Mercatus

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the business development manager at a creative studio holding a clothing brand positioned in the luxury sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercatus?

We were focused on the B2C sector and wanted to enter the B2B world. We needed support to find comfort and multi-brand stores to sell our collection. We wanted to outsource the cold calling and lead list creation work since we didn't have enough internal resources.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mercatus provided cold calling services and ran a lead generation program on LinkedIn. Brand positioning in the luxury fashion industry is difficult because we didn't want to be positioned in any store, we were seeking for stores that were coherent with our brand and message. When I first contacted Mercatus, I provided them with a lead list of 600–700 stores, and the team was responsible for cold calling and follow-up.

Mercatus provided the call script and used Google Sheets to gather information from our leads. The team kept track of how many attempts they made for each store, whether they spoke to a decision-maker, what materials were requested, and whether they sent an email. I provided the email templates because I preferred to send a message crafted by me since I know how to approach leads and what information to provide them. 

For the LinkedIn program, we gave Mercatus access to the personal LinkedIn profile of our CEO to contact leads.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Tsvetelina (Project Manager & Partner), who was in charge of the LinkedIn campaign, and with another teammate who was responsible for making cold calls. I also had 1–2 meetings with Trayan (Founder & CEO) at the beginning and end of the project.

How did you come to work with Mercatus?

I found Mercatus through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €5,700 (approximately $6,400 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Mercatus from June–August 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We expected more from the LinkedIn campaign. The LinkedIn program conducted by Mercatus wasn't successful, and we stopped it at some point because we found it was actually harming our brand. Mercatus had difficulty targeting the lead list we gave them and targeted people from the industry who weren't related to our mission and vision. Mercatus contacted people who had nothing to do with what we were doing through our CEO's LinkedIn profile, which created confusion. 


However, the cold calls campaign was successful, and Mercatus gathered useful information. Our engagement had two main projects: the cold calls campaign was successful, but the LinkedIn campaign wasn't.

How did Mercatus perform from a project management standpoint?

Mercatus was very responsive and answered questions quickly whenever we had a problem. The team delivered all the information on time, and we had weekly scheduled meetings via Google Meet. We also created a group chat on WhatsApp for urgent matters and sometimes had direct phone calls.

Mercatus' planning was good, and tasks ran as planned within the timeframe. We shared documents in a Google Drive folder, and I updated the lead list weekly. The team kept a detailed follow-up of the leads they contacted on Google Sheets.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

The lady who did the cold calls was very coherent and detailed. All the information she provided and the way she structured data was very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked that Mercatus was organized, responsive, and had good time management. We also liked how they structured the information they gathered because it was easy to work with. Gathering a lot of information is important, but more so is how information is presented, which was a big plus of Mercatus. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Mercatus made some mistakes on LinkedIn, such as forgetting to change the name in the messages of the person they were contacting. In our particular case, the LinkedIn campaign didn't work at all. The team informed us they had never worked with a fashion company but had experience in other industries. I suggest Mercatus works better before they start the campaign in order to avoid the errors they made with us.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend working with Mercatus.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of sales for Fabrico, a cloud-based solution for manufacturing companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercatus?

We needed help with lead generation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mercatus is helping us generate leads through campaigns on different platforms, including LinkedIn and cold calling. We’ve specified the market we’re targeting, and they set up and manage the campaigns. The team creates lists of prospects and reaches out to them. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve been in touch with around five teammates from Mercatus, including an account manager, a technical team member supervising the onboarding process, and a lead generation expert.

How did you come to work with Mercatus?

I found them through a referral from colleagues. We chose Mercatus because they were well-branded and looked stabler and more corporate compared to other lead generation companies we’d met.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between €10,000–€15,000 (approximately $11,000–$17,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Mercatus' work, we've seen increases in our network and the response rate on our LinkedIn profiles. The team has helped us generate a bigger network of connections in the selected market.

How did Mercatus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication and adherence to schedules have been perfect. We have a WhatsApp chat, and when I need something, I send them a short message, and they answer immediately. I’ve met one of the company's shareholders and every time there’s an issue or a holiday, he calls in person to clarify everything is fine. We have a bonus scheme, and we always discuss it with them in advance.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

The lead generation expert we work with is very quick. She's doing more than great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mercatus'communication is excellent, and they respond quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could decrease their prices. However, they're fair with us about everything and discuss holidays and working days with us, and holidays aren't included in the invoice. We have an open relationship and conversation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Focus on one or two markets for lead generation. Be patient during the first month because all campaigns need some time. Mercatus will save you time; they're in charge of the campaigns, and I’m happy I don’t spend time on them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Partner of Multimedia Workshop

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Multimedia Workshop is an Apple Authorised Reseller, focused on the B2B market offering everything from the brand and many aditional services to cover all customer needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Find new leads.

