Grindstone Incorporated

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing program manager for a technology distributor. We provide solutions to technology resellers, and we work with several thousand customers in North America and Canada for support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Grindstone Incorporated?

We offered a targeted call-out campaign to our vendors to address our resellers on various subjects. We engaged Grindstone to do one-touch messaging for our existing reseller base.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We typically get a request for a campaign and work it internally with our vendor to develop the campaign messaging. Then, we work on the script and contact list and share that information with my Grindstone contact. They load everything up for us, review the script, and ensure the agents have everything they need.

Then, we come up with a date to start the campaign. Once it’s started, we have a weekly touch base with Grindstone and all the agents on the campaign. They give us feedback on the number of responses they’re getting, the leads generated, and any questions our customers have. We address those concerns with the agents, and we have a nice back and forth to make the campaign more effective.

When the agents call out, we designate a contact within our company. They put in call updates, including many details on what the call was about and the customer status. That information goes to the designated person within our company to continue with the follow-up. At the end of the campaign, we download all the calls and create a scorecard for the vendor.

What is the team composition?

Our main contact is Shira (Program Manager), but our team depends on the number of contacts we reach out to, ranging from 100–1,200. Grindstone might designate one person for smaller campaigns, and for the average-sized campaigns, we usually get two people.

If we have to complete a campaign in a certain time, they’re great at designating additional resources. We just let them know how long we have to execute it and how many hours we’d like to use.

Overall, there are 5–6 recurring agents. They’re all great, knowledgeable people. They take the time to research the topic before they start calling out, and we provide them with additional information besides the script. Also, they have initiative, and they can deliver the message in a way that doesn’t sound so scripted.

How did you come to work with Grindstone Incorporated?

We were looking for someone to provide one-touch messaging so we wouldn’t use our internal resources. We looked at 5–6 companies, then narrowed it down to three. Our initial contact with Grindstone was Shannon (Director of Operations & Partner); we spoke at length about their services.

Since we’re a North American company, we needed to have agents who understood the Canadian market, particularly some French-speaking agents, and Grindstone could provide that. Additionally, we asked for a call example, and they immediately offered it. We listened to the agent and how they executed the call, and it was exactly what we were looking for. We were really impressed with that, so we decided to go with Grindstone.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent over $100,000 over two years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract and started working with them in March 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The impact depends on the message and the additional activities along with the campaign. However, over the 12 campaigns that we’ve done in the past two years, the average lead generation has been about 29% — it ranges from 5%–47%.

How did Grindstone Incorporated perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. Shira is on top of everything, and she makes sure that our contacts are loaded into the system as quickly as possible. Initially, they developed the scripts for us, and we learned from them. Nonetheless, they still offer insight into how we can improve or what we need to change.

Shira also manages the agents; she knows who’s worked on our campaigns so we don’t have to onboard new agents. Overall, we’re very happy with our relationship.

We communicate via email, but we also have scheduled weekly meetings to touch base and go over the campaigns on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We haven’t worked with other companies, so we can’t offer a comparison. However, their response time and ability to execute campaigns were what drew us to Grindstone.

Also, they’re communicative and available. They’re quick to respond if we have questions, and we’re thankful for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know; we’re happy with our relationship and their work. We know they have additional services, but we haven’t been able to integrate them — although it’d be amazing to do so. Overall, we don’t have any suggestions for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just work with them; use their team to develop your campaign and message. They’ve done this for a long time, and they understand the market and how scripting goes. Trust whatever they tell you will be beneficial to your campaign and investment, so keep an open mind.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Vice President of Marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grindstone Incorporated, and what were your goals??

We hired Grindstone to help us contact potential customers as part of an integrated marketing campaign that consisted of direct mail, email and phone calls.

SOLUTION

How did you select Grindstone Incorporated and what were the deciding factors?

I evaluated three different firms and based the decision on my overall experience and impression of them through the evaluation process, their explanation of the onboarding/training process for new campaigns and projects, and the types of metrics and analysis they were able to provide me throughout the campaign.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package, including any calling tools used.

We worked closely with them to create a script, provide high-level training of our products and how to handle objections. Once the campaign began, they were able to quickly adjust agents to assign those that were a better fit for the campaign. We were able to see detailed information about call status and overall progress in their online database tool.

In addition, they immediately sent us an email notification if one of the phone calls turned into a lead.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with the call center/operations manager to set up the campaign framework. She monitored the campaign and provided us with weekly updates via email and through weekly status calls that we held with her. Our agent was also very thorough and immediately sent us an email whenever he got a lead. His call notes were very detailed and helped us understand the nature of his conversation with that potential prospect.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

These campaigns were extremely successful for us with an average response rate of 8-13% overall. It varied by individual campaign. This was accomplished using a three-prong approach of email, direct mail and phone calls. The response rate was measured based on the number of leads we entered into our CRM.

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

Project management mostly consisted of email updates and notifications from the operations manager. We had weekly status calls to review progress initially, and then as the campaigns were up and running, those would change to every other week. Our agent assigned to the campaign communicated with us on a daily basis via email.

