In the competitive agency environment, generating high-quality leads is more challenging than ever. Businesses need to scale quickly, stay ahead of the curve in their sales strategies, and ensure they are reaching the right people at the right time.

EraB2B offers full-service sales acquisition, handling everything from lead generation to securing qualified appointments. 

By providing a comprehensive, results-driven approach to sales automation, EraB2B has earned its place as a leader in helping businesses grow through optimized outreach strategies.

But scaling cold email campaigns and ensuring high engagement isn't easy.

With rising challenges in email deliverability, spam filters, and the sheer volume of cold emails being sent, EraB2B needed a reliable, robust solution that could cut through the noise and land their clients’ messages in inboxes. That’s when Smartlead came into the picture.

Smartlead’s precision tools have helped EraB2B overcome email deliverability challenges, streamline lead management, and significantly boost engagement rates. 

In this case study, we’ll explore how Smartlead has transformed EraB2B’s approach to cold emailing and the measurable impact it has had on their success.

Key Takeaways

• EraB2B provides full-cycle sales acquisition, including lead generation, cold emailing, and appointment scheduling.
• Smartlead helped EraB2B enhance email deliverability, improving inbox placement and client engagement.
• Features such as IP rotation, real-time reply tracking, and Master Inbox 3.0 have streamlined lead management and helped EraB2B’s team save time.
• White-label capabilities have enabled EraB2B to create a branded experience for their clients, boosting brand loyalty and long-term client retention.

How It All Started: The Story of Louis Deslus and EraB2B

Louis Deslus ,founder and technical director of EraB2B has been working in sales automation since 2016, long before the email tools of today existed. Starting with scripts and manual methods, Louis quickly realized the need for more efficient tools to handle the ever-growing demand for email outreach. 

Over the years, as cold emailing became more complex and the challenges of getting into inboxes escalated, Louis saw an opportunity to create EraB2B, a fully-fledged agency designed to help businesses scale their sales through effective automation strategies.

Having spent years working as a Head of Growth, Louis knew the importance of a well-oiled email system. But the growing difficulty in getting into inboxes—combined with high volumes of cold emailing—created new challenges. 

As email deliverability became increasingly difficult to maintain, Louis sought a solution that would allow his team to break through the noise and drive results. That’s when he found Smartlead.

“I was always looking for ways to get emails directly into the inbox, and the results were amazing when we achieved that,” says Louis during his interview with Smartlead.

His mission: to help his clients improve their sales processes and acquire new customers more effectively.

With the help of Smartlead, he has been able to do just that—enabling EraB2B to scale and offer world-class services to businesses looking to streamline their sales efforts.

How Smartlead Helped EraB2B to Solve the Challenges

The search for the perfect cold email tool led Louis to Smartlead, which quickly became a cornerstone of EraB2B’s sales acquisition strategy. What set Smartlead apart was its deep focus on email deliverability, the key factor Louis had been seeking in an email automation tool.

After discovering Smartlead in an online forum, Louis found that the tool provided the perfect solution for his needs.

“Smartlead was built by experts in email deliverability, which was exactly what we needed. As an agency, we required a tool that could help us manage numerous clients and maintain high inbox placement,” Louis notes.

“I didn’t want a tool built by a marketing team with flashy features that didn’t solve real problems,” says Louis. “I wanted a platform built by experts in email deliverability, and Smartlead checked all the boxes.”

Smartlead stood out to Louis for several reasons:

1. IP Rotation

One of the critical factors that set Smartlead was its IP Rotation feature. Email deliverability has always been a concern, especially as the volume of cold emails sent increases.

A static IP address can quickly become flagged by spam filters if it’s used too frequently, resulting in poor deliverability and emails being sent straight to the spam folder.

Smartlead's ability to rotate IP addresses ensures that EraB2B’s emails consistently hit the inbox rather than being filtered out. This feature not only improves deliverability but also prevents issues with inbox placement, allowing for a much higher rate of engagement with leads.

2. Advanced Email Deliverability Tools

Another major selling point for Smartlead was the SmartDelivery feature. SmartDelivery provides real-time email performance data, allowing EraB2B to continuously monitor and optimize how their emails are performing within the inbox.

This tool tracks important metrics like open rates, bounce rates, and overall deliverability, providing valuable insights into how campaigns are performing.

By using this data, Louis and his team can make informed decisions to tweak and adjust their outreach strategies, ensuring that their emails maintain high deliverability over time.

This approach helped improve the chances of email success and  enabled EraB2B to stay ahead of any deliverability issues that may arise, ensuring better results for clients in the long run.

3. White-Label Capabilities

A unique and valuable aspect of Smartlead for EraB2B was its white-label feature, which allowed Louis to deliver a fully branded experience for his clients.

