Modern CPA (FirmOS) — 1,567% ROI
Modern CPA invested 90,000 in cash-collected revenue — a 1,567% ROI. The campaign booked 30 meetings and generated so much pipeline they had to hire another sales rep to handle the volume. A single specific claim — that Modern CPA’s clients add $500K+ in recurring revenue — earned conversations with conservative accounting firm partners who typically delete marketing pitches on sight.90,000 revenue. 30 meetings at $180/meeting. 24% reply rate. Pipeline volume required hiring an additional sales rep.
The Snapshot
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Industry | Advertising & Marketing / Accounting Firms |
| Company Size | 10-50 employees |
| Services Used | Cold Email + AI Calling + LinkedIn |
| Campaign Duration | 3 months |
The Challenge
Accounting firm managing partners are conservative buyers who move slowly and distrust marketing promises. Outbound in this space is a patience game built on credibility — partners measure success in billable hours and client retention, not impressions. Generic marketing pitches fail because they don’t speak the language of practice growth that partners understand. Standard marketing agency outreach that didn’t anchor to specific, verifiable outcomes in accounting-firm language was getting deleted immediately. Before Outbound System:- Generic marketing pitches failing with conservative partners
- No specific outcome claims in accounting-firm language
- No growth-signal-based targeting for firms in expansion mode
- Pipeline constrained by partner-level sales capacity
- 30 meetings booked in 3 months
- 24% reply rate from managing partners
- $500K+ recurring revenue claim earning conversations
- Had to hire another sales rep to handle pipeline volume
The Solution
Targeted managing partners at firms with 3-10 CPAs — the sweet spot where the practice invests in growth but the partner still makes marketing decisions. Growth signals (recent hiring, new service lines) identified firms in active growth mode rather than maintenance mode.Cold Email
Anchored on a specific, verifiable outcome: Modern CPA’s clients adding $500K+ in recurring revenue. That number was specific enough to be credible and large enough to command a managing partner’s attention. Enterprise infrastructure ensured delivery past Microsoft-heavy accounting firm email filters.LinkedIn Outreach
Targeted managing partners with engagement focused on practice management content and firm growth discussions, building familiarity before the direct ask.AI Cold Calling
Third channel for partners at larger firms harder to reach via email, using brief, peer-level scripts positioning the conversation as a strategy discussion rather than a sales pitch.Beyond the Meetings
- Market Intelligence: Growth signal analysis revealed firms adding new service lines (advisory, wealth management) responded at 2x the rate of firms only hiring for existing lines, identifying the strongest expansion signals.
- Pipeline Insurance: Three-channel coverage meant conservative partners who filter marketing emails still encountered Modern CPA through LinkedIn engagement and peer-level phone conversations.
- ICP Refinement: Firms with 3-10 CPAs consistently outperformed larger firms in response rates, validating the sweet spot where the managing partner controls marketing decisions personally.
Campaign Timeline
Weeks 1-2: Accounting Firm Targeting
Accounting firm growth signal analysis. Managing partner targeting at 3-10 CPA firms. $500K+ recurring revenue messaging developed with verifiable proof.
Weeks 3-4: Launch & Partner Response
Campaign launch. 24% reply rate from managing partners. First meetings within 8 days. Conservative partners responding to specific revenue claims.
Month 2: Scaling Across Channels
AI calling added for larger firms. LinkedIn building practice management credibility. Pipeline volume accelerating past initial projections.
Full Metrics
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Spend with Outbound System | $5,400 |
| Campaign Duration | 3 months |
| Qualified Leads Generated | 36 |
| Cost Per Qualified Lead | $150 |
| Meetings / Calls Booked | 30 |
| Cost Per Booked Meeting | $180 |
| Show Up Rate | 83% |
| Revenue Generated (cash collected) | $90,000 |
| New MRR Added | $30,000 |
| ROAS (on cash collected) | 16.67x |
| Total ROI | 1,567% |
“Call volume has gone up significantly. We had to hire another Sales Rep.” — Martin Popiel, CEO at Modern CPA
Ready to See Similar Results?
Modern CPA’s campaign proved that conservative buyers respond to specific, verifiable outcome claims in their own language. See how other agencies and professional services firms have performed, or explore the cold email service and ICP targeting process behind campaigns like this.Book a Strategy Call
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Why did conservative accounting partners respond to outbound?
Why did conservative accounting partners respond to outbound?
Because the messaging spoke their language. Instead of generic marketing promises, the campaign anchored on a specific, verifiable outcome: $500K+ in recurring revenue added for comparable firms. Managing partners evaluate investments through a billable-hours lens. A specific revenue number, tied to firms that look like theirs, passes their credibility filter where vague growth promises fail.
What made the 3-10 CPA firm size the sweet spot?
What made the 3-10 CPA firm size the sweet spot?
At this size, the managing partner still personally makes marketing investment decisions — there’s no marketing committee or procurement process to navigate. The firm is large enough to have revenue that justifies marketing investment but small enough that the decision-maker is directly accessible. Larger firms had lower response rates because outreach had to navigate organizational layers.
Why did they need to hire another sales rep?
Why did they need to hire another sales rep?
The campaign generated 30 meetings in 3 months — roughly 10 per month — on top of their existing pipeline. Modern CPA’s sales team couldn’t handle the combined volume of outbound-generated meetings and existing inbound while maintaining conversation quality. The hire was funded by the revenue the campaign generated, making it a net-positive capacity investment.
What growth signals identified firms in expansion mode?
What growth signals identified firms in expansion mode?
Two primary signals: firms adding new service lines (advisory, wealth management, tax planning) and firms posting new CPA or associate positions. Firms adding service lines responded at 2x the rate of firms only hiring for existing lines, indicating that service expansion is the stronger indicator of marketing investment readiness.
How did this campaign perform compared to other agency clients?
How did this campaign perform compared to other agency clients?
Modern CPA’s 1,567% ROI ties with Velox Media and Zozimus for one of the strongest agency results. The 200 median across all 44 campaigns, and the 24% reply rate from conservative accounting partners is particularly notable given how heavily filtered that audience is.