’t have to be a chore. Modern AI-powered platforms now enable sales teams to quickly access verified lead data and generate outreach that truly resonates, blending the scalability of digital channels like email and social selling with the intimacy of a human, one-to-one connection. 

As you’ll discover in this report, embracing advanced tech—and closing the personalization gap—may be the single most effective way for sales pros to rise above the noise and deliver real results in 2025 and beyond.

Read on to learn more insights from the 2025 Sales Channel Survey.

Inside the 2025 Sales Channel Survey: Parameters and Survey Respondents

The findings in this report are based on the insights of sales professionals. To ensure the results reflect real-world trends—and not theoretical best practices—we relied on a diverse cross-section of front-line sellers and managers.

Who Participated?

The survey gathered responses from a total of 64 sales professionals spanning a wide range of titles and responsibilities:

• Account Executives (AEs)
• Sales Development Representatives (SDRs)
• Sales Managers
• Sales Leaders and Executives

This diverse array of experience ensures that the insights we draw are comprehensive and represent the real practices and outcomes from the people familiar with every stage of the sales cycle, from prospecting to closing.

Industry and Company Size

Respondents included professionals from various industries (technology, consulting, manufacturing, financial services, and more), reflecting the universal importance of effective outreach across sectors. Companies ranged from fast-growing startups to established enterprises, aligning the report's findings with both scrappy inside sales teams and larger, more established organizations.

How the Survey Was Conducted

• Timing: All responses were collected in May and June of 2025, ensuring the results reflect the current marketplace, economic climate, and technology adoption curve.
• Survey Format: The survey included a blend of multiple-choice, scaled-response, and open-ended questions to capture both quantitative data and the nuanced perspectives of real sales practitioners.
• Sampling Method: Seamless.AI directly reached out to their customer and partner network, including LinkedIn groups and targeted emails, to ensure breadth and depth in the sample.

What We Measured

To analyze the evolving state of sales prospecting, the survey tracked:

• Channel Usage: Sales professionals shared which channels (email, phone, social media, texting, events, content collaboration) they use and the frequency of usage. 
• Channel Effectiveness: Respondents ranked which channel produced the best results for cold outreach (i.e., engagement and responses from prospects), and which had the strongest influence on closed deals.
• Pain Points & Positives: Some survey questions probed each channel’s significant strengths (e.g., ROI, speed, ease of use) and drawbacks (e.g., low engagement, difficulty personalizing, compliance concerns).
• Trends & Tools: The survey explored rates of AI adoption (55% use for email writing), how deeply emails are personalized (only 21% fully personalize), and how sales teams leverage multiple channels in their campaigns.

Why This Matters

In a year where digital transformation and AI tools are redefining the rules of engagement, the survey’s insights arrive at a pivotal time. When aggregating data from those actually in the trenches, the 2025 Sales Channel Survey aims to deliver a reliable benchmark for sales professionals, leaders, journalists, and industry analysts who want to understand where the market is heading and how high performers are driving results.

For a full breakdown of respondent demographics, survey questions, and data tables, see the Appendix.

Bigger Picture: Which Sales Channels Are Leading…and Which Are Lagging Behind?

The 2025 Sales Channel Survey finds that while technology continues to diversify the outreach playbook, as sellers look to connect with ideal clients, they are converging around a handful of highly effective channels, with clear leaders and stragglers. 

When respondents were asked about the channels they use for outbound outreach, two stood out:

1. Email is the most widely used, with 79.7% of sales professionals including email in their outreach strategy.
2. Social networking comes in a close second at 79.4%. Notably, the platform sales pros overwhelmingly favored for B2B engagement was LinkedIn.

Texting (66.1%), event networking (58.7%), content collaborations (50.8%), and calling (49.2%) round out the remaining channel usage. 

Despite high usage, we found that adoption doesn’t always translate to high impact or return. When sales pros were asked which channel actually delivers the best results in cold outreach, the picture shifts:

• Social networking (specifically LinkedIn) now leads, with 36% naming it their most effective channel for eliciting a response from cold outreach.
• Email is close behind, chosen by 25% of professionals as most effective.
• Phone (calling) earns just 16%, with even lower scores for event networking (8%), content collaborations (13%), and texting (3%).

