Cleverly

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior account manager at a company that provides specialized content removal services. We help digital agencies manage reputational risks and enhance their service offerings for clients facing online challenges.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cleverly?

We were looking to grow the number of agencies we work with, and they promised to help speed that process up and help us book more meetings. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cleverly was responsible for building a contact and lead list, verifying the emails, supporting the writing of the messaging, managing all the technology, and delivering the emails. The team was also in charge of CRM and Slack integration for notifications.In terms of deliverables, Cleverly provided three initial expert-written email sequences, 100 custom enterprise Outlook inboxes, and 5,000 verified lead credits with AI lines. The team also used nine data sources for monthly email verification and AI response tagging to automate filtering.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2 teammates from Cleverly.

How did you come to work with Cleverly?

We found them through an online search. We chose them because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, and they offered good value for the cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2025–September 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got two leads over 90 days, but they weren't qualified or in our target market, so they were a waste of time. We also got 68 replies and 34 bounced emails.

How did Cleverly perform from a project management standpoint?

It was slow going to start, but then they met their stated number of emails sent. We primarily communicated via email and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There was nothing impressive about working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have offered us a refund or an additional month for no charge when they had overpromised and underdelivered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of The Mail Hub

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Mail Hub provides packaging, shipping, mailing, and freight services across two locations in Guam, helping businesses and individuals with their logistics needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We hired Cleverly to help us land new business with wholesalers. Our main goal was to expand our customer base with potential wholesale partners.

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

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

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

They started by building out our Ideal Customer Profile to target wholesale businesses, then designed personalized messaging sequences that actually sounded like us. They ran A/B tests on different outreach approaches to see what worked best! Managed all our leads through their dashboard, provided weekly performance reports and calls whenever we needed them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over 6 months, we got some solid results:

- Generated 47 qualified leads from wholesale prospects

- Booked 12 calls with potential wholesale partners

- Secured 3 new wholesale accounts

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

Reagan was super responsive and always delivered everything on time. When our response rates dipped in month two, she quickly turned things around. My Account Manager & response handler were amazing!

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are very professional and made us feel like family.  Their strategy worked for us at a very low cost. 

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

Absolutely none their promise was met and I could not be happier. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Eleventh AI

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Eleventh AI helps businesses identify and implement high-ROI opportunities for AI and automation by auditing workflows, reducing manual work, and integrating intelligent systems to boost efficiency and growth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• I brought Cleverly on to run our cold email and linkedin outreach. It’s been tough to break through on cold outbound, AI is a hot but very competitive space so our cold emails were barely getting opens and replies. They clarified and niched our offer/messaging.

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Messaging/offer strategy

Email data

Inbox creation and warming

8,000 cold emails/mo

Went live in 3 weeks

Metrics dashboard and reports

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

7-12 ‘meeting-ready-leads’ per month, we started lower but ramped. 
We convert most of their leads into good meetings.

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

Onboarding was super smooth, I think my campaigns launched within a week or so of sign up. They always replied same day, often within 1-3 hours. The targeting was super tight and the strategy was great, I had no idea Sales Nav could get that specific for who we wanted to talk to.

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was most impressed by the team's speed of communication. Their ability to add additional strategic angles into the mix that boosted our overall return on this was also impressive.

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

Maybe wish they had a larger package for video content on LinkedIn.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Head of Growth of an advertising & marketing company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a Shopify Plus digital design & CRO agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• More Leads

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Cleverly was hired to manage lead generation in the form of cold emailing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Using them right now to manage our outreach and they are absolutely horrible. Lead lists are constantly incorrect. Emails are mediocre with gramatically incorrect context. Takes hours to respond to emails. Pull previously used lists from other clients without updating sending emails to people who haven't been at the company for months. Constantly told them the ICP we were targeting, and never received a qualified meeting in 90 days. Then they charged me for 6 "leads" that were not remotely related to our ICP.

No matter the feedback you give there is never actually any attempt at change or bettering their services. Worst agency I have ever used in my career. In the last 30 days I have gotten more demos scheduled for myself than they have. Not sure how they received so many positive reviews - I think it may be a scam.

This is my last month with them.

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

Team responded late most of the time. First Account Manager was so horrible they gave me a new one.

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

Email or Messaging App

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

Nothing impressive at all about this company. Maybe how egregiously their CEO is pushing out content saying how well they perform when its all a facade.

