What if you could make 400 calls per day instead of 40? What if those calls were perfectly consistent, never had a bad day, and cost 95% less than hiring humans?
Your best sales rep makes 40 cold calls per day.
They connect with 8 people. Book 2 meetings. Close 1 deal per week.
That's good. Really good, actually.
But here's the problem: You need 10× that volume to hit your growth targets. And hiring 10 more sales reps isn't realistic - that's $600K in salaries plus benefits, training, management overhead.
What if you could make 400 calls per day instead of 40? What if those calls were perfectly consistent, never had a bad day, and cost 95% less than hiring humans?
That's exactly what AI outbound sales agents do.
I'm Renzo, founder of RDC Group. Over the past 6 months, we've deployed AI outbound calling campaigns for Connecticut businesses - from SaaS companies booking demos to home service contractors scheduling estimates to marketing agencies filling consultation calendars.
Results we've seen:
In this guide, I'll show you exactly how AI outbound sales agents work, what they cost, and how Connecticut businesses are using them to scale their sales pipeline without hiring massive teams.
Let's start with why most Connecticut businesses struggle with outbound sales.
Typical B2B sales development rep (SDR) costs:
Annual compensation:
Productivity:
Connect rate: 20% (good SDRs hit this)
Meeting booking rate: 30% of connects
Cost per meeting: $81,973 ÷ 576 = $142 per meeting booked
Scenario: Connecticut B2B SaaS company
Option A: Hire 2 more SDRs
Option B: AI outbound agents
The difference:
Full breakdown for Connecticut businesses:
Setup (one-time): $4,800-$6,500
Monthly costs: $2,800-$4,200
Total year 1: $38,400-$56,900 Total year 2+: $33,600-$50,400
vs Human SDR: $82K/year (single rep, makes 40 calls/day)
AI agent makes 400 calls/day = 10× volume at 50% cost
This isn't automated spam. It's sophisticated conversation AI that sounds natural, handles objections, and books qualified meetings.
Component 1: Vapi (Voice AI platform)
Component 2: Large Language Model (GPT-4, Claude)
Component 3: Phone Infrastructure
Component 4: CRM Integration
Component 5: Data Management
Step 1: AI places call (8 AM - 6 PM local time)
Step 2: Opening (if human answers)
AI: "Hi, this is Alex calling from RDC Group. I'm trying to reach the owner about automating your customer service. Is this [First Name]?"
Prospect: "Yes, this is [Name]."
AI: "Great! I'll keep this super brief. We help Connecticut HVAC companies handle after-hours emergency calls with AI so you never miss a late-night service call again. Is that something you'd want to hear more about?"
What makes this work:
Step 3: Qualification questions
Prospect: "Maybe, tell me more."
AI: "Sure! Quick question - are you currently using an answering service or does it just go to voicemail after hours?"
Prospect: "We have an answering service."
AI: "Got it. And about how many after-hours emergency calls do you get per month? Roughly?"
Prospect: "I don't know, maybe 20-30?"
AI: "Perfect, that's exactly the type of volume where this makes sense. Our system handles those calls, triages the emergency, and dispatches your on-call tech automatically. Most HVAC companies capture an additional $15K-25K per month in emergency revenue they were missing. Would you be open to a quick 15-minute demo to see how it works for your business specifically?"
Qualification criteria being assessed:
Step 4: Booking the meeting
Prospect: "Yeah, sure, I can do 15 minutes."
AI: "Awesome. I'm looking at my calendar - would Wednesday at 2 PM work for you, or is Thursday at 10 AM better?"
Prospect: "Wednesday works."
AI: "Perfect, I've got you down for Wednesday, January 29th at 2 PM. You'll get a calendar invite at [confirms email]. We'll show you exactly how it works with a live demo. Sound good?"
Prospect: "Yep, sounds good."
AI: "Great, looking forward to it! If anything changes, just email that calendar invite. Talk to you Wednesday!"
What happens in the background:
Step 5: If prospect objects
Objection 1: "I'm not interested"
AI: "No problem! Just so I know for my notes, is it because you already have something that's working well, or is it just not a priority right now?"
Prospect: "We're already working with someone."
AI: "Got it, totally understand. Are you happy with them, or would you be open to seeing a comparison if it could save you money?"
[If still not interested]
AI: "No worries at all. I'll mark you down as all set. If anything changes, feel free to reach out. Thanks for your time!"
