CIENCE Technologies

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a partner at Morris & Kamlay LLP. We’re an intellectual property law firm of about a dozen people. We specialize in procuring and prosecuting patents, advising clients on patent portfolio strategy, and helping them secure business development opportunities using their intellectual property portfolio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We developed some new approaches to patent litigation and enforcement defense and were looking to introduce them to clients with a possible interest. We needed a partner to increase exposure for these products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave CIENCE Technologies two tasks. Their first responsibility involved research. We had an idea of the type of clients that would be attracted to our product, but we didn’t have the time or resources to fully analyze the specific demographics. Following that discovery phase, the team put together a list of clients for us to target. CIENCE Technologies’ second task was coordinating the initial outreach efforts with these clients and tracking them. The team handled the initial screening calls to see if the clients were a candidate for the new product and then tracked the follow-up process.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two representatives form CIENCE Technologies.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

I’m not exactly sure how we first found them, but we were searching for a partner to increase exposure for the product. We evaluated a few options, both automated and team-based, and CIENCE Technologies seemed like the best fit for our project. They offered a lot of flexibility, which we really liked.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2017–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

In terms of the part of the project that CIENCE Technologies was specifically responsible for, their performance was excellent and generated notable results for our company. Initially, we were hoping to set up appointments with potential clients about once or twice a month, but CIENCE Technologies was able to secure two or three meetings a week. In our industry, this is phenomenal. We’re pleased with the results of the engagement and we plan to work with them again.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a standing video conference once a week, with others added into the schedule as necessary. All other communication was done via phone and email. They adapted their communication styles to accommodate the needs of the project. They were extremely efficient in tracking the project and prioritizing their work. They were receptive to our feedback and consistently provided alternate suggestions and solutions to benefit the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciated their flexibility. We could’ve found CRM-like technologies or other structured teams to do this project, but none of them would’ve been able to promote our unique product and target our specific clients. With CIENCE Technologies, we were able to collaborate on a customized solution rather than being restricted by an established platform or strategy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At one point in the project, we asked CIENCE Technologies to do some technical writing, but it didn’t work out that well. We can’t fault them for that though because that’s not what we hired them for.

Additionally, I think the team could be a bit more consistent in terms of their internal documentation processes. Their methods vary from person to person, which could result in miscommunication. In the end, it wasn’t really a problem for us, but I could see it being an issue on a different project.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should listen to their suggestions. They have a lot of expertise in the marketing and communication space and can provide additional insight. It can be beneficial to give them room to be creative and come up with new solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a financial company. We outsource accounting and finance for fast-growing, investor-backed companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We needed a sales support representative who understood data research.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They offer us a very customized approach to fit our needs. They tailored the work load to meet our specific sales cycles and desired customer interface. We have one full-time sales assistant who works remotely. We tempered her role to fit our unique situation and she is solely responsible for our account.

What is the team composition?

I interface with my sales assistant, the team member assigned to me on a daily basis. I also speak with the sales representative from their executive team once or twice a year.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

I did a test research project with them for lead generation. I was pleased with the results, their timing, and their communication. Their sales team spoke with me about an ongoing monthly relationship and I considered the options they offered. Based on the value and the price point, I opted for the full-time sales assistant.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay about $2,500 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2017. We have them on a monthly retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The team member they assigned executes the deliverables I give to her. She has a very structured role and has been able to produce what I need. I did have to amend her role slightly to accommodate a language barrier and telephone communication issues but the price point was still worth what we migrated to. She’s a cost-effective, value-driven team member and we’ve had several successes with her. She’s responsive, communicative, and well-organized. It’s nice having an external employee who I don’t have to manage. We have a very good working relationship.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re super responsive and they do a fabulous job. About 95% of our communication is via email and about 5% by phone. We often have reception issues when we try to do phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve had a very good experience with them. They joined us very early in our company’s lifecycle and I’ve never felt the need to look for someone else.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The phone situation is definitely an issue. They need better lines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Write out your statement of work clearly and agree upon it up front so they can find the right team member. Very clear communication will help ensure success early on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of business development at SolDesign. We are a boutique marketing agency that does everything from strategy to design to development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We needed a partner who could help with the research portion of lead generation. It was a bonus that CIENCE also did the outreach and scheduled appointments. They're effectively acting as part of our sales team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work with them on a monthly basis for outreach and research. They examine different industries in different locations depending on what we’re targeting in order to find companies that might be worthwhile partners for us. Then we collaborate to create messaging, and they send those messages to those companies and schedule calls or appointments for me. They have also been helpful in sharing best practices with us.