Key Takeaways and Trends

Social Selling Surges: The rapid rise of LinkedIn as a trusted outreach channel is a headline finding. Sales professionals pointed out that the top reasons for their success on LinkedIn were warmer leads on the network and the ability to build personal and/or company brands.

Email Remains a Powerhouse: Despite competition, email still underpins the majority of sales outreach, and it’s the single channel most likely to influence a closed deal (47% of closed deals on average began or were primarily influenced by email).

Traditional Cold Calling Is Dying Out: Fewer than half of sellers now rely on cold calling, and only 1 in 6 rate it as their top response driver—a major shift from sales playbooks of the past.

Texting: Texting is a popular sales strategy, with two-thirds of respondents using it; however, this channel nets the lowest “most effective” rating. Thus, sales teams are clearly experimenting with text, but aren’t seeing robust results yet.

Response stat- “Only 3% of sellers—just 2 out of 64 respondents—say texting leads to the best responses.”

Event Networking and Content Collaboration: These channels have passionate advocates, especially for relationship-building, but score lower on measurable response and deal influence.

What Works and What Doesn’t in 2025

While every sales channel offers opportunities, each comes with its own set of advantages and pitfalls. The 2025 Sales Channel Survey reveals not just what’s popular, but why certain tactics help close deals—and where others are still making costly missteps.

Email: Still King, But Not Without Hazards

What Works:

• Tailored, Relevant Messages

Example: Personalizing your initial email with a prospect’s name, referencing recent company news, and aligning your offer with their needs (whether they’re persona or industry-driven pain points) dramatically increases email engagement. One respondent shared that just by “Customizing the first line to show I did my homework gets a reply at least 3x more often.”

• Smart Use of Tracking and Sequencing Tools

Leveraging tools to monitor opens and automate well-timed follow-ups ensures you’re persistent without being pushy.

What Not to Do:

• Don’t Engage in Purposeless Spamming

Over 30% of respondents identified low engagement and spam complaints as their biggest pain points. Sending the same generic pitch to every contact almost guarantees your outreach will be ignored or flagged.

• Neglecting Data Quality

Nearly 19% cited inaccurate email addresses as a top frustration. Use trusted sources like Seamless.AI to find emails and keep your list clean.

Social Networking (LinkedIn): Warmer Leads, But Don’t ‘Post and Pray’

What Works:

• Building Authentic Connections

Engaging with prospects’ content, sending personalized connection requests, and following up with tailored value leads to higher response rates and conversion. Plus it’s good to make yourself seen and heard. The more you are on the prospect’s timeline, the more you get consideration and trust when doing outreach.

• Thought Leadership and Brand Building

Regularly sharing insights on social media and participating in industry conversations helps build credibility and attract warm inbound leads. Even if you don’t have any aspirations of becoming a social media influencer, doing something as minor as leaving comments on your colleagues’ posts can be just as effective as posting your own content. 

What Not to Do:

• Cold DM Blasts or Drop Immediate “Pitch Slaps”

Over 30% say the biggest pain point with social networking is “standing out or getting noticed.” Social media is saturated with voices. Mass messaging without any context or relationship won’t resolve this issue. Your messaging will be ignored or worse, damage your reputation.

• Neglecting to Build Your Network Over Time

Expanding your reach online takes time and care. Social selling is not an overnight success, and it doesn’t deliver an immediate response like what salespeople can get from calling. Jumping straight to the sale rarely works when you’re online, and 20.5% cite the time it takes to “build up credibility/network” as a major pain point. Despite the time investment, it’s important to underscore that social networking can have more reach than any other channel. Additionally, the opportunity to build a larger audience at scale is unbeatable with social.

Calling: Still Fast for Feedback, But Not for Everyone

What Works:

• Use for Urgent, High-Priority Prospects

“Sometimes a quick call unlocks an opportunity that emails can’t,” one seasoned rep shared. Immediate feedback helps triage and qualify leads fast.

• Follow Up After Email or LinkedIn

Warming up your call works poorly on its own. But if you integrate digital touchpoints into your outreach strategy alongside cold calls, you can significantly increase answer rates.

What Not to Do:

• Make Random Cold Calls With No Context

Modern buyers expect context and value in their sales experience. Contacting random people who aren’t expecting your call means that you’re going to end up in the voicemail more often than not. This lack of responsiveness was a major challenge that respondents identified with cold calls. 43% said nobody picks up, and 27% felt calls are widely perceived as “interruptive or annoying.” 

