About Client
Madison Specs supplies frames and lenses to optical shops, retail chains, and wholesale distributors
across the United States. Their growth depends on reaching new accounts consistently and converting
them into long-term buyers.
What They Do
- B2B eyewear supply & wholesale distribution
- Sales to independent optical shops & optometry practices
- Supply to regional & national retail chains
- Wholesale sourcing for online eyewear retailers
Their Clients Include
Independent optical shops, buying groups, optical purchasing cooperatives, and wholesale distributors
across the US.
Problem Statement
Madison Specs had a pipeline problem. Their reps spent most of the day dialing, leaving voicemails,
and manually logging CRM notes — leaving little time for actual selling. Each rep made 40–50 calls a
day. Maybe 8–12 connected. 1–2 became meetings. Scaling meant hiring more reps — expensive,
slow, and unsustainable.
The Challenge
The challenge was building a cold calling system that worked at high volume without sounding robotic.
Optical shop owners are busy and quick to hang up on scripted calls. The system needed to feel
natural, handle real objections, and act on interest in real time.
It also had to integrate tightly with Close CRM — pulling leads, executing calls, capturing outcomes,
booking meetings, and syncing everything back automatically. A half-solution that created more admin
work was not an option.
What Was Going Wrong
1. Volume Was Capped by Headcount
Each rep maxed out at 40–50 calls per day. After breaks, CRM updates, and meeting prep, actual dialing time was 3–4 hours. More calls meant more hires — and weeks of ramp time before results.
2. CRM Data Was Unreliable
Reps delayed or skipped logging call outcomes. Lead records went stale, follow-ups fell through, and managers were forecasting off incomplete data.
3. Reps Were Burning Time on Low-Value Work
Reps were spending roughly 80% of their day on dialing, voicemails, and CRM updates — not selling. The cost per booked meeting was inflated by all the unproductive hours around it.
Solution Provided
We built an end-to-end automated cold calling system — from lead selection to meeting confirmation —
deployed in under 2 weeks.
Bland AI handles all outbound calls using a natural-sounding voice agent built around Madison Specs’
catalog and pitch. N8N orchestrates the full pipeline — connecting Bland AI, Close CRM, and the
calendar system. When a prospect shows interest, the system books the meeting, sends confirmations
to both parties, and logs every outcome back to Close CRM in under 5 seconds.
What Is an AI Cold Calling System?
Think of it as a voice agent that dials your leads, runs a live conversation, and acts on the result — all
without a human rep touching the phone.
How the System Works:
01
Lead Pull & Campaign Launch
- Connects to Close CRM and pulls leads based on campaign filters
- Loads each lead's contact info, company data, and interaction history
- Queues leads for outbound calls with full context pre-loaded
02
AI Voice Call Execution
- Bland AI dials each lead and runs a live, natural conversation
- Detects intent in real time — buying signals, objections, callbacks, rejections
- Handles voicemails automatically — leaves message, tags lead, queues follow-up
03
Automated Meeting Booking
- Checks rep's calendar availability the moment a prospect agrees to meet
- Books the slot, sends calendar invite, and fires a confirmation email — all within the same call
- Captures meeting context for the rep's prep
04
CRM Sync & Outcome Logging
- Every call outcome written to Close CRM within 5 seconds
- Logs disposition, duration, topics discussed, and next action
- Managers get live campaign visibility — no report requests needed
Results
System Capabilities
| Capability | Detail |
|---|---|
| Call Throughput | 200+ outbound calls per day |
| CRM Sync Speed | Under 5 seconds after each call |
| Outcome Logging | 100% automated — no manual entry |
| Deployment Speed | Live within 2 weeks |
Operational Impact
- Sales reps now spend 100% of their time on qualified meetings — zero time on dialing or CRM admin
- Pipeline visibility is real-time — every call outcome logged automatically and immediately
- Follow-ups are systematic — no lead falls through the cracks
- Scaling outbound means adding leads to the queue, not hiring new reps
Before vs After
| Dimension | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Outbound Calls | 40–50 per rep | 200+ per day (AI-handled) |
| CRM Data Entry | Manual, inconsistent, delayed | Automated in under 5 seconds |
| Meeting Booking | Rep-managed, error-prone | Booked during the call, auto-confirmed |
| Rep Daily Focus | ~80% admin, ~20% selling | 100% selling |
| Follow-Up | Missed & inconsistent | Systematic, automatic |
| Campaign Scaling | Hire & train new reps | Add leads to the queue |
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology | Role |
|---|---|---|
| AI Voice | Bland AI | Natural-sounding calls, intent detection, conversation management |
| CRM | Close CRM | Lead source, outcome storage, engagement history |
| Orchestration | N8N | Connects all systems, manages logic, handles retries |
| Scheduling | Calendar API | Real-time availability, meeting creation, invite delivery |
| Notifications | Email (via N8N) | Confirmations, summaries, campaign reports |