CRM updated: "Not Interested - Happy with current solution"
Objection 2: "How much does it cost?"
AI: "Great question. It depends on your call volume and specific setup, but most HVAC companies are paying between $300-500 a month, which is about 85% less than a traditional answering service. The 15-minute demo would show you exactly what it would cost for your specific situation. Does Wednesday or Thursday work better?"
Objection 3: "Send me information first"
AI: "Absolutely, I can do that. The demo is actually the best way to see it - it's more like a show-and-tell than a sales pitch. But I get it, you want to see something first. How about this - I'll send you a quick 2-minute video showing how it works, and if it looks interesting, we can schedule that demo. What's the best email?"
CRM updated: "Info Sent - Follow Up in 3 Days"
AI agents are trained to handle the most common objections naturally:
"We're not hiring right now" AI: "Oh this isn't about hiring! It's actually about handling the calls you're already getting but missing. Most businesses miss 30-40% of calls because the phone rings while you're with a customer or after hours. This just makes sure every call gets answered."
"I'm busy right now" AI: "Totally understand - I'll make this super quick. Would next Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon be better for a 15-minute call?"
"Just email me" AI: "I can definitely do that. Just to make sure I send the right info - what specifically would you want to see? Pricing, case studies, or how it integrates with your current setup?"
"We're too small for this" AI: "Actually, small businesses benefit the most! You probably can't afford a full-time receptionist, right? This is like having a 24/7 receptionist for about $10 a day. Most small businesses we work with see ROI in the first month."
"Call me back later" AI: "Sure thing! When would be a better time? I want to make sure I actually catch you instead of playing phone tag."
Important limitations to understand:
❌ Can't close deals AI books meetings. Human sales reps close deals. AI is top-of-funnel, not bottom-of-funnel.
❌ Can't handle super complex qualification If your sale requires 20 minutes of discovery before you know if they're qualified, AI isn't the right fit yet. AI works best for: "Do they have the problem? Do they have budget authority? Are they willing to take a meeting?"
❌ Can't lie or exaggerate AI is trained on your script. It says what you train it to say. If you want it to be honest (you should), it will be honest.
❌ Can't cold email This is specifically for voice calls. There are other AI tools for cold email, but Vapi is voice-specific.
Who: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, tree service, landscaping companies
What AI sells: AI voice agents for after-hours call answering
Why it works: Clear pain point (missed emergency calls = lost revenue), easy to quantify ROI
My script (simplified):
"Hi [Name], this is Alex from RDC Group. Quick question - when someone calls your plumbing business at 11 PM with a burst pipe emergency, does it go to voicemail or do you have an answering service?"
[Qualification happens]
"Most plumbers we work with are losing $15K-30K per month in emergency calls they're missing. We built an AI system that answers those calls, determines if it's a real emergency, and dispatches your on-call tech immediately. Would you be open to a 15-minute demo to see how it works?"
Results I'm seeing:
Cost per acquisition:
Who: Connecticut SaaS companies (HR software, marketing tools, sales tools, etc.)
What AI sells: Product demos
Why it works: High volume of potential prospects, standardized qualification, clear next step (demo)
Example script:
"Hi [Name], this is Jordan from [SaaS Company]. I'm reaching out to marketing directors at mid-size companies in Connecticut. Quick question - are you currently using any marketing automation tools like HubSpot or Marketo?"
[Qualification]
"Got it. We built a tool that integrates with [their current tool] and helps marketing teams automate their ABM campaigns. Most teams see a 40% increase in qualified leads in the first 60 days. Would you be interested in a quick 20-minute demo to see if it'd work for your team?"
Results (client example):
Who: Digital marketing agencies, SEO agencies, web design agencies
What AI sells: Free marketing audits / consultations
Why it works: Lower barrier to entry (free audit vs paid service), high volume of potential clients
Example script:
"Hi [Name], this is Chris from [Agency]. I specialize in Google Ads for Connecticut law firms. Quick question - are you currently running any paid advertising for your practice?"
[Qualification]
"Got it. I'd love to offer you a free Google Ads audit - we'll look at your current campaigns and show you exactly where you're wasting money and where you could be getting better results. No charge, takes about 30 minutes. Would Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon work better?"