• Ignoring Compliance/Consent

No one likes being blindsided. Stick to opt-in and cold calling best practices. 

Texting: Best for Confirmations, Risky for New Prospects

What Works:

• Meeting Reminders

Survey respondents noted high open rates with texting (sales texts are actually getting read), which makes this channel ideal if you’re looking to confirm arrangements or send time-sensitive, urgent info. But just because your message gets opened doesn’t mean it gets read or welcomed. As with all the channels, but especially with text messaging, always keep it professional and permission-based.

• Use Text With Existing Clients or Opted-In Leads

It’s best to resort to text messaging for clients and warm leads who have already encountered you and your brand in some capacity before. 

What Not to Do:

• Overusing or Sending Unsolicited Texts

33% see texting as “overly intrusive,” and for good reason, especially if you’re texting a cold prospect. 

Lack of Professionalism

Not every buyer expects texts. In fact, 17% of salespeople surveyed feel it’s unprofessional.

Event Networking & Content Collaboration: High Effort, High Reward (If Done Right)

What Works:

• Genuine Relationship Building

32% and 36% of sales pros respectively, cite trust and expertise-building as the top benefits of in-person networking events and collaborative webinars. Being in a room of your peers, making face-to-face contact, injects human connection back into sales strategy and helps you stay on top of industry trends. 

• Value-First Content Partnerships

Demonstrating expertise through joint articles, podcasts, or events helps position you as a trusted advisor.

What Not to Do:

• Time and Resource Sink

41% say collaborations take too much effort for limited ROI compared to the other channels, and returns are also difficult to track. Only invest if you can follow up and measure real outcomes.

• Transactional Networking

One of the best approaches respondents shared for making the most out of in-person networking is to lower your expectations. Don't treat events as lead-farming expeditions because this comes across as aggressive and sales-y. Instead, just focus on making authentic connections. Expect to play the long game if you’re trying to close on a lead from an event.

Emerging Trends: The New Playbook for Winning Outreach

The 2025 Sales Channel Survey shows that success in prospecting isn’t just about choosing the right channel. It’s about staying ahead of the curve with data-driven personalization, purposeful use of technology, and the ability to adapt accordingly. 

Here are three trends that we think will change the outreach playbook for sales pros everywhere:

1. AI Adoption: Sales Tech Goes Mainstream

One of the most striking findings from this survey is how rapidly AI-powered tools are transforming salespeople’s approach to prospecting:

Response quote: “AI has saved me so much time. I use it to draft and refine messages, so I’m not reinventing the wheel every day. It’s especially useful for customizing outreach at scale.” — Team Lead, Sales Ops

2. The Personalization Gap: A Missed Opportunity?

Despite the tech boom and the speed at which teams have incorporated AI into their daily tasks, only 21% of sales pros fully personalize their outbound emails. But on the flipside, over 30% of professionals cite low engagement and generic messaging as the greatest challenges to email outreach. However, at the same time, they aren’t using the personalizing capabilities of AI to its greatest potential. 

This suggests that many teams overlook the scalability of AI personalization and instead still lean on generic mass emailing. This is ultimately a missed opportunity for the higher open and reply rates that come from true 1-to-1 relevance. 

Why it matters: As competition for attention intensifies, “personalization at scale” is emerging as a critical differentiator for response and conversion.

3. Social Selling Surpasses the Cold Call

Social networking (driven in large part by LinkedIn) has officially overtaken traditional cold calling:

• 79.4% of respondents use social networking as a regular outreach channel, which is nearly equal to email’s dominance.
• 36% now rank social as their most effective channel for getting cold outreach responses, compared to just 16% who say they get some level of responsiveness from calls.

On top of responsiveness, surveyors also rank LinkedIn highly because it delivers “warmer leads” and makes it easier to build professional trust with prospects. As one enterprise SDR put it: “LinkedIn leads are almost always warmer and easier to convert. It takes more time to build your network, but the engagement is real.”

The New Sales Formula

Integration > Isolation: Instead of sticking to one or two channels, teams that drive the best results blend email, social, phone (and increasingly event networking) for a diversified, multi-touch approach to outreach that appeals to 

From Volume to Value: There’s a growing emphasis on quality conversations that focus on a more consultative approach to sales, enabled by intelligence tech like Seamless.AI that supplies better data and relevant talking points in half the time. Not just generic pitching that prioritizes high outreach numbers.  