SOLUTION

How did you find Mercatus?

Referral

Why did you select Mercatus over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Mercatus were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Mercatus helped us develop strategic lead generation campaign, finding and contacting the most relevant customers to our company. They did a wonderful job, meeting us with new potential clients , where some of them became regular and the business grew.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Generated a huge data base with potential prospects.
• Onboarded several companies with whom we are still working today.
• Increased revenue from the regular companies.
• The investment was repayed for less than a year.

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

• Everything was delivered on time.
• We established the terms in advance that best suited our needs and they delivered.
• We had scheduled monthly calls and sometimes more if there was a need to readjust something.

What was your primary form of communication with Mercatus?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They really try to help and have the resources to deliver everything, based on the specific needs.

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

For sure there are always ways of improvement. Currently I cannot specify something directly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the co-owner of a manufacturing business in Bulgaria. We offer a wide range of production capabilities such as:

• Design and Manufacture of Magnetic Heads
• Plastic Injection Molding
• Manufacturing of Metal Parts
• Coil Winding
• Cable Assemblies and Wire Harnesses
• Contract Manufacturing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Mercatus to support our company in the digital marketing space, specifically on the LinkedIn platform. We needed an experienced partner to support us with outreach and lead generation to a specific target audience in our attempt to expand our customer base in Western Europe.

SOLUTION

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

Mercatus was recommended by a friend who also used them for his business here in Bulgaria. We had several meetings with Mercatus management and finally decided to proceed with them based on the recommendation and the type of service package they offered.

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

The campaign started off with the following preparation work:

• Optimization of LinkedIn profiles.
• Building a target audience through Sales Navigator.
• Defining the outreach method.
• Target group analysis for marketing content distribution.

After the preparation work was done, we moved on to:

• Establishing connections with individuals from the target audience.
• Generating leads by setting up on-line meetings with potential partners.

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

We worked with: 1. Business Development & Project Manager 2. Business Development Manager 3. Channel Partner & Account Manager 4. Marketing & Account Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The LinkedIn campaign was quite big, in 8 months we covered 8 Western European countries. We managed to achieve on average around 30% acceptance rate and 25% response rate from the target audience, which is acceptable for us. However, with the specific type of production capabilities we offer, it is not so easy to always land on the right target and as such have not yet realized any new business. We are now expanding the campaign into other countries also.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective! We communicate via phone and email on a regular basis.

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

Their persistence. They were always willing to help with great enthusiasm.

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

Nothing we can think of. Tasks are carried out effectively.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a local Human Resources Consulting firm providing recruitment services, HR Administration, payroll, design and facilitation of training programmes to people managers and individual contributors, design of new/improvement of current HR processes and tools, outplacement, design and implementation of employee wellness programs and initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercatus?

We needed someone to generate qualified sales leads for us through social media, to be able to present our services to targeted clients, increase the awareness for our services, and ultimately to close sales deals with them.

SOLUTION

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

Mercatus approached us proactively offering their sales lead generation services through LinkedIn. They have already had a client from the HR Consulting business and we decided to test their services for a limited period of time.

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

At the kick off meeting their created a list of our potential target audience based on our requirements. We reviewed in detail all the contacts and nailed it to 30% of the original list, ensuring it contains prospects with potential for our services and decision makers from those prospects.

Then we developed the targeting messages, sales presentations for updating our LinkedIn profiles. Mercatus developed the timeline for approaching those target prospects and kept us informed every day of those who confirmed interest in meeting us. They also helped us to schedule some of the meetings with those prospects.

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

We worked with an Account Manager, social media specialist, the owner of the firm.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had for the first 8 weeks good results - close to 50% acceptance rate and around 40% response rate. We’ve had the opportunity to present our company’s services to approx.15 prospects for those 8 weeks and still have a list of companies to schedule meetings with.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Mercatus provide us with a weekly report of the results, and on a daily basis with the names of those people who confirmed they would like to meet us. We have monthly meetings to review results and agree on the next steps.

