How We Achieved a 44% Response Rate by Building Relationships with E-commerce Managers

Client

Challenge

The client wanted to reach a precisely selected group of e-commerce managers in Poland. The main problem wasn't a lack of a contact database, but rather the approach. Traditional sales ("Buy our implementation") in this target group are met with "banner blindness."

The challenge was to break down the entry barrier and build network equity, where the client becomes a central hub for knowledge exchange, not just another service provider. The goal was to explore market needs (feedback) and identify business potential without sales pressure.

Questions asked

Before the campaign launched, we asked ourselves key strategic questions:

• Does the "soft" approach work? Will a request for connection and feedback generate a higher response rate than a commercial offer?
• What do managers need? Are e-commerce managers open to sharing their challenges if they feel they are talking to an expert, not a salesperson?
• How to visualize success? How to turn a list of names into a living ecosystem of relationships (hub & Spoke)?

Our Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1:

E-commerce managers suffer from a lack of substantive knowledge exchange. Positioning the customer as a "hub" (knowledge node) will open the door to conversations.

Hypothesis 2:

A high acceptance rate will directly translate into the quality of leads - people who accept the invitation in the networking model will be more willing to enter the "active lead" process.

Solution

We designed the campaign E-commerce Boosting, which systematically built a network of connections around our client.

Solution 1: Visualization and Structure (Hub & Spoke Model)

As you can see in the attached graphic, we adopted a centric model:

• Hub (yellow dot on the graphic): Our client. The central point where information and needs from the market flow.
• Connections: 480 selected e-commerce managers.
• Active prospects (black squares): People who interacted and provided feedback.

Solution 2: Feedback-Based Communication

Instead of pitching growth services, we asked for perspective. The campaign consisted of a request for connections and a request for a meeting to exchange experiences.

Message mechanics:

1. Context: We are building a network of e-commerce experts.
2. Value: We want to hear about your challenges in scaling your store.
3. The one: Verification of whether there is potential for cooperation (business thread), but resulting from the diagnosis, not the offer.

Business Conclusions

This campaign became one of the best implementations in our history in terms of boosting e-commerce.

• The Power of Networking: The graphic shows how dense a network has been built around the customer. These aren't just records in a CRM; they're a real "digital handshake."
• Quality over quantity: Of the 480 people, 140 entered the dialogue. This proves that the market is hungry for substantive conversation, not generic offers.
• Active Leads: The black spots on the graphic are not just conversations; they are identified needs that the client could immediately address with their growth services.