Exploring Callbox for lead generation: Lapses and 5 best alternatives
Author
Precious Oboidhe
Precious develops content marketing strategies and frequently blogs for the well-known B2B players. HubSpot, CoSchedule, EngageBay, and Foundation Inc. — this is only a small part of the MarTech brands Precious collaborated with.
Published:2024-06-21
Reading time:13 m
Callbox is one of the most popular lead generation agencies with an amazing scorecard.
While its reputation shows it excels in many areas, it struggles with others, causing some clients to seek Callbox alternatives.
This article will show 5 reasons Callbox might not be the best fit for your company based on complaints we’ve seen and other inferred challenges. After that, we’ll share 5 alternatives to Callbox for solving your lead generation hurdles.
Quick note: Belkins (yep, that’s us 👋) is one of the best Callbox alternatives for lead research and appointment setting. With an average rating of over 4.8/5 across all third-party review platforms, we guarantee hundreds of new business opportunities yearly. to get started.
5 common complaints and challenges with Callbox
Unnatural communication in emails and calls
Understanding and selling complex products
Difficulty in crafting messaging that resonates
Poor lead quality
Database accuracy concerns
Unnatural communication in emails and calls
Though headquartered in California, USA, Callbox operations are primarily in the Philippines. An offshore team can benefit clients since Callbox likely passes on the savings to their customers. However, it can also hurt your brand reputation.
For instance, the feedback below is from a client who gave Callbox a perfect 5/5 rating but noted that some of their customers found the communication unnatural.
For some brands, feedback like this is no problem. However, it might be inconsistent with how you want to present your brand. If you prefer to work with sales reps who not only speak English but understand the nuances of doing business in the U.S., Callbox may not be your best option.
Understanding and selling complex products
Callbox is adept at generating leads for straightforward offerings, but some clients say it sometimes struggles to grasp and effectively sell niche products and services. As we’ll establish subsequently, this lack of understanding is the foundation for other challenges clients face with Callbox.
One client said their greatest challenge with Callbox was getting the team to understand their product and positioning.
Note that both Callbox clients gave Callbox a 5-star rating. So highlighting this concern means something. Evidence suggests you may eventually get the Callbox team to understand your product, but it takes time. This long ramp-up time leads to avoidable delays in the delivery of leads, which can negatively impact your sales timeline. If time is of the essence, consider choosing an agency that has experience selling niche products.
Difficulty in crafting messaging that resonates
One client said it was challenging getting the Callbox team to hone in on their messaging.
From our experience, you can’t create effective messaging based on guesswork or assumptions. Your lead generation team needs to understand the applications, features, and unique benefits to effectively position your product and craft messages that resonate. They also need to grasp the competitive landscape and customer pain points.
Without this knowledge, outreach will be generic and unengaging. This inevitably lowers the effectiveness of lead generation efforts, resulting in low conversion rates and missed sales opportunities.
Poor lead quality
According to Callbox’s website, their lead generation process includes “target ICP generation.” However, clients say Callbox sometimes targets the wrong audience and generates poor-fit leads. For instance, one client complained some leads generated didn’t fit its ICP.
This complaint isn’t surprising. You inevitably attract poor-fit leads when campaign messaging is generic and the lead gen team doesn’t fully understand your offering. Unfortunately, these unfit leads are counted as part of the total engagements. So, not only is your lead gen budget inefficiently spent, but your sales team further wastes time and resources chasing prospects who are unlikely to convert into customers.
Such issues are why we advocate for thorough ICP research to avoid compromising lead quality.
Database accuracy concerns
According to its website, Callbox gets target customer information primarily from its in-house database of about 35 million target accounts/companies. This creates data accuracy concerns because it’s unclear how often they update their database.
Using outdated target contact information creates many problems. First, you’ll end up blasting marketing messages to the void. Plus, if you’re running email outreach, sending emails to nonvalid addresses could reduce your email deliverability rate and weaken your sender reputation. A low sender score then makes it harder for you to reach new prospects.
Callbox says it uses third-party sources to verify the accuracy of its data, which is great. However, the effectiveness of lead generation can also be influenced by the quality of the initial data source.
Why Belkins is the best Callbox alternative for lead generation
Founded in 2017, Belkins is a highly reputed B2B lead generation agency. Since inception, we’ve generated over 4.7 million leads and scheduled over 200,000 appointments for over 1,000 clients across 50+ industries. Our client roster includes big names like General Electric, UC Berkeley, CitrusAd, and OpenTeleHealth.