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

Everything. This agency is all smoke and mirrors. I wasted thousands of dollars for 0 qualified meetings.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Designer of a design company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build websites and branding for clients. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Get more leads
• Have a great outreach platform
• Turn conversations into paying customers

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

They claimed that they can get my type of business around 12 leads per month, and book me actual calls. The service and work scope was that they setup a sales system which they did perfectly (if I don't look at the bad email address naming) and look at gaining sales. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Succesful leads, which they claim is 25, but I can only see 9 which majority of them are bad even saying they don't want the service but they call it positive replies. 

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

No, I am still waiting for items to be delivered like CRM integration and Slack integration. They lack actual progressive help, they just want you to pay. 

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their incredible rating, which in the end turns out to be majority of fake reviews. 

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

A lot, here's my review:

I strongly advise anyone considering Cleverly to stay away. My experience has been nothing short of frustrating, misleading, and a complete waste of money.

I signed up after being promised a streamlined, semi-automated lead generation system with proactive support, functioning AI, and a clear path to ROI. What I actually received was:

 1. Overpromised & Underdelivered:

Cleverly sold me on a vision of qualified leads and expert support. Instead, I got a broken platform, misclassified leads, and was left managing everything myself despite promises of guidance and campaign reviews.

 2. Non-Functional Platform & AI Issues:

Their AI, which is central to their service, did not work properly for weeks. I wasn’t proactively informed—only after I raised concerns did they admit to technical failures. Even after “fixing” it, irrelevant and automated replies were still labeled as “positive leads.”

 3. Zero Return on Investment:

After spending over $3,300, I did not secure a single qualified lead or booked call. The so-called “positive replies” were mostly irrelevant, automated responses, or flat-out rejections. Their performance metrics are completely misleading.

 4. Terrible Support & Constant Deflection:

Once you’re onboarded, support becomes minimal. Basic promises like CRM setup, Slack integration, and campaign reviews were either delayed or never delivered—despite multiple follow-ups. When I raised concerns, I was met with excuses, blame-shifting, and upsell offers instead of solutions.

 5. Refusal to Take Responsibility:

Even after clearly demonstrating how their service failed on multiple levels, Cleverly refused to offer a fair refund—forcing me to escalate via my bank and Stripe. They continue to deny obvious shortcomings and hide behind contract terms, ignoring the reality of a failed service.

 6. Questionable Business Practices:

I had to repeatedly request cancellation and demand removal of my payment details to prevent unauthorized charges. This should never happen with a professional service. 

🚨 Final Verdict: DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE.

Cleverly is an overpriced cold outreach tool wrapped in misleading sales pitches and poor customer support. You’ll end up doing most of the work yourself while they present inflated metrics and dismiss legitimate concerns.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience warrants a clear warning. There are far better, transparent, and cost-effective solutions out there.

I am currently pursuing a full refund due to the lack of delivered value and failure to meet basic service expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of Atypical IT

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Atypical IT provides flexible, client-centric IT and security services tailored to startups and high-growth companies, focusing on enhancing employee experience, productivity, and security without locking clients into rigid contracts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Generate Leads

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

1. Multiple Campaigns:
The package promises multiple LinkedIn campaigns, allowing you to target different segments of your ideal customer profiles (ICPs) with tailored messaging. However, only one campaign can be set up initially, and additional campaigns are unlocked over the course of several months.

 2. Training and Strategy Development:
The Platinum package includes training sessions to help you optimize your LinkedIn outreach strategies, although training isn’t available until about a month after signing up. The delay limits immediate access to best practices and strategic guidance.

 3. Email Follow-Ups:
Automated email follow-ups are part of the package, designed to engage prospects who don’t respond to the initial LinkedIn connection or message. However, these are also staggered over time and aren’t immediately available.

 4. Custom Messaging Sequences:
Cleverly is responsible for crafting personalized messaging sequences to engage with prospects based on your ICPs. These messages are supposed to align with your brand and goals, although in our case, the messaging was incorrectly applied, which led to outreach beyond our target audience.

 5. Dedicated Account Manager:
You are assigned a dedicated account manager to oversee your campaigns and serve as your point of contact. They are supposed to guide you through the setup, ongoing management, and optimization of your LinkedIn outreach efforts.

 6. Analytics and Reporting:
The package includes access to a reporting dashboard that tracks campaign performance, including metrics like connection rates, response rates, and follow-ups. However, the accuracy of this data depends heavily on the platform’s correct functioning.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had clear expectations for measurable outcomes with Cleverly’s Platinum package, but we never got close to achieving them due to the numerous issues we faced:

 1. Connection Acceptance Rate:

We expected a high connection acceptance rate, driven by targeting our ideal customer profiles (ICPs). However, due to platform errors that altered our lists, we ended up reaching out to the wrong people. This not only reduced the acceptance rate but also risked damaging our brand’s reputation.

