Teams that need intent data, multichannel orchestration across email, phone, LinkedIn, and programmatic ads, and month-to-month contract flexibility will find the CIENCE ecosystem more capable than SSM alone. Buyers who want their outbound strategy informed by Tenbound's independent sales development research, rather than a single agency's internal playbook, choose CIENCE.
115
Client proof
named case studies
151
Industries
B2B categories served
14
Setup motion
day launch path
Vendor
Strategic Sales & Marketing
System
CIENCE
Decision brief
Strategic Sales & Marketing is a vendor comparison. CIENCE is a system comparison: managed execution, graph8 platform, and Tenbound method in one operating model.
Decision
Strategic Sales & Marketing
CIENCE
Cost
Strategic Sales & Marketing
$3,500/month to $250,000 per total engagement; estimated $50 to $99/hr (Clutch-listed)
CIENCE
$2,000/month management plus SDR capacity at cost
Commitment
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Not disclosed; custom quotes provided on request
CIENCE
Month-to-month contract structure
Platform
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Proprietary tools
CIENCE
graph8 audience data, intent, orchestration, and reporting
Best fit
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Strategic Sales & Marketing is a strong fit for enterprise buyers who prioritize US-based human callers for sensitive, high-complexity C-level conversations and do not require a technology platform or programmatic channel. Companies with very long deal cycles and strict quality controls on outbound voice interactions, such as regulated industries, may find SSM's model appropriate.
CIENCE
Teams that need intent data, multichannel orchestration across email, phone, LinkedIn, and programmatic ads, and month-to-month contract flexibility will find the CIENCE ecosystem more capable than SSM alone. Buyers who want their outbound strategy informed by Tenbound's independent sales development research, rather than a single agency's internal playbook, choose CIENCE.
01 / Cost
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Strategic Sales & Marketing: $3,500/month to $250,000 per total engagement; estimated $50 to $99/hr (Clutch-listed)
CIENCE
CIENCE: management plus SDR capacity at cost
02 / Commitment
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Strategic Sales & Marketing: Not disclosed; custom quotes provided on request
CIENCE
CIENCE: month-to-month
03 / Data
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Separate purchase may be required
CIENCE
graph8 intent signals and audience data included in the system
04 / Motion
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Agency retainer / custom project
CIENCE
CIENCE execution, graph8 platform, Tenbound method
Keep the matrix short enough to scan, but specific enough to show what changes when the buyer chooses a platform-backed operating model.
Comparison axis
Strategic Sales & Marketing
CIENCE
Technology platform
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Proprietary tools
CIENCE
graph8 AI orchestration, intent data, and multichannel execution built in
SDR pricing model
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Agency retainer / custom project
CIENCE
At-cost via Talent Cloud with no agency markup
Contract terms
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Not disclosed; custom quotes provided on request
CIENCE
Month-to-month contract structure
Research backing
Strategic Sales & Marketing
No dedicated sales development research arm named in source data
CIENCE
Tenbound research and training connected to CIENCE execution
Outreach channels
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Often email plus LinkedIn
CIENCE
Email, phone, LinkedIn, and programmatic ads through graph8
Data included
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Separate purchase may be required
CIENCE
graph8 intent signals and audience data included in the system
Setup time
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Weeks to months
CIENCE
14-day setup motion from source GTM page
Founded in 1989, giving SSM over three decades of documented experience in complex B2B appointment setting for major accounts
Fully US-based staff with no offshore outsourcing, relevant for enterprise clients with compliance-sensitive or nuanced senior-buyer conversations
Broad industry coverage spanning 17-plus verticals including Healthcare, Manufacturing, Legal, and Financial Services with documented client references such as NYU Langone Hospital
Does not offer a proprietary AI or intent data platform; no equivalent to graph8's built-in audience intelligence and campaign orchestration
Does not include programmatic advertising as a coordinated outreach channel alongside phone and email
Does not publish contract terms; month-to-month engagement flexibility is not offered or documented
Founded in 1989, giving SSM over three decades of documented experience in complex B2B appointment setting for major accounts
Fully US-based staff with no offshore outsourcing, relevant for enterprise clients with compliance-sensitive or nuanced senior-buyer conversations
Broad industry coverage spanning 17-plus verticals including Healthcare, Manufacturing, Legal, and Financial Services with documented client references such as NYU Langone Hospital
Does not offer a proprietary AI or intent data platform; no equivalent to graph8's built-in audience intelligence and campaign orchestration
Does not include programmatic advertising as a coordinated outreach channel alongside phone and email
Does not publish contract terms; month-to-month engagement flexibility is not offered or documented
The source page positions CIENCE as a three-part ecosystem: CIENCE for managed execution, graph8 for the GTM platform, and Tenbound for research, training, and sales development method.
