The Builders Club ran a three-month campaign for a global project management and collaboration software company entering the US banking sector. The campaign combined cold email, newsletter placement and an in-person executive roundtable. It generated 400+ qualified leads and 10+ warm introductions to senior banking executives, with a 65% email open rate against a 25% industry average for cold outreach.
Case Study Summary
- Client: a global software company offering project management and collaboration solutions
- Objective: enter the US banking sector and secure meetings with IT decision-makers
- Audience: CTOs, CIOs, VPs of Technology and IT Directors at mid-to-large US banks and credit unions
- Channels: cold email, newsletter and an in-person roundtable
- Results (3 months): 400+ qualified leads, 10+ warm introductions, 8 sales meetings agreed after the roundtable
What was the client’s challenge?
The client had no network in banking and needed qualified leads from IT leaders at financial institutions. Cold outreach to banks typically gets low response rates, so the client also needed warm introductions to senior executives.
What did The Builders Club do?
How did we select the banks and contacts?
We built a list of mid-to-large US banks and credit unions and identified CTOs, CIOs, VPs of Technology and IT Directors at each. We prioritised institutions investing in digital transformation and focused on contacts with budget authority.
What did the email campaigns say?
We ran personalised email campaigns on the client’s behalf, covering security, compliance and legacy systems, and secure team collaboration in regulated environments. We tracked engagement and followed up with high-intent prospects.
How was the newsletter used?
We featured the client in our weekly newsletter to 100,000+ enterprise IT leaders, targeting banking and financial services readers. Calls to action for demos and consultations generated inbound interest from banking executives.
What was the roundtable?
We organised an in-person roundtable for 10 to 12 senior executives from target banks. The client attended as an industry expert. Topics were security, compliance, team productivity and cloud adoption in banking digital transformation. The client also learned the IT priorities of banks directly from attendees.
How did leads become appointments?
We followed up with each attendee individually, introduced interested prospects to the client’s sales team and scheduled appointments. Each introduction included the prospect’s email engagement and event participation.
What results did the campaign deliver in three months?
Leads
- 400+ qualified leads from the banking sector
- 10+ warm introductions to senior banking executives
- Multiple appointments set with decision-makers
- 65% email open rate, against a 25% industry average for cold outreach
Roundtable
- 12 banking executives attended
- 10 requested follow-up conversations
- 8 agreed to meet the client’s sales team
Lead quality
- All leads were verified IT decision-makers
- 40% of leads engaged with multiple touchpoints: email, newsletter and event
- Prospects were familiar with the client’s solutions before the first meeting
Why did the campaign work?
- Banking-specific messaging: emails addressed security, compliance and legacy systems
- Multiple channels: email, newsletter and the roundtable supported each other
- In-person roundtable: 8 of 12 attendees agreed to a sales meeting
- Decision-makers only: every lead had budget authority or influence over IT decisions
- Context at handoff: sales received engagement history with each introduction
Frequently asked questions
How do you generate qualified leads in the banking sector?
Combine bank-specific outreach with a trusted in-person setting. This campaign used targeted email, newsletter placement to 100,000+ IT leaders and a roundtable, and produced 400+ qualified leads in three months.
What email open rate is realistic for cold outreach to banks?
This campaign reached 65% against a 25% industry average. The emails addressed security, compliance and legacy-system concerns specific to banking IT teams.
Why host a roundtable for banking IT leaders?
Banking executives value in-person relationships. Of 12 attendees, 10 requested follow-up and 8 agreed to meet the client’s sales team.
Conclusion
The client entered US banking with no existing network. Bank-specific email campaigns, newsletter placement and an executive roundtable produced 400+ qualified leads, 10+ warm introductions and 8 sales meetings in three months.
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