120/80

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a digital media company.

What challenge were you trying to address with 120/80?

We were already doing paid media on a national level, but we needed help with a specific type of paid media that was centered around performance marketing so we hired 120/80.

What was the scope of their involvement?

120/80’s services cover PPC, paid media, and social media marketing. They also handle our HubSpot CRM. 

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact but we interact with a few other people from their team.

How did you come to work with 120/80?

I found 120/80 through an agency adviser that I’ve worked with for many years. He recommended that I meet Sonny (CEO) so we brought him on. Sonny communicated better than any campaign media team I’ve ever worked with, and 120/80 did so well with the first few projects that we decided to keep integrating their team into more. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in Q4 2020 and it is ongoing.

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

The 120/80 team has gotten better month-over-month results for me than the other agencies I’ve worked with. They’ve definitely helped boost our conversion rates through paid channels. Our clients are increasing their spend considerably and we’re well into the hundreds of dollars a month range because they’re seeing the results that they want.

How did 120/80 perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great to communicate with and they’ve hit every deadline, without any issue, since we’ve started working together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The 120/80 team has the right mix of knowledge when it comes to performance marketing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think there are any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a good team. Treat them nicely so you can keep working with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

BuildCentral is an industry leader in planned construction information, project contacts and geoanalytics. I'm currently the Director of Marketing responsible for generating demand and pipeline.

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80?

We knew we wanted a partner to assist with Google Ads, but weren't sure we wanted to work with an agency that didn't get our business or our business model.

How did you select this vendor?

We took meetings with various vendors that were referred to us by colleagues, but one stood out because of its industry expertise and down-to-earth approach...that was 120/80.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They assessed all that we wanted to do and then went to work strategizing how best to drive new traffic to our site. After devising a keyword strategy for each product, they were able to drive a significant amount of new contacts, which ultimately lead to new revenue.

What was the team composition?

I work closely with an ad manager, though the owner Sonny is always a call away.

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

Since working with 120/80 we've seen a nice boost in new opportunities that convert to revenue. Additionally, Sonny is great about referring his network to us. We've definitely enjoyed working with the entire 120/0 team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication is quite good. Regular meetings are held twice a month and we discuss it all--the good, the bad and the ugly. Good advice and strategic insights come out of these sessions. Follow-ups and check-ins as needed, and some helpful prodding when I'm the bottleneck.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They really seem to get our industry. I'm always receiving helpful insights on new ways to approach the market, people I should be connecting with, or shows I should be attending to stay in the loop.

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

I'd love to see ad design services packaged with ad management for a one-stop shop.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the sales and marketing manager at Quantum Technical Services. Quantum manufactures high-speed, automated target sauce applicators, waterfall and target topping applicators, granular applicators, and slicer-applicators. Primarily used in the pizza, ready meal, and bakery industries, our topping equipment can be used to apply sauce, cheese, IQF ingredients, streusel, crumb, dry ingredients, and many other ingredients.

Quantum has supplied production equipment to small wholesalers and the largest producers in the market since 1991. We offer standard production systems and have an excellent engineering team capable of custom designing equipment for any production requirements.

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80, and what were your goals?

We hired 120/80 to create digital opportunities and brand awareness. Prior to hiring them, our presence on the internet was minimal. Our goal was to have a known digital presence, to grow the market share in the non-pizza side of the business as well as grow our existing business.

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

120/80 was recommended by a business acquaintance. They presented a program that made sense for us at Quantum.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Using LinkedIn lead generation to drive sales, book quality meetings and brand awareness. Utilize Google Seach Ad Words, branded campaigns. Added blogs and relevant information to our current website.

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

I work with 2 resources from 120/80.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

One of our sales managers started with about 500 connections and now has over 3600 relevant connections due to the campaigns 120/80 put together. We are seeing more leads from the Google Ads 120/80 designed and implemented.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow of 120/80 works well with our team. If anything, we are sometimes "late" in getting back to 120/80 with answers, etc.

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

I like the fact that they are a smaller company, but large in what they offered to us.