What is the team composition?

I work closely with a research department team manager and a customer success team lead.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

They reached out to us through their own process that they use for clients as well. They probably saw that I was newer to the role of business development. I had a few introductory calls with them to ask questions. We were gearing up for some outbound marketing and had not really done that for ourselves before. We agreed on a three-month trial, and they performed well and provided a list of clients that were solid fits for us. They matched our needs well, and we decided to move forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $2,500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2017 and have ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Although we have not yet closed any deals, they have provided other great results. Every week, I'll have multiple calls scheduled with companies that I wouldn't have known anything about without their input. All of the calls save for one have been qualified leads, and that’s a testament to their research skill and ability to find appropriate companies.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They have been very responsive. We have worked well together via phone calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I don't have experience with other providers, but they're very good at hearing us. We work with such different sectors that it can be confusing who our best clients are, but they've done an excellent job of being creative and working with us to mine the best sectors to reach out to. They also appear to be well-versed in the latest strategies of their industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I still don’t have a sense of how much experience they have working with marketing agencies. They have worked well with us, but it would be a benefit if they had a more clearly defined sense of the sectors that they worked with.

Any advice for potential customers?

The more a company knows about its own business goals, the more CIENCE can help them. We had a slow start because we weren’t sure which industries to go after, but if a company has a good sense of that, I’d imagine they’d have valuable results. CIENCE is also open to answering any questions about their process, so I would recommend other clients to be transparent about any concerns they have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own the Machine Learning Conference, a small business that hosts a conference for a specific niche of technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We needed additional help with lead generation and were lacking the resources or time to dedicate to sourcing new leads within our own team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIENCE worked with us on two occasions to help generate leads by finding targeted leads and reaching out to potential clients on my behalf. They looped me into the process once the leads turned into potential clients.

What is the team composition?

I worked closely with two people on their team.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

I spoke to CIENCE's CEO about the kind of services his team offers and thought we could benefit from them, so I asked him to connect me to his sales team.

How much have you invested with them?

I invested $2,600 for a month of lead generation and outreach services. I usually work with them one month at a time as needed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working them on the first project in September 2017 and more recently in a month-long engagement over the past month that will end in July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

CIENCE's team reached out to 50–100 companies per week on my behalf, scheduling 33 calls in the process. In the last month, their work has generated $3,000.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very friendly and easy to work with. We generally communicate through email and spreadsheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CIENCE quickly educated themselves on my business and customized the types of leads they reached out to accordingly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give their team as many details as possible to give them a better understanding of your targeted audience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the sales operations manager for a full-service language services provider. We offer a suite of different support solutions, including telephone interpreting, document translation, chat and email translation, and multilingual support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We have a small sales team, and we were struggling with achieving the outbound sales velocity we were looking for to generate more leads. We were quite good at closing deals, but we had a shortage at the top of our funnel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We primarily use them for research and outbound marketing. We gave them sample titles or people within industries that we would like to target, and they created a list of similar prospects. We’d work together to create a campaign for each prospect.

What is the team composition?

We had access to their researchers and marketing team, but we primarily met with our account manager and a sales development representative. The project manager would oversee our account from a high level, but the sales representative did the outreach on our behalf.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

Our vice president of sales and strategy found CIENCE, and we interviewed them and a few other agencies. We found them to be innovative and data-focused, which we appreciated. They seemed to discuss sales the same way we did, and that made us comfortable with hiring them.

How much have you invested with them?

The total investment was less than $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2018. We ended our engagement with them in June 2018, but that decision was made due to a number of in-house factors and was not representative of their work. We went through a three-month trial period and then worked with them for an additional month, and they performed well during that time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

There was a bit of an onboarding process, during which we had to introduce them to our company, how we sell things, and getting them the necessary content. But once they were adjusted, they were sending out an average of 500–1,000 emails a week, which produced two or three leads a week. We thought that was valuable production because we didn’t feel like we gave them as much support as we should have.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They were extremely diligent in their data gathering process, and we had access to all conversations they had with any prospects or any research they’ve done. They were transparent and accessible in that regard. We exchanged short messages daily on Slack or through email. We would sometimes take phone calls, but they also used Basecamp and HubSpot.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very careful and pointed in their data collection.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our only struggle was finding the right tone for our message and how we describe ourselves in their materials. Their content required some editing to make their pitches align more with what we do.

