Key takeaways
- BAO describes itself as an appointment setting and lead generation firm focused on B2B tech, with a public sector practice for federal, SLED and education that it says is about a third of its business.
- BAO reports 180,000+ public sector meetings to date and prices on performance: its site says you pay for results, not time.
- Kensington Sales Group works only on public-sector and utility sales, with embedded SDRs who prospect under your brand, mostly by phone, in English and Spanish.
- BAO's site doesn't mention utilities, healthcare, tribal governments or special districts. If those are your buyers, or you want market intelligence from every call, KSG is built for that.
KSG and BAO at a glance
| Kensington Sales Group | BAO | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Only public-sector and utility sales | Appointment setting for B2B tech, with a public sector practice (about one-third of its business) |
| Public-sector markets | Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts, Utilities | Federal, state and local, and education; utilities aren't mentioned |
| Team model | Embedded SDRs who learn your product and prospect under your brand | Inside sales representatives trained for public-sector prospecting |
| Pricing model | Scoped to each program; discussed on a call | Performance-based: "you pay for your results, not our time" |
| Scale | 10,000+ qualified meetings booked for clients since 2016 | 180,000+ public sector meetings; 550,000+ appointments overall; 35,000+ dials a day across clients |
| Market intelligence | Reported from every conversation; also a standalone service | Offers account insights alongside appointment setting |
| Languages | English and Spanish, across the Western Hemisphere | Not stated |
BAO details are from its homepage and public sector page as viewed November 6, 2026. Its figures are self-reported.
What BAO offers
BAO (By Appointment Only) provides appointment setting, warm prospecting support for SDR teams, marketing programs and account insights, mainly for B2B technology companies. Its public sector practice prospects into federal agencies, state and local governments and education, and says its inside sales representatives are trained in public-sector budget cycles, titles, buying processes and procurement rules.
BAO reports 180,000+ public sector meetings overall and, over the past 12 months, 1,025 federal, 1,357 SLED and 1,502 education meetings. It prices on performance. Public-sector clients quoted on its site include Commvault, Everpure, Empower Solutions and Red River.
What KSG offers
- Embedded SDRs who learn your product and prospect under your brand, working only with government, education and utility buyers.
- Phone-led outreach backed by email and LinkedIn.
- Qualified meetings booked on your account executives' calendars, with notes on budget, timing, buying process and incumbents.
- Market intelligence gathered from every conversation. See market intelligence.
- Coverage across Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts and Utilities, in English and Spanish.
- Results: more than 10,000 qualified meetings since 2016, including 800+ law enforcement meetings for Brother Mobile Solutions, 70 utility meetings for Siemens and 22 federal leads in one quarter for Verizon.
Where they differ
- Specialist vs. practice. Government is one of BAO's markets; for KSG it's the only one. Every KSG rep, process and data source is built around public-sector and utility buyers.
- Utilities and beyond. KSG covers public power, co-ops, water and wastewater utilities, healthcare systems, tribal governments and special districts as well as federal, SLED and education.
- Pricing incentives. Pay-for-performance pricing makes cost predictable per result. A scoped program pays for the team's time, so reps can spend it on fit rather than volume. Whichever you choose, agree in writing what counts as a qualified meeting.
- Intelligence and language. KSG reports what reps learn on every call and runs outreach in English and Spanish, including across Central and South America.
Which is the better fit?
| Choose KSG if… | BAO may fit if… |
|---|---|
| Your buyers include utilities, healthcare systems, tribal governments or special districts | Your buyers are federal, SLED and education IT and technology teams |
| You want a team that works only on public-sector sales and represents your brand | You sell to both commercial and public-sector buyers and want one vendor for both |
| You want market intelligence from every conversation | You prefer performance-based pricing |
| You need outreach in Spanish or across Latin America | Your outreach is in English only |
Questions to ask any public-sector appointment setter
- Who will make the calls, and how long have they sold to government?
- Will the same reps work our account for the whole engagement?
- What counts as a qualified meeting, and what happens when one doesn't hold?
- What will we learn from each conversation beyond the meeting itself?
- Can we speak with a current client in our segment?
See also: Fed and SLED appointment setting companies, KSG vs. memoryBlue and Starbridge vs. Civic IQ vs. KSG.
Sources: BAO homepage; BAO public sector practice (both viewed November 6, 2026).
This page is written by Kensington Sales Group, which competes with BAO. Descriptions of BAO are based on its public website and may change; its figures are self-reported. KSG is not affiliated with, endorsed by or a partner of BAO, and company names are trademarks of their owners.