STIR/SHAKEN is a call authentication framework designed to reduce robocalls and call spoofing. It stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs (SHAKEN). The idea is simple: verify that a caller is who they say they are before the call reaches your phone.
Under this protocol, voice service providers digitally sign outbound calls using certificates issued by a trusted authority. This “signature” travels with the call and is checked by downstream carriers before delivery. If the signature is missing or doesn’t align with what’s expected, the call may be flagged, labeled as “Spam Likely,” or dropped altogether.
For spam prevention, STIR/SHAKEN works. But for legitimate outbound sales teams, the unintended consequences are piling up, especially when it comes to connect rates.
Why was STIR/SHAKEN introduced?
STIR/SHAKEN became mandatory for major U.S. carriers in 2021 after years of pressure from regulators and consumers frustrated by call spoofing and robocalls. The FCC pushed it through as part of its broader strategy to restore trust in the phone system. And to a degree, it’s working. Scam call volume has decreased. Spoofing is harder to pull off.
But the system wasn’t built with legitimate outbound sales teams in mind. STIR/SHAKEN is blunt by design. It doesn’t account for context, campaign intent, or sales workflows. It evaluates calls based on how well they conform to authentication protocols and expected behavior, nothing more.
If your sales calls don’t meet those standards, your connection rate suffers. And in many cases, teams don’t even know why it’s happening.
How STIR/SHAKEN affects outbound sales teams
Here’s the core issue: STIR/SHAKEN compliance affects whether your call reaches a real person or gets blocked or flagged before the first ring. It doesn’t matter how strong your list is or how good your pitch sounds if the call never connects.
If your number isn’t properly registered, or if your carrier doesn’t sign your calls at the right attestation level, your calls may not be trusted by downstream networks. Some calls get dropped entirely. Others are labeled as potential spam. Either way, the result is fewer conversations and a weaker pipeline.
What makes this harder is the lack of visibility, as most dialers and phone systems don’t show you how calls are being authenticated or what reputation signals are attached. You just see that answer rates are dropping and campaign performance is suffering.
This is where a system like Conquer becomes critical. Because Conquer is built natively into Salesforce, you can track call behavior, monitor deliverability, and manage reputation management workflows directly without any third-party tools.
The role of attestation levels
Every call that passes through a STIR/SHAKEN-enabled network is assigned an attestation level:
- Full Attestation (A): The carrier knows the customer and can verify that the number belongs to them.
- Partial Attestation (B): The carrier knows the customer but can’t verify the number.
- Gateway Attestation (C): The call is being passed through, but without sufficient verification.
If your calls are only getting B or C attestation, your connect rates will suffer. Calls without full attestation are more likely to be filtered or labeled suspiciously by downstream networks and apps.
Most sales teams aren’t even aware of their attestation level. And because many legacy dialers don’t support number-level identity controls or dynamic monitoring, there’s no easy fix unless you’re working with the right system.
Why compliance alone isn’t enough
Some sales teams assume that if they’re legally compliant (following TCPA and DNC rules), they’re protected. But STIR/SHAKEN doesn’t measure legal compliance. It measures technical identity and perceived trustworthiness.
This means even if you’re doing everything right from a regulatory standpoint, your calls can still be flagged. That’s why more RevOps and outbound teams are investing in reputation management and dialing systems that go deeper than TCPA checklists.
This is about preserving connect rate, conversation volume, and ultimately, pipeline contribution. Compliance is the floor. Visibility and control are what drive results.
Why most dialers don’t help
The average sales dialer was built for speed, not trust. Most tools don’t give you insights into whether your numbers are being signed, what attestation levels your calls are receiving, or whether carrier systems are flagging your activity.
They also don’t give you tools to manage caller ID registration, rotate numbers intelligently, or respond to behavior-based spam triggers in real time. In other words, they leave you blind to one of the biggest factors affecting your outbound performance.
This is where Conquer stands apart. Because it’s built for outbound teams inside Salesforce, the Conquer dialer is accompanied by visibility into performance and reputation in one place. It helps sales orgs understand not just what’s happening with connect rates, but why. And it gives you the tools to adjust before the damage is done.
How to adapt your strategy
You can’t opt out of STIR/SHAKEN. But you can build your outbound process in a way that works with it instead of against it.
Start by making sure your numbers are registered and authenticated properly. Use a provider that supports A-level attestation and helps you manage caller ID records with national registries. Monitor changes in connect rates across different numbers, and treat sudden drops as potential red flags for reputation or STIR/SHAKEN filtering.
Use a system that allows for number rotation, pacing control, and campaign-level visibility. Avoid blasting from a single number. Avoid dialing patterns that resemble spam or robocalls. And stay aligned with your legal and compliance teams, not just to avoid fines, but to stay off carrier radars.
Most importantly, get visibility. You can’t fix what you can’t see. If your current tools leave you guessing, your calls (and your pipeline) are already at risk.
Final thoughts
STIR/SHAKEN was designed to stop bad actors, but it’s hitting real sales teams too. If your connect rate is slipping and you don’t know why, this framework might be the reason.
The fix starts with visibility. You need to know how your numbers are being treated by carriers, what your attestation levels are, and how your dialing behavior looks to downstream filters.
That’s what Conquer helps solve. We give sales teams the reputation management tools they need to stay visible, stay compliant, and stay connected, without leaving Salesforce. Want to give it a try? Reach out for a free demo.
