Belkins

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Middle PR Specialist at Netpeak Software. Netpeak Software provides tools for SEO specialists and webmasters, that help to solve day-to-day SEO tasks in an easy and effective way.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We were looking for an agency to help us qualify potential leads from our webinars and trade shows. Some of these events generate hundreds of contacts, and we wanted to prioritize and qualify every contact to drive the ROI.

What were your goals for this project?

The Belkins team qualified prospects from our webinars and events and set up demo calls for our internal sales representatives with potential customers. We’ve sent them lists of potential contacts and they sifted through the names, researching companies and reaching out on our behalf and qualifying a fit. After screening through the leads, they set up calls for people that were interested in speaking with us.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I don’t know. We were already working with Belkins when I started in my current position.

Describe the project in detail.

We attended trade shows and send over contact lists to Belkins team. They launched their research and outreach programs to qualify prospects. We had a weekly Zoom call where we would discuss their research and outreach.

A day before the call, they’d send us a detailed marketing report so that we could prepare questions beforehand. The reports included a variety of trends and statistics, databases with leads, including the number of people they contacted, lists of responses breakdown, and SQL that were passed on to our team.

What was the team composition?

Andrew (Account Manager) was our original point of contact, and then we switched over to Marina (Senior Account Manager). We also worked with Michael Maksimov, a Managing Partner who helped us to develop an initial marketing strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to increase our engagement with potential clients by 50%. Plus they freed up our team on talking to qualified prospects which increased their efficiency. Not saying anything about hours of computer work that we delegated to the Belkins team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We liked the process and overall everything went well. There were different questions coming up as they were prospecting, and whenever they were unsure how to respond, the team engaged with us right away. They were also quick to let us know about prospects that we needed to contact.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team always was eager to learn more about our business and our end users. Also, we were impressed with their ability to break down their outreach process. The reports they sent looked great. Their in-depth market and campaign analysis was extremely beneficial for our team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can’t think of any negatives. But it'll be great if they do all the sales processes, not just only appointment setting.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

KnubiSoft is a UK based company that successfully provides full-cycle development solutions of any complexity to our clients around the world. We have a broad experience in the delivery of custom software development, our expertise covers many segments but traditionally we have been exceptionally strong in AR&VR, Fin-Tech, E-Learning, E-Commerce, and Automotive domains.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We hired Belkins to help us setting up additional appointments for my sales team. We encountered several challenges, like not being able to ensure quality database research or sending out emails without falling into a spam trap. Also, Belkins should have provided us with expertise in qualifying the leads and we felt like we would need some assistance with setting up an outbound channel in general.

What were your goals for this project?

Cutting cost for the internal sales team, get 15-20 appointments monthly, receive expertize and support in outbound related questions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were approached by Belkins via cold email and the timing was great since we were looking for a vendor at that moment and were talking to a few. Belkins stand out to have the best cost/value ratio.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Once we selected a vendor we had a series of conference calls with the Belkins’ team where we were introduced to our dedicated Account Manager, SDR, and the Research team. Afterward, we did a 5-steps onboarding, filling out different questionnaires and providing Belkins with our collaterals.

What was the team composition?

We had Alex and Ben, our Account Manager and SDR as main points of contact, however, I know for sure that there was also a research team and a copywriter to be involved in the work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been with Belkins for over 9 months now. We’ve closed a few clients who are our champions now and a few more to close we are still in negotiations with. Our sales cycle is about 12 months, so we would close a few more accounts in the next few months, for sure. We are looking at a pretty good return on dollars spent.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The work went smoothly and the communication style is far the best value proposition of Belkins.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Whenever I send an email, I always receive a response back in abound 10-15 minutes. Every time I raize a concern I always feel like the team acts in my best interest and ready to get into the mud making sure that my expectation are being met.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Can't think of anything

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We create BI products to help consolidate, process, analyze and extract insights from data. We also assist in implementing Google Analytics 360 Suite. Furthermore, we develop individual measurement strategies, consult on how to use Google and OWOX BI products to solve business-specific tasks and challenges and conduct training in analytics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We market our products mainly via content marketing, referral, and trade shows. We’ve always thought that we are missing out by not investing in outbound marketing. Belkins was one of the agencies we chose to help us with setting up the outbound channel as well as driving qualified opportunities.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to double our sales efforts by booking 10-20 meetings monthly on top of our current sales KPI.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I heard about Belkins from a few friends in the industry. Since they were very convincing as the recommended Belkins, we reached out to the Belkins’ CMO Dmitry and set up a call.

