Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of VSA, a B2B appointment setting and lead generation firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC?

ECS helped us in many different ways. The primary challenge was that we were moving from a manual tracking system of our own sales leads. It may be odd for a B2B firm to be having this problem since we use a CRM for all of our clients, but we were formerly using Microsoft Excel and tracking them that way. We didn’t have a defined sales process because it was always me with the help of some other people when we were building our sales operation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The ECS team helped develop our sales process and its flow. Then they helped us choose a CRM to start using. We selected Pipedrive and they structured it so it followed our sales process.

Next, they worked with us on collateral to use when talking about how we onboard clients and what’s unique about us. Our team calls it the VSA way, which is something very unique about the way we operate. Other collateral pieces included business cards and a restructured logo.

ECS helped us with our tracking system. This included the tracking of the frontend of the funnel and some of the materials that establish credibility during this process of working with leads that go through the funnel.

At the beginning of the engagement, they came to our office for 2–3 sessions where we talked about our business and sales process. Collaboratively, we brainstormed and put our ideas on sticky notes. Then, we moved them around and named each part of the process.

This was a little bit difficult because we do things differently and had to come to an agreement on what certain things should be called. ECS helped us with that identification stage, and we’ve been using that same process ever since.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Bill (Managing Partner) and one of his consultants.

How did you come to work with Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC?

I met them through a networking group.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from November 2018–May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get together as a leadership team on a weekly basis to look at the counts of leads or prospects going through the sales funnel by stage. Our team never had the ability to do that before. Now, we can see how may first conversations occur as well as whether that number is going up or down. This directly impacts how we approach the future, allowing us to increase or decrease our investments.

I emphasize that we never had that ability because we were always tracking sales but not the frontend. The point of our weekly leadership meetings is to address and see where we need to take action. We had an incredibly challenging time from the beginning of the engagement to 2019, but not because of ECS.

However, ECS’ data enabled us to take action. By the beginning of 2020, we were hitting every single goal on how many leads were coming in, first conversations, and how many sales we were closing all because we could finally measure it.

What’s more, ECS allows us to add on to deliverables we may need. For example, we did the initial collateral pieces and then added the business cards and logo. We could always go back to them once they had a basic understanding.

The entire ECS team is comprised of the most high-quality people I’ve ever met. That’s not only in their skillsets but also in their integrity and the way they work with us. There’s an ease of collaboration. I’ve never met a group of people where everybody has the same high standards and approachability.

My team members and I go to all of their webinars. They’re not cheap, but I get so much value out of them. I’ve even had Bill speak at one of our Philadelphia chapters. He’s an expert but he’s not boastful. What we see is what we get. There’s a trustworthy component there, and it’s just great.

How did Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

ECS was structured, on time, and on budget. Their team made us feel we were collaborating and did all the right things. They’re experts but also made us feel good because they listened and never imposed their way of doing things. It’s clear they know that every client is different so they customized our sales process in a way that worked for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always there and ready to help. ECS puts their clients first.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any areas for improvement. Overall, I’ve been incredibly pleased.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just do it. You’ll get your value, there’s no question.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal of a marketing consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC?

Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC was brought in for sales consulting to help our client grow more quickly. Our client was known regionally but needed help to expand nationally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC handled the sales elements involved in scaling our client’s organization while we handled the marketing elements. Bill (Managing Partner) served in a chief sales capacity. He consulted on how to scale the organization, enter new markets, and train salespeople. Their team helped to identify which markets to attack to grow from a local group into a national firm. He ran strategic consultations on the types of materials that our team needed as well as training methodologies to fit into our client’s growth strategy.

What is the team composition?

We worked with just one person.

How did you come to work with Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC?

The reason that they were such a good fit is because of their industry knowledge. Their principal’s a respected sales consultant and sales leader that’s been active for 20 plus years in the industry. Their team was also scrappy. They were willing to do whatever it took to help scale our client’s business.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $50,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated between 2015–2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was all about the number of touchpoints, which included new client onboarding, growing the sales team, and conducting training sessions. They made a great partner for this type of engagement. Bill was able to help our client think about their business in a completely new way, which was really beneficial. He brought a lot of industry insights to the table.

How did Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked together in person and remotely. Project management was excellent. Bill was responsive, collaborative, and positive. Their team was detailed oriented.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Empirical Consulting Solutions, LLC’s super professional. They brought tried and true assessments, methodologies, and systems to the table from decades of experience. Their team was able to provide a high-level of consultation without that level of financial commitment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any constructive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your goals and their team will help you get there.