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

I would like to see them hire a social media content writer, I know they are working on this.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a web design & development business. We specialize in websites for attorneys, professional services, and non-profits.

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80, and what were your goals?

The digital ad space is very dense for attorneys and my client wanted to spend a consistent amount each month but not have to weed through hundreds of unwanted calls.

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

They showed that they were focused on what we were focused on. There was no badgering or upselling for unnecessary services, only straightforward talk about how to get where we wanted to go and what they could do about it.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

We had a few meetings getting the preliminary scope outlined, compared ad campaigns of competitors, replaced vague ad concepts with concrete ideas. All of this was guided by rigorous research and guidance from 120/80 showing different avenues of ROI based on the array of ads we were considering. Our relationship is ongoing and we are very happy with their performance.

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

We've worked with 3 or 4 people since the relationship started. The owner primarily and now with a 1 on 1 PPC strategist. All very capable.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are consistently competing in the right space against the right size firms with similar philosphies. That is great for us, because we are often very niche and need that focus.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

All good experiences, prompt response times, and good explanation. We communicate mainly through email with an occasional call.

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

Cutting through the noise. They always aim for success. There is no fluff and layers of customer services, there is action and solution.

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

I don't know - I think they have the right personality and professionalism for advertising and marketing. Very practical and nice people delivering the products. What more could you ask for?

Please describe your company and your position there.

M & A consultant

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80, and what were your goals?

implantation of a CRM

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

Referral, and their capabilities

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

They worked on creating and implementing a CRM. It started with workshops that helped get me familiar with Hubspot and all the many functions it can do. From the workshops I had many privet sessions with Seth (who is amazing and so easy to work with) who walked me step by step through many functions. One being how to import data and add contacts and companies. How to create mass marketing emails.

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

I worked mostly with one person, Seth Trimble. He worked mostly with the CRM development

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have not launched any of the work we have done so far but would be willing to share once we do.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was effective. Seth Made time for me as much as I needed. I was meeting with him two-three times a week 30-60 minutes sessions. I was in communication via email on other questions throughout the week. Seth responded in a timely fashion.

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

I am impressed with how smart they are and how easy it is to communicate with them. Any question I had there was always an answer. If there was not an immediate answer they would figure it out. How quick their response rate was on any information needed, which helped to get work done fast.

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

I personally do not see any areas of improvement at this time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Strategic Development for Amply, a donation matching platform helping nonprofit organizations maximize their fundraising efforts.

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80, and what were your goals?

We were looking for a way to reach Chief Advancement Officers & Directors of Development, and 120/80 set us up with a multipronged outreach effort, via LinkedIn and Google Ads.

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

We submitted a detailed list of desired outcomes, and were impressed by 120/80’s understanding of our potential sales channel.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

The engagement began with a thorough assessment of our desired client sectors. We prioritized them and set up a plan to test social media and direct sales messaging, while dynamically modifying our processes.

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

I worked directly with their account manager, but had a direct line to the CEO.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I added over 1,000 LinkedIn contacts, while tripling Amply’s social media followers.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

120/80 was always very responsive, and never missed an opportunity to help us improve our marketing efforts.

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

Their ability to pivot and learn new skills that could help their clients made us value their overall offering.

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

Wish we could have been part of a meeting with more of their team members, to help find out what other clients were addressing some of the problems we were facing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We currently have two outsourced sales and marketing firms that are engaged with 120/80: our parent company Acquirent and our subsidiary company LeadJen. Both help clients in either a lead generation (sales setting) capacity or in a full-sales cycle closing role. As the senior business development executive, I’m in charge of client acquisition and business development between the two companies.

What challenge were you trying to address with 120/80?

We were looking for a new marketing partner when the world essentially shut down due to COVID-19. Toward June 2020, we started to peak our heads out to look at agencies that could provide both Acquirent and LeadJen with prospective clients to pursue. 

What was the scope of their involvement? 

120/80 primarily manages digital marketing campaigns for us, such as SEO/PPC, Google Ads strategies, and retargeting ads. Occasionally, they will support us with LinkedIn support, but their main responsibility is to funnel leads and potential prospects for us to work with.