Any advice for potential customers?

We have a small, but well-established, sales department, but for somebody that doesn’t, CIENCE can be a great option because they can assist with everything—the marketing, the research, and the content creation.

And when the engagement starts, it’s best to give them as much assistance as you can at the start so that their work reflects your values.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sales and marketing director for a digital marketing and web design and development company. I oversee our sales, marketing, and account management teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We needed a partner to do three things: build a scalable and predictable pipeline, determine how to fit Sales Development Reps (SDRs) into our total sales and marketing system, and test email-driven sales messaging in our marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIENCE Technologies began our partnership by conducting research and planning/exploratory work to help us better understand our ideal client profiles, the different industries we were targeting, and how to make our message resonate with those groups.

After that initial phase, they began creating sales email templates for prospecting and lead research and generation. They identified both companies and individuals that would be a good fit based on our ideal client profiles and buyer personas. The other SDR activities included outreach and sales email campaigns with the goal of scheduling meetings or at least starting conversations.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with five people from CIENCE Technologies.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

We looked at 6–7 sales enablement resources, but my calls with CIENCE Technologies’ sales rep and CMO set them apart from the others. They approached sales exactly how our company did (using data to drive decisions), so we partnered with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $4,400 a month, so around $25,000–$30,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2017–June 2018. We realized we needed to develop more content on our side in order to fully optimize the relationship with CIENCE Technologies, so we’ve put the partnership on hold for now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We would’ve like to see hard ROI, meaning engagement that led to sales meetings and actual dollar amounts, but we realized we had to do more work on our end. CIENCE Technologies did, however, provide market research to inform our own strategies and how to create better engagement. The results were more of a soft ROI.

We still have a variety of market qualified leads currently sitting in our nurturing system that we anticipate will eventually turn into actual opportunities. We also have some sales qualified leads in our pipeline and a lot of prospects that CIENCE Technologies helped us gather.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We interfaced on a weekly basis to discuss progress, updates, and feedback. They sent a report out at the end of every week to review where we were at with lead generation.

They worked incredibly well with our team, and the project leads were extremely professional. They had open and honest communication and felt like an extension of our team—not just a vendor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take a highly scientific approach to building pipelines that align with known methodologies. They’re able to build pipelines from a scalable and predictable revenue standpoint.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We appreciated the SDRs assertiveness and aggressiveness, but they sometimes didn’t interact well with the prospects. They would benefit from training the SDRs to understand the nuances of the replies they get and how to customize responses instead of just firing off a standardized reply.

They could also improve the way they present leads. Sometimes, it was difficult to sift through all of the sheets and understand what everything meant. They need to evolve the lead generation and lead enrichment presentations to make more sense.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Figure out your marketing strategy and tactics before partnering with them. You need to know how you’re going to support your total sales effort with content, validation, proof, case studies, etc. It’ll help you more effectively bring people into your funnel.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief strategy officer for a digital marketing agency. We specialize in working with highly regulated industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We wanted to create more awareness of our company and get new prospects into our sales funnel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIENCE was tasked with improving our lead generation efforts. To do this, they identified our target client profile and found decision-makers within companies that fit within that outline. They built contact lists and came up with appropriate ways to reach those potential clients. They started a drip campaign with the goal of creating awareness of who we are and how venture clients could benefit from working with us. CIENCE made sure the campaign was assertive but also respectful of the privacy and communication policies of the companies that were contacted. They conducted outreach using our voice and politely accommodated those who didn’t want our services and no longer wished to be contacted.

What is the team composition?