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

We like the fact that they also feel happy from the results the campaign is achieving and had genuine interest what did we do to the initial list of prospects to nail it down to 30% of it, obviously very targeted.

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

From the first meeting to signing the contract it took both parties a while to organize ourselves - we rebranded our sales presentations, took us time to develop the messaging for contacting the prospects. Once we kicked off the project, Mercatus were open to our suggestions and we did not find any areas for improvement so far.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing partner of a consulting company providing Energy Trading companies with IT solutions. We work mostly in the DACH and CEE regions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercatus?

We wanted to test how we can maximize LinkedIn in search on new leads and we hired Mercatus to help us with general campaign planning, refining the messaging, and helping us with the execution.

SOLUTION

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

We got approached by them via LinkedIn and we liked their approach to communicating with us. We compared offer packages with 2 other companies and theirs seemed of the best value.

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

We had a few initial meetings to refine target groups, messaging, specific needs like language spoken, and execution approach. After this, we had a continuous chat and meetings over Teams to align on steps whenever a potential lead appeared.

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

We worked with the COO at campaign initiation, we had an account manager providing weekly reports and 2 agents at different stages of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our internally defined target was 5 leads. We got about 10. We decided to continue working with Mercatus on more targeted campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very - an open Teams chat with the key people ensured that everyone got the important messages on time.

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

I was very impressed by their professionalism and smooth transitions.

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

After the first project we identified a few items, among which more regular alignments on management level. Besides this, we reached together a new approach of smaller campaigns with targeted messages vs one large with a generic one.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am general manager at Boleron Consulting. Boleron is software platform for digital insurance, used by the licensed insurance broker Boleron Consulting Ltd.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were proposing discounts to the employees of selected companies in the IT & BPO industry when purchasing insurance products from Boleron. Mercatus were responsible for the Linkedin campaign, connecting the HR teams, and proposing our services.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a different kind of sales services and after interviewing a few companies we choose Mercatus as their process of understanding our needs and goals was impressive.

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

First, we made an optimization of the LinkedIn profile which we decided to be used for the campaign. Then we created a short list of the targeted industries, companies and the teams which are supposed to be the decision-making people. Together we created the texts / emails for the different stages of contacting the potential customers. And Mercatus were the one organizing the meetings / calls.

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

We worked with the CEO, a project manager and an account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Linkedin campaign was very successful. We reached 69 connections just for one week, more than 10 calls (meetings) per week and we send our offer to more than 50 companies.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

In the beginning, we had called every single day to structure the process and to go over our campaign. Then the regular calls were once per week but we were able to count on them when necessary.

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

Mercatus was super flexible so we were able to modify the campaign at every step of the process depending on the need.

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

Maybe (just an idea) they could have created a mechanism to stop sending invites/proposals to HR people of the companies to which we had already sent the proposals. But still, their efforts were more than effective.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Operations Manager at ÖHMI Bulgaria and Coordinator of ÖHMI Group for Bulgaria.

Being a consultancy company and exclusive representative of the German “ÖHMI Group” for the Balkan Region we offer wide range of services in compliance with our customers’ needs and requirements, covering various specialized areas including:

• Certification of management systems in accordance with international standards by Accredited Certification Body ÖHMI EuroCert GmbH
• Quality Control and Laboratory analyzes by Accredited and Independent Testing Laboratory ÖHMI Analytik GmbH
• Analysis, Development and Management of quality, safety, and environmental protection (QSHE) systems and projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercatus?

We turned to Mercatus as a partner to outsource the implementation of ÖHMI’s LinkedIn Marketing Campaign 2020, part of ÖHMI Marketing plan 2020, Q3.

What were your goals for this project?

The purpose of our project was to build a national brand awareness for the market of ÖHMI in Bulgaria with focus to particular industries regarding a specific portfolio of services offered by the Certification Body ÖHMI EuroCert and the Laboratory ÖHMI Analytik.

SOLUTION

How did you select Mercatus?

We connected with Mercatus by the recommendation of a proven sales expert known to us from previous business collaborations.

Even though their price was not the lowest among the other offers, we finally decided to select Mercatus based on the quality and comprehensiveness of their final proposal, their willingness to work alongside members of our team on the creative aspects of their work.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Implementation of ÖHMI LinkedIn Marketing Campaign 2020 which includes:

• optimization of company profile 
• specifying parameters of objective audience
• analysis for marketing content distribution, creating a database in digital format
• reporting
• media plan
• campaign tracking and management with Account Manager (AM)
• building a comprehensive strategy for LinkedIn & Brand awareness

What was the team composition?

