373 Appointments and 35% Conversion Rate in Just 5 Months: A Proven Strategy for B2B Lead Generation

Client Snapshot

• Company: US Card Solutions
• Industry: Payment Processing & Merchant Services
• Audience Served: Key decision-makers, including CFOs, Finance Directors, Controllers, Business Owners, and Operations Managers in the retail and hospitality sector, responsible for payment systems, financial operations, and cost optimization.
• Campaign Length: 5 months
• Channels Used: B2B Telemarketing Services, email marketing and LinkedIn InMail outreach
• Goal: To generate high-quality appointment settings with retail and hospitality finance decision-makers, leading to improved conversion rates and stronger sales opportunities.

About US Card Solutions

US Card Solutions provides comprehensive payment processing services integrated with modern POS systems, helping businesses efficiently manage transactions and operations. Although their services were strong, they struggled to generate leads and schedule meetings with qualified decision-makers consistently.

Challenges

US Card Solutions faced several challenges in growing its business. They struggled to generate consistent, high-quality merchant services leads, which limited their opportunities to connect with key decision-makers. The lack of scheduled appointments slowed down sales progress, while inefficient prospecting processes consumed significant time from their sales team, preventing them from focusing on closing deals.

Objectives

• Generate a high volume of qualified leads for US Card Solutions.
• Schedule virtual and in-person appointments with key decision-makers.
• Streamline the prospecting process to allow the client to focus on closing deals.

Strategy to Overcome Challenges

CallingAgency implemented a multi-channel approach combining B2B lead generation and appointment setting:

Telemarketing

• We contacted targeted businesses from in-house B2B calling lists.
• Introduced US Card Solutions’ services clearly and professionally.
• Assessed interest and identified prospects suitable for appointments.

Email Marketing

• Sent personalized follow-ups to nurture prospects and reinforce service value.
• Provided additional resources and information to increase engagement.
• Encouraged prospects to schedule meetings with US Card Solutions.

LinkedIn Outreach

• Identified key decision-makers on LinkedIn.
• Engaged prospects with personalized connection requests and messages.
• Reinforced appointments and lead generation efforts from other channels.

Appointment Setting

• Conducted prescreening questions to qualify prospects.
• Scheduled virtual and in-person appointments for US Card Solutions’ team.
• Maintained detailed records in shared calendars and provided briefing notes for each appointment.

Results

• Contacted 373 sales ready appointments over the 5-month campaign.
• Averaged 75+ Sales Qualified Appointments (SQLs) per month, consistently surpassing 100% KPIs.
• Achieved a monthly growth rate of 45% in qualified leads.
• Reached a conversion rate of 35%, ensuring sales reps engaged only with high-potential prospects.
• Recorded an email open rate of 92%, reflecting strong audience targeting and messaging relevance.

Why It Worked

• A multi-channel approach ensured consistent engagement across phone, email, LinkedIn, and ads.
• Prescreening ensured only genuinely interested prospects were scheduled, saving the sales team time.
• Personalized communication and follow-ups increased trust and appointment conversion.

Sample Workflow

• Build in-house calling lists targeting retail and hospitality businesses.
• Conduct cold calls with tailored scripts.
• Follow up via personalized emails and LinkedIn messages.
• Run paid campaigns to capture additional prospects.
• Prescreen prospects and confirm appointments.
• Schedule appointments in the shared calendar and provide detailed briefs.