FunnL builds $2.4M pipeline for strategy consultancy with outbound program

FunnL said a 12-month outbound campaign for a UK-based strategy execution consultancy generated $2.4 million in qualified pipeline and $590,000 in closed revenue. The result shows how a structured sales development program can create measurable growth in regulated industries that rely on referrals and long buying cycles.

Why it matters: - FunnL said the campaign turned a referral-only business into a repeatable outbound sales engine. - The program produced pipeline, revenue, and a contact database the client now owns permanently. - The results matter because regulated sectors like pharma and consumer health are difficult to reach through cold outreach.

What happened: - FunnL completed a 12-month outbound program for a UK-headquartered international strategy execution consultancy. - The work generated $2.4 million in qualified pipeline and $590,000 in closed revenue. - The client had previously grown entirely through referrals and had no sales development function, contact database, or outbound process. - The campaign targeted chief strategy officers, COOs and VP-level transformation leaders across four regulated sectors and eight buyer types. - The full case study is available at the company’s announcement.

The details: - The program delivered reply rates more than three times the industry average. - FunnL booked 142 qualified sales meetings. - The campaign created 68 active pipeline opportunities. - FunnL closed 12 deals at an average contract value of $49,000. - Three pharma accounts entered advanced multi-year retainer conversations. - The client now owns a 7,530-contact highly qualified database. - The client also received a documented outbound playbook. - FunnL said the program generated a 3x return on investment in the first year.

Between the lines: - The results suggest outbound can work in sectors where access is limited and buying cycles stretch to six months. - The campaign appears to have succeeded by matching message, audience and timing more closely than broad-volume outreach. - Alpesh Kumar, co-founder and chief operating officer at FunnL, said the issue was not the channel itself but the lack of effort to earn a CSO’s attention. - Kumar also said FunnL achieved the reply rates by tailoring messages to eight buyer types rather than sending more emails.

What's next: - Three pharma accounts are in advanced conversations about multi-year retainers. - The client can now keep using the contact database and outbound playbook to continue sales activity. - FunnL is likely to use the case study as proof of performance across regulated B2B sectors.

The bottom line: - FunnL’s pitch is that disciplined outbound, not referrals alone, can drive pipeline in hard-to-reach professional services markets.