We have experienced B2B cold calling across Nordics, DACH, UK, Spain and Benelux. Here is what we learned.
Nordics (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland)
Cold calling works very well.
These are high-trust societies. People listen.
Finland: Go straight to the point.
Sweden: Be ready to build trust fast, like common connections.
ROI: High.
Lists: global databases thin out here.
Use a Nordic source like Clevenio: FI, SE, NO, DK with decision makers.
DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Cold calling works better for small companies. Large companies are hard to reach. Multiple gatekeepers.
Regulations are strict, but “maneuverable”.
ROI: Good for small/mid-size companies. Unclear for large corporations.
UK
Cold calling is hard.
The phone lines are very saturated. Many people ignore unknown numbers.
There are many spam calls, bots, and scams.
It still works in some segments. But it can take 5X calls compared to the Nordics.
ROI: Often low.
Spain
Cold calling was banned in Spain in 2025.
Commercial calls need prior consent. Fresh law means rules are taken seriously which makes the outbound activity spicy at the moment.
Previously, the large Spanish-speaking market was flooded with spam calls and bots.
Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg)
"Dutch Directness" is the rule. Be blunt, make good first impression and skip the over-politeness.
Language is key! Before you call, know if you speak Dutch or French... never guess.
ROI: Highly competitive, but the returns are worth the effort.
Sellai helps with high-quality local outbound. Results may differ with volume or automated calls.
Our local sales freelancers do this:
✔️ Use the native language.
✔️ Know exactly who they call.
✔️ Have a clear reason to call.
✔️ Use a local number.
✔️ Focus on quality, and volume.
Find you match with Sellai Matchmaking!
