BrightServe: Scaling Back to Pre-COVID Sales Without Rebuilding a 12-Person Team

How BrightServe rebuilt its sales pipeline after losing their entire team during the pandemic — scaling outreach with AI and saving $500K+ annually.

BrightServe

B2B Services SaaS

Key Results

600%
Increase in Demos
From 4 demos monthly to 28 demos monthly
$500K+
Annual Savings
Avoided rehiring a full sales team
90%
Time Saved
Manual outreach time reduced from 240 hours/week to under 20 hours/week

Before vs With

Before Cora

Demos:4 per month
Time Spent:240 hours/week (12 reps at 20 hrs each)
Reply Rate:2.5%
Cost:$500,000/year in salaries

With Cora

Demos:28 per month
Time Spent:20 hours/week (1 manager)
Reply Rate:14%
Cost:$499/month

Implementation Timeline

Week 1

Setup & Data Upload

Uploaded prospect lists, and trained Cora on BrightServe's value proposition.

Week 2

Campaign Launch

Cora began running fully personalized multi-channel campaigns.

Month 1

Optimization

Adjusted messaging based on early response data and AI insights.

Month 2+

Autopilot Growth

Cora now runs continuously, booking demos while the team focuses on closing deals.

"We were faced with a tough decision: either spend half a million dollars rebuilding a team we might lose again or find a smarter way. Cora Intelligence gave us that smarter way. Now, one person manages outreach for our entire company — and we're booking more demos than ever."

Mark WilliamsCEO
BrightServe

How BrightServe Scaled Back to Pre-COVID Sales Without Rebuilding a 12-Person Team


When the pandemic hit, BrightServe — a B2B SaaS company helping service businesses streamline operations — faced an unimaginable challenge. Practically overnight, they lost their entire 12-person sales team** due to budget cuts and hiring freezes.


For months, the company survived on referrals and existing customers. But as the economy recovered, CEO Mark Williams knew they needed to start selling again.


> “Do we rebuild our sales team from scratch, or is there a better, leaner way to scale?”

> — Mark Williams, CEO of BrightServe



The Challenge: Rebuilding Sales From Zero


Before COVID, BrightServe's sales process was fully manual:

- 12 sales reps doing prospect research

- Cold emails written by hand

- Follow-ups managed in messy spreadsheets

- Endless scheduling back-and-forth for demo calls


It worked, but it was expensive and time-consuming.


When the team disappeared, Mark was left with two options:

1. Spend $500,000+ annually to rebuild a traditional sales department.
2. Find a **more scalable solution** that could grow without the overhead.


The Turning Point: Discovering Cora Intelligence


Mark started researching automation tools but found most of them were just email blast platforms.


Cora Intelligence was different.

It acted like a full AI-powered sales team, handling:

- Prospect Research: Cora scans websites and identifies key pain points automatically.

- Personalized Outreach: Every message feels human, not like a template.

- AI-Driven Calling: Cora calls prospects in natural language when they engage.

- Automated Follow-ups: The system keeps following up until a meeting is booked.


This meant that one marketing manager** could run the same volume of outreach that previously required 12 people.


> “Cora didn’t just replace our team — it gave us a smarter, more reliable process.”



The Results: More Demos With 90% Less Effort


Within two months, BrightServe’s pipeline was healthier than ever:


- Demo bookings skyrocketed 600%, from 4 to 28 per month.

- Time spent on outreach dropped from 240 hours/week to just 20 hours/week.

- Reply rates increased 5.6x, from 2.5% to 14%.

- The company saved over $500,000 annually by avoiding new hires.


> “Now, one person manages outreach for our entire company — and we’re booking more demos than ever before.”



Why This Matters for Post-COVID Businesses


Thousands of companies are facing the same challenge BrightServe faced:

- Sales dried up during the pandemic.

- Hiring costs are higher than ever.

- Scaling feels risky and expensive.


AI-powered sales tools like Cora offer a third option:

1. Upload a prospect list once a month.
2. Let Cora handle research, emails, calls, and follow-ups.
3. Step in only when a demo is booked.

It’s like having a 12-person sales team — without the salaries, overhead, or burnout.



The Takeaway


BrightServe didn’t just survive the pandemic; they came back stronger than before.


With Cora Intelligence, they went from:

- 12 reps to 1 marketing manager

- $500K/year in costs to $499/month

- 4 demos to 28 demos per month


> “We didn’t just rebuild — we completely reinvented our sales process for the future.”

> — Mark Williams, CEO of BrightServe



If your company is ready to scale again without taking on huge risk, Cora Intelligence can help you grow — leaner, smarter, and faster than ever.




Ready to create your own success story?

Join hundreds of businesses already using Cora Intelligence to transform their sales process.