SalesRoads

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior project manager of a paint company. We prepare and sell paint through a home improvement retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SalesRoads?

We needed to set up a call center. We were trying to solve the problem that our sales reps in the field were struggling with in regard to cold calling customers and getting a hold of them. We wanted to reduce the time it took for a lead to become an account.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked SalesRoads to set up a call center. They helped us determine the call conversation script, understand the flow of the conversation, as well as develop the training materials for the call center reps. SalesRoads also helped build the reporting we use for the reps. We provided a lot of materials on our side. Their team did some informal discovery, but we didn’t have them do too much external research.

What is the team composition?

First, we worked with the owner, project manager, and IT integrator. They have teams behind them that built the program and set it up for success. Now, there are four people consistently calling our customers.

How did you come to work with SalesRoads?

They’re a subcontractor of a company that we contracted out to try and get the work done. They did a great job with creating presentations and building the program.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first week, SalesRoads overachieved what we asked them to do. We asked them to get a certain number of calls done, and they did that with no issues. It worked out great. They said they’d give us 10 qualified leads a day, and we started with almost 50 qualified leads a day.

They did a great job of setting up the call center. The integration of our system to theirs was relatively easy because they did a lot of good work. There were a couple of things that didn’t go as well as we would’ve liked but directionally, it was an easy integration.

How did SalesRoads perform from a project management standpoint?

Typically, our communications are through email. We utilize Excel for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From the beginning, we could tell that they were experienced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve helped us with really being set up for success. They did a great job of setting their systems up for success, but we ran into the problem where they went so fast, we couldn’t keep up.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you’ve built your integration program well. If you don’t, you’ll get overwhelmed quickly because SalesRoads does a great job of calling customers and getting them on the phone.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our Enterprise team focuses on large provider practices, hospitals and health systems, and LTPAC organizations. I am the Director of Enterprise Accounts and lead our Sales and Account Management team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SalesRoads?

Outbound calling to our Enterprise Hospital market.

What were your goals for this project?

Our ultimate goal was to gain awareness of a proven solution in a new market. What we thought would take months to gain momentum and make our brand recognizable, they were delivering results within days. Our baseline was to schedule 10 calls a month- they have far exceeded that number in only weeks.

SOLUTION

How did you select SalesRoads?

We considered 3 companies in our evaluation and actually did a pilot with another group prior to finding and selecting SalesRoads. Our initial pilot with another group provided minimal communication, no kickoff, and virtually no results over a 2 month trial.

In the first conversations with SalesRoads, we immediately felt the difference. They were concerned about our needs, what results we expected, and acted like a true partner from day 1. Their President even joined a few of the early meetings to ensure we were on track and has reached out to check in on our progress and satisfaction since then. They truly feel like an extension of our team.

Describe the project in detail.

The group is making outbound calls to our set appointments for our Enterprise Sales Team. We provided a detailed prospect list of target accounts, general information about our buyers, pains, objections, and competitors and they stood up the right cadences to maximize their outreach and drive results.

We paid an upfront campaign kickoff fee and then pay monthly for the services of the project team and 2 BDRs.

What was the team composition?

We work with a core project manager, development and optimization specialist, and 2 SDRs. Communication, reporting and feedback runs through our main contact and makes for an easy experience with the team. We know where we stand, how we're progressing, and where we can help at every point along the way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SalesRoads came out of the gate extremely strong. While our outbound BDRs averaged 3-5 new appointments per week, the team was hitting the mid-teens immediately and have settled into a nice pace averaging 5-10 per week. The quality of the initial calls are on point with the right buyers on the phone and a pain identified that we can solve.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless. Kasey runs this project like a machine, provides weekly reports on exactly where we stand, is always open to feedback, and has provided our team with an incredible experience.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

After only a 2 hour kickoff call and a short week of training, they were up-to-speed, put together an impressive playbook, and were ready to dive in and start making calls. Where a typical ramp for a new hire can take weeks, if not months, they adjusted and days and immediately began making an impact. Their professionalism, feedback reporting, and quality of the BDRs are absolution top notch!

Are there any areas for improvement?

As expected there have been a number of no-shows at the start of the year. SalesRoads makes the extra effort to remind prospects of their upcoming appointment, but this is an area we will continue to work on and ensure clients are truly vested in taking an initial discovery call.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Advent. We’re an experience design and creation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VSA Prospecting?

We had streamlined our organization as a result of the pandemic and realized we were missing some competencies. Most notably, we were missing the competency of cold calling and appointment setting.

