Why Cold Calling Still Wins for CDMOs and CROs in 2025

In today’s fast-evolving biopharma landscape, CDMOs and CROs face distinct yet overlapping challenges when it comes to generating high-quality leads. While digital tools and automation play supportive roles, strategic, human-led cold calling remains the core method that generates meaningful conversations and opportunities—especially when augmented by real-time data and personalized outreach.

Understanding the Landscape Across Sectors

BiotechFocuses on innovation, novel modalities, and scientific agility. Lead generation thrives on fast-paced calls triggered by lab news, academic breakthroughs, or funding rounds.

PharmaDemands long-term partnerships and regulatory alignment. Cold calls need credibility—often referencing compliance, validation milestones, or client-sized analogs.

Life Sciences (Diagnostics, Devices, Research Tools)Requires breadth in messaging and an adaptable pitch. Cold outreach must speak to both technical and commercial value across multiple verticals.

CDMO vs CRO: Lead Gen Nuances and Human-First Execution

CDMOs

• Emphasis: Facilities, capacity, tech transfer, compliance.
• Cold Call Strategy: Initiate indoor sales conversations referencing expansion news, regulatory nods, or client success stories.
• Brief Win: A mid-size CDMO specializing in gene therapies used targeted cold outreach after announcing GMP certification—and booked 10 discovery calls in two weeks.

CROs

• Emphasis: Scientific depth, trial design, global coverage, patient recruitment.
• Cold Call Strategy: Reference trial milestones or therapeutic domain expertise to spark trust-led conversations.
• Brief Win: A CRO with oncology specialty replied cold-call follow-up to a webinar mention and converted it into 3 pilot discussions within one week.

Smart Human-First Strategies That Work

• Content SupportSupplement cold calls with bite-sized insights—like a quick video walkthrough or thought-leadership summary. This adds credibility: one CRO saw a 20% response boost when referencing a case brief in their call.
• Trigger-Based TimingUse news—IND submissions, investor announcements—as call cues to connect while the prospect’s interest is high.
• Omnichannel Follow-UpCombine cold calls with tailored emails and LinkedIn touches. A CDMO layered this approach and booked 15 conversations in four weeks, outperforming email-only sequences.
• Thought Leadership with Human RelevanceHighlight client webinars or authored articles during follow-up. CROs using this tactic resulted in deeper engagement and repeat post-call interest.

Why Human Cold Calling Still Beats Automation

• Real-Time Adaptation: Speakers can pivot mid-conversation to scientific nuances, business context, or objection handling.
• Trust & Credibility: Hearing a knowledgeable voice—versus an email—is still overwhelmingly preferred in specialized markets.
• Pipeline Acceleration: Cold calls convert prospects into active opportunities faster than digital alone. One CDMO cut their average lead cycle by 20% with human-first outreach.

Final Thoughts

Automated tools can surface leads—but people convert them. For CDMOs and CROs targeting biotech, pharma, and life sciences stakeholders, cold calling remains the only channel that ensures meaningful conversation and trust-building.

If you’d like a sample outreach script built around sector-specific triggers or a campaign outline informed by both CDMO and CRO success patterns, I’d be happy to share.