Today’s sales leaders are using these tactics to reimagine traditional selling and empower teams to be more purposeful and strategic in an era of information overload.

Real Voices: On-the-Ground Insights from Sales Pros

Statistics can reveal what’s happening, but the stories and experiences of working sales professionals bring crucial context to the numbers we found. The 2025 Sales Channel Survey includes not just quantitative results, but also dozens of open-ended responses that reveal how sellers feel about today’s outreach challenges and opportunities.

Connecting With Prospects Is Harder Than Ever

“The biggest issue with cold outreach is getting noticed among the noise. Everyone gets so many emails a day that you need to be creative, relevant, and persistent just to get a reply.” — Sales Manager, B2B SaaS

Many sales reps echoed this struggle. With so many channels saturated, it’s the teams that combine research, data, and genuine connection that win attention, further underlining how obsolete “mass-blast” emails and generic DMs have become.

Build Trust, Not Replies: The Social Selling Edge

“LinkedIn leads are almost always warmer and easier to convert. It takes more time to build your network, but the engagement is real.” — Enterprise SDR

Respondent feedback consistently pointed to LinkedIn’s power for trust and credibility when it comes to sales outreach.  By engaging with prospects’ content and sharing industry expertise, sellers can earn replies that cold channels rarely achieve.

The Power (And Challenge) of Email

“Email is the backbone of my prospecting. It lets me track opens, test messages, and reach a huge audience affordably, but it’s getting tougher [because] people ignore more messages.” — Account Executive

Most pros recognize that email is foundational for starting outreach and advancing deals. However, they also point out that disengagement is a problem that’s only exacerbated when we factor in poor personalization and data management.

Rethinking Cold Calls

“Cold calls are high pressure and rarely picked up. Honestly, I only call now when email and LinkedIn haven’t worked.” — Senior Sales Rep

Notable patterns from survey respondents’ feedback indicate a clear shift in attitudes about cold calling: phones remain valuable for immediate feedback and late-stage follow-up, but the glory days of “dialing for dollars” are becoming outdated.

Tech as a Game Changer

“AI has saved me so much time. I use it to draft and refine messages, so I’m not reinventing the wheel every day. It’s especially useful for customizing outreach at scale.”
— Team Lead, Sales Ops

When it comes to tech and the AI wave, respondents overwhelmingly agreed: technology—and especially tools like Seamless.AI—aren’t just “nice-to-haves” anymore; they’re becoming central to any effective outreach strategy that’s targeted and value-centric.

Actionable Takeaways for Sales Teams

With inboxes more crowded, buyer fatigue, and an increasing number of outreach channels, it’s not enough to simply work the list. The 2025 Sales Channel Survey points to clear actions that help sales teams rise above the noise and deliver real results:

Personalize, Don’t Pulverize

Stat: Only 21% of sales reps fully personalize their outbound emails. Yet low engagement is the #1 pain point for nearly a third (33%) of sellers.

How to win: Move beyond “Hi [First Name]” and use industry, role, or trigger-based context, such as a recent funding round or company initiative.

Tool Tip: Use platforms like Seamless.AI to research and incorporate relevant insights into messaging at scale, boosting both open and response rates.

Make AI Your Co-Pilot

Stat: 55% of sales pros now use AI to craft, test, or automate their emails.

How to win: Combine automation with oversight: use AI to generate variations, but add a human touch for tone and targeting.

• Tool Tip: Use AI-driven tools to quickly A/B test subject lines and content, pinpointing what resonates with specific segments or personas.

Don’t Abandon Traditional Channels… Evolve Them

Stat: 47% of closed deals start with an email. LinkedIn drives warmer leads, and the phone is best for urgent, high-stakes follow-up.

How to win: Blend channels. Start relationships on social or at events, deepen them with personalized emails, and convert with timely calls.

• Pro Move: Sequence your outreach. Don’t start cold with a call. Instead, reach out on social for initial contact, warm up your leads, and then use calls strategically after digital engagement.

Clean Your Data—Constantly

Stat: 19% of sellers cite inaccurate emails as a key pain point.

