Key Highlights
- 1,704 qualified calls booked for B2B tech clients in first scaling year
- Thousands of emails are sent daily across multiple campaigns
- Hundreds of daily replies are managed efficiently through advanced automation
- Scaled from solo consulting to a full-fledged agency with a dedicated team
- 12% unique lead coverage through Smartlead's proprietary database vs. competitors
Summary
First LLC, a B2B lead generation agency specializing in tech startups and scale-ups, transitioned from other tools to Smartlead to achieve superior scalability and cost-efficiency.
In their first year of agency scaling, founder Phil leveraged Smartlead's advanced automation features, particularly sub-sequences and out-of-office detection, to book 1,704 qualified calls for clients while managing thousands of daily emails across multiple European markets.
Client Background
Phil Sergenti founded First LLC (or Mailfirst) to help B2B companies in the tech sector—specifically startups and scale-ups—acquire qualified leads through cold outbound and LinkedIn strategies. The agency focuses on full demos and meetings, targeting prospects who aren't actively searching for solutions.
"You can really sell a consulting service to help hotels become dog-friendly. You can't sell that on Google or Facebook. You kind of have to go forward and meet people," Phil explained.
They operate across multiple European markets, requiring sophisticated multilingual campaign management. The agency's first full year represented a pivotal transition from solo consulting to a fully-fledged agency with dedicated inbox management teams.
Challenges
- Managing high-volume replies and scheduling follow-ups without automation
- Paying for unused and unnecessary features
- Limited lead data differentiation
- Managing multilingual campaigns
- Blind spots in inbox visibility are leading to a decline in team performance
Our Solution
After finding Smartlead "very famous in our industry," Phil made the switch based on cost-efficiency and focused features that directly addressed First LLC's operational needs.
Advanced Sub-Sequence Automation
Implemented sub-sequences as the foundation for inbox management, enabling automated follow-up scheduling across hundreds of daily replies.
"They really help when it comes to inbox management," Phil emphasized.
Out-of-Office Intelligence
Deployed automatic out-of-office detection with scheduled re-engagement, which is a critical feature most tools lacked—eliminating manual tracking for European vacation periods.
Superior Bounce Data Validation
Leveraged Smartlead's real sending data for email validation.
"The best one is actually real sending data... you have real hard data, which is, this actually bounced for three other users."
SmartProspect Database Integration
Utilized Smartlead's proprietary lead database, discovering 12% unique company coverage compared to Apollo while maintaining cost-efficiency.
AI-Assisted Multilingual Management
Tested Smartlead's AI auto-reply and auto-drafter technology to handle multilingual campaigns without expensive multilingual hiring, maintaining human oversight for quality.
Clay Integration for Advanced Targeting
Combined Smartlead's infrastructure with Clay's data processing to achieve the "fine targeting" and "nitty-gritty details" needed for non-commodity B2B services.
Results
Exceptional Call Booking Performance
Booked 1,704 qualified calls for B2B tech clients during the first full year of agency scaling—validating First's transition from consulting to agency model.
Massive Daily Volume Management
Successfully sends thousands of emails daily while processing hundreds of replies without losing leads or missing follow-ups.
Unique Lead Access Advantage
Achieved 12% unique lead coverage through Smartlead's proprietary database versus Apollo, accessing prospects that competitors cannot reach.
Cost-Efficient Scaling
Reduced tooling costs compared to other tools in the marketing, while gaining needed features, enabling budget reallocation to team growth and client acquisition.
Team Expansion Foundation
Built systematic processes supporting agency team growth, with dedicated inbox managers handling multiple client campaigns across European markets.
Multilingual Campaign Efficiency
Deployed AI-assisted reply management for campaigns across multiple European languages, reducing expensive multilingual hiring needs.
Why Smartlead?
Phil identified several critical factors that made Smartlead the superior choice:
- Cost-Efficiency with Focused Features
- Sub-Sequences for Volume Management
- Unique Out-of-Office Automation
- Superior Email Validation Data
- Exceptional Support Experience
"The product is solid. I don't feel like I need that many features because the basics are covered. What I need is actually what I'm getting."
First LLC continues expanding its Smartlead implementation, testing AI-assisted features for multilingual management as the agency scales further.
Conclusion
By switching to Smartlead, First LLC transformed from a solo consultancy to a scaled agency, booking 1,704 qualified calls in year one.
The platform's focused feature set—particularly sub-sequences, out-of-office automation, and superior validation data—enabled efficient high-volume operations across multiple European markets without the cost overhead of feature-bloated alternatives.
This case demonstrates how B2B agencies can leverage Smartlead's reliable core functionality and cost-efficiency to scale operations, manage complex multilingual campaigns, and deliver exceptional results during critical growth phases.
Ready to scale your B2B agency like First LLC? Sign up for Smartlead's 14-day free trial and discover how focused features and superior support can drive your growth.
Wajahat Ali
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Frequently asked questions
What is Smartlead's cold email outreach software?
