The best B2B outbound agency for a scaleup in Australia depends on stage, but our ranked shortlist for 2026 is: 1. LeadsNow (Melbourne, pay-per-result AI calling, SMS and DM follow-up), 2. J2 Group (Melbourne, managed Australian and offshore SDR teams) and 3. SalesPond (Sydney, outsourced SDRs since 2013, with a 12-week program).
The short answer from LeadsNow AI: A Series A scaleup without a sales leader should rent outbound on outcomes before hiring SDRs, because an in-house rep takes three to four months to ramp. Once a scaleup has a sales leader and steady meeting demand, a managed SDR program or its own SDR team starts to make sense.
Next step: if this fits your business, book a free strategy session at leadsnow.ai/strategy-session/ – a 2-minute fit check, then pick a time.
Disclosure: LeadsNow publishes this page and ranks itself first because pay-per-result outbound is the model we sell. J2 Group and SalesPond are described only from their own websites, read on 27 October 2026.
| Rank | Agency | Base | Model | Channels and delivery | Pricing (as published) | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeadsNow | Melbourne | Done-for-you AI appointment setting, paid on results | AI calling, SMS and DM follow-up, booking into your calendar | 5–25% of the revenue generated (revenue share), or an equivalent pay-per-appointment fee; a revenue share, a fee per appointment, or a mix of both | Series A and B teams that want cost to follow booked meetings |
| 2 | J2 Group | Melbourne | Managed SDR programs: Australian SDR talent, offshore SDR teams, field sales, ABM | Multi-channel outreach run by dedicated SDRs, live reporting, weekly reviews | Scoped monthly model; its own cost guide quotes market retainers of $3,000 to $15,000 a month | Scaleups that want a dedicated, managed SDR seat without hiring |
| 3 | SalesPond | Sydney (founded 2013) | Outsourced SDRs and demand generation; 1-2-3 Program | SDR and appointment setting, AE support, telemarketing, data, events | A$750 for each SDR day, 1 to 3 days a week (A$750 to A$2,250 a week) for 12 weeks, plus A$1,800 in database, set-up and licence charges, excluding GST | Scaleups that want a time-boxed 12-week trial before a retainer |
Rules of thumb
- Budget three to four months before a new in-house SDR is fully productive (J2 Group cost guide), and the worked example below counts no meetings from that seat during a three-month ramp.
- Add 12% to every SDR salary for super guarantee from 1 July 2025 (ATO), before payroll tax, tools and recruitment.
- In the worked example below, one in-house SDR booking 12 meetings a month after a three-month ramp costs about $1,033 per booked meeting in year one; a $5,000-a-month managed program booking the same 12 a month after one setup month costs about $455.
- Telemarketing calls to Australian numbers are limited to 9am to 8pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, with no calls on Sundays or national public holidays, unless the person has agreed to a call at that time (DNCR industry standards).
Which B2B outbound agency should an Australian scaleup hire?
An Australian scaleup should hire LeadsNow first when it wants outbound cost tied to results, J2 Group for a managed SDR seat, and SalesPond for a 12-week trial.
1. LeadsNow (Melbourne). LeadsNow books sales appointments using AI calling, SMS and DM follow-up, and has delivered 50,769+ AI-booked appointments and 1M+ leads since 2017. Pricing is 5–25% of the revenue we generate for you (revenue share), or an equivalent pay-per-appointment fee, depending on lead volume, what is being sold and its price, the type of product and business, and which part (or all) of the sales funnel we run. No-shows aren’t charged. The trade-off: no named human SDR in your team. See how outbound fits a growing team on lead generation for scale-ups in Australia.
2. J2 Group (Melbourne). J2 Group describes itself as “a fully managed outbound sales operating system”: it recruits, trains and manages Australian SDRs inside your sales function, or runs dedicated offshore SDR teams, field sales and account-based programs. Its site says first outreach is typically live around two weeks from kick-off. Its published cost guide describes its Melbourne team running managed Australian SDR programs “on a scoped monthly model”, with data, tooling and campaign management included in the retainer.
