If you’re in B2B sales, you’ve probably heard this question a dozen times: Should I be using LinkedIn or cold email to reach new leads?

And honestly? It’s a fair question. Both methods have their strengths. Both can work if you do them right. But which one’s more effective? That’s where things get a little tricky.

Quick heads-up: If you’re looking to skip the trial and error and just get leads flowing in without all the guesswork, a LinkedIn outreach agency might be exactly what you need. They handle everything from messaging to strategy, so you can just focus on closing deals.

Now let’s unpack this topic.

Cold Email: The Classic Sales Play

Let’s start with cold email. It’s been around forever for a reason. It’s quick, easy to scale, and cheap to run. You get a decent list, write up a pitch, and hit send. Boom, your message is in dozens (or hundreds) of inboxes.

But here’s the catch…

People are way more guarded with their inboxes now. Spam filters are tighter. Prospects are more skeptical. And those overly templated messages? Most of them just get deleted without even being read.

Having said that, though, cold email does still work. It takes more skill than it used to.

You can’t just send out a generic message to a random list and expect results. These days, it’s all about:

• Writing like a real person (ditch the jargon)

• Getting to the point quickly

• Showing you properly understand who you’re talking to

• And following up without being irritating 

If your message is concise, helpful, and genuinely sounds like it was intended for them, not just blasted out to a list, then you’ve got a good shot.

LinkedIn Outreach: More Personal, Less Pushy

Now let’s talk about LinkedIn.

What makes LinkedIn so different is the context. People are there for business. They’re busy scrolling, posting, and networking, so it’s not weird to get a message from someone you don’t know. It’s expected.

But what makes LinkedIn outreach so powerful is that you get to start a conversation with someone instead of just going straight into a pitch. 

For example, if you want to connect with marketing directors at SaaS companies, all you have to do is search for them, go through their profiles, see what they’re interested in, and then send a personal message that doesn’t immediately scream “sales.”

It’s a more relaxed approach. Like you’re gently knocking on someone’s door, and not barging into their inbox. 

Don’t Want to DIY? That’s Where SDRs Come In

If managing outreach sounds like more than you want to handle, that’s fair. A lot of companies tap into SDR services to take care of everything.

SDR stands for Sales Development Rep. These folks do the grunt work: researching leads, crafting messages, handling follow-ups, and booking calls. They keep your pipeline full while you focus on closing.

And when you outsource it to the right team? They’ll feel like part of your company, not some third-party spam machine.

Not All Lead Gen Companies Are the Same

You might be thinking, “I’ve tried lead gen companies before. Didn’t work.”

We get it. Some just churn out leads with no strategy or personalization. It’s frustrating.

But there are B2B lead generation companies that take the time to understand your business. They tailor messages. They target the right people. They test what’s working. They genuinely care.

And yeah, they cost a little more than the “spray and pray” agencies. But the quality of leads is often night and day.

So, What Should You Do?

The truth is that when looking across the board, neither cold email nor LinkedIn is ‘better’. It all depends on what you’re selling, who you’re trying to sell to, and how much time and effort you’re willing to put into it.

Cold email might work great if you’re selling something simple and affordable to a wider audience. LinkedIn is probably better if you’re going after bigger deals where trust and conversation matter a bit more. 

Some companies even do both. They use cold email to cover more ground and LinkedIn to build stronger relationships. That mix can work well, as long as the messaging feels human.

It’s the Connection That Counts

What matters is not which tool you use, but how you use it.

People want to feel like they’re being spoken to, not marketed at. They want to see that you understand their world and can truly help them.

So take the time to personalize how you approach your audience. And if you would rather not do it yourself, then look into teaming up with a LinkedIn outreach agency. They’ll handle it all for you. 

Just remember: real conversations will always beat copy-paste tactics. And in B2B, relationships still win.