Smartlead's cold email outreach tool helps businesses scale their outreach efforts seamlessly. With unlimited mailboxes, fully automated email warmup functionality, a multi-channel infrastructure, and a user-friendly unibox, it empowers users to manage their entire revenue cycle in one place. Whether you're looking to streamline cold email campaigns with automated email warmups, personalization fields, automated mailbox rotation, easy integrations, and spintax, improve productivity, or enhance scalability with subsequences based on lead’s intentions, automated replies, and full white-label experience, our cold email tool implifies it in a single solution.
How does Smartlead's unlimited mailboxes feature benefit me?
Our "unlimited mailboxes" feature allows you to expand your email communications without restrictions imposed by a mailbox limit. This means you won't be constrained by artificial caps on the number of mailboxes you can connect and use. This feature makes Smartlead the best cold email software and empowers you to reach a wider audience, engage with more potential customers, and manage diverse email campaigns effectively.
What do you mean by "unibox to handle your entire revenue cycle"?
The "unibox" is one of the unique features of Smartlead cold email outreach tool, and it's a game-changer when it comes to managing your revenue cycle. The master inbox or the unibox consolidates all your outreach channels, responses, sales follow-ups, and conversions into one centralized, user-friendly mailbox.
With the "unibox," you gain the ability to:
1. Focus on closing deals: You can now say goodbye to the hassle of logging into multiple mailboxes to search for replies. The "unibox" streamlines your sales communication, allowing you to focus on what matters most—closing deals.
2. Centralized lead management: All your leads are managed from one central location, simplifying lead tracking and response management. This ensures you take advantage of every opportunity and efficiently engage with your prospects.
3. Maintain context: The "unibox" provides a 360-degree view of all your customer messages, allowing you to maintain context and deliver more personalized and effective responses.
Can Smartlead help improve my email deliverability rates?
Yes, our cold emailing software is designed to significantly improve your email deliverability rates. It enhances email deliverability through AI-powered email warmups across providers, unique IP rotating for each campaign, and dynamic ESP matching.
Real-time AI learning refines strategies based on performance, optimizing deliverability without manual adjustments. Smartlead's advanced features and strategies are designed to improve email deliverability rates, making it a robust choice for enhancing cold email campaign success.
Can I integrate Smartlead with other tools I'm using?
Certainly, Smartlead cold email tool is designed for seamless integration with a wide range of tools and platforms. Smartlead offers integration with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Clay, Listkit, and more. You can leverage webhooks and APIs to integrate the tools you use. Try Now!
What is Smartlead, and how can it enhance my cold email campaigns?
Smartlead is a robust cold emailing software designed to transform cold emails into reliable revenue streams. Trusted by over 31,000 businesses, Smartlead excels in email deliverability, lead generation, cold email automation, and sales outreach. A unified master inbox streamlines communication management, while built-in email verification reduces bounce rates.Additionally, Smartlead offers essential tools such as CNAME, SPF Checker, DMARC Checker, Email Verifier, Blacklist Check Tool, and Email Bounce Rate Calculator for optimizing email performance.
How does Smartlead, as a cold emailing tool, automate the cold email process?
Smartlead’s robust cold email API and automation infrastructure streamline outbound communication by transforming the campaign creation and management processes. It seamlessly integrates data across software systems using APIs and webhooks, adjusts settings, and leverages AI for personalised content.
The cold emailing tool categorises lead intent, offers comprehensive email management with automated notifications, and integrates smoothly with CRMs like Zapier, Make, N8N, HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. Smartlead supports scalable outreach by rapidly adding mailboxes and drip-feeding leads into active campaigns Sign Up Now!
How does Smartlead ensure my emails don't land in the spam folder?
Smartlead, the best cold email marketing tool, ensures your emails reach the intended recipients' primary inbox rather than the spam folder.
Here's how it works:
1. Our "unlimited warmups" feature is designed to build and maintain a healthy sending reputation for your cold email outreach. Instead of sending a large volume of emails all at once, which can trigger spam filters, we gradually ramp up your sending volume. This gradual approach, combined with positive email interactions, helps boost your email deliverability rates.
2. We deploy high-deliverability IP servers specific to each campaign.
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What features does Smartlead offer for cold email personalisation?
Smartlead enhances cold email personalisation through advanced AI-driven capabilities and strategic integrations. Partnered with Clay, The cold remaining software facilitates efficient lead list building, enrichment from over 50 data providers, and real-time scraping for precise targeting. Hyper-personalised cold emails crafted in Clay seamlessly integrate with Smartlead campaigns.
Moreover, Smartlead employs humanised, natural email interactions and smart replies to boost engagement and response rates. Additionally, the SmartAI Bot creates persona-specific, high-converting sales copy. Also you can create persona-specific, high-converting sales copy using SmartAI Bot. You can train the AI bot to achieve 100% categorisation accuracy, optimising engagement and conversion rates.
Is Smartlead suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises?
Smartlead accommodates both small businesses and large enterprises with flexible pricing and comprehensive features. The Basic Plan at $39/month suits small businesses and solopreneurs, offering 2000 active leads and 6000 monthly emails, alongside essential tools like unlimited email warm-up and detailed analytics.
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