They allocated three people to work on this project. One person was responsible for building the contact lists, while two other people managed the outreach emails and coordinated with me to issue responses and schedule meetings.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

My partner found them through a colleague’s referral. We liked their ability to build contact lists because successful outreach takes time and we’d be able to use those lists for future marketing efforts. We saw a couple of benefits, but the creation of any new prospects was valuable to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $24,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from Nov. 2017–Mar. 2018. We’re currently improving our internal infrastructure and will be engaging them again soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They generated more leads and meetings than we had initially anticipated. They put a lot of new prospects in the top of our sales funnel and we’re currently in the process of closing with 2–3 clients. We haven’t seen a financial return on their services, but we know it’s a long-term process. We can easily cover the investment by closing at least one of the leads.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They're incredibly responsive communicators and always hold to the meetings they set. Project management is one of their biggest strengths, and they've represented our brand positively. We interact via phone, email, screen share, and video conferences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The number of new client meetings they were able to schedule was remarkable. I’m happy to refer them considering those numbers alone. They’re also open to feedback and are always looking for ways to improve.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took them a while to understand our business and we’ve noticed some minor errors in the marketing emails. Their attention to detail could be improved. However, once they found a rhythm, they performed excellently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Expect them to generate leads and make sure your internal processes can handle the influx of clients. Manage yourself properly and CIENCE will help you experience success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief revenue officer of Events.com. We’re an online registration software provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We needed to increase lead generation and research but didn’t have the resources to hire full-time sales development representatives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIENCE provided one full-time researcher to find the contact information of potential clients. Then, they assigned an inside salesperson to send marketing emails and other correspondence to prospective clients. We’re running multiple email campaigns to see which ones are more effective than others. They used an Events.com email address for this process. In addition to providing leads, they go into my sales team’s calendars and schedule appointments with customers.

What is the team composition?

We’re in constant contact with three different people from CIENCE, and there’s an account executive who oversees the whole project.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

Our engagement speaks to the effectiveness of their process. I get bombarded daily by all sorts of vendors, but I thought CIENCE’s emails were fairly clever. They caught my attention, so I talked to their account executive and agreed to a 90-day trial of their services. They accomplished the objectives we set out and we’re now engaged for another 90 days.

How much have you invested with them?

They cost about $12,000 per fiscal quarter.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I don’t want to give out specific data, but there’s been a decent increase in the number of leads coming into our sales team. I track the response rate based on how many leads and appointments result in revenue generation. At this point, CIENCE’s services are self-funded. We’re recouping the cost with the results they’re providing. Based on what’s in the pipeline, that return should increase exponentially next quarter.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicate via email or phone but also use Zoom to have live meetings once a week. That’s where we go through all the results and strategies for the upcoming weeks. The CIENCE team responds to every email my staff sends them. They’re probably the most attentive firm we’ve worked with. For example, they recommended we provide a list of people we didn’t get to talk to while attending a large trade show. They followed up with me for multiple days to provide that list. Thanks to their tenacity, an outbound campaign to those contacts begins today. Their responsiveness has always been spot-on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their enthusiasm to provide a service and get results is evident. They take a personal interest in our company and want to do their best. That’s always important to me as an employer. The results up to this point indicate that the model works. They’re unique in that their program is scalable. As we expand into new business areas, we can increase our relationship with CIENCE to continually generate new leads and appointments.

They take the time to understand our business and offer advice based on what has been successful for their previous clients. They also receive feedback well and flexibly make changes to produce the most effective messaging possible. So far, it’s been a positive experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do and there’s nothing I see as a negative. Obviously, if they could improve their researching tools to provide even more leads, then that would be helpful. However, I don’t have insight into their exact process.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Spend as much time as possible in the first 30 days to ensure they have a good understanding what your product is and what specific markets you’re targeting. They rely on the customer to know their customer base. I’d also suggest testing 2–4 different messages and take note of the response rate you get from each. We’ve tried different approaches over the last 3–4 months and we’re still trying to find the perfect copy. Doing that upfront will likely save time and get results faster.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a startup company that sells vendor management software. I’m the VP.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

We were trying to build ourselves and our marketing processes. We needed help with creating the marketing content and launching marketing campaigns and managing them. We needed it done in a high-volume capacity that we couldn’t do internally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They found us qualified leads that met our target prospect criteria, marketed those leads, and managed them.

What is the team composition?

They assigned us a sales development rep (SDR) to manage the email campaigns, a research analyst that found the lead information, and an account manager that we had a weekly call with.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

We were signed up with a different company at the end of 2016, but we weren’t getting results. However, during that time, they rebranded and became CIENCE Technologies under new management. I followed up with my contact there because they owed us a free month of services. The CMO got in touch with me and said he wanted to make things right, which I felt was admirable. He gave us a free month this year. It was a completely different experience with CIENCE Technologies than it was with the prior company. We were willing to give them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $9,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2018 until March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We had a 10% response rate. We contacted about 2,000 leads and ended up with a solid 20 prospects over the period of two months.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They did excellently. If we needed something, we were able to collaborate with the team on it. The research analyst would send us weekly emails with the lead information. If there was anything we needed to collaborate on or a lead on the list that wasn’t a good match, we’d talk that through with our SDR. She was fantastic, and persistent in following up with the leads.