Rather than trying to specifically recruit employees who may or may not have those skills, we chose to evaluate potential outsourcing firms. We brought on VSA to aggressively dial and set appointments for prospective customers we’re trying to reach.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they conducted research to better understand our organization and the campaign we were using at that moment. VSA learned the organization and assigned part of their copywriting and campaign teams to our account. They did database research to see who the potential audience would be and what quantities of those people would be available.

Eventually, their team came up with recommendations to us as to how we’d launch. All of that was collaborative, but it was all enabled by their ability to research and their commitment to creating prospects and setting appointments. VSA brought us a recommended strategy that we tweaked a little through evaluation and collaboration.

What is the team composition?

Early on, we had a team of seven people. As we launched, that became a core team of three people.

How did you come to work with VSA Prospecting?

We were recommended to two firms by an organization that we have a strategic alliance with. We interviewed both firms. At the same time, I had done an online search to find where these firms were compared to the top of the game. During this search I found VSA.

In comparing and contrasting, we noticed VSA has a much more proven methodology and transparent process. There was an air of confidence about them in terms of the benchmarks they’d achieved in the past and knew they could achieve for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re spending an annual amount of about $60,000–$75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We set certain goals and strategies in terms of what we wanted to accomplish, and VSA is exceeding those. An average conversion rate is about 5%, and in comparison, VSA is delivering an average of 8.5% for us. We couldn’t be happier with that. Not only are they achieving our benchmarks, but they’re also exceeding them. This shows that there’s something special in terms of their expertise.

For this ongoing campaign, VSA has set 67 meetings for us. This is all considering that we’re in a pandemic; that’s a pretty good number. We’re very pleased by the quantity and those metrics.

How did VSA Prospecting perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re happy with management reporting. We get a weekly dashboard that’s presented at an executive high level. It shows the results for that week and the results cumulatively. Attached to that dashboard, we’re able to drill down and see specific conversations when an appointment is set. We can see background information on the appointment and their business’ address. That information helps prepare us for the appointment.

Additionally, we hold a weekly Zoom call for 30 minutes where we voice any concerns and ask questions. We talk about upcoming appointments and appointments that have passed. The level of communication has been outstanding and over the top. It’s more than we could’ve ever imagined in terms of transparency, clarity, and precision. VSA is among the best I’ve ever worked with before with a subcontractor or professional service provider.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s extraordinary that this is a predominantly woman-owned and woman-run business. They receive awards for being an outstanding place to work as voted by their employees. VSA’s employees are super happy, satisfied, and engaged. As a result of that, the happiness and employee satisfaction feeds into our engagement.

We’ve found them to be outstandingly professional and precise. They’re warm, gracious people. We’ve developed friendships with them because they’re good at their job but are also good people. Their team members are among the finest people I’ve had the privilege of working with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. They’re outstanding, and we’re delighted with their work. VSA is open to feedback and coaching. If we’ve offered that, they’ve taken it and it has already improved.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Honor and listen to their expertise because they’re experts within their domain and discipline. Do your best to be transparent, open, and thorough in how you educate them about your business and value proposition.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are in the healthcare industry and we provide solutions to help healthcare facilities manage their equipment. We offer deep cleaning, disinfection, and reporting of patient care equipment. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VSA Prospecting?

We wanted an additional marketing channel for outreach to new hospitals that may not be familiar with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provide a strategic list of prospects who VSA Prospecting then reach out to and if they're directed into a different department, they then find the right contact. Using email and phone outbound marketing, they introduce our services and generate conversations about how our company can help healthcare facilities. They're basically utilizing their team to create awareness, education, and to connect key members to our team. 

After passing along a list of interested contacts, our team then has a conversation with these potential clients to discern how we can review what they are currently doing internally and how we can offer some additional support. Our goal is to create a full-circle equipment management program between their internal efforts and our scheduled services for the deep cleaning of equipment. 

What is the team composition?

We engage with around 8–10 people. We work with a success manager and an assistant, and then the other team members are the ones who call each of the facilities in the campaigns.

How did you come to work with VSA Prospecting?

I came across them through research — I had identified several groups that were in that space and I contacted them. After having conversations that allowed me to understand their internal strategy and how they operate, I decided they were the best fit for our team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2019, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been able to work with new health systems as a result of their efforts, which is great. 

How did VSA Prospecting perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management is good and they communicate well — they provide us with reports through weekly video calls and we do phone calls as needed. If they have any questions or there’s anything that needs to be addressed, they bring it to our attention quickly within the day. 