Like Callbox, Belkins has several prestigious awards, like:
Being listed as one of the top 1,000 global service providers for 3 years in a row, according to Clutch
Belkins also generates leads using a multichannel approach. Our go-to channels include cold emails, cold calls, and LinkedIn outreach. Beyond these, we excel in areas where Callbox falls short. Here are some of our strengths:
Reputation for delivering high-quality leads in niche markets
Belkins has a stellar reputation for delivering ready-to-buy leads even in niche markets.
An example is our collaboration with Deluxe Modular, a company that uses advanced technologies to tackle inefficiencies and reduce the environmental impact typically associated with the construction industry.
Deluxe Modular provided us with thorough ideal customer profile (ICP) data, including complicated lead research criteria that needed to be strictly followed. Generic databases wouldn’t suffice. They needed curated leads tailored to their specific needs.
These complicated targeting requirements made the lead research process more demanding. It took twice as long as our typical research exercise. Still, we curated a lead database of 100% viable contacts. The result? 30+ appointments and $2M+ confirmed closed deals within 3 months of working with us.
We consistently deliver results like these, which is why we have an almost perfect rating on third-party review platforms like G2, Clutch, and UpCity.
Clutch: 4.9/5 (210 reviews)
UpCity: 5.0/5 (61 reviews)
G2: 4.8/5 (87 reviews)
Irene Drochak, content marketing manager at Pics.io says:
“What we appreciate most about Belkins is their exceptional ability to deliver tangible results within our niche market … Their dedication to understanding our business and generating high-quality leads sets them apart and has been instrumental in our success.”
Thorough ICP and lead research process
Unlike Deluxe Modular, many Belkins clients don’t have their ICP figured out. In many cases, we have to define and refine our client’s ICP data. We always analyze existing data to identify our client’s ICP and learn what matters to them. This lets us build accurate lists and craft a messaging strategy that resonates with your audience.
We also delve into your industry to understand your positioning and common terminology. That way, we can match the language your prospects will find appealing.
Don’t take our word for it. Toby Zambetti, the head of sales and marketing at Syker Systems, says it best:
“When I came to Belkins, they immediately understood what I was doing. [When] they sent content back to me, I literally had to edit 1 or 2 words and that was it. Whereas before when I was working with marketing companies, I would have to edit the entire document. That tells me that Belkins did several things. One, they grasp my messaging. They understood what I was trying to do. They really took the time to study my product and market space and understand what we were trying to communicate. I’ve been in sales for 35 years and I’ve never come across a company as professional and accurate as Belkins.”
Expert team members who understand the U.S. and global markets
Our goal is to fully integrate with and act as an extension of your in-house department. To achieve this, we dedicate a team of experts to every client project. This includes account managers, lead research specialists, content writers, email delivery specialists, and SDRs.
Beyond domain expertise, our team members also have deep experience serving clients in the U.S. and globally.
“The Belkins team is a powerhouse of expertise and enthusiasm. Their hands-on approach made us feel like we were their only client. Communication was always clear, and their strategies were well thought-out and tailored to our specific needs. The results were tangible – more leads, better engagement, and a more efficient sales funnel.”
Proprietary software solutions
Leveraging our experience, we’ve developed proprietary software that helps our clients achieve better results. One example is Folderly, an AI-based email deliverability software we launched in 2020.
We created Folderly after our intense battle with email deliverability in the spring of 2019. We saw open rates for one campaign plummet from 80% to 10% because our emails went to spam. This was a major challenge because cold emailing was our primary outreach channel at the time. After resolving the issue, we developed Folderly to help ensure high email deliverability.
Folderly is now used by 150+ companies, mostly in the U.S. We also use this tool and our email deliverability expertise to help clients achieve successful email outreach campaigns.
Our paid ad agency, ClickRoads, has a similar origin story. In 2022, we spent heavily on paid ads but saw poor ROI. In 2023, we tried again with a team of experts. They turned things around, making Google Ads our second-best performing lead gen channel. We launched ClickRoads to give our clients access to this hard-won expertise and prevent them from wasting money as we did.
4 other Callbox alternatives for generating leads
Below are 4 other Callbox alternatives apart from Belkins. Each of these companies offers lead generation services similar to Callbox. We selected these companies based on popular recommendations in sales communities, their track record, and review ratings on third-party sites like G2 and Clutch.
SalesRoads
G2: 5.0/5 (11 reviews)
Clutch: 4.9/5 (32 reviews)
Headquarters: Boca Raton, FL, USA
Industry focus: Manufacturing, SaaS, energy, construction, and retail
About:SalesRoads is one of the most recognized B2B lead generation and appointment setting agencies in America. Over its 16+ years of existence, it has set over 100,000 appointments and built over 500 outsourced SDR teams.
Like Callbox, SalesRoads uses a multichannel outreach approach, including calls, emails, and LinkedIn. They also provide sales intent data and list-building services. Many of America’s leading brands trust SalesRoads.
