Illicium

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of MedSecTesting

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

At MedSecTesting we provide Cybersecurity consulting, Auditing and Testing for Medical Device manufacturers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Illicium to accomplish?

Building a sales strategy for our business

SOLUTION

How did you find Illicium?

Illicium found us

Why did you select Illicium over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Illicium were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We engaged with Illicium (Alex) to uplift our sales process. Before the engagement, it was quite spontaneous, we required a strategy that would group and specify the steps we apply towards our sales for the next 2 years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Illicium prepared a checklist before our engagement, and we went through the checklist together, discussing all the critical points. Based on the checklist, Illicium designed a sales strategy for us.

Then we had a few more sessions to tailor the strategy and a team training to make the team familiar with the strategy content and procedures.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They delivered on time and we had no issues communicating with the team - always responsive and adjusted to our meeting requirements.

What was your primary form of communication with Illicium?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I got a strong impression that they really cared about the outcome and our success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Illicium could have done differently?

They are a very experienced team and suggest many great ideas, that might be overwhelming. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of Octfolio

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Asbestos management software for building asset owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Illicium to accomplish?

• Sales strategy planning
• Lead generation
• Outbound appointment scheduling

SOLUTION

How did you find Illicium?

Referral

Why did you select Illicium over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Illicium were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Project Goals:

• Assess the effectiveness of an outsourced sales model in driving growth for the existing SaaS product in Australia and New Zealand.
• Achieve sales growth for the SaaS product within the target region.
• Establish a successful outsourced sales model that can be replicated for future products and scaled to accommodate a larger sales team.

Key Deliverables:

• Sales Pipeline Development
  • Develop a lead generation strategy for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
  • Implement lead generation tactics.
  • Qualify leads and nurture them through the sales funnel.
  • Deliver a consistent flow of qualified leads to the outsourced sales team.
• Outsourced Sales Team Establishment
  • Partner with a reputable sales outsourcing provider specializing in SaaS products.
  • Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the outsourced sales team.
  • Provide comprehensive product training to the outsourced sales team.
  • Ensure clear communication channels between internal and outsourced sales teams.
• Sales Management & Reporting
  • Develop and implement a performance framework for tracking sales activities and outcomes.
  • Provide ongoing coaching and support to optimise sales performance.
  • Generate monthly reports detailing sales activity, pipeline health, and key metrics.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Revenue generated from sales of the SaaS product in Australia and New Zealand. This will be tracked by comparing sales figures before and after the outsourced sales project implementation.
• Percentage of qualified leads that convert into paying customers. An improvement in conversion rate indicates the outsourced sales team is effectively closing deals.
• Average revenue generated from each new customer acquired. An increase in average deal size suggests the sales team is targeting and acquiring high-value customers.
• Number of qualified leads generated by the lead generation strategy demonstrates the effectiveness of attracting potential customers.
• Performance of outsourced sales team activity (e.g., calls made, meetings held) and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We were incredibly impressed with Illicium's performance throughout this outsourced sales project. Their team did a fantastic job in recruiting the perfect candidate for the role, ensuring we had a skilled and qualified salesperson on board. Illicium's project management was exceptional, keeping everything on track and delivering results on time. 

They delivered a comprehensive outsourced sales solution, from recruitment to project management, that drove significant results and exceeded expectations. They were also incredibly responsive to our needs, consistently exceeding expectations with their clear communication and willingness to adapt to our specific requirements. 

What was your primary form of communication with Illicium?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What truly set Illicium apart was their commitment to a holistic approach. They didn't just find us a salesperson; they ensured we had the entire system for success. From crafting a targeted lead generation strategy, crafting an incrediable sales playbook and meticulously managing the outsourced team, they shouldered the burden of building a well-oiled sales machine.

This comprehensive approach, coupled with their responsiveness and results-oriented project management, made them a unique and invaluable partner in driving our sales growth.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Illicium could have done differently?

While Illicium's overall performance was exceptional, one area where they could potentially enhance their service is the onboarding process for ClickUp, their project management and documentation system. As a busy manager, familiarising myself with a new system did take some additional time. 

It's important to acknowledge that this isn't necessarily a fault on their end, and the time investment is likely outweighed by the long-term benefits of their custom ClickUp setup. However, perhaps offering more streamlined onboarding resources could have been helpful.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Corporate Sales Manager of CreditorWatch

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide credit reporting data and credit management solutions to businesses

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Illicium to accomplish?

• Increase meetings per rep
• Assist in running call campaigns
• Remove and clean up crm

SOLUTION

How did you find Illicium?