As an agency, providing personalized solutions is essential for building trust and long-term relationships. With Smartlead's white-label capabilities, EraB2B was able to offer clients a seamless, customized platform that aligned perfectly with their branding.

Louis explains, “This capability lets us maintain control of our brand while offering a seamless experience for clients. They feel as though the tool is entirely their own, which boosts client loyalty and retention.”

This customization is not only beneficial for the clients but also for EraB2B, as it positions them as experts offering a tailored, high-value service.

White-labeling helped EraB2B expand their market presence by positioning themselves as trusted partners who can deliver a completely branded, professional service, increasing both satisfaction and retention.

4. API and Webhooks for Automation

Another standout feature of Smartlead that proved invaluable for EraB2B was its API and webhook functionality.

For an agency that manages multiple clients and complex sales workflows, automation and scalability are crucial.

One of the standout features of Smartlead’s API is the ability to automate scenarios based on your leads’ actions or replies.

This level of personalization in automation allows you to close deals without any manual intervention, reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks while enhancing the relevance and impact of your outreach.

With Smartlead’s API, you can:

• Listen and react to replies automatically: Whether a lead responds with “Interested,” “Out of Office,” or “Not Interested,” the API can automatically categorize and respond appropriately. This ensures that leads who express interest are promptly followed up with, while disinterested leads are gently nurtured or removed from the sequence.
• Create sub-sequences based on lead intentions: Tailor your email outreach based on how your leads are engaging. For example, if a lead replies positively, you can automatically shift them to a more targeted sequence, increasing the chances of conversion without additional effort from your team.
• Auto-handle responses: With the ability to auto-handle responses like “Out of Office” or “Not Interested,” Smartlead ensures your team isn’t bogged down by unqualified leads or temporary roadblocks. Instead, these responses are seamlessly handled, and the focus remains on leads that are actively engaged and interested in your offer.

By automating these scenarios, Smartlead’s API allows you to focus on high-priority tasks, such as nurturing leads that show the most potential and refining your campaigns to keep them as relevant and effective as possible.

“The system is built for agencies like ours. It’s scalable, and it’s easy to adapt to our growing client base,” Louis shares. Smartlead’s ability to manage multiple client accounts under one platform was a game-changer, giving EraB2B the tools it needed to scale its operations without sacrificing quality.

Notable Achievements

With Smartlead’s help, EraB2B has achieved impressive results, which are directly attributed to the platform’s email deliverability and automation tools:

20% Reply Rate‍

In just one month, EraB2B achieved a 20% reply rate for one of their clients. Given the growing challenges of securing inbox placements, this was a significant accomplishment. As Louis Deslus, Founder of EraB2B, puts it, “I was always looking for ways to get emails directly into the inbox, and the results were amazing when we achieved that.”‍

40% Positive Response Rate‍

Out of the 20% reply rate, an impressive 40% of the responses were positive, demonstrating that the outreach wasn’t just reaching inboxes—it was resonating with the right people.

Louis notes, “We’re not just getting replies; we’re getting meaningful engagement. Smartlead gives us the ability to target the right audience with precision, leading to higher-quality responses.” This focus on quality has been instrumental in converting leads into tangible opportunities.

80% Client Success‍

More than 80% of EraB2B’s clients report seeing outstanding results from their campaigns. This high success rate highlights the platform’s ability to consistently deliver results and improve lead generation and sales acquisition efforts.

Louis shares, “More than 80% of my clients have good results, and that’s what matters most. Smartlead has become a vital part of our strategy to help our clients grow their businesses.”

Vision for the Future with Smartlead

As EraB2B continues to grow, Louis’s vision for the future involves further leveraging Smartlead to enhance his agency's services. One area he’s particularly excited about is the potential for a personalized Email Response (ER) system for the team, which could provide even more tailored and effective responses to leads.

Looking forward, Louis sees the continued improvement of email deliverability as a key focus for his agency’s success.

“With the best tools and practices, we can adapt quickly to changes in the email marketing landscape. Smartlead is a vital part of that,” he explains.

Moreover, EraB2B is committed to refining their strategies by using Smartlead’s data to adjust and optimize campaigns. “The ability to analyze campaign results in real-time is invaluable. It allows us to continuously improve and provide our clients with the best possible outcome.”

“Smartlead isn’t just a tool for us—it’s a part of our infrastructure. With its help, we’re able to provide high-quality service to clients while scaling our operations at the same time,” Louis concludes.

From real-time lead engagement to full campaign automation, Smartlead provided the solution Louis Deslus and his team needed to optimize their outreach efforts, improve client results, and drive business growth.

With Smartlead’s automation infrastructure, EraB2B continues to lead the way in scalable, efficient cold emailing strategies, helping their clients grow their businesses with precision and ease.