Strengths:
Experienced SDRs. According to their website, SalesRoads’ SDRs have an average of 7 years of sales and appointment setting experience. SalesRoad also claims to invest more in SDR training than any other company in the industry. This ensures high-level expertise for their clients.
100% U.S.-based sales reps. All of SalesRoads’ staff are based in the U.S., so your outsourced SDR team comprises reps who understand the nuances of doing business in the U.S.
Adaptive methodology. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all strategy, SalesRoads develops a unique strategy for each client. They use a 4-step methodology: discover, strategize, test, and accelerate. SalesRoads thoroughly researches your business and market, builds a customized playbook, optimizes for maximum ROI, and then doubles down on what works. Before starting live calls, SalesRoads invites clients to role-play with their SDRs to refine the approach before launching the campaign.
Industry focus: High-tech firms including SaaS, fintech, and cybersecurity
Notable clients: McAfee, Symantec, Box, Couchbase, and Blackboard
About:memoryBlue specializes in lead generation for high-tech companies. Founded in 2002, it’s the oldest lead generation agency on this list. Over its 20+ years of existence, memoryBlue has served over 2,000 clients. memoryBlue uses calls, email, and social media for lead generation, making it a suitable alternative to Callbox.
Strengths:
Global presence. memoryBlue has offices in the United States, the U.K., and Singapore, but it caters to clients worldwide. With a multilingual team, they serve clients in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, making them an excellent option for companies aiming to penetrate international markets.
Experience selling to the public sector. memoryBlue offers a specialized service for companies targeting government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. Their sales approach is informed by 10 years of experience helping businesses target the public sector.
Sales staffing expertise. Thanks to their years of experience and their sales academy, memoryBlue has access to a deep pool of sales talent. They offer efficient sales recruitment services with an interview-to-acceptance ratio of 4:1 and an average hire time of 16 days. Additionally, clients can keep outsourced SDRs as in-house staff.
Awards and recognition: memoryBlue is a 10-time Inc. 5000 honoree
Operatix
G2: 4.5/5 (163 reviews)
Clutch: 4.7/5 (23 reviews)
Headquarters: Dallas, TX, USA
Industry focus: B2B software, including fintech, martech, HR tech, and IoT
Notable clients: Oracle, Cisco, Gartner, Qualys and BigID
About: Founded in 2012, Operatix has built a remarkable reputation as an outsourced sales solution for B2B software companies. It has served over 800 clients and generates a pipeline worth $2.1 billion annually. Though headquartered in the U.S. with offices in London and Singapore, Operatix serves clients globally. In 2023, Operatix was acquired by memoryBlue.
Operatix offers a range of services aimed at accelerating growth and pipeline for its clients, including outbound sales development, inbound response management, sales recruitment, account-based marketing, and demand generation.
Strengths:
Expertise in the B2B software niche. Operatix’s primary strength lies in its exclusive focus on B2B software vendors. With 100% of their clients being B2B software brands, they possess deep knowledge of this market, making them an excellent choice for software companies.
Multilingual and multicultural team. Operatix can sell in 22 languages. Additionally, some of its 300+ team members are native speakers. This cultural and linguistic proficiency enables Operatix to sell in international markets. Its coverage includes North America, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC regions.
Industry focus: financial services, SaaS, manufacturing, and retail
Notable clients: BigCommerce, OKI Data, and FirstClose
About: EBQ is an outsourced sales and marketing agency founded in 2006 with the mission to help businesses execute their plans. Today, EBQ provides full-service support across the entire buyer’s journey, acting as an extension of your team to achieve business goals.
Strengths:
Award-winning company culture. EBQ is known for its excellent culture, which fosters high team morale. This ensures your outsourced team is motivated to drive your business goals.
A team for every stage in the funnel. EBQ offers services for every stage of the sales funnel, including appointment setting, marketing, CRM optimization, sales, customer experience, and data enrichment. This lets you accelerate each stage of the buyer’s journey as needed.
Belkins is a lead generation company with an unwavering commitment to delivering results. Our understanding of complex markets helps us deliver tailored strategies to reach the right audiences quickly. Unlike Callbox, which is more suited for straightforward offers, Belkins excels in niche markets where a nuanced understanding of the audience and market is crucial.
We pride ourselves on exceeding KPIs by setting realistic targets and surpassing them. This consistent performance has earned Belkins a reputation as one of the most reliable sales outsourcing partners in the U.S.
Precious develops content marketing strategies and frequently blogs for the well-known B2B players. HubSpot, CoSchedule, EngageBay, and Foundation Inc. — this is only a small part of the MarTech brands Precious collaborated with.
