Founded in Singapore by a winning combination of expert programmers, mathematicians, and due diligence consultants, Silent Eight could be considered the new kid on the compliance block. Despite the company’s infancy, they are making waves with their Artificial Intelligence-based due diligence solution. Having invented, tested, and successfully implemented their value proposition, they have seen partnerships formed with many Tier 1 banks and financial institutions. Not an easy accomplishment right off the bat.
Gungho has been working with the start-up for the last 18 months, originally bought on board by founder and CEO, Martin Markiewicz. The mandate was clear; to get well-qualified meetings set up with international banks and financial organisations. Here, we interview Shana Schneider, Global Marketing Director at Silent Eight, to find out what it’s like working with Gungho.
What made you choose Gungho as your tele-marketing agency?
As a start-up, Martin realised the importance of identifying marketing specialists early on. We needed the expertise in pipeline generation that wasn’t yet a part of the team. After a bit of research, it was clear that Gungho had exactly the skills and experience we needed.
What was the process like to get the Gungho team to understand your products?
Our team grew considerably at the start of 2020. With that came the development of our messaging and how we wanted to take our product to market. We are delighted to have worked collaboratively with Gungho from the outset. We needed to internally figure out our strategy which provided challenges for Gungho. However, weekly communication with our Gungho Operations Manager, allowed us to work through early challenges. We were able to regularly give and receive feedback, which has been useful for our development as an organisation. We’ve shaped our strategy with information from Gungho’s conversations with prospects. In our weekly meetings, I’ve been able to get a strong sense that Gungho really understands our tone.
Did you have any reservations about outsourcing this function and how did you overcome those reservations?
Gungho had been in place for a while before the wider team came on board so, at that point, we reviewed where we were at. It was clear that Gungho’s work is invaluable. They are perfectly communicative and consistently deliver results. We have a great working relationship and with us being a lean team, it would be really difficult to do what they do, internally.
How do you maintain your brand whilst using a third party?
Honestly, we see them as an extension of our team. My interaction with them is very much like with any other Silent Eight team member and they are seen as that rather than a vendor. We know that the calling team are really invested in our company and understand what we’re all about. We get reports every week on progress. We’re also able to listen to recorded calls. I listen to two a week to get a feel for the conversations that are being had. I will share templates of information if there is a new message to deliver but a level of trust has been built so that Gungho work very autonomously.
How successful have the Gungho campaigns been in generating revenue?
Our pipeline, which has been nurtured almost exclusively by Gungho, is really strong. The leads that come through from Gungho are qualified. They use their expertise to target the type of client that would make sense for us and they understand the optimum times of day to call. Our sales cycle is fairly long so we’re expecting to quantify the revenue generation next year.
What would you say to other companies thinking of using Gungho?
Gungho is part of our team. I’ve never worked with a cold calling company who are so invested. They have a real personal element which is part of our brand, so aligns perfectly. Other cold calling companies focus on the volume, rather than the quality of leads. Gungho has maintained a steady flow of leads for us and we have relied on them to fill our calendars, which they have done, despite the challenges of COVID-19.
Are there any ways in which Gungho could improve?
I wish I could find something for them to improve on, but I can’t find anything that needs work. Really, I can’t say enough positive things about them. Having them work with us is like flicking the ‘easy’ button. There have been no dips in performance, the team are really invested, we receive well-nurtured leads… It’s just complete peace of mind.
Well folks, don’t take our word for it! Whether you’re a start-up or a corporation, global lead generation is what we do. Call us on +44 (0) 203 326 8150