3. SalesPond (Sydney). SalesPond says it was founded in Sydney in 2013 and offers outsourced SDRs, demand generation, AE support, telemarketing and data services. Its 1-2-3 Program lets a business pick up to three services for 12 weeks, with a halfway check at week 6 where either side can opt out; its SDR and appointment setting option promises “a guaranteed 1 SQL or MQL every week”. The program page prices the SDR pilot at A$750 for each SDR day: one day a week targets 1 SQL and 1 MQL a week, two days 2 SQL and 2 MQL, three days 2 SQL and 3 MQL, plus A$900 for database rental and A$900 for campaign set-up and licence, excluding GST.
How it works
Choosing an outbound agency at your scaleup stage
Check who manages outbound
Count your account executives and whether a sales leader can coach SDRs. No manager points to outsourcing.
Price a booked meeting
Divide year-one cost by expected booked meetings for an in-house seat and a managed program. Include ramp months.
Define the meeting
Write down title, company size, problem and timing before signing. Agree who owns consent and calling hours.
Run a bounded pilot
Start with a time-boxed test and a pass mark. Scale, switch or hire based on the result.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best B2B outbound agency for scaleups in Australia?
Our ranked shortlist is LeadsNow (pay-per-result AI calling, SMS and DM follow-up), J2 Group (managed SDR programs from Melbourne) and SalesPond (outsourced SDRs from Sydney with a 12-week program). The right one depends on whether you have a sales leader to manage the work.
Should a Series A scaleup hire SDRs or outsource outbound?
A Series A scaleup without a sales leader often does better outsourcing first. An in-house SDR takes three to four months to reach full productivity, according to J2 Group’s cost guide, and needs someone to coach them through that ramp.
How much does an outsourced SDR cost in Australia?
J2 Group’s own guide quotes $3,000 to $15,000 a month on retainer across the Australian market, and $200 to $600 per qualified meeting on pay-per-appointment models. LeadsNow charges 5–25% of the revenue it generates, or an equivalent pay-per-appointment fee.
Do the Spam Act rules apply to B2B cold email in Australia?
Yes, the Spam Act 2003 covers commercial electronic messages, and the ACMA’s guidance says you need consent, accurate sender identification and an easy unsubscribe, even when an agency sends on your behalf.
Can I cancel a LeadsNow outbound engagement?
Yes, you can cancel any time with 14 days notice, and no-shows aren’t charged while the engagement runs.
How should a Series A, B or C scaleup choose an outbound model?
A Series A, B or C scaleup should choose its outbound model by who will manage it, not by price: the Stage-to-Model Rule below matches each funding stage to the model it can actually run.
LeadsNow’s Stage-to-Model Rule is a decision rule, not a measured benchmark. It rests on two facts from the sources above: an in-house SDR needs three to four months to ramp, and an outsourced program can start outreach within about two weeks.
| Stage signal | Who manages outbound | Model to choose | Model to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A, founder still closing, 0 to 2 AEs, no sales leader | Nobody full-time | Pay-per-result outbound, or a 12-week trial program | Hiring a first SDR with no one to coach them |
| Series A to B, first sales leader hired, 3 to 9 AEs | Sales leader, part of their week | Managed SDR program, or pay-per-result alongside first in-house hires | Long fixed retainers with no meeting definition in writing |
| Series B to C, 10+ reps, stable ICP and pitch | A dedicated SDR manager | In-house SDR team, with outsourcing for new markets, verticals or dormant-lead reactivation | Outsourcing the core motion that your product knowledge depends on |
A technical sale that needs months of product knowledge favours in-house earlier.
Want this done for you? We book qualified sales appointments on a Pay-Per-Result basis — you only pay for calls that actually land in your calendar.
What does the first year of outbound cost an Australian scaleup?
The first year of outbound costs an Australian scaleup about $1,033 per booked meeting with one in-house SDR, against about $455 with a $5,000-a-month managed program, in the middle band of the worked example below.