Describe the project in detail.

Dmitry introduced us to the management, then after a series of calls, we moved to the onboarding phase, where we were introduced to our dedicated Account Managers and SDRs. We filled out several questionnaires, gave the Belkins team access to our inbox and LinkedIn page. Also, we made some changes to our DNS.

What was the team composition?

We work with our assigned experts, Andrew and Boris. Also, the Belkins management team helped us to create an initial outreach strategy. In general, whenever we needed an expert to discuss leads, mailboxes or outreach with, Bekins always provided.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

10% of our new accounts come from the outbound channel. Given that we didn’t even have outbound before we started working with Belkins, it’s a great result. So, from the budget perspective, we made a good marketing investment that allowed us to see a very positive ROI. We will continue investing in outbound to explore more opportunities.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Since we’re used to working with remote teams (some of our developers are scattered across the continent, we had no issues with the fact that our dedicated SDR and AM are based in Ukraine. The communication was smooth, the tasks were completed in time and we experienced zero language barriers.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team showed a great level of professionalism and manages their time efficiently. I think that the quality of hiring and training teams is Belkins’ biggest competitive advantage and the reason why it stands out from the rest of the vendors we used to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Co-Founder at a software development company headquartered in Poland. With over 70 tech experts on board, our professional teams provide our services across 16 countries, delivering innovative solutions, web technologies and apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We wanted to enter American market, so we needed a steady supply of leads and appointments from the United States. Belkins agency had an immense experience with this B2B segment, so we employed their outreach and appointment-setting services.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to gain more U.S. – stationed customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Since we relied on referrals rather than cold calls and cold emails, we looked for a company that would be our sales team. We needed someone experienced in working with appointment-setting techniques and familiar with the American market. Belkins, with their cost-effective remote team model, was the perfect fit. They instantly got to work, helping us to map our key decision-makers and making the most out of all marketing materials we provided them with.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We are a custom app development team that bases their work on a comprehensive analysis to create a solution that meets the client’s needs perfectly. We have always relied on referrals and networking to promote our brand and gain new clients, so we wanted to apply the same strategy for the United States even though we were well aware of the high competition levels. Belkins became our close partner, managing to provide us with truly exclusive prospects.

What was the team composition?

A team consisting of SDR, AM and researcher was assigned to us to cover our referral, F2F and LinkedIn campaigns.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We know that software development is a highly competitive niche, but in just two months Belkins was steadily scoring from 2 to 3 appointments per week which is an amazing result for our industry.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our communication was flowing smoothly and naturally. We constantly kept in touch and were given all the reports on our progress. Our assigned SDR worked with our sales team, handing over data and pre-qualified leads complete with full information on all the campaigns to ensure that we will close the deal. Belkins allowed us to score really profitable deals that brought us $15 000 per month.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

As we continued our cooperation, I was impressed by the company’s ability to hold their own in both good and hard times. Belkins team was always there for us to consult, supply us with data and comprehensive analytics on the current situation – it gave us a lot of useful insight.

Also, it feels nice to work with people who are used to solving even the most complicated issues. After this period, we started exploring the opportunity of scheduling face-to-face meetings in Europe and Belkins once again showed amazing results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of right now.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and Creative Director for Marovino Visual Strategy; a brand consultancy specializing in Research, Strategy and Design of Consumer Packaging.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We hired Belkins to generate leads in the North American CPG industry.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal is to build a consistent pipeline of leads for us to convert into actual clients. Our benchmark is five leads / month. The leads have to meet pre-established criteria in regards to their packaging design needs.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I have tried several Lead Gen companies: Some that charged only for appointments - very expensive and the quality of the appointments was disappointing. I also tried doing my own leadgen campaigns through LinkedIN - that proved to be too time consuming. Other Lead-Gen companies demanded a three months commitment without any guarantees of success. Belkin required only one month and no further commitment- it was a chance worth taking.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Belkin sends out a monthly email campaign to several hundred potential prospects.those recipients who demonstrate an interest in our offering are passed on to me and I take the relationship forward. Belkin provides me with a detailed weekly report of how many emails were sent , how many were opened etc. I provide Belkin with the required sales materials, I have final approval of all messaging that they develops for my campaign.

