Results first
Over 14 months, ValueLabs’ Canadian sales team received 115 appointments with prospects from its target industries. Two of them became closed deals within the first 4 months.
- 115 appointments in 14 months
- 2 deals closed in the first 4 months
- 150+ prospects added to ValueLabs’ sales pipeline
- KPIs met every month for the last 7 months, typically exceeding them by 10–20%
IT services and consulting is one of the most saturated B2B markets, and the right industries for ValueLabs’ Canadian office weren’t known at the start. The first months went into testing industries and templates. Monthly KPIs became consistent once the team had found the segments and messages that worked.
Client’s challenges
ValueLabs competes with a large number of software developers, data analytics firms, and enterprise support providers, which made it hard to stand out and convert new prospects. The company had a sales team assigned to each region, but keeping the Canadian team supplied with enough meetings to fill the pipeline was a constant challenge.
Why ValueLabs chose Belkins
ValueLabs needed more qualified meetings without hiring for pre-sales. Building that function in-house would have meant hiring at least an SDR and a researcher, plus someone to manage domain health, templates, campaigns, and reporting. Belkins already had a tested lead generation process and a full team to run it, which let ValueLabs’ own salespeople focus on closing deals and nurturing clients.
Partnership objectives
ValueLabs wanted a steady flow of qualified appointments for its Canadian sales team, without new hires or extra in-house expenses.
Belkins’ Strategy and implementation
The campaign ran on cold email. It started by finding the industries where ValueLabs’ Canadian office could win, then tested templates and the ideal customer profile (ICP) until the outreach converted.
Selecting target industries
With so many IT services firms competing for the same buyers, choosing the right industries mattered more than message volume. The team combined ValueLabs’ own insights with research into its website, testimonials, and case studies, then tested industries in live campaigns. Four sectors produced the best results in the region: pharmaceuticals and healthcare, e-commerce, consumer goods, and retail.
Why it matters: Industry choice shapes the whole ICP. It defines the problems prospects have and the solutions they’re looking for. In a market as crowded as IT services, a company stands out by knowing exactly which buyers need its services and why, not by sending more emails.
Testing templates by industry and title
The team wrote several templates and subject lines and tested them across industries and IT-related titles. Finding the best combination took several rounds of ICP adjustments. The final version gave each prospect enough personalization to get a reply.
Why it matters: No template works for every industry and title, so testing is part of the campaign, not a delay. When open rates stay low, more personalization is usually the fix. It takes longer to write, and it’s what made ValueLabs’ outreach convert.
Building new proof with the client
ValueLabs had few case studies to use in outreach. Belkins encouraged the client to write and publish new ones. With those in hand, the team could show prospects relevant evidence of ValueLabs’ expertise.
Challenges weencountered
Enterprise approval cycles
As a large organization, ValueLabs needed several rounds of negotiation and approval for most decisions, which slowed changes to the campaign. The client’s points of contact worked to speed up the process on their side.
Reporting requirements
ValueLabs’ representatives needed detailed reports and proof before approving new strategies. The team set up weekly online meetings with the main point of contact and prepared additional reports, which kept decisions moving.
And a few words about the lessons we learned from this collaboration:
- Test industries before scaling. In a saturated market, the right segments for one region aren’t obvious. Testing narrowed ValueLabs’ focus to four sectors that worked in Canada.
- Build proof when it’s missing. New client case studies gave outreach credible evidence to reference.
- Plan reporting for enterprise clients. Weekly meetings and extra reports kept approvals from stalling the campaign.
This approach fits large IT services companies whose regional sales teams need more meetings than they can generate themselves. Enterprises should expect a testing period, and slower changes when approval cycles are long.
