If you run (or manage) outbound sales for a B2B company, you’ve probably heard about ConnectAndSell and other dialing tools that promise to help reps spend less time waiting and more time talking to prospects. But does ConnectAndSell actually deliver? How does it stack up against the usual suspects like Outreach, Salesloft, Orum, or VanillaSoft? If you want a no-nonsense look at what works, what’s smoke and mirrors, and what you should actually care about—keep reading.
What Is ConnectAndSell, Really?
ConnectAndSell is a B2B outbound calling platform. It’s built to help sales teams make more live conversations with prospects, mainly by automating the annoying parts of cold calling: dialing, waiting, navigating phone trees, and dodging voicemails. The pitch is simple: instead of your reps spending most of their day listening to rings and getting nowhere, ConnectAndSell claims they can have dozens of live conversations per hour.
But like most tools, there’s a gap between the sizzle and the steak. Let’s break down how it works, where it shines, and where it falls short.
How ConnectAndSell Works
At a high level, ConnectAndSell uses a “human-bridge” system. Here’s the gist:
- You upload a list of leads.
- You hit “Go.”
- A team of ConnectAndSell’s agents starts calling your list behind the scenes.
- When a real person answers, the call is instantly transferred to your rep.
- Your rep jumps right into the conversation, skipping all the ringing and voicemail.
It’s not just software—it’s a mix of tech and real people acting as the bridge between your reps and prospects.
What’s Nice About This Model
- Drastically more live conversations: Instead of maybe 2-3 good connects per hour, reps can see 8-10+.
- No more “dialing fatigue”: Reps don’t get bogged down in busywork or endless ringing.
- Simple interface: Most salespeople can get the hang of it in an hour.
What’s Not So Great
- You’re paying for those human agents: This isn’t a cheap tool—it’s more like a premium service.
- Transferred calls can feel abrupt: The prospect may be caught off guard, which can lead to awkward intros.
- Not a full sales engagement platform: There’s no built-in email, CRM, or deep analytics. It’s all about the call.
ConnectAndSell: Where It Works, Where It Doesn’t
It Works When:
- Your team does a lot of top-of-funnel prospecting by phone.
- You have clean, accurate lead lists. Bad data just burns time.
- Your reps are experienced enough to handle “cold” conversations with zero warm-up.
It Doesn’t Work Well When:
- Your sales cycle relies on multi-touch, multichannel (calls, emails, LinkedIn, etc.) engagement.
- You’re selling to people who rarely answer the phone or work odd hours.
- Your reps aren’t comfortable thinking on their feet. The handoff is fast and there’s no script time.
Pro Tip
If you’re thinking about ConnectAndSell, run a pilot with your actual data and reps. Don’t trust the demo numbers—they’re often on cherry-picked lists.
Pricing: No Sugarcoating
ConnectAndSell is expensive. There’s no public pricing, but you’ll hear numbers like $1,000+ per user per month (sometimes higher, depending on volume and support). That’s a lot more than most competitors. You’re not just paying for software; you’re paying for the people behind the curtain.
If you’re a small team or just dabbling in cold calling, this probably isn’t for you. If you’re a high-volume outbound team where reps’ time is your biggest expense, the math can work out.
Comparison: ConnectAndSell vs Other Cold Calling Tools
There are a lot of tools that claim to “automate” cold calling, but they fall into a few buckets. Let’s break down how ConnectAndSell stacks up against the best-known names.
1. Orum
- What it does: AI-powered parallel dialer. Calls multiple numbers at once, connects you when a human answers.
- Strengths: Fast, software-only (no human agents), strong Salesforce integration, AI can detect voicemails.
- Weaknesses: Still some false-positives (e.g., connecting you to voicemail), can get expensive at scale, not as “white glove” as ConnectAndSell.
- Who picks Orum: Teams that want speed, but don’t want to pay for human agents.
2. Outreach & Salesloft
- What they do: Full sales engagement platforms. Sequence calls, emails, LinkedIn touches, tasks, etc.
- Strengths: Great for multichannel outreach, deep analytics, task management.
- Weaknesses: Dialers are just one piece—slower and less efficient than ConnectAndSell or Orum for raw call volume.
- Who picks Outreach/Salesloft: Teams that want a coordinated, multistep approach—not just calling.
3. VanillaSoft
- What it does: Sales engagement with a focus on phone. Includes cadence, call routing, and power dialing.
- Strengths: Flexible cadences, strong lead distribution, good for inside sales.
- Weaknesses: Not as fast as ConnectAndSell for pure cold calling, interface feels dated.
- Who picks VanillaSoft: Teams with a mix of calling and email, but who need better lead routing.
4. PhoneBurner
- What it does: Power dialer with CRM-lite features.
- Strengths: Simple, affordable, easy to use.
- Weaknesses: Not parallel dialing, no human agents, limited analytics.
- Who picks PhoneBurner: Small teams or solo reps who want to call faster without a huge investment.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | ConnectAndSell | Orum | Outreach | Salesloft | VanillaSoft | PhoneBurner | |------------------------|--------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------| | Live Calls/Hour | 8–10+ | 5–8 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–6 | 2–4 | | Human Agents | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | | Price (rough) | $$$$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$ | $ | | Multichannel | No | No | Yes | Yes | Limited | No | | Best For | High-volume calling| Speed, AI | Multichannel | Multichannel | Lead routing | Solo/small biz |
(Price scale: $ = cheapest, $$$$ = most expensive. This is a rough sense, not a quote.)
What to Ignore (and What to Question)
- “100x call efficiency” claims: Yes, you’ll get more connects, but don’t expect magic. Talk time goes up, but so does the need for great conversations.
- “Plug and play” promises: You’ll need to train reps. The handoff is abrupt, and prospects notice.
- Data hygiene shortcuts: Bad lists mean bad results. No tool can fix a garbage list.
Don’t buy just because of a flashy demo. Pilot, measure, and see if it fits your workflow.
When ConnectAndSell Makes Sense
- You have a team of experienced SDRs or AEs who spend most of their time dialing.
- Your lists are high-quality and verified.
- You’ve maxed out the limits of cheaper power dialers and need to squeeze more live conversations out of each hour.
- You have the budget and patience to train reps for the “hot handoff.”
When To Pass
- You’re just starting out, or your team is small.
- You need a multichannel approach (calls + email + LinkedIn).
- You can’t stomach the price tag.
- Your data isn’t clean (seriously, this is 80% of call success).
Honest Pros and Cons
Pros: - Best-in-class for maximizing live cold calls. - No more “dialing fatigue.” - Well-defined use case—does what it says on the tin.
Cons: - Expensive—this is a premium buy. - Not a do-it-all sales engagement platform. - The transfer experience can be jarring for prospects. - Dependent on the quality of your lead lists.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate
Here’s the bottom line: If you’re a true high-volume outbound team who lives and dies by the phone, ConnectAndSell is worth a serious look—if you’re okay with the price and ready to train your team for its quirks. But don’t expect it to solve bad data, poor messaging, or a broken sales process.
Start small. Run a pilot. Measure real results. And remember: no tool replaces a good list, a clear message, and reps who know how to have real conversations. The rest is just details.