How does AI cold calling work, step by step?
AI cold calling works in a loop: you upload a list, the system screens it, dials within your calling window, detects whether a person answers, runs a scripted but flexible conversation, records the outcome and retries unanswered numbers. The AI hands interested people to your team or books the next step. On Outpero it is a bulk campaign billed on connected minutes only.
The campaign, step by step
- 01Prepare the list as a CSV with names, numbers and any fields the agent should mention.
- 02Upload it and write the brief: opening line, qualifying questions, what the agent may promise and the call to action.
- 03DND screening removes numbers that should not be called.
- 04Set calling windows and the number of channels. Each channel is one call at a time and works through about 55 dials an hour.
- 05The agent dials, detects whether a human or a voicemail has picked up and speaks only to people.
- 06In the conversation it follows your questions, handles objections, switches language if the caller does and ends politely if the person is not interested.
- 07Interested callers are booked, sent a WhatsApp message or transferred to your team.
- 08Unanswered numbers are retried at times you set; only calls that connect are billed.
What you get back
Every call produces a recording, a full transcript, a summary, sentiment and the custom fields you asked for, in the leads database, call logs and analytics, with CSV export and a webhook. The log shows the credits each call used.
How long a campaign takes
| List size | Channels | Approximate dialling time |
|---|---|---|
| 500 dials | 1 | about 9 hours |
| 1,000 dials | 3 | about 6 hours |
| 5,000 dials | 5 | about 18 hours |
These are rough figures from the 55 dials per channel per hour estimate. Real time depends on pickup, call length and your calling window, and each extra channel is ₹649/month.
Why the opening line decides most results
A cold prospect decides in the first few seconds. The opening should say who is calling, in the person's language, and give one reason to stay on the line. A line such as the company name and a single clear benefit works better than a long introduction. Read early transcripts and shorten whatever makes people hang up.
Cold campaigns are also regulated calling, so confirm DLT registration, number series and consent before launching.
Want to hear an AI voice agent handle this on a real call?