Cold calling across Switzerland
B2B cold calling in Switzerland: process, legal rules and appointment setting
By Charles Perret, Founder, devlodevlo is a Swiss B2B cold calling, telemarketing and customer acquisition agency founded in Lausanne in 2020 and serving all of Switzerland, including German-speaking Switzerland. For B2B companies with 50 to 1,000 employees, we combine cold calls with email and LinkedIn based on buying signals, through to the qualified meeting in your calendar. Each engagement confirms the execution language, named operator and QA owner before launch.
Trusted by our clients
What does a B2B cold calling agency handle?
devlo defines the ICP with you, prioritises target accounts through buying signals, runs the calls and coordinates email and LinkedIn follow-up. Interested decision-makers are qualified and handed over as meetings in your calendar. Your sales team keeps ownership of the sales conversation and contract.
What must be set before the first cold call
- ICP of 50 to 1,000 employees
- Target accounts defined together
- Buying signals checked
- Contact data verified
- Script by segment and language
- Named operator before launch
- QA owner before launch
- Email and LinkedIn coordinated
- Qualification criteria agreed
- Meeting added to the calendar
- Call insights fed back into messaging
Decision checklist
Before choosing a partner, check these points against your own market constraints.
- 01
ICP of 50 to 1,000 employees
- 02
Target accounts defined together
- 03
Buying signals checked
- 04
Contact data verified
- 05
Script by segment and language
- 06
Named operator before launch
- 07
QA owner before launch
- 08
Email and LinkedIn coordinated
- 09
Qualification criteria agreed
- 10
Meeting added to the calendar
- 11
Call insights fed back into messaging
Phone alone or a connected acquisition system
Cold calling is more relevant when target accounts, buying signals, email, LinkedIn, qualification and CRM follow one process.
| Criterion | devlo | Other options |
|---|---|---|
| Target | B2B companies with 50 to 1,000 employees and a jointly defined ICP. | Document the target, exclusions and decision-makers before launch. |
| Priority | Buying signals determine which accounts are called first. | Avoid working through a list without an explainable order. |
| Channels | Cold calls, email and LinkedIn carry the same message. | Define handoffs between separate channels before launch. |
| Appointment setting | Qualified conversations are handed over in the calendar and CRM. | Define qualification and handover before the campaign. |
Key terms
- ICP (ideal customer profile)
- The segment of companies and decision-makers most likely to buy, defined by industry, size, geography, language and signals. It is the filter that avoids blind volume.
- Buying signal
- An observable event, such as a funding round, a hire or a tool change, that shows an account is more likely to buy now.
- Multichannel outbound
- A coordinated sequence across email, LinkedIn and phone, aligned on the same target and message, instead of a single isolated channel.
- Qualified meeting
- A meeting with a decision-maker who fits the ICP and shows verified interest, not just a click or a polite reply.
Public proof to inspect
March to July 2025
for und du AG in German-speaking Switzerland: German and English, with Swiss German calling, email and LinkedIn
30+ interested prospects
for Abacus: B2B telemarketing to estate agencies in French-speaking Switzerland
Stephan Nuzzolo
Director, Abacus Services
80+ meetings
for Horus in Belgium: LinkedIn, email and cold calling, €200,000 in sales
Jérôme Tailleur
Sales Director, Horus Software
1,000+ cold calls
for IDDI (biotech and pharma): first meetings within 3 weeks; email, LinkedIn and cold calling
11 interested prospects
out of 622 contacted, for HIAG (commercial premises): email and cold calling
Plan cold calling for your Swiss market
We review your ICP, target accounts, buying signals and languages to connect phone, email and LinkedIn through to qualified meetings.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cold calling and telemarketing?
Cold calling means contacting a potential B2B customer by phone before a business relationship exists. Telemarketing also covers preparation, qualification and appointment setting around the call.
Does devlo book appointments directly in my calendar?
Yes. devlo combines calls with email and LinkedIn based on buying signals, qualifies interested decision-makers and adds the agreed meeting to your calendar.
Does B2B cold calling work in German-speaking Switzerland?
Yes, when the target account, reason, language and value align. For und du AG, the March to July 2025 campaign covered German-speaking Switzerland in German and English, with Swiss German calling, email and LinkedIn. Each engagement confirms the execution language, named operator and QA owner before launch.
Which companies and industries is customer acquisition for?
B2B companies with 50 to 1,000 employees. Our positioning focuses on IT and SaaS, finance and fintech, manufacturing, professional services, healthcare and real estate. This industry list is not a client list.
Is B2B cold calling lawful in Switzerland?
Yes, within clear limits. Under UWG Art. 3 para. 1 lit. u, an advertising call is unfair to a number marked with a star in the directory and, since 1 January 2021, to a number not listed in any directory. An existing business relationship or explicit consent are the exceptions. Personal data processing follows the revised Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG).
Which cold calling results are published?
Published cases cover und du AG in German-speaking Switzerland with Swiss German calling, email and LinkedIn; 30 interested prospects for Abacus; more than 1,000 cold calls and first meetings within 3 weeks for IDDI; more than 80 meetings and EUR 200,000 in revenue for Horus; 11 interested prospects out of 622 for HIAG.