Why this works well:
Who: Law firms, accounting firms, financial advisors, consultants
What AI sells: Initial consultations
Why it works: Professionals bill hourly, can't spend time on outbound calling
Example script:
"Hi [Name], this is Taylor from [Law Firm]. We specialize in employment law for small businesses in Connecticut. Quick question - do you currently have an employment attorney on retainer, or do you just handle things as they come up?"
[Qualification]
"I totally understand. Most business owners don't need a full-time attorney, but when HR issues come up, they can get expensive fast. We offer a quick 20-minute consultation to review your current employment contracts and make sure you're protected. No charge for the consultation. Would Thursday morning work for you?"
Who: Real estate agents (both residential and commercial)
What AI sells: Property showings, seller consultations
Why it works: Real estate is volume game, agents need to maximize showings
Example script (for buyer leads):
"Hi [Name], this is Sam calling from [Real Estate Agency]. I saw you requested information about homes in the West Hartford area. Are you still actively looking, or did you already find something?"
[Qualification]
"Great! I actually have 3 properties in West Hartford that just came on the market this week that match your criteria - 3 bed, 2 bath, under $500K. Would you be available this Saturday morning to see them?"
Why real estate works well:
Industry: B2B SaaS (project management software)
Target market: Construction companies, contractors
Location: Hartford, CT
Team: 8 people (2 founders, 3 developers, 1 customer success, 1 marketer, 1 sales rep)
MRR: $42,000 (before AI outbound)
Sales process:
Growth bottleneck:
Week 1: Script development
Week 2: Technical setup
Week 3: Testing
Week 4: Soft launch
Total setup: $5,200 (script dev, integration, testing)
Call volume:
Connect rate: 15% (slightly lower than human due to AI detection, but acceptable)
Meeting booking rate: 28% (of connected calls)
Show rate: 65% (booked meetings that actually happen)
Close rate: 22% (slightly lower than founder's 25%, but volume compensates)
MRR growth:
Cost analysis:
vs hiring human SDR:
Founder's time freed up:
Unexpected benefit: Data quality improved. AI logs every conversation, qualification answer, objection. Founder can now analyze:
Month 4 decision: Add 2nd AI agent
Why:
Results with 2 AI agents:
Bad script:
"Hello, my name is AI Assistant calling from Company Name. We provide solutions for businesses like yours. Do you have a few minutes to discuss how we can help improve your operations?"
Why it fails:
Good script:
"Hi [Name], this is Alex from RDC Group. Quick question - when customers call your HVAC business at midnight with a broken furnace, does it go to voicemail?"
Why it works:
The problem:
The solution:
Tools for data cleaning:
The problem:
The solution:
Implementation:
The problem:
The solution:
The problem:
The solution:
The problem:
The solution:
Define your ideal customer profile:
Build qualification framework:
Write your script:
Test script with humans first:
Choose platform: Vapi (recommended), Bland.ai, or similar
Set up infrastructure:
Integrate systems:
Compliance setup:
Make 100 test calls:
Refine script based on data:
A/B test variations:
Soft launch: 50-100 calls/day
Optimize:
Scale: 200-400 calls/day
Month 2: Expand
Included:
Breakdown:
Pricing tiers by volume:
Conservative estimate (B2B service company):
Assumptions:
Monthly revenue impact:
Cost:
Payback period: 1.6 days
vs hiring human SDR:
If you're a Connecticut business that needs more sales pipeline but can't afford to hire 5 SDRs, here's what happens next.
We analyze your specific situation:
Output: Detailed analysis showing how many meetings AI would book for your business and total cost.
Week 1: Script & Strategy
Week 2: Technical Setup
Week 3: Testing
Week 4: Launch
You're a good fit if:
You're NOT a fit if:
Email: renzo@rdcgroup.co
Phone: (860) 968-0135
Website: rdcgroup.co
Book assessment: calendly.com/renzo-consulting/rdcg-client
The problem: You need 3× more sales pipeline to hit your growth targets. Hiring 3 SDRs costs $240K+/year.
The alternative: AI outbound agent makes 400 calls/day, books 15-25 qualified meetings per week, costs $45K/year.
The math:
Hartford SaaS company results:
The choice:
Keep making 40 calls/day, or scale to 400 calls/day for half the cost of hiring one SDR.
Ready to scale your outbound?
Book your free outbound assessment →
We'll show you exactly how many meetings AI would book for your Connecticut business, what it costs, and how it compares to hiring human SDRs.
No commitment. No sales pitch. Just a free analysis of your outbound opportunity.