They’re a very fun, energetic team that allows for a lot of collaboration. Due to their expertise and experience, they have been very self-sufficient in their operation. Overall, they’re a great partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What distinguishes them is their level of experience. They've been in the business in the lead generation market for around 15 years now — the average tenure of their team members is also quite significant, meaning they’ve worked on many projects for quite some time. 

Their dynamic, how they put together campaigns, and their internal proprietary strategy of how they do calls and emails make them stand out significantly. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific on expectations and the different scenarios that they could encounter and provide different solutions. Maintain a very open communication loop — make sure to have a series of role-playing so you could provide immediate feedback and then have an open discussion for any questions team members may have.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a B2B healthcare company providing executive level physical exams to every employee at organizations with greater than 10,000 employees

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SalesRoads?

B2B appointment setting

What were your goals for this project?

Increase sales through a warm handoff to senior level HR

SOLUTION

How did you select SalesRoads?

I was familiar with Salesroads work from previous experience with them and referred them to my company

Describe the project in detail.

Salesroads first developed a deep understanding of our unique sales proposition by meeting with our sales team, sales leadership, marketing and Client Success. They were charged with targeting the right prospects and setting a 10 minute intro phone call for our sales team that was placed directly on sales persons calendar.

What was the team composition?

They have a team of individuals gifted in quickly building rapport and gaining agreement for the next call. We were also assigned a dedicated manager for our account which made any questions or updates easy to communicate and created a seamless working environment with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were not staffed to deliver this type of service. Salesroads provided us a dedicated internal outbound lead generation and created warm leads that the existing sales team was not skilled in developing. They provided leads we otherwise would not have had in our pipeline that resulted in increased sales volume.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless and effective. Our communication was primarily if we had an update to a lead they were working and then it was an easy text or call to our dedicated manager. Their presence was visible daily in the leads placed on the sales team's calendars.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How easy they were to work with and how quickly they felt like another internal department of our company. It was easy to forget they were outsourced.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I personally never experienced any issues working with SalesRoads and always felt they understood their role and expectations from day one and executed flawlessly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the regional sales manager for North America for a German-based monitoring company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VSA, Inc?

When we started with VSA, Inc, we had a number of trial leads that we were unable to touch due to bandwidth and employee restrictions. We decided to work with VSA, Inc. to get in touch with those trial leads and then remain in contact with them until close.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Originally, they worked through a significant number of trial leads per month. They scheduled product demos with sales engineers and our inside sales team.

We used them to contact leads that we don’t have a lot of information on. Often, we just had an email address, and they were able to use that email address to find the proper contacts within those accounts before scheduling the calls. From there, we did a few other campaigns with them.

They’ve approached our channel partners to get some attention with them. For this project, VSA, Inc. worked with our channel partners to engage them and schedule calls with our channel account managers, who could then drive more engagement.

We’ve also tried to drive attendance to our phone support webinars and pilot programs. They’ve been able to adapt depending on the types of campaigns we were working on.

What is the team composition?

Since my original contact, I’ve had two other team managers and have worked with their CEO. Right now, I think there are 4–5 people conducting calls for us at a full 40-hours per week. We’ve also been able to scale up and down depending on our capabilities.

How did you come to work with VSA, Inc?

We’ve worked with another outsourcing agency in the past, but I wasn’t overly excited about their work. That lead me to search for another agency. I actually spoke to another agency, but we couldn’t afford them, and it didn’t make sense to have them work on what we needed. They introduced me to VSA, Inc.

We spent 2–3 weeks on a POC with them and evaluated whether or not it made sense to continue working on the project. We had some good success in that time period and decided to continue our partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in July 2019 and have been working with them ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s difficult to measure the impact they’ve had because of our sales cycles and COVID-19, but we’ve definitely seen an increase in what we classify as opportunities. They’ve been able to schedule 300–400 more calls this year.

How did VSA, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform very well. They’re very adaptable. For example, I come to them almost weekly with a new campaign to run. We have weekly calls on Wednesday morning, but by Monday they’re up and running that new campaign and are driving those meetings for us. They do help with different messaging and are open to trying new things.

They’ve been very helpful and responsive. Other than our weekly calls, I communicate with them over email. If something is urgent, I can also give them a call.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability has been incredibly helpful. They started by interfacing with our end-users, and they were able to adapt and work with our channel partners. They each require a different message, but VSA, Inc. been able to accommodate that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t really have an answer to that question.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

After the POC, we waited a month and went on-site, where we were able to work with the team that was supporting us full-time. That was very beneficial. They heard things before we visited, and that made the visit more engaging. They actually had questions and use-cases for those questions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of product marketing at a global solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with VSA, Inc.?