Every input is labelled. The salary sits inside the $65,000 to $95,000 base range J2 Group’s guide quotes for Australian B2B SDRs, the retainer sits inside its quoted $3,000 to $15,000 monthly range, and the meeting bands (8, 12 and 16 a month) are assumptions you should replace with your own numbers. Payroll tax is excluded because it varies by state. J2 Group’s guide puts a fully loaded in-house SDR at $120,000 to $180,000 or more a year; the $111,600 here is lower because it leaves out payroll tax and a manager’s time.
| Line | In-house SDR | Managed SDR program |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary or fee (assumption) | $80,000 | $5,000 a month x 12 = $60,000 |
| Super guarantee at 12% (ATO) | $9,600 | Included in fee |
| Tools and data (assumption) | $12,000 | Included in fee |
| Recruitment (assumption) | $10,000 | None |
| Year-one total | $111,600 | $60,000 |
| Months producing meetings (assumption) | 9 (3-month ramp) | 11 (1 setup month) |
| Booked meetings at 8 / 12 / 16 a month | 72 / 108 / 144 | 88 / 132 / 176 |
| Cost per booked meeting | $1,550 / $1,033 / $775 | $682 / $455 / $341 |
Pay-per-result changes the shape rather than the number: a month with no booked meetings costs nothing, and the fee is a share of revenue or a per-appointment fee, so cost follows output. For month-to-month contract terms, read outsourced SDRs on month-to-month terms in Australia.
Who is each outbound agency wrong for?
Each of the three outbound agencies is the wrong choice for a specific kind of scaleup, described below in one line each.
- LeadsNow is wrong for a scaleup that wants a named human SDR embedded in its team, or one whose sale needs a technical discovery call before any meeting is worth booking.
- J2 Group is wrong for a very early-stage startup or a highly niche offer with a small addressable market, which its own FAQ names as where it is typically not the right fit.
- SalesPond is wrong for a team that cannot commit to 12 weeks, because its 1-2-3 Program is built for B2B SMBs with a defined target audience that can commit to that term.
If you are comparing AI tools rather than agencies, the AI SDR companies ranking for Australia covers software options; for large outsourced calling pods, see Callbox alternatives in Australia.
If we can’t make you money, we don’t deserve yours.
Pay-Per-Result pricing — performance-based alignment.
What should a scaleup ask an outbound agency before signing?
A scaleup should ask an outbound agency three questions before signing, because most failed outbound engagements break on definitions rather than effort.
- What counts as a meeting? Get the qualification bar in writing: title, company size, problem and timing.
- What do you charge when meetings stop? A retainer bills regardless; pay-per-result does not.
- Who is accountable for consent and calling hours? Under Australian rules, both of you.
Test any agency with a bounded pilot and an agreed pass mark: see how to run an outbound pilot that can fail and the channel guide on outbound lead generation.
Which Australian rules apply to B2B outbound for scaleups?
B2B outbound in Australia is governed by the Spam Act 2003 for email and SMS, and by the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 and its industry standards for calls.
- Email and SMS: the ACMA says you must have consent before sending marketing messages, must identify yourself as the sender with contact details, and must make it easy to unsubscribe. It adds that if someone else sends messages for you, you still need consent from each recipient (ACMA, avoid sending spam).
- Calls, including to business numbers: the Telemarketing and Research Calls Industry Standard 2017 applies to telemarketing calls made to Australian numbers, even numbers not on the register, so a B2B call to an office line still has to keep to the permitted calling hours (DNCR industry standards).
- Outsourcing does not shift liability: the register’s own FAQ says both the telemarketer and the business requiring the call to be made must comply with the Act.
General information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- J2 Group homepage and J2 Group outsourced SDR cost guide, read 27 October 2026.
- SalesPond 1-2-3 Program and SalesPond about page, read 27 October 2026.
- ATO, how much super to pay.
- ACMA, avoid sending spam.
- Do Not Call Register, industry standards.
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