Option four
Retain a team to run the whole outbound motion
The short answer
A retained team builds the target list, writes the sequences, sends the email, makes the calls and reports on it. You are buying a playbook and the people to run it. Useful when nobody in house has done outbound before, expensive to keep running once you have.
- Typical cost
- $3,000 to $12,000 a month, usually on a three to six month term
- Who it suits
- Teams building an outbound motion from zero
Retainers are paid whether or not the month produced pipeline. Data, sending infrastructure and dialer costs are sometimes billed on top.
Compare it against delivered prospects before you commit to a term.
What you get
Features included
Strategy and profile work
They define segments, messaging and offer before anything is sent.
Sequence writing
Email and call scripts produced and iterated by their copywriters.
Sending infrastructure
Domains, inboxes, warmup and dialer set up and maintained for you.
Calling and follow up
Their SDRs work the sequences and hand over interested replies.
Reporting cadence
Weekly or fortnightly reviews on sends, connects, replies and pipeline.
Use cases
When this is the right call
- 01
First outbound motion
Nobody in house has run outbound and you want a working playbook fast.
- 02
A new product launch
A concentrated push with dedicated messaging, separate from the core team.
- 03
Enterprise segment entry
Longer cycles and heavier research where a specialist team earns the retainer.
Honest read
Strengths and limits
Where it wins
- The whole motion is handled, not just one piece
- You get a documented playbook you can bring in house later
- Senior strategy attention in the first months
Where it costs you
- The retainer holds whether or not the month worked
- Slow to start, with setup and warmup before the first real send
- Results depend on who is actually staffed to your account
- Costs more per month than most teams' entire data budget
Side by side
Managed outbound next to delivered prospects
| Point | Managed outbound | LeadNumbers delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly commitment | $3,000 to $12,000 retainer | From the entry plan, cancel or change any month |
| Time to first call | Weeks of setup and warmup | Five free sample prospects, then daily delivery |
| Who owns the playbook | Handed over if the contract says so | Always yours, along with every contact |
| What you are buying | People and process | Callable prospects your team works directly |
FAQ
Questions buyers ask
When does a retainer make sense?
When nobody in house has run outbound and you want the playbook built quickly. Once you have reps who can dial, the same budget buys far more conversations as delivered prospects.
Can I bring it in house later?
That is the sensible plan. Keep the messaging and hand your reps a daily list of matched prospects instead of the retainer.
Do agencies include the data?
Some do, some bill it separately. Ask what the data line costs and whether you keep the records when the contract ends.
Keep comparing