We've used VSA for the past several years to augment an outbound calling campaign that we do to increase attendance at our annual user conference. They do the initial calls to our customers to try to reach them and make sure it's an extra channel for us in the marketing campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve primarily worked with VSA on calling campaigns, short-term projects that we do once a year. We work with them to create a script for their staff. Their team provides us with daily updates to let us know how the campaign is going. We have weekly meetings just to make sure that everything is on track. 

They have also designed and worked with us to create some email templates that they send as follow-ups to phone calls. The templates are customizable and can be tweaked depending on whether they had to leave a message or actually held a conversation. Although they have these templates, they often send custom emails to truly personalize it to the recipient. In that regard, they’re really an extension of our company.

What is the team composition?

We have three main points of contact, but one main project lead. I’m not sure how many people are on the calling campaigns, but it seems like a lot, since they get through a lot of calls pretty quickly. For example, we did a smaller campaign this year, and they got through 700 calls within two weeks.

How did you come to work with VSA, Inc.?

VSA was already working with my company when I joined. When this project came up, we relied on them as a trusted vendor. At this point, they’re a partner to us.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent more than $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I personally started working with them in May 2017, but my company has used them over the last decade for minor call campaigns. They completed this year’s project, and I expect we’ll work with them again next year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For our most recent campaign, they were set to contact approximately 750 people. Within two weeks, they’d attempted to contact 719 of them, and they actually reached and talked to 341 customers. We got 60 conversions out of that.

How did VSA, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent in terms of meeting deadlines and being in regular communication with us. We needed a report from them in order to update our records, and we always had that before we started business every morning. This allowed us to process all of their results, because we were about to run a simultaneous campaign on our side to get a little deeper into it. They do the first blush for us, and then we go to the next level, so we needed their details to know who to contact. 

Before we get started, we do a really deep-dive call with them. We also have a deep conversation with their callers so that they can understand exactly who our customers and target audiences are. Throughout the project, we have weekly calls with them, and then they do a debrief call at the end. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing to their credit is that it’s not just a calling campaign to them; they really want to understand our customers and us so that they can do the best job possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t think of anything. 

Any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely trust them as a partner. They know what they’re doing, and if you let them do their job, you’re going to succeed as well. Don’t try to tell them how to do their job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Handwrytten is the leading handwriting as a service platform. Make the handwritten note as scalable as email. With our platform you can send 1 handwritten card or 10000 easily. I am the founder and CEO. I have been operating handwrytten since 2014.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SalesRoads?

Outbound sales. We were looking for appointment setting services for a specific vertical.

What were your goals for this project?

New appointments with qualified leads.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The reputation of SalesRoads preceeds them. I reviewed a few others but in the end the number of reviews and intros from other colleagues led me to them.

Describe the project in detail.

I was looking to find people to set appointments for my team. Salesroads was able to bring between 3 and 5 appointments to me each week. I was charged a fixed monthly rate for this service.

What was the team composition?

David Krieger was the relationship manager, but he introduced me to a key saleswoman who led the day to day charge. These two people were my key contacts for the entire project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Results were very good but any failure to close was my fault as I did not have a chance to cultivate the leads sent to me.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had weekly meetings to discuss progress and re-align goals. Everything was arranged via email, and the sales manager called me directly at the appropriate time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were very quick to build out a whole team of qualified salespeople to assist with this project

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the GM of a SaaS company called Share911. Share911 built a critical communication platform used by 2000 schools nationwide. When an employee sees something dangerous, they immediately notify co-workers & emergency services, sharing exactly where the danger is, so everyone can quickly get out of harms way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire VSA, Inc.?

Our company wanted to enter a new geographic market with our core critical communication platform.

What were your goals for this project?

Generate new sales qualified leads in a market we had no current clients in.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We identified 6 firms that did work similar to VSA. I rated each by prior vertical experience (education clients), cost, current client / logo roster, and the company's geographic location. I had calls with each of them, and asked for client references from the top 2. After calls with the clients, I selected VSA.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an onsite visit with VSA, where we explained Share911's product and competitor set. We talked about how to sell this product - it's USP, and performed a product demo. The VSA team created email and call scripts based on this information, which we edited. It was a very collaborative process.

What was the team composition?

We have a project manager and a calling team of 3 TSAs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have aggressively scaled our business in the new market that VSA helped us penetrate.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We've moved into new states and slowed our efforts when states do not have school in session - VSA is very prudent with our spend as they want to be an efficient sales lead partner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

VSA, Inc. are experts at cultivating sales leads.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We continue to look for ways to be more efficient on a cost per lead basis. It's an iterative process.