 2. Response Rate:

Our goal was to engage prospects through thoughtful messaging and personalized outreach, expecting strong response rates. Unfortunately, Cleverly used the wrong messaging, resulting in confusion and very few responses. This derailed any meaningful conversations we were hoping to initiate.

 3. Campaign Metrics and Analytics:

We were looking forward to using Cleverly’s analytics to track campaign performance. But because of the broken targeting and messaging, the data provided was unreliable, making it impossible to assess the effectiveness of our campaigns or make any strategic adjustments.

 4. Lead Engagement:

We expected the outreach to result in solid engagement from leads within our target audience. Instead, we saw minimal engagement due to the combination of incorrect lists and messaging, which caused us to miss out on potential business opportunities.

Ultimately, the issues we experienced with Cleverly prevented us from achieving the outcomes we had planned for, leaving us far from our goals.

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

Cleverly’s project management was disappointing. Key deliverables were not provided on time, with significant delays in accessing core features like multiple campaigns and training, which were promised but only available after months of engagement. This created frustration, as we were paying for services that we couldn’t immediately use.

In terms of responsiveness, when we flagged concerns, such as incorrect messaging and targeting issues, the responses were deflective. Our account manager often assured us things were working as expected when they clearly weren’t, which led to further delays in resolving critical issues.

Overall, the lack of transparency and responsiveness severely impacted our experience. We are unlikely to recommend Cleverly due to the significant issues with service quality, security concerns, and failure to deliver on promised features and outcomes.

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most unique aspect of Cleverly was their promise of a comprehensive, all-in-one LinkedIn outreach solution. The idea of having multiple campaigns, custom messaging sequences, email follow-ups, and dedicated training—all integrated into one platform—was appealing. Their approach seemed tailored for scaling outreach efforts efficiently, and the concept of automating these processes was initially very attractive.

However, despite the impressive promise, the execution fell short, making it difficult to fully appreciate what could have been a unique and valuable offering.

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

 1. Security Practices:

The most critical improvement needed is in their handling of client credentials. Asking for login credentials to be shared via open text and storing them in an unsecured document is highly concerning. Implementing secure methods, such as encrypted storage and password managers, would greatly enhance trust.

 2. Feature Access and Timeline Transparency:

Many of the key features in the Platinum package, like multiple campaigns and training, were not available upfront. Cleverly should either adjust their pricing to reflect this or provide full transparency on the timeline for when features will become available. Immediate access to these features would improve overall client satisfaction.

 3. Responsiveness and Accountability:

Their team needs to address issues head-on, rather than deflecting concerns. A more proactive and transparent approach in responding to client feedback, along with clear timelines for fixes, would create a much better experience.

 4. Targeting Accuracy:

The platform should ensure that targeting and messaging align correctly with the client’s ideal customer profiles (ICPs) from the start. Improved quality control and auditing of campaigns could prevent errors that damage brand reputation.

By addressing these areas, Cleverly could significantly improve the customer experience and deliver on the promises of their package.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of an advertising & marketing company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Digital Marketing Agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Generate 5 Leads per month

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

To generate a minimum of 5 qualified leads per month through cold email campaigns, leading to booked conversations

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Two separate email campaigns, each consisting of 3,000 emails each campaign, yielded no leads.

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

Cleverly's project management was efficient. The project manager assigned to us was attentive, responding to our queries and needs in a timely manner.

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

Email or Messaging App

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

While our overall experience with Cleverly did not meet our expectations, I have to give credit where it's due: their project management was quite responsive. Whenever we had questions or needed updates, the project manager was timely in getting back to us.

Unfortunately, despite this positive aspect, it did not translate into the results we were hoping for—specifically, we generated zero leads from the campaigns. Therefore, I can't recommend them based on our experience, as the end goal of generating leads was not met.

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

There are several areas where Cleverly could improve based on our experience. Most importantly, they need to reassess their lead generation strategies, especially since our campaign generated zero leads. Their initial assurance that our industry would not be an issue proved to be misleading. Additionally, they altered our campaign within the first 21 days, contrary to their own policy, yet we still saw no results.

I'd recommend that they provide more transparent communication and set realistic expectations for their clients. We ended up losing thousands of dollars with no ROI, so more effective strategies and better alignment with client objectives should be a priority for them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Operations of Tulsa Internet Marketing

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide digital marketing services and strategies to SMBs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Generate new leads and conversations via LInkedIn

SOLUTION

How did you find Cleverly?