Referral

Why did you select Illicium over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Illicium were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Creation of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL’s) 
• Drive new interest - Social, Search and other digital marketing spend. 
• Campaign based activity to warm up leads - e.g. top of funnel engagement, activity such as webinar, and re-engagement campaigns. 
• Lead queues based on specific demand based drivers – linkedin, brochure downloads, partial signups, webinars etc. 
• Data Management – data accuracy, duplicate identification & lead quality 
• Conversion of MQL to SQL 
• Sales/script training on different campaigns to ensure the message is clear and concise.
• Lead queue nurturing & calling 
• Demo Booking/ MQL to SQL conversion 
• Converting SQL’s to Sales

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• SDR POC objective: Increase number of meeting for reps. 
• Maximise reach through non marketing channels and Warm up potential marketing prospects, unattended MQL and lead mining leads to become SQLs. V
• alidate and fasttrack lead velocity for key stages prospects to MQL, MQL to SQL, SQL to demo meeting booked. 
• Identify what works and areas of growth.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Illicium provided an excellent level of service to deliver the project items in a challenging environment.

What was your primary form of communication with Illicium?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Illicium work hands on to train and manage the team. The team follow the process and add value back into the process by assisting with recommendations. Alex and his team were quick to drive results with the data provided and ensure management had visibility over the campaigns success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Illicium could have done differently?

None come to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the International & Partnerships Director of a software company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company helps organisations and individuals to measure, track and improve employee engagement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Illicium to accomplish?

• Provide on the ground sales support
• Lead generattion
• Sales conversion

SOLUTION

How did you find Illicium?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Illicium over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Illicium were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We appointed Illicium to provide an outsourced sales service to help establish our company in Australia and New Zealand. Their key deliverables have been to follow up on the leads and contacts generated from the marketing outreach driven from the UK. Understanding our platform, global database, pricing and product benefits have been key to the delivery of meetings and platform demonstrations

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

CRM tracks all contacts (1,000+) and prospects with weekly visibility of all activity. Ability to adjust activity as needed. Number of meetings, quots / sales conversions

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Illicium have been very responsive to our needs and been flexible when we have adjusted our plans. They have been supportive and and their experience with working with other countries without a physical presence in Australia has been helpful. They have represented the brand and have successfully engaged with our target group.

What was your primary form of communication with Illicium?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their agility, work ethic and drive to deliver

Are there any areas for improvement or something Illicium could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Startup Media

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Digital marketing and design for startups and SMEs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Illicium to accomplish?

• Lead Generation

SOLUTION

How did you find Illicium?

Referral

Why did you select Illicium over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Illicium were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The scope of work encompassed an outbound campaign focused on lead generation, with the primary objectives of increasing customer acquisition and driving profit growth. The campaign aimed to reach out to potential customers through various channels and engage them in order to convert them into paying customers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Throughout the project, Illicium monitored and tracked the performance of the outbound campaign. They provided regular reports and updates to the client, showcasing key metrics such as customer acquisition, conversion rates, and revenue generated.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Illicium demonstrated excellent project management throughout our collaboration. They consistently delivered items on time, ensuring that the project progressed smoothly and stayed on schedule. Deadlines for key deliverables, such as customer profiling, value proposition refinement, customer list creation, and outreach strategy development, were met punctually.

What was your primary form of communication with Illicium?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Illicium exhibited a proactive and responsive approach to our needs. They actively listened to our requirements, concerns, and feedback, and promptly addressed them with effective solutions.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Illicium could have done differently?

None that we can recall.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO of the small go to market and business development agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Illicium?

I hired Illicium to test the market entry assumptions for Australia.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have been working with contractors and Illicium reached out to me through one of them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Identify your target audience: Determine who the ideal customer is.
•  Define unique value proposition: Identify what sets cybersecurity product apart from competitors. Develop a clear and compelling message that communicates the value proposition to the target audience.
• Build a strong brand: Develop a strong and recognizable brand that communicates trust and credibility. This includes creating a compelling visual identity, messaging, and consistent brand communication across all channels. 
• Develop a content marketing strategy: Create high-quality and informative content that educates the target audience on cybersecurity threats and how the product can help. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media posts.
•  Leverage social media: Utilize social media channels to engage with your target audience and promote your content.

What was the team composition?

I have worked with the managing director of Illicium, one of his market analysts, and business development representative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have increased ROI of IntFinite clients by 30-40% at the market entry.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Illicium has a mature reporting and communication process. They are really good at quickly adopting feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very responsive team.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Probably would be great to see Illicium adding strategic advise capability.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of operations for WWPASS, a cybersecurity company headquartered in New Hampshire and with a presence in Europe. We provide multifactor authentication solutions without using any passwords, as well as secure data storage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Illicium?

We were looking for ways to support our global growth and extension to the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, we contacted Illicium to conduct market research in that region and assist us with demand generation and sales in the Asia-Pacific region.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When our engagement started, we had no presence in Australia or the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, Illicium first helped us do market research to identify our value proposition for that particular region, which also helped us identify target customers and user personas for the products we had to offer for the said market.

Illicium also did a deep dive into our offerings to help us formulate our value proposition and customer profile. Then, they helped us narrow down our target areas for the Asia-Pacific market, after which they created a sales playbook we can use not only for that region but everywhere.