01
02
03
01
graph8 intent data and audience intelligence included at no extra cost, replacing the need to separately license third-party data tools
02
Programmatic advertising added as a coordinated channel within graph8, extending reach beyond phone, email, and direct mail
03
Month-to-month contracts versus SSM's undisclosed terms, reducing commitment risk for buyers testing a new outbound motion
04
Tenbound affiliation provides independent SDR industry research and benchmarking that informs CIENCE's methodology, a capability no standalone agency including SSM can replicate
Strategic Sales & Marketing
Strategic Sales & Marketing is a strong fit for enterprise buyers who prioritize US-based human callers for sensitive, high-complexity C-level conversations and do not require a technology platform or programmatic channel. Companies with very long deal cycles and strict quality controls on outbound voice interactions, such as regulated industries, may find SSM's model appropriate.
CIENCE
Teams that need intent data, multichannel orchestration across email, phone, LinkedIn, and programmatic ads, and month-to-month contract flexibility will find the CIENCE ecosystem more capable than SSM alone. Buyers who want their outbound strategy informed by Tenbound's independent sales development research, rather than a single agency's internal playbook, choose CIENCE.
The comparison here is between a single-service agency with a 35-year-old delivery model and a three-part ecosystem: CIENCE for execution, graph8 for AI-driven campaign intelligence, and Tenbound for research-backed methodology.
On technology, the gap is structural. SSM operates with no proprietary platform. graph8, built into every CIENCE engagement at no extra cost, provides intent data, audience intelligence, and multichannel campaign orchestration across email, phone, LinkedIn, and programmatic ads. Clients working with SSM would need to source, license, and integrate equivalent tooling separately, at additional cost.
On channels, SSM's documented outreach mix is phone, email, direct mail, social media, and SEO. CIENCE adds LinkedIn outreach and programmatic advertising as coordinated channels within graph8's orchestration layer, not as bolt-on services. For buyers requiring coordinated digital and outbound touchpoints, SSM's channel set does not include programmatic.
On pricing model transparency, SSM does not publish contract terms. CIENCE offers month-to-month contracts. For teams evaluating vendors without a long-term commitment, this is a concrete structural difference.
The one capability the ecosystem offers that SSM cannot match is Tenbound's affiliated sales development research and training. No other lead generation company is backed by a dedicated SDR industry research organization. Tenbound publishes original methodology, benchmarks, and training that informs how CIENCE campaigns are built and optimized. SSM offers sales coaching as a service, but that is distinct from independent, ongoing industry research shaping the delivery model itself.
Review ratings
Clutch
4.6/5
22 reviews
01
Clutch-listed data indicates SSM projects range from approximately $3,500 per month to $250,000 for total engagements, with an estimated hourly rate of $50 to $99. SSM does not publish pricing on its own website; all quotes are custom. CIENCE pricing varies by service and scale but includes graph8's AI platform, intent data, and multichannel orchestration at no extra cost, meaning the effective cost-per-capability comparison favors CIENCE for teams that would otherwise need to license data and technology tools separately.
02
SSM is a single agency with a phone-and-email outbound model and no proprietary technology platform. The CIENCE ecosystem combines CIENCE execution services with graph8, an AI platform providing intent data, audience intelligence, and orchestration across email, phone, LinkedIn, and programmatic ads, plus Tenbound, an independent sales development research and training organization that informs methodology. That is three interconnected capabilities versus one agency's delivery model.
03
SSM does not publicly disclose its contract terms. CIENCE offers month-to-month contracts, which reduces commitment risk for companies testing outbound programs or scaling between programs. Combined with graph8's built-in platform and Tenbound's research-backed methodology, CIENCE provides a lower-barrier entry point without sacrificing channel coverage or data infrastructure.
04
SSM does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Their outreach relies on human-led phone, email, direct mail, and social media outreach without a documented AI or intent data layer. graph8, built into CIENCE engagements at no extra cost, provides intent data signals, audience intelligence, and multichannel campaign orchestration. Clients working with SSM who want equivalent capabilities would need to source and fund those tools independently.
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Compare with an operator
Bring your target market, meeting goal, and current tool stack. CIENCE will map cost, ownership, timeline, and execution model.
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