A significant concern for sales teams in early 2026 revolves around whether major tech companies are ending cold outreach. While a definitive answer is not yet clear, a perspective from within the sales industry can shed light on the situation.
Recent introductions by Apple and Google suggest a trend that could lead to a decline in cold outreach methods.
Apple’s new feature, “Ask Reason for Calling,” significantly alters the landscape. This effectively transforms cold calling into a messaging-like interaction, removing dynamism, surprise, and spontaneity. While human connection is central to sales, its presence becomes challenging when interactions are limited to brief text exchanges.
The effectiveness of traditional cold calling often relied on its element of surprise. Recipients had no prior expectations, no information about the caller or the topic, and no immediate cues like origin, accent, or pitch style.
This feature raises questions about the continued relevance of sales training focused on psychology, tone mastery, and attention-grabbing techniques.
Google’s new AI inbox tool provides personalized email summaries and to-do lists. This implies that if a decision-maker identifies an unsolicited sales attempt, the email could be ignored, deleted, or the sender’s sequence might result in an unsubscribe.
This development aligns with Google’s ongoing efforts to regulate bulk and cold emails. Such measures have, however, prompted sales professionals to adopt increasingly unconventional strategies, pushing the boundaries of what is considered ‘off the wall’.
Currently, platforms like B2B email, Gmail, and LinkedIn are beginning to mirror the characteristics of social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, exhibiting reduced focus, lower quality content, less valuable information, and increased distraction.
Despite criticisms from many, particularly decision-makers, who attribute damage to the business environment—especially regarding trust and distraction—to sales practices, and despite ongoing complaints about cold calling and emailing on LinkedIn, sales and outreach continue to be essential for company growth.
Individuals often possess valuable insights worth sharing, irrespective of their professional role or affiliation. While time is a precious commodity, a brief five-minute call or a three-minute email is not an excessive commitment and can potentially yield unexpected value and new opportunities.
In an AI-driven world experiencing significant shifts across all business sectors, human interaction remains a core element for any company. Networking, connecting with new individuals, and exchanging ideas form the fundamental pillars of business.
So, are major tech companies truly ending cold outreach? Only time will provide a definitive answer. For the present, the answer appears to be no.