What was the team composition?

I work directly with a CSR and a Director who discuss with me our progress on a weekly basis. They are also available by email anytime during business hours.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are on our second moth, and so far the results are spot on to what Belkin had promised me.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are very responsive to my feedback and are very flexible in their service. Their workflow is efficient and problem free. They are prompt and thorough.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive part for me is that I actually have several good leads after less than two months.

Are there any areas for improvement?

can't think of anything...

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Business Analyst in Andersen. Our company provides software engineers, Business analysts, and UI/UX designers for projects of any complexity. We have more than 1,000 qualified IT professionals. We’ve assembled specialists with unique expertise in some of the most challenging technical and business domains, so we deliver highly functional, innovative IT solutions to our customers worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We needed a third-party organization to conduct the research in the field of e-marketing not only for enhancing the effectiveness of our current work model but also for direct involvement in the implementation of the new e-mail marketing strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to increase the efficiency of the e-mail marketing team, as well as to get additional resources and tools to implement the new strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our team undertook the investigation and collected proposals from 4 organizations providing these services. Then, we held meetings with each of them. After the presentation and detailed guidance on the developed strategy by Belkins, we came to the conclusion that we would cooperate with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We discussed our main goals such as the number of leads we needed. In a short time, Belkins gave us a report on the marketing research they had made. After targeting the audience, the strategy created. We chose the most effective channels. Belkins’s team worked out sequences for direct marketing. Due to mailing custom messages, they gave us new high-quality leads.

What was the team composition?

Belkins formed teams of 2-4 members to work with each email campaign. Every team worked on only one particular direction. We started working with the 1st team developing the direction of email marketing in the German-speaking regions, but then we started enlarging the numbers of the teams to 9.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we started working with Belkins's team, the number of leads has doubled. Due to this, more top companies started using our services. We are impressed by how well the job has been done.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Belkin's strategy helped us create 9 groups, so we integrated both teams. That made the process more effective and took communication on a higher level. The result is great: we spent only 2 months instead of 3.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their extraordinary research and advanced tools for promotion helped to accelerate business as we needed. So we are really thankful to the experienced team of Belkins for such a great result.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I think there is nothing wrong with Belkins. The service is awesome. We are really satisfied with the work done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Spark Equation, a software engineering company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. We have employees in both Chicago and Europe who are continuously building high-quality software that enables our clients to deliver the highest value to their customers and users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

Because we directed our full attention and expertise to helping clients build reliable technical solutions, systems, and services, we began to neglect our sales pipeline and outbound marketing efforts. We hired Belkins to support and maintain those areas so we could continue to on our client projects. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to build a sustainable sales pipeline, drive leads via our outbound marketing channel, and finish developing our value proposition.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The Belkins team reached out to us through LinkedIn. We had already received myriad offers from other lead-gen companies, but Belkins’ communication approach stood out the most during our brief conversation. We also looked through their portfolio and liked their compelling value proposition, which was what we were looking for at that time.

Describe the project in detail.

Our project consisted of designing a stable and proficient marketing funnel and creating a target-market database with customized outreach templates. Belkins dove right in and embraced our collaboration from the very beginning. They used their expertise in second-step solutions to build our sales pipeline, develop outbound marketing strategies, and refine our target market propositions. They continue to provide support and maintenance.

What was the team composition?

The entire Belkins team was involved with our outbound marketing strategy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had a positive outcome, with Belkins delivering above and beyond their commitment. We identified and narrowed down our target market and established a sales pipeline, CRM, and lead nurturing system.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was excellent during the bulk of our project. We conducted regular meetings with their managing partner to discuss our product, services, buyer personas, and vision statements. He worked with our sales team during pre-qualified calls and leads, all to ensure we obtained the results we sought. They also answered all of our inquiries, questions, and concerns—even after official working hours—using numerous tools like Slack, WhatsApp, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The seamless integration between teams that several companies had promised us in the past had resulted in chaos and miscommunication. Because of this, we were skeptical that such a transition was possible. Belkin proved us wrong, demonstrating that an outsourced company was capable of providing a high level of dedicated and consistent support. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is nothing specific.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and CEO of SUJO / Odeon Media Inc. Odeon is an app and custom CMS that allows publishers, curators, and online communities to moderate content and manage their communities. We built the SUJO app on top of the Odeon platform to provide summaries of fact-verified news mixed with curated influencer opinion and user contribution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We were having trouble reaching our SUJO subscribers via email. Our newsletters and emails were consistently being delivered to spam folders, even when we were sending them as direct emails. We brought on Belkins to the project to sort out our inbox issues and heal our domain reputation.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to make sure that at least 80% for our email newsletters and all of our direct emails got through to our subscribers without getting caught in spam folders.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found Belkins through another satisfied client. They had engaged Belkins for other marketing and lead generation services and referred me to them.

