LexisNexis began working with Gungho in 2019, partnering across multiple departments to drive lead generation for various initiatives within the organisation. To learn more about the impact of this partnership, we spoke with Marcella Janmaat, Senior Director of International Marketing within Global Nexis Solutions.
Based in Amsterdam, Marcella leads a team focused on markets outside the US, with an emphasis on Europe and Brazil. Her team works closely with regional sales teams to drive pipeline growth and net new logos, supporting LexisNexis’ demand generation strategies in these key locations with the help of Gungho.
How long have you been involved in the partnership with Gungho, and what challenges initially led you to work with us?
This is actually our second engagement with Gungho. About five years ago, we started working with Gungho, running three campaigns in three regions focused on our compliance and risk segment, particularly for our EDDM (Entity Due Diligence Management) solutions. After a few months, we paused the campaigns because we didn’t see immediate ROI and had to make a decision when reviewing budgets. However, after we paused, all three came into positive ROI! We now know this is how Gungho’s campaigns work – you don’t necessarily see ROI immediately, but the gains come in the longer term.
More recently, in 2023, we re-engaged Gungho to support the launch of our solution ‘Nexis Diligence+’ in key regions. This solution had new features and with a new product launch, it made sense to go with the specialised agency like Gungho to help kick-off conversations. This is when the bigger engagement started.
Then, in 2024, our teams in Germany and The Netherlands wanted more sales appointments. We also had a dedicated team set up for Brazil with one of Gungho’s Portuguese speakers, because the only way to do something in Brazil is with a native speaker. It was great to have access to a native speaker through Gungho. Initially some of the marketing and sales teams were sceptical that telemarketing would work, so we initially started a pilot with Gungho, and it worked – they loved it.
Have the quality of appointments met your expectations?
We launched another new product called Nexis+AI this year. This is not a compliance offer; Nexis+ AI is a decision intelligence platform powered by AI that will help with company research. We provided training for the team for this launch and we actually see that we get the highest quality appointments from Gungho. Even though we don’t purchase a huge volume of calling days with Gungho, the quality of the conversations and the brands that we’ve been able to engage with through their work has been highly valuable. For example, off the top of my head, we’ve secured appointments with McDonald’s. We have similar large brands filling our pipeline from Gungho’s outreach and generally see a 45% opportunity rating from the appointments we receive.
What factors influenced your decision to choose Gungho, and did you consider other agencies?
When I first learned about Gungho five years ago, we were impressed by your industry expertise, particularly in compliance and risk. Since then, you have remained on our radar. Given the positive ROI we’d seen from past campaigns, it made sense to reach out to you again for the Diligence+ launch.
How was the process of training the Gungho team to understand LexisNexis products, and how effective was it?
Gungho already had a solid understanding of the compliance segment as you work with other providers, which made the EDDM campaigns relatively straightforward. For more complex products, like Data+ and Nexis+AI, we provided strategic training with the official messaging decks from our internal training team and then added some more colour to the training by including sales feedback on the appointments and real-life examples of the responses they have received. This dual approach—structured training with practical sales insights—has proven effective. We also do refreshers after six months and that’s a good process.
Could you summarise your overall experience working with Gungho?
Gungho really feels like an extension of our own team. And you can see that in the reviews. The team really care about how the pipeline is moving forward. For example, they check whether there is any feedback on the appointments and monitor the quality and follow-ups. They also confirm that people are showing up for the appointments; if they aren’t, they reschedule those meetings. With some agencies, it’s the other way round – you have to chase them – but these follow-ups are coming from Gungho to us – they genuinely care about the success of the campaigns. Their structured approach, including weekly touchpoints and monthly reviews with detailed reporting is really valuable. They’re also flexible, welcoming our feedback and incorporating requested prospect lists into their strategy. Overall, they are fun to work with and have been a reliable and effective partner.
What advice would you give to a company considering working with Gungho for their lead generation needs?
I’d suggest starting with a pilot to get a feel for Gungho’s approach and see how it aligns with your goals. We found that Gungho delivered more meetings than our internal Sales Development Representative (SDR) resources, approximately double the number of appointments, especially when reaching out to brand-new prospects. Unlike our SDRs, who often work with warmer leads, Gungho successfully engaged cold audiences, which shows their expertise in navigating fresh, untested segments.
How does Gungho’s approach differ from other lead-generation tactics?
One thing about telemarketing is that you are calling people at completely different stages and they’re not always going to be in the market. Unlike inbound leads, where people actively fill out forms and express interest to engage with vendors, teleprospecting involves reaching out to prospects at times that may not be ideal for them. This is common knowledge in outbound strategies, but it’s worth considering if you’re accustomed to faster returns from inbound channels. While the ROI might take a bit longer to materialise, teleprospecting helps you reach potential clients directly, even if they’re not actively searching at that moment. Another advantage is that Gungho is specialised in both teleprospecting and the compliance segment.
Would you say Gungho has a unique advantage when it comes to working in certain sectors?
Definitely. Gungho’s expertise in areas like risk and compliance adds significant value. Working with a telemarketing agency that’s well-versed in your industry’s specific challenges is a major plus. Gungho’s understanding of the regulatory and compliance landscape means they can engage with prospects in a way that feels relevant and informed, unlike more generalist agencies.