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

Grindstone did a nice job of doing exactly what they say they were going to do. Some of the other companies I have worked with have had a tendency to oversell themselves. Grindstone was extremely thorough, consistently met expectations, and delivered high-quality results for us.

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

I cannot think of any areas of improvement that are needed based on our experiences.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of business development of an action control manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Grindstone Incorporated?

We were trying to reach our existing customer base and new prospects for lead generation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Grindstone Incorporated has been helping us with call center services; we provided them with a list of customers and a script to start the project.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with Shira (Account Manager).

How did you come to work with Grindstone Incorporated?

I found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $2,500 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Despite this being a small project, the success rates on their work have been great, and we’ll be expanding beyond that — they’ve integrated into our business very well.

How did Grindstone Incorporated perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been great. In terms of communication, they’ve given us access to their CRM and reporting systems.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They keep us informed and updated on the project regularly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have all your information cleaned up and organized.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the principal broker of a commercial insurance brokerage. I oversee complex B2B insurance transactions for high-liability industries and provide services to keep them compliant and help operate at the lowest cost.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Grindstone Incorporated, and what were your goals??

We have grown in size since we opened up our doors three years ago, and now with the ever-growing number of new clients, we no longer have the time to continue a strong, compressive outbound marketing campaign that identifies prospects that need help with their insurance right now.

SOLUTION

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

We searched for an outbound phone marketing B2B company with high ratings only. After identifying three candidates, we spoke with John at Grindstone and he gave me the most outlined plan that works with Lionshield long-term.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package, including any calling tools used.

The caller makes outbound calls M-F during business hours. We worked to put together a script that I had my caller memorize. She calls prospects from a specially chosen list and once she finds a qualified prospect, she books the appointment.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We have an amazing account manager named Shira that works with us, our needs and our budget. We feel like the connection we share in achieving this goal is very strong and we will be partners for the long term. My caller is Tracie and her growth and development is major and quite impressive. I can see her really learning the roll and she will be unstoppable soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've gotten a lot more appointments booked, which is great to see! It's amazing that I can be handling other administrative issues with the business and I can look forward to speaking to the next business owner, learning their story, and implementing my services and expert knowledge of insurance policies, craft them a Taylor-made policy specifically to their needs.

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

Weekly round-up calls.

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

They show genuine care and responsibility to stick to what they have advertised and promised. Although there is still a learning curve to get over, i can see us getting to profitability very soon and that will solidify our partnership for a very long time.

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

So far so good! Absolutely no complaints.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Why does your firm need outbound services? Did you previously handle these needs in-house?

We wanted to strengthen our customer service.

What was the volume of outbound calls your company was handling per day?

10 calls.

What challenge were you trying to address with the service provider?

Our goals were to build trust and improve customer service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the service provider's involvement?

They provide telemarketing services.

Could you describe the service provider's pricing structure and how they billed you?

We have a package deal.

How did you come to work with this service provider?

We found them through an online search and a referral.

How would you assess the service provider's ability to conduct outbound sales calls, generate new business, and handle customer issues?

They are trustworthy and deliver good customer service.

How much time, in hours, does this service provider save you each month?

5 hours.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What takeaways and measures of success can you share about working with this service provider?

There are no cons. Grindstone is the best.

What are the service provider's strengths?

They are good in all areas.

How can the service provider improve?

There are no areas for improvement.

How long has your company been working with this service provider?

We've been working together since December 2015.

How much money do you spend annually with this service provider?

$5,000 to $9,999.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Why does your firm need outbound services? Did you use to handle these needs in-house?

We require outbound services because are in-house wasn't effective enough. Our outbound services give us great help and makes out jobs easier and more swift. We are able to get much done with our outbound services.

How many outbound calls did your company handle every day?

We were handling to at least 100-200 outbound calls, it was a lot.

What challenge were you trying to address with the service provider?

We partnered with Grindstone because it got really good recommendations so we were hoping Grindstone could save our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the service provider's involvement?

They provide the best telemarketing software that we have ever had. It provides great services for us.

Could you describe the service provider's pricing structure and how they billed you?

They bill us $1,000 to $1,500 per month.

How did you come to work with this service provider?

We read a lot of online reviews.

How would you assess the service provider's abilities to conduct outbound sales calls, generate new business, and handle customer issues?

Grindstone is one of the fastest and most efficient telemarketing services that we have ever partnered with. Our business has increased 4% and our customers never complain about the service. Our outbound sales calls have gotten better by far. We love Grindstone.

How much time and money does this service provider save you each month?

Grindstone probably saves us a good $50,000 per month if not $60,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What takeaways and measures of success can you share about working with this service provider?

The pros was certainly the business boost and how Grindstone handles customer issues. Some cons can be the price and the process.

What are the service provider's strengths?

Very fast, convenient, and effective.

What areas can the service provider improve?

They need package deals or discounts for long-term customers.

How long has your company been working with this service provider?

We started with them March 1, 2008 and it's still ongoing.

How much money do you spend annually with this service provider?

We spend $1,000 to $4,999 per year.