Describe the project in detail.

After going through a recent rebrand, we realized that our new domain didn’t have the same strength as our previous URL, which caused a domain reputation problem. Belkins was able to fix our domain issues by implementing their anti-spam solution so that we could properly reach our audiences’ inboxes again.

What was the team composition?

I had a dedicated project manager who incorporated other members of the Belkins team when needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Belkin’s anti-spam fix worked very well. Within a short period of time, both our direct and newsletter emails were delivering straight to people's inboxes at the same rate as before.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Belkins was easy to work with. They excelled at utilizing both of our resources to deliver simple solutions quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were always available and provided as much background and rationale for their solutions as I wanted. They were also very good at working around tasks that I wanted to perform myself.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Overall, I can't say that there are major areas of improvement. They delivered the project exactly as they laid out during the engagement process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work in marketing for a commercial furniture manufacturer, which provides custom furniture to the hospitality, corporate, healthcare and education market segments. I work with three of our brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We needed a highly targeted email campaign to various end users, such as hotels and country clubs, as well as interior design firms.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to uncover new, qualified leads for our sales force.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We received an email from them that piqued our interest. After speaking with Michael (Managing Partner, Belkins) the first time, we were hungry to learn more. We spoke a second time and then decided we were on board.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They gave us a list of items they needed to proceed in an effective manner. We identified who we wanted to target and our message, along with where Belkins should focus our search, how to respond to different scenarios, and when Belkins should reach out to me for assistance. We then worked together to create messages to potential customers. We approved everything Belkins sent on our behalf.

What was the team composition?

I’ve worked with two dedicated team members. Michael has also made himself available at any time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been pleased with the response rate we saw from the campaigns. The leads are real projects that have been qualified by their team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been great. They’re available during my working hours, so I never feel out of touch.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The response rate has been much higher than we saw with other marketing campaigns.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder of Subatomic - AR Solutions. We develop AR solutions for clients in the education industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Belkins?

We engaged Belkins to provide outsourced sales development services and improve our outbound marketing results by 125%.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to boost our sales without expanding our internal sales team. We knew that our current outbound marketing was inefficient and inexperienced and our processes needed improvements.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Belkins reached out to me directly with a short, neatly written email. I liked their marketing approach and felt that it stood out from similar inquiries from other vendors. I explored their services further; after learning their conversion rates, their prices, and their short-term contracting options, I found it reasonable to try them for this project.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We first had a discovery call with Belkins’ account manager and a sales development representative (SDR). Together, we developed our ideal customer profile for companies we wanted to target. Belkins used the profile to research leads. In the meantime, we discussed our value proposition so we could craft multiple sets of outreach templates for A/B testing. Once we had an inbox set up, their team began outreach. 

Our goal was to schedule qualified appointments for my sales team. Belkins handled all top-of-funnel marketing tasks, such as lead identification, lead research, initial outreach, qualification, and scheduling appointments. They provided us with highly qualified prospects with a service need and a desire to move forward in our sales process.

What was the team composition?

Belkins assigned us a dedicated sales development team. It comprises an account manager, an SDR, a dedicated researcher, and a copywriter. The SDR and account manager correspond with prospects and serve as our daily points of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By the end of the first subscription month, Belkins’ emails had a 75% open rate (beating our rate by 25%), a 35% reply rate (beating our previous 10% reply rate), and a 5% appointment rate (beating our previous 1% rate). The following months have seen greater traction and even better results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We’ve had a smooth collaboration so far. Our assigned SDR is available any time we need to correct our templates or include more info in our emails. He always wants to learn more about our product to improve his appointment scheduling process. We have weekly checkpoint calls to discuss Belkins’ results and plan the coming week.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their team acts like a partner in our success.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Belkins could improve its CRM integration. They use manual processes that could be optimized.