CASE STUDIES

How Talent Retriever Transformed Lead Generation and Sales Strategy with AI Engage

 

Talentretriever

Founded: 2004

Background

Founded over 21 years ago by Cheryl Barbato and her husband Dave, Talent Retriever is a recruitment consultancy that specializes in both long-term, embedded recruiting solutions and short-term hiring projects. Operating under the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), they’ve carved out a niche in technology, manufacturing, and industrial trades—primarily serving EOS-run businesses. 

As the president and integrator, Cheryl oversees day-to-day operations. With a lean internal team and no formalized marketing department, their biggest challenge was consistently generating top-of-funnel activity to support long-term sales growth. 

The Challenge

Talent Retriever knew that growing meaningful relationships was essential for winning new clients. But without the internal bandwidth to focus on outbound lead generation or content production, the firm was struggling to create awareness and drive engagement with target audiences. 

Their biggest hurdle: getting in front of the right people—consistently and effectively—without sounding generic or inauthentic. 

Talent Retriever turned to Knowledgenet’s AI Engage to help solve this challenge. 

Together, they launched a three-part webinar series focused on a key target group, aiming to foster conversations through: 

  • Strategic LinkedIn outreach 
  • Content creation and repurposing 
  • Relationship-building with industry influencers and decision-makers 

 

The Knowledgenet team not only managed the end-to-end setup and promotion of the webinars, but also delivered a structured system using tools like Google Sheets for real-time performance tracking. Their support extended beyond lead gen, becoming an extension of Talent Retriever’s marketing team.

Results

  • Exceeded outreach expectations: The LinkedIn campaign produced a high connection and engagement rate with the targeted audience—far beyond initial projections. 
  • Tangible leads generated: Several relationships were formed that have since led to sales meetings and referral opportunities. 
  • Content repurposing power: The webinars weren’t one-and-done—they provided reusable content for ongoing outreach and marketing. 
  • Operational focus: The collaboration helped Talent Retriever stay focused, avoid distractions, and align on clear targeting strategies. 

 

"It gave us a way to get in the door that didn’t feel cold. The automated LinkedIn outreach didn’t sound like AI. It sounded like us..”

Beyond Marketing : Looking Ahead

The experience not only generated leads but also opened Cheryl’s eyes to how Knowledgenet’s capabilities could extend to operational delivery—hinting at a broader partnership beyond just sales enablement. 

 

"We now look at Knowledgenet as part of our accountability chart within EOS. They’ve effectively become our outsourced lead generation function”

Key Takeaways 

  • Top-of-funnel transformation: Knowledgenet addressed Talent Retriever’s biggest challenge with structured, scalable lead generation. 
  • Personal touch at scale: Despite automation, the messaging stayed authentic—essential in a trust-driven industry like recruiting. 
  • Extended impact: The project created long-term content value, improved internal focus, and hinted at broader organizational applications. 

 

Interested in achieving similar results? 
Get in touch with us and discover how AI Engage can accelerate your business growth while staying personal and purposeful. 

 

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