Our account manager was someone that we met with weekly and he also made sure that the project was on track. If there was anything additional we needed, he would be the liaison between our company and CIENCE technologies. He was always helpful, responsive, and would do anything he could to help us. From a customer service standpoint, I’d give them an excellent rating. We communicated via email, while they used Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They identify people that are really good at what they do and their team is talented. They make themselves available. They’re based offshore, but they worked on our schedule.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The one area they struggled initially with was content writing. When we signed up with them, we gave them our ideas of who we are as a company, which they used to position content writing for the campaign. However, their writer was really struggling with it at first. We gave their content writer our information and when we got it back, it wasn’t even the same concept that we were talking about. There seemed to be something lost in translation between our ideas and how they were pulling them together to create the content of the campaign.

They’re also a bit expensive. If you don’t have an internal sales team, that expense could be justified, but we got to the point where we were building processes internally ourselves too. It didn’t make sense to continue to run parallel with our internal team and with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s worth the investment to try them. Be very clear about who your target audience and be sure that they can capture that market for you. Initially, when we tried we were trying to sell a different model we have and it was very hard for them to identify prospects for us because of how we sell our software to that industry. The second time we tried it, we decided to prospect staffing companies, and those types of companies were easier for the research analyst to identify.

Make sure that they can to identify your target audience in their research. If they can do that piece of it, then take the chance, make the investment, and see if it works for a couple of months.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Barnett Strategies. We’re a marketing and sales consulting firm that focuses on small and mid-sized software companies. We help companies take actions to get results instead of just providing a report to read.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIENCE Technologies?

Finding reliable and capable vendors is difficult when they’re unknown or offer a large portfolio of services. This task is difficult even with a big budget available. We needed to improve the outbound lead generation of new opportunities and prospects. I share this challenge with seven of my clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIENCE conducted in-depth research to establish ideal customer profiles for various vendors. They investigated relevant factors like geography, industry sector, company size, functional area, and title. This established what contacts need to be made aware of specific services. They built a database of contact information and gave us access. As a result, they’d create appointments for us with companies we wouldn’t have met otherwise. This allows the exploration of new opportunities without having to weed through thousands of ad emails from potentially illegitimate or subpar service providers. They also deliver reports that illustrate the number of emails sent, the subscription rate, and the number of confirmed appointments.

What is the team composition?

Kelly Kenworthy (Regional Sales Manager, CIENCE Technologies) was my primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with CIENCE Technologies?

We’re both HubSpot partners. I saw their posting on LinkedIn and a mutual contact suggested them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $4,000 a month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’re aware of hundreds of prospective companies across multiple categories. Having an expansive database of contact information is valuable. LinkedIn is great, but having accurate email addresses and phone numbers effectively streamline the process of reaching out to vendors.

I use this process with my clients and we’ve had success getting appointments. They’ve varied in quality and quantity, but we always get a response from someone. Some responders don’t want to sit through a sales presentation but still request more information. We capture all that information and build the sales funnel to close in on those interested, nurture the preliminary ones, and not waste a lot of time on those that ignored the inquiries.

How did CIENCE Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve held up their part of project management. We have weekly meetings on Zoom, a Slack channel with contributors from both teams, and also communicate via email. They have other project management tools like Basecamp, but my team didn’t utilize that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CIENCE does the research and is focused on results. It’s great that they have good project management, but the results are what make the difference. Anybody can send out an email, but if it’s not with the right message or to the right company, then it’s a waste of time and money. They make sure to have the information necessary to generate the most leads. The inquiries are seen as relevant information and not random spam.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have a very specific, structured, and repeatable method. This enables clients to coordinate with them and use it correctly. However, the standardized process is often inflexible. They’re unable to adapt when presented with new ideas or approaches. That’s a challenge that needs management intervention.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You have to be willing to invest the time and contributions necessary for the process to be successful. If you don’t give them the input, you won’t get good results. It’s also important to understand the process. I’ve integrated this with three or four of my clients. The first one didn’t go as well because I didn’t know what was coming next.