What is the team composition? 

We have a team of 4–5 core people who are involved on an ongoing basis. I’ve worked directly with Sonny (Founder & CEO), Seth (Digital Marketing Director, Nick (Data Scientist), and Peter (Copywriter).

How did you come to work with 120/80?

Funny enough, 120/80 is actually a floor above ours in our office building, which really strengthened our relationship. Our CEO was familiar with Sonny and had had some conversations with him to become familiar with his business. 

We identified 120/80 as a great fit because they’re extremely flexible in their offerings, such as their service packages and pricing. They were also willing to accommodate our needs and give us the attention that we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent between $10,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started in June 2020, and we’re still working with them.

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

In the short amount of time that we’ve been working with them, our lead volume and velocity have increased significantly. That’s played a notable role in helping us climb out of our COVID-19 hole so to speak. Leads turn into opportunities, and opportunities turn into sales. They’ve really helped us fill our pipeline so that we can build our business back better than it was before.

I’ll also mention that 120/80 is very transparent in their processes. Compared to other digital marketing firms, they do a great job of tying back our ROI to their services. They analyze the data to show where we’re seeing success versus issues, which allows us to make sure that we’re spending our marketing dollars in the most effective manner.

How did 120/80 perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great on this front. The team is attentive to our needs and responds quickly to our questions. As far as our communication cadence, we have a standing meeting every other Friday to converse on official reporting and updates. Those numbers cover where we are for the month and quarter.

We have constant back-and-forth during the week outside of that, whether I’m engaging with Seth over CRM setup questions or talking to their copywriter about blogs. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a newer marketing firm out there, they’ve been able to give us a fantastic amount of attention, and we definitely feel like a high priority for them. 

Their ability to tie our ROI back to their efforts has been great, too. That could mean tracking a lead from a marketing campaign all the way through to the close. Their team is extremely bright with a strong knowledgebase. They come up with fresh ideas constantly to identify items that are most beneficial to our business and drive the most leads.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing that would be relevant today.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to do your homework on what’s going to be the best firm for your business. However, if you take the time to explain to 120/80 what your business does, how you do it, and what you’re looking to accomplish, then they’ll certainly get in there and put the best plan in place for you.

I’d recommend being completely transparent and open with them, too. The more information they have, the more accurately they’ll be able to prescribe suitable campaigns and strategies. Those insights really do impact 120/80’s process.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Managing Shareholder of an accounting and tax practice for Main St - not Wall St. We are advisors for small businesses and their families.

Beyond advisory and consulting, our services include income tax preparation, income tax planning, financial statement compilations, bookkeeping, payroll, sales tax, entity formation, tax resolution. We are small business owners and we are in the business of supporting other small business owners.

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80?

We hired 120 over 80 for their LinkedIn Lead Generation services.

What were your goals for this project?

To generate more leads from our current activities online.

How did you select this vendor?

I had one intro call with Sonny. He told me the value proposition his company could provide my company, and I committed.

Describe the project in detail.

Initially we worked with their copywriter to write out the messaging. took a look at my profile and then hit the ground running with their automation, we saw instant results

What was the team composition?

Worked with Sonny directly and worked with Seth. They were available on the weekends

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

We were seeing between 2-3 meeting requests a week.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are extremely responsive and willing to get on a call whenever I was available.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

One month later, the results mapped to Sonny's original words on that intro call we had. That's so rare (i.e., to back up words with action so quickly, literally right off the bat). And his fees are so economical.

He's doing things right, you better sign up sooner than later before his rates increase. It's only inevitable that 120 over 80's rates will increase as their street credit increases over the upcoming months and years

Are there any areas for improvement?

They were a little slow to start but once they were going we saw results immediately.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re Acquirant outsourced sales and marketing, and we provide full-cycle sales and marketing services to a variety of companies.

What challenge were you trying to address with 120/80?