How to win: Regularly validate and update your lists. Bad data costs both opportunities and reputation.

• Tool Tip: Seamless.AI can provide real-time, verified contact information for your ICP, reducing bounce rates and keeping your database sharp.

What’s Next: Predictions for the Future of Sales Outreach

Sales outreach is evolving, and the results from the 2025 Sales Channel Survey suggest even more dramatic changes ahead. As technology and AI adoption reshape buyer expectations and sales teams face fiercer competition, tomorrow’s top performers will be those who adapt fastest.

Prediction 1: Personalized Outreach Becomes Table Stakes

Inboxes are full, and attention is fleeting. As buyers get savvier, generic cold emails and mass-blasted LinkedIn DMs will become increasingly ineffective. Just as people developed banner blindness for ads in the past, generic email subject lines will not convince consumers to click.

Prediction 2: AI Usage Will Become An Everyday Essential

With 55% of sales teams already leveraging AI for outbound email (and a surge in LinkedIn-enabled prospect research), automation will play a bigger role in the full sales cycle. Our Q1 data report covered AI adoption in sales for 2025.

Prediction 3: LinkedIn Will Define B2B Prospecting, But Multi-Channel Still Wins

Social is dominating calling as a top outreach channel, with 36% rating it the most effective for cold outreach, compared to just 16% for phone. LinkedIn will continue to lead the pack, but the most effective teams won’t just rely on social; they will integrate email, in-person networking, and strategic phone outreach into seamless workflows.

Prediction 4: Data Accuracy Will Separate Winners from Also-Rans

With nearly 1 in 5 pros blaming inaccurate lists for lost opportunities, the divide between teams who invest in real-time, verified data (and robust enrichment tools like Seamless.AI) and those who don’t, will become more pronounced.

Prediction 5: Sales Tech Stacks Will Focus On Integration

With so many platforms—email, CRM, social, AI, analytics—today’s high-growth teams are already prioritizing workflow integration. Tomorrow’s sales orgs will expect every tool to “talk” to one another, enabling unified data, seamless targeting, and a frictionless seller experience.

“I think the future will reward teams that automate the mundane, personalize the important, and never stop learning from the data.” — Survey Respondent, Sales Manager

Taken together, these trends point to a future where standing out demands more innovative use of data, relentless testing, and the automation of everything except what makes a message truly human.

Appendix: Full Data, Additional Resources & Media FAQ

Survey Methodology

• Timing: Q2 2025
• Sample: 64 sales professionals (AEs, SDRs, managers, leaders)
• Distribution: Via Seamless.AI network, LinkedIn, targeted invites
• Format: Blend of quantitative and qualitative/open text questions

How to Attribute This Data

For media, please attribute as follows: Data sourced from the 2025 Sales Channel Survey by Seamless.AI, n=64, Q2 2025.

Additional Resources

• Downloadable charts and infographics: [Contact us for high-res assets]
• Expert commentary/interview requests: marketing @ seamlessleads.com
• Full survey questions or demo: Contact us

Media FAQ

Question: Can I cite individual statistics in my story?
Answer: Yes! Please attribute findings to the “2025 Sales Channel Survey.”

Question: Where can I find raw data or more granular demographics?
Answer: We’re happy to share anonymized data tables or detailed breakdowns by industry or company size.

Question: Is this survey focused on a specific region or industry? The survey encompasses a broad cross-section of industries and company sizes, with a majority of responses from US-based sales teams, but also includes global participation.

Question: Can I republish the infographics and/or charts?
Answer: All visuals may be republished with proper credit to Seamless.AI.

Question: Is there someone available for expert interviews or commentary?
Answer: Yes! Please reach out to our marketing team at marketing @ seamlessleads.com to arrange interviews with Seamless.AI leadership or survey analysts.

Question: How does Seamless.AI address the “personalization gap” identified in the survey?
Answer: Seamless.AI enables sales teams to quickly enrich contacts with real-time, accurate data, supporting efficient and meaningful personalization in every message and channel.

Final Note

The data, stories, and trends in this report are intended to support journalists, analysts, and industry leaders in understanding the real state of sales outreach—and how tomorrow’s leaders can win with smarter, more personalized, and more effective strategies.

For additional resources, further statistics, or interview opportunities, please contact our marketing or sales team to book a demo today. Thanks!

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