Know what you own after the spend.

How it works

An agency provides dedicated SDRs on a monthly retainer. The agency recruits, trains, and manages reps who work your ICP using agency tools and playbooks.

Typical pricing

$5,000 to $15,000/month per SDR

What you keep

Usually very little. The SDR, tool stack, sequences, data, and working knowledge belong to the agency.

Key issue

You are renting an entire function, so every dollar spent can build the agency asset instead of yours.

Example companies

Belkins, SalesHive, memoryBlue, Martal Group

How it works

The vendor handles prospecting, outreach, qualification, and calendar booking. You pay when a meeting lands on the calendar.

Typical pricing

$150 to $1,500 per meeting

What you keep

Meetings that convert, plus whatever notes were captured.

Key issue

Vendors can optimize for bookings instead of qualified pipeline, which creates meeting quality risk.

Example companies

SalesPro Leads, Abstrakt Marketing Group, RocketReach Concierge

How it works

You purchase leads at a fixed per-unit cost. Leads often come from form fills, content downloads, webinars, or syndication networks.

Typical pricing

$30 to $800 per lead

What you keep

A spreadsheet or CRM sync of contact records.

Key issue

Low-intent form fills often convert poorly because downloading content is not the same as buying intent.

Example companies

UnboundB2B, Callbox, NetLine, TechTarget

How it works

Your content is distributed across third-party networks. People who download the asset become leads delivered back to your team.

Typical pricing

$9 to $150 per lead

What you keep

Contact records from people who downloaded the content.

Key issue

The model can create volume without proving the person has an active buying process.

Example companies

NetLine, Madison Logic, DemandScience, TechTarget

How it works

Outbound calling is assigned to an offshore or nearshore team. Agents work from scripts and lists, often at hourly or per-agent rates.

Typical pricing

$8 to $25/hour per agent

What you keep

Call logs and CRM notes.

Key issue

Script-driven calling without product context creates brand risk in complex B2B sales.

Example companies

Televerde, TTEC, TaskUs, Alorica

How it works

One SDR splits time across several clients. You get a portion of a trained rep's calendar instead of a full-time resource.

Typical pricing

$1,500 to $4,000/month

What you keep

Meeting notes and CRM entries from allocated hours.

Key issue

Split attention means shallower product knowledge and less consistent outreach cadence.

Example companies

SalesBread, DemandDrive, Overpass

How it works

A full-service agency runs paid media, content, SEO, and nurture programs to generate inbound demand.

Typical pricing

$5,000 to $50,000+/month

What you keep

Content assets and ad accounts if you own them.

Key issue

Ramp can take months, and attribution can be hard to tie to pipeline.

Example companies

Refine Labs, Directive, Metadata.io

How it works

A senior go-to-market operator embeds part-time to build and improve the sales development function.

Typical pricing

$10,000 to $30,000+/month

What you keep

Processes, playbooks, and a trained internal team.

Key issue

Quality depends heavily on the individual operator.

Example companies

Winning by Design, Stage 2 Capital, Pavilion services

How it works

The vendor takes a percentage of closed revenue instead of, or alongside, a fixed monthly fee.

Typical pricing

10 to 30% of attributed revenue

What you keep

Customer relationships after the initial contract or renewal period.

Key issue

Attribution disputes are common when sales cycles are long.

Example companies

Selected PE-backed agencies, fractional CRO firms

How it works

A free or low-cost self-serve product helps you start generating leads without talking to sales. Paid tiers unlock more limits and services.

Typical pricing

$0 to $500/month for entry tiers

What you keep

Data generated during the self-serve period, depending on portability.

Key issue

Free tiers are limited by design. Real results often require paid upgrades.

Example companies

Apollo.io, Instantly, Lemlist

How it works

Review platforms sell premium placement, buyer intent, and lead routing to vendors who want visibility in category searches.

Typical pricing

$15,000 to $100,000+/year

What you keep

Lead records and reviews on the platform.

Key issue

Rankings can correlate with spend, not only product quality.

Example companies

G2, TrustRadius, Capterra, Gartner Digital Markets

How it works

Partners such as consultants, agencies, and complementary vendors refer leads for commission or reciprocal referrals.

Typical pricing

10 to 40% revenue share per referred deal

What you keep

Customer relationships and partner network knowledge.

Key issue

It is slow to build and hard to control partner focus.

Example companies

PartnerStack, Crossbeam, Impact.com

How it works

Display, video, and native ads are served to targeted B2B accounts using firmographic, technographic, and intent data.

Typical pricing

$15 to $80 CPM plus $2,000 to $10,000/month platform fee

What you keep

Ad creative and campaign performance data.

Key issue

Ads create awareness. They rarely create pipeline without supporting outbound or inbound motions.

Example companies

The Trade Desk, StackAdapt, Demandbase, RollWorks

How it works

Physical gifts, handwritten notes, or branded items are sent to prospects as high-touch steps inside priority account plays.

Typical pricing

$500 to $2,000/month plus $20 to $150 per item

What you keep

Delivery tracking and recipient engagement signals.

Key issue

High per-touch cost limits scale, so it works best as a supplement.

Example companies

Sendoso, Postal.io, Reachdesk, Alyce