Once we identified our target customers, Illicium helped us establish partnerships with different managed security service providers (MSSPs). They suggested that these partnerships would be the most beneficial for the Asia-Pacific market. Recently, we started phase three of the project, which revolves around demand generation and sales representation.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three people from Illicium, including the founder and owner, the VP, and a marketing specialist.

How did you come to work with Illicium?

A friend introduced them to us.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we’ve invested about $25,000. When we finish phase three, our total investment will be around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our project in July 2022, and it’s still ongoing. We plan to continue working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Despite our short engagement, we’ve been amazed by the results that Illicium has achieved so far. Our product has a long selling cycle; however, they’ve reached around 1,200 cybersecurity and similar companies in Australia. As a result, they’ve received responses from 250 of those companies and set up about 75 unique appointments with potential clients.

Thus far, we’ve had close to 20 technical discovery meetings, where the customers have gotten into the next step and asked for technical details. From those 20 meetings, we now have 10 important opportunities where we’re discussing proof-of-concept projects with those leads.

We know how hard it is to approach a new market, and Illicium is doing a great job. Moreover, the sales playbook they created added a lot of value to our company. We already had a playbook, but theirs is much better and more profound because they dove really deep into a product they didn’t know, which was fantastic. We’re all amazed by the work they’ve done.

How did Illicium perform from a project management standpoint?

Illicium’s project management is very good. They use HubSpot to track progress and provide us with weekly reports. Moreover, they’re very efficient at scheduling meetings and identifying the interested parties for each one to avoid wasting time. They handle all of the meetings for us. There’s a 14-hour time difference between us, so they invite technical sales engineers only when needed. Otherwise, they handle everything themselves, which is very good for us.

Besides HubSpot, Illicium also uses Google to collaborate. Using the G Suite, they create charts and diagrams to show results and compare us with our competitors. Additionally, we communicate via email and have a group chat on Telegram. Despite our time difference, we can always reach them. They’re very responsive, and we haven’t had any issues with them so far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Illicium is very professional. They do a lot of brainstorming sessions and ask a lot of questions to dig deep into the project. We’ve been really surprised by how well they can identify how to proceed. Illicium’s main strength is identifying customer personas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can only tell them to keep going — they’re great!

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them because they know what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Idea Science are customer experience specialists, providing consulting services. We blend strategy, technology and quality to optimise businesses. I am the a managing consultant at my company, working with different clients on engagements and projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Illicium?

We hired Illicium to help with our outbound prospecting and business development. We were keen to trial their sales-as-a-service model and work with them in creating a new sales pipeline.

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

The impression that the team made. The eagerness of the team to work together and build a good relationship. In addition, they had a reasonable and fair pricing structure.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

Illicium worked closely with us to define and research who our key prospects were, put together a sales playbook and then execute the outbound prospecting. The goal of the project was to build a pipeline of meetings for us, and generate additional revenue.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked closely with the director of the company, Alex and the business development representative, Bash.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

The team was quickly ramped up after 3 weeks in, and managed to successfully book meetings with new prospects across our three month contract. It was great to see their team was able to pick up what our brand and services quickly, to pitch them to new prospects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was an good workflow between the teams. They were easy to work with and always happy to ask questions and communicate as needed.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their approach and willingness to work together to make the project a success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Overall great! I would suggest for ease of reporting review for the client, to invest in platforms that assist with that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of Product Rocket, a digital product management and digital product design consulting company. We hire consultants full-time who then go and provide consulting to clients on our behalf.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Illicium?

We didn’t have a dedicated sales team, so we decided to outsource our sales and business development efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Illicium to help us with our sales and business development efforts. Initially, they learned what we did regarding digital products and identified our target audience, which they did quite quickly. They also received guidance from us based on our existing clients and provided them with tight parameters.

Then, they contacted potential clients to offer our consultancy services for their problems. Illicium found those leads through LinkedIn and their network.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people from Illicium in total, including Alex (Managing Director).

How did you come to work with Illicium?

Alex reached out to me, and we took it from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $21,000AUD (approximately $15,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from April–June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The leads that Illicium found and the data they presented to us were very good; they delivered excellent work.

How did Illicium perform from a project management standpoint?

Illicium’s project management was very good. Their communication about what they were doing at all times was great, and they were on point regarding meeting deadlines and staying within budget. We used a Google spreadsheet to share information and had phone calls to catch up.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way in which Illicium presented the data was impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been great if Illicium understood exactly what we did. However, it wasn’t easy because understanding what we do and who would hire our services can be very difficult.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend working with them. You'll get excellent results if you’re open to sharing a lot of information about your business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Siege Cyber

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Not sure how to answeer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Illicium to accomplish?

• Hire an employee

SOLUTION

How did you find Illicium?

Referral

Why did you select Illicium over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Illicium were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Alex and the team did an amazing job helping us find someone for our sales team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Fantastoic employee

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, it was fantastic

What was your primary form of communication with Illicium?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They're quick to respond and deliver great results.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Illicium could have done differently?

Everything was great, start to finish