Our company had been using a different vendor to handle many aspects of our digital marketing such as SEO management and case search. We weren’t getting as much clarity and transparency as we needed from the project, so we decided to make a switch to another company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

From the beginning of the process, their team was able to identify what wasn’t working in our existing digital marketing strategy, determine the best next steps to take from there, and then help us execute on them.

They assist us with a variety of digital marketing tasks, primarily focusing on PPC advertising and display retargeting. We’re not doing social media ads at this time, but that is something we’ve considered.

What is the team composition?

Sunny has served as our account manager and is our main point of contact for all of the work.

How did you come to work with 120/80?

We were near the end of an RFP process with several other vendors when Sonny (Chief Growth Officer) got connected with our CEO, who put me in touch with him. Right off the bat, he was speaking our language and clearly understood our goals.

I sent him an RFP and his response, which he delivered within two days, addressed every single concern we had for the project. It was clear that he was prioritizing us and was prepared to be involved, so we decided to go with him.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project just started in March 2020 and we are planning to work with them for at least the rest of this year.

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

Our main goals center on lead generation, site traffic, and improving the spend per lead on our ads. Just since starting with him, we’ve seen that our site traffic seemed relatively resistant to the recent market downturn and has actually continued to rise in some areas, which we are very happy about.

How did 120/80 perform from a project management standpoint?

Sonny is very responsive, so I can reach out to him over Slack, text, phone call, or even in person because he works in the same building as us. He does a great job of utilizing a lot of different communication channels to stay as engaged with his clients as possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

He is always willing to educate me and my team about what’s going on and why certain decisions are necessary. My background in content marketing so I don’t have as much knowledge about the technical aspects of the work, and he has been an incredible resource for helping us get a better understanding of those.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m really happy with all of their work so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be engaged with him, because that’s how you will get the most out of the engagement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Founder & CEO at SellerChamp - a multi-channel listing and inventory management SaaS platform.

For what projects/services did your company hire 120/80?

We have been struggling with finding a good, reliable agency to build, optimize and scale our Google/Bing PPC ads on an ongoing basis. We hired 120/80 for this service as well as for general marketing advice and strategies given Sonny's vast array of expertise in this field.

What were your goals for this project?

Build, optimize and scale PPC Ads such that we can 10x our spend on it and still keep it profitable in the next 6 - 8 months.

How did you select this vendor?

I have worked with 5 different ad agencies before getting connected with Sonny. None had worked out to my satisfaction. Our niche is very complicated and it requires paying attention to very subtle things - like the call-to-action, the keywords, etc. Sonny was recommended to me by a colleague of mine.

We had initial discovery in which Sonny took the time to understand our needs, offered his suggestions and advice and followed up with a detailed email with a breakdown of his plan of action, fee structure, etc. After reading his email it came very clear to me that Sonny was our guy.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After we starting working with Sonny, we had a series of calls where he asked the right questions and then put together a detailed plan of action. He started by cleaning up our existing campaign and then creating new ads, ad-groups and campaigns based on his learnings. He actively continues to do this and has been optimizing and growing our sign-ups while lowering the CPC and CAC

What was the team composition?

I along with my Head of Marketing interface directly with Sonny. He has an internal team of resources on his end but all of our interactions have been direct with him.

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

Our niche is quite complicated to fully grasp. The subtleties in the feature differentiators aren't obvious to an outsider. Sonny was able to understand this right off the bat. Within a few short weeks, he was able to clean-up our campaigns and lower our CPC and our CAC.

I believe his deep understanding and specialization in PPC ads enabled him to ask the right questions and do this for us. I am very happy with the quality of work Sonny has brought to the table. His help goes out of PPC. He has provided really helpful advice, tips/tracks on what we should be doing to grow our customer base. I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We meet bi-weekly via video-conference but Sonny has always been available whenever needed. He is prompt in his reply and very reliable.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was blown away by how deeply Sonny understands PPC and how much he already knew about our niche. I am amazed by the level of attention they are able to provide to our company.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that come to mind. It's been a pleasure working with Sonny and I hope to continue to work with him for the longer-term.