How Hologram generated 30–40% of its pipeline through automated outbound systems
The challenge: Generate more pipeline without adding manual work
Hologram provides global cellular connectivity for IoT devices, including SIM cards, eSIMs, and cellular IoT platforms, and connects devices to mobile networks in more than 200 countries. Hologram’s go-to-market (GTM) team wanted to diversify its lead sources and generate more high-quality top-of-funnel activity through cold outbound.
In June 2024, Hologram adopted Clay and brought in The Kiln (a 2X company) for Clay implementation and professional services. The goals were to make sales and marketing operations more efficient and to generate more early-stage pipeline through quality cold outbound at scale.
The solution: Connect outbound infrastructure, data, and automation
The Kiln began by establishing the infrastructure needed to support Hologram’s outbound operations.
The work covered three areas:
- Email infrastructure: Building an email infrastructure optimized for deliverability to support outbound campaigns.
- Outbound technology stack: Advising on and implementing tools that fit Hologram’s existing sales and marketing operations.
- Clay implementation: Establishing Clay as the central orchestration tool for cold outbound operations.
With this foundation in place, The Kiln launched medium- to high-volume automated cold email campaigns.
The campaigns combined first- and third-party data, multiple data providers available through Clay, and generative AI personalization to support prospect targeting and tailored outreach.
The Kiln also automated repetitive parts of Hologram’s sales process, including account and prospect research.
The results: More pipeline contribution, less time spent preparing to sell
Hologram’s new outbound systems delivered measurable results across pipeline generation, campaign engagement, and operational efficiency.
Automated outbound campaigns
- 30–40% of pipeline generated: Hologram reported that its new systems were generating 30–40% of its pipeline.
- 2% average positive reply rate: Automated cold email campaigns achieved an average positive reply rate of approximately 2%.
- Around 90% time savings in certain processes: Hologram reported that the systems saved its team approximately 90% of the time previously spent on certain processes.
Sales process automation
- Account research reduced from an hour to minutes: Automated research reduced the time required for account and prospect research, giving sales representatives more time to sell and increasing their capacity to send outbound messages.
The impact: More selling time from existing resources
Hologram’s experience shows how connected outbound infrastructure and automated sales workflows can support pipeline generation without requiring the same level of manual effort.
Clay became the central orchestration tool for cold outbound, while automated research reduced the preparation required of sales representatives. Together, these changes helped Hologram increase outbound capacity and make more effective use of its available resources.
The Kiln’s work gave Hologram a foundation for running outbound campaigns at scale, with less time spent on repetitive research and more capacity for customer-facing sales activity.
Now part of 2X, The Kiln brings its outbound automation and GTM engineering expertise to the broader work of connecting GTM strategy, technology, and operations.