Online Search

Why did you select Cleverly over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• They Seemed Competent

How many teammates from Cleverly were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

Cleverly was tasked with connecting us with and engaging our ideal prospects in conversations that resulted in booked appointments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We have sent out 172 invitations and have successfully made 81 connections, which is an impressive connection rate of 47.1%. Moreover, we have received 43 replies to our invitation for offline conversations, out of which 13 have been positive. We are thrilled with these outcomes!

What was your primary form of communication with Cleverly?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I must say, I'm quite impressed with how smoothly everything went from onboarding to project launch. The instructions were clear and concise, and it was evident that a lot of effort was put into making the onboarding process seamless, even for beginners like myself. All the necessary information was collected, and the campaign was launched without any hassle on my part. Overall, it was a straightforward and stress-free experience.

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

I was really impressed by the onboarding videos, mini-training, personal Zoom call onboarding, and shared documentation. The level of professionalism was impressive, and the results they delivered were even more so.

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

Currently, I cannot think of anything that requires modification. I am very happy with my experience working with the team at Cleverly. The support and communication were excellent, and they understood all of our needs and delivered promptly. They went beyond what we expected from them, providing ideas that made the project exceptional. Highly recommended!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a business development representative at a business that sells industrial electric motors and automation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cleverly?

I was put into a territory that had a lot of potential for new customer growth, but I was new to the industry and the job. To be able to handle ongoing training and daily transactional tasks with existing customers, I got cleverly to help reach out to people and places I would otherwise not even think to visit or contact.

SOLUTION

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

My dad was already using it for recruiting purposes and explained to me how successful it has been. I liked that I could create my own scripts and narrow down the search to find exactly who I am looking for in my area.

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

Grow the customer base in the area as much as possible. The area I am in is big with potential but no one has really had the time or resources to touch it. We sell new industrial electric motors as well as repair them in house, and build custom panels.

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

It was just me working on this and reporting back to my superior with successful prospect to customer conversions and new leads with traction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I had a very high response rate! It was not always a response that initiated an immediate partnership or customer, but would at least give me more insight on the person, their business, or their direct contact information to follow up farther down the road.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The Cleverly team was very responsive to me and my needs whenever they would arise. Since I was the only one using it, there wasn't any issues with inter communication.

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

I loved how easy it was to change what is not working in the search. Even though it is automated, it is still very malleable to different situations and prospect interactions.

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

I would like to see a way Cleverly can be uploaded or crossed over into other CRM databases. It created a lot of time consuming manual entry on my end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-founder and president of Word Nerd Creative Content & Design, LLC — a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, social media, web design, and content marketing for small business owners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cleverly?

We hired Cleverly to run a social selling campaign through LinkedIn using Sales Navigator.

SOLUTION

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

After searching for and interviewing several different agencies, we decided on Cleverly because of their affordability and excellent reviews.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Getting started with Cleverly was a little time-consuming, but it ultimately paid off. We began with a thorough intake questionnaire that took roughly an hour to complete. From there, we scheduled an intake call and began the initial stages of forming our first campaign. We needed to go back and forth a few different times to find the best list and create the most accurate audience profile for the campaign.

The first two months didn't see much traction, so there was quite a bit of trial-and-error involved, but once we got the audience nailed down, viable prospects started rolling in much more frequently.

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

I worked directly with Samantha, my account manager. She's been an excellent resource and was extremely involved in every step of the process. Her coaching in how to respond to new leads has been an invaluable tool to our company and we are grateful to her for showing us the path to success!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From day one, the Cleverly campaign exceeded my expectations. Our connections acceptance rate and reply rate are currently 26% and 25%, respectively — much higher than the anticipated 15-20% we were promised. While it took a bit of trial-and-error for us to begin receiving viable leads (roughly two months' worth), our account manager (Samantha) worked hard to help coach us through some of the mistakes we were making in our outreach efforts.

After her thoughtful advice and making some strategic changes to our audience, we experienced some great success: Just 10 days from our second monthly check-in, our team secured a sale and has another promising meeting scheduled for this week. We're excited to see how these newly implemented changes continue to help grow our business!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Samantha and I meet once monthly to review changes, but she is extremely responsive and willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. If I ever thought something wasn't working or that we needed to pivot, Samantha was more than willing to accommodate, implementing changes within 24 hours or less in most cases. She's been a great partner to have as we try to grow our business online.

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

The value of the expertise you receive is really incredible. I was really amazed by how — even for a big company like this that manages thousands of campaigns — they're still able to make you feel like your voice is being heard and they care about your success.

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

Honestly, I can't think of one thing. As long as you're willing to be open to their suggestions, read the materials and resources they provide, and put in the work on your end, you will have success with this team. I don't have a single doubt about it!