Key takeaways
- Strategic Sales & Marketing, founded in 1989 in Connecticut, describes itself as a B2B lead generation and appointment setting company for industries such as IT, business services, manufacturing, insurance, SaaS and cybersecurity.
- Kensington Sales Group works only on public-sector and utility sales: Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts and Utilities.
- Government buyers follow budget cycles, procurement rules and board approvals that commercial buyers don't. A team that already knows them ramps faster and books better-qualified meetings.
- If most of your buyers are commercial businesses, a broad B2B firm like SSM may be the better fit.
KSG and SSM at a glance
| Kensington Sales Group | Strategic Sales & Marketing | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Only public-sector and utility sales | B2B lead generation and appointment setting for commercial businesses |
| Markets | Federal, SLED, K-12 & Higher Ed, Healthcare, Tribal, Special Districts, Utilities | Information technology, B2B services, manufacturing and distribution, business insurance, SaaS, marketing agencies, cybersecurity |
| Government in its industry mix | All of it | Not listed among focus industries on Clutch (IT 35%, business services 25%, manufacturing 15%, financial services 10%, education 5%, other 10%) |
| Services | Embedded SDR teams, appointment setting, market intelligence, event prospecting, US market entry | Appointment setting, lead generation, inbound lead qualification, lead management, fractional sales reps, surveys, email and social programs, sales coaching |
| Market intelligence | Reported from every conversation; also a standalone service | Offers marketing research and surveys |
| Languages | English and Spanish, across the Western Hemisphere | Not stated on its homepage |
| Founded | 2016, Kensington, Maryland | 1989, Connecticut |
| Pricing | Scoped to each program; discussed on a call | No list prices; its site says cost depends on scope, timeline and services |
SSM details are from its website (homepage as captured June 2024) and its Clutch and DesignRush profiles as viewed November 2, 2026. Its claims are self-reported.
What Strategic Sales & Marketing offers
SSM describes itself as a B2B lead generation company that works only with business-to-business clients, focuses on major accounts and senior decision makers, and acts as an extension of the client's sales team. Its services include B2B appointment setting, lead generation, inbound lead qualification, lead management, fractional sales rep services, marketing research and surveys, email and social media programs, and sales coaching. It says it has generated more than 3 million qualified B2B sales leads since 1989.
The industries SSM highlights are information technology, B2B services, manufacturing and distribution, business insurance, SaaS, marketing agencies and cybersecurity. Its public materials don't describe a government or public-sector practice.
Why public-sector teams need a specialist
Selling to government isn't like selling to a business. An agency can want your product and still be unable to buy it until the next fiscal year, a board vote or a compliant contract is in place. A specialist team already knows:
- Who decides: program owners, IT, finance, procurement, and the councils and boards that approve spending, not just one title.
- When to reach out: around fiscal years, budget calendars, grant awards and contract expirations.
- How agencies can buy: purchasing thresholds, cooperative contracts, GSA Schedules and formal solicitations.
- What not to do: contacting evaluators during an open solicitation, ignoring gift and ethics rules, or pushing urgency on a buyer who can't move until the budget does.
- How the buyer talks: RFPs, sole source, piggybacking, capital plans and fiscal year-end spending.
A generalist team can learn this, but you pay for the learning curve in slower ramp time and meetings with people who can't buy.
What KSG offers public-sector teams
- Embedded SDRs who learn your product and prospect under your brand, working only with government, education and utility buyers.
- 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 for clients since 2016, including 800+ law enforcement meetings for Brother Mobile Solutions, 22 federal leads in one quarter for Verizon, 70 utility meetings for Siemens and $5 million in revenue from airport outreach for KOVA.
Which is the better fit?
| Choose a public-sector specialist like KSG if… | A broad B2B firm like SSM may fit if… |
|---|---|
| Most of your buyers are federal, state or local agencies, schools, special districts, tribal governments or utilities | Most of your buyers are commercial businesses |
| You need reps who already know budgets, procurement and who decides | You sell into IT, manufacturing, insurance or business services |
| You want market intelligence on agencies alongside meetings | Meetings and lead qualification are the main deliverables you need |
| You need outreach in Spanish or across Latin America | Your outreach is in English only |
Questions to ask any lead generation firm
- How many of your current programs sell to government agencies, schools or utilities?
- Which agency types and roles have you reached for clients like us?
- How do you handle buyers during an open solicitation?
- How do you define a qualified meeting for a public-sector buyer?
- Can I speak with a client that sells to the public sector?
See also: Fed and SLED appointment setting companies, SalesHive alternative and are outsourced programs effective for public-sector sales?
Sources: Strategic Sales & Marketing website (homepage as captured June 2024); Strategic Sales & Marketing on Clutch (viewed November 2, 2026); Strategic Sales & Marketing on DesignRush (viewed November 2, 2026).
This page is written by Kensington Sales Group, which competes with Strategic Sales & Marketing. Descriptions of SSM are based on its public website and directory profiles and may change; its claims are self-reported. KSG is not affiliated with Strategic Sales & Marketing, Inc., and company names are trademarks of their owners.