Smith.ai vs. Demand Inc

Demand Inc only books appointments via email. We agree that email can be an effective outreach tactic — but it’s not one that can stand on its own without additional sales support. How many cold emails have you received today and how many prompted you to respond? Probably very few.

Smith.ai uses a call-first strategy that incorporates text and email follow-up with detailed information as supplemental engagement techniques. The call is our primary engagement method because it’s the most effective means of communicating with prospects. The multi-channel approach that we take improves engagement rates even further, but all outreach activities center around strategically timed outbound calls. We make up to five calls per contact to reach targeted leads with call messaging crafted to specifically achieve your objective. Our team can easily scale based on your lead volume with our hundreds of North America-based SDRs. 

The differences don’t end there. Demand Inc’s monthly cost for email alone ranges from $6,000 to $10,000 per month, but there are no details on how that breaks down. It’s both basic, overly simplistic, and expensive. We’re far more comprehensive, detailed, and transparent. With Smith.ai, plans start at just $600 per month. We charge per contact — with 50 contacts included at the starting price, and discounts are available for larger lists. We offer cold outreach as well, and can quickly supply targeted leads upon request for a low cost of $1/lead, which includes targeting strategy and research, along with sample list data so you have confidence the leads meet your specific criteria.

Demand Inc’s features pale in comparison to Smith.ai. They’re just going to book appointments via email using a calendaring link you provide. At Smith.ai, we accept payments, complete new-client forms, and have English- and Spanish-speaking SDRs. We also integrate with your CRM and marketing software so call details are automatically logged in your system, new leads are added and updated, and appointments are booked directly on your calendar. Through these integrations we can also automatically import leads into our system from yours, such as when new leads complete a new-client inquiry on your website or respond to a lead gen ad — so you can pipe those leads directly to Smith.ai for immediate outbound engagement. We’ll solve your speed to lead constraints.

Critically, we also offer the option to have inbound coverage when leads call back in response to voicemails and messages sent to them. Our 24/7 virtual receptionists are available to add-on to any Outreach Campaigns plan for just $285 per month, ensuring 360-degree coverage of your leads, particularly those with the highest intent. We even offer 24/7 live chat so leads visiting your website after receiving our outreach are greeted and engaged immediately. We handle the entire “frontline” of your lead flow so you never need to worry about in-house coverage when our campaigns are running on your behalf.

Beyond all that, our rich call intelligence — accessible directly from your online client dashboard — allows you to monitor campaign progress in real-time and track results accurately.

Our sales-trained agents are ready to do more than just basic email outreach. For growth-minded business owners looking for full outbound sales development, Smith.ai is the superior choice over Demand Inc.