As responsible for this project on behalf of ÖHMI I worked closely with the assigned by Mercatus account manager for the campaign. Throughout the project we relied on the support of Mercatus management and the other team members of who were always available and punctual for our project activities.

The German colleagues from ÖHMI provided the design and content regulation of the presented marketing materials.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Starting from scratch with the LinkedIn platform and since this project is our first collaboration with Mercatus, we do not share analysis based on performance parameters from previous periods but on the rates reported on the current weekly and monthly basis.

The interim and final reports showed a consistent strive resulting in achievement of the set goals. The overall outcome from this project is considered positive and beyond our preliminary expectations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

My work with our account manager, Svetlana G., was absolutely wonderful. We had a natural and easy communication on almost daily basis whether on email and phone or via GoogleMeets and Zoom for the weekly reporting. Very responsive and providing us with frequent updates and advice on all occurring matters.

Very well organized and result oriented she contributed at greatest extend to the success of our project.

Being punctual, calm, and positive and her care and dedication to the project showcased her experience and expertise not only in excellence in delivering results but also that she is a great human and I will be very happy to work together on any future projects.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

This campaign is our first endeavour with Mercatus and for that reason we were prepared to face potential challenges in understanding our company’s concept and culture.

Headquartered in Germany and having long history with different businesses, and last but not least having DAkkS accredited Laboratory and MS Certification Authority under its roof, ÖHMI is itself framed by numerous and strict compliance norms and is naturally recognized as a conservative and selective structure.

The difference between ÖHMI and many other service organizations for that matter makes us a tough client. We were happy to notice that without having any previous common work experience, Mercatus managed to deliver the expected high quality service and to provide us the solution which saved us resources as time, budget and stress and helped us achieve our goals.

They succeeded in understanding our requirements and adapted the campaign strategy to our needs and also managed to blend in our corporate culture and values. We were particularly impressed by the punctuality and timeliness of the team involved and on their friendly and yet professional attitude.

On our behalf, we hope we’ve managed to provide them with as possibly most comfortable environment to work and are certainly looking forward to engage with this company again for any brand or marketing projects that we have in the future.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very satisfied with their work on this project and we hope they continue to deliver consistently high-quality service and results and always to keep and to develop a modern and adequate approach towards their clients and to aim to excellence.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the regional sales director at Acronis, a cybersecurity and data-protection worldwide global leader.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mercatus?

We needed more lead generation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help with lead generation.

What is the team composition?

There’s one person for Romania and one for Bulgaria. They’re both full-time.

How did you come to work with Mercatus?

We did two kinds of procurement processes and selected between several local companies who were able to work at a regional level, not only in one country but in several countries.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $25,000-$50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They meet our expectations, which is increasing our revenue. They’ve generated about 200 key pipeline opportunities.

How did Mercatus perform from a project management standpoint?

It was agreed at the beginning that they would report every week with quite comprehensive reports. They send us what they do throughout the whole week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re quite flexible, willing to do half time employment when things are slow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know what they could improve. I’m happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them to anyone, and I’ve recommended them to some of my friends. I’d also say to do a bit more training in the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Since 2015, LS-S has focused on its development as an expert in the digitalisation of human resources. We rethink all elements of the workflow by providing a multilayered service and complete customer care. Our goal is to optimize and support the work of leaders and HR professionals, as well as to help develop the new generation of work environment and culture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Mercatus?

We decided to use Mercatus services, in order to create and run for us a digital awareness campaign and to generate sales leads, whom to meet in person.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to have between 6 and 8 leads per month, where Mercatus is doing the initial contacting and we are performing only the meetings.

SOLUTION

How did you select Mercatus?

I have a previous experience with Mercatus on behalf of other projects and companies and for me it was easy to select them as a provider.

Describe the project in detail.

We are developing digital HR tools for leaders. Bulgaria was a new market for us and no matter we are based in Bulgaria, we have never tried doing business development for our own products.

What was the team composition?

We used one team member from Mercatus.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For 12 months we are able to perform a great number of meetings, during COVID the meetings turned to virtual ones.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We are in constant communication with Mercatus.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How many meetings we were able to get with companies from different economic niches.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are always rooms for improvement. :)