By Appointment Only, or BAO, focuses on appointment setting and custom lead generation for B2B high-tech companies. Its current offer includes performance-based appointment setting, SmartLeads warm introductions, and public-sector support.
BAO and Coseek both use the phone to reach decision-makers, but the commercial unit differs. BAO sells result-linked appointment and introduction programs for high-tech and public-sector teams. We sell a fixed-fee phone operation that can begin with a four-week validation sprint.
Facts checked: July 13, 2026.
By Appointment Only vs Coseek at a glance
| Dimension | By Appointment Only / BAO | Coseek |
|---|---|---|
| Current focus | B2B high-tech appointment setting and custom lead generation | Managed cold-call-led business development for one defined campaign |
| Programs | Performance-based appointment setting, SmartLeads, and FED or SLED support | Cold-call validation sprint and ongoing business development |
| Commercial model | Pay for defined results or introductions, with no public dollar rate | $4,500 fixed for the four-week sprint |
| Team and process | Inside sales representatives, lead-development work, and post-meeting quality tracking depending on program | Account research, daily calling, selected-call review, and handoff inside one campaign |
| Best fit | High-tech enterprises, public-sector sellers, and teams adding appointment or introduction capacity | Teams testing or operating one focused B2B phone motion |
| Main decision | Which result and program should BAO own? | Does this market justify a managed daily cold-calling operation? |
What By Appointment Only currently sells
The BAO homepage positions the company around B2B high-tech appointment setting and custom lead generation.
Its appointment-setting service describes an account and persona definition process, training on client messaging, inside sales representatives securing executive meetings, and post-meeting feedback through the BAO ROI Tracker.
The SmartLeads service is a different product. A lead-development representative has a live conversation, then sends a warm-introduction email connecting the prospect and the client SDR with talking points. The official page says buyers pay for introductions.
BAO also has a public-sector service overview for federal, state, and local government sales work. That makes BAO more relevant than a generalist appointment-setting agency when public-sector account access is central.
BAO pricing and commercial model
BAO does not publish a current dollar price on the checked official pages.
The appointment-setting page describes a performance-based model where the client pays for results rather than time. SmartLeads says clients pay for introductions. Those descriptions establish the commercial posture, but not the exact billable unit, dollar rate, qualification rule, replacement policy, or contract term.
Do not convert “performance-based” into an assumed per-appointment price. An appointment, a warm introduction, an accepted meeting, and a held meeting are different outcomes. The proposal should define which one creates a charge.
Unlike BAO's performance-based positioning, we charge $4,500 fixed for the four-week validation sprint. Buyers can start there or choose ongoing business development when there is already enough evidence to run the motion daily.
How the operating models differ
BAO is organized around defined appointment and introduction products. That structure can suit a large high-tech sales team that already has SDRs, closers, systems, and management, but needs more executive access or a public-sector lane.
We sell the phone motion rather than an appointment or introduction product. Account preparation, daily calls, and selected-call review remain inside the fixed-fee campaign, so conversations that do not become appointments can still change the targeting, message, or how the agreed qualification rule is applied.
Unlike a performance-based appointment or introduction unit, the sprint can support scaling, revision and retest, stopping, or an inconclusive result under the tested conditions. It is useful when the company has not yet decided whether an internal phone-led SDR function is worth building.
BAO reviews: what to examine
No independent customer-review listing found in the checked research added enough current service detail to support a rating or review count here. Employee-review sites do not establish customer outcomes.
Ask BAO for references that used the same product. Appointment Setting, SmartLeads, and public-sector work should be reviewed separately. Verify the agreed result, buyer seniority, meeting acceptance, post-meeting feedback, and what happened when the client rejected an appointment or introduction.
When BAO is the better fit
Choose BAO when:
- You sell B2B technology and want a provider focused on that market.
- You need FED or SLED appointment-setting support.
- Your internal SDR team wants warm introductions rather than a full external phone operation.
- You prefer a result-linked appointment or introduction product after the billable unit is defined.
- A larger enterprise prospecting relationship fits the internal sales structure.
When we are the better fit
Choose us when:
- You need to test cold calling before hiring an internal SDR function.
- You want the list, research, daily calling, call review, and practice owned together.
- You want conversation evidence from the full calling motion, not only a billable appointment or introduction.
- You prefer one fixed sprint fee before deciding whether to continue the phone motion.
Questions to ask before signing
- Is the proposal for Appointment Setting, SmartLeads, public-sector support, or a custom combination?
- What exact event creates a charge?
- How does BAO define a qualified appointment or introduction?
- Who reviews meeting quality after the handoff?
- Which campaign data and conversation notes transfer to the client?
FAQ
Is By Appointment Only the same company as BAO?
Yes. BAO is the short name used by By Appointment Only on its official website and service pages.
Are you buying BAO for raw call capacity or for its appointment, introduction, and public-sector programs?
Phone conversations are central to BAO’s appointment-setting and SmartLeads work, but its offer is broader than raw calling capacity. It sells defined appointment, introduction, and public-sector programs.
How much does By Appointment Only cost?
BAO does not publish a current dollar rate on the checked official pages. It describes performance-based appointment setting and a SmartLeads model where clients pay for introductions.
Does BAO charge per appointment?
The official appointment-setting page says buyers pay for results, but does not publish a universal per-appointment dollar rate. SmartLeads separately says buyers pay for introductions. The signed proposal must define the billable event.
Do you need a billable result product or the complete phone motion?
BAO fits high-tech, public-sector, and warm-introduction programs whose billable result is defined in advance. We fit a fixed-fee market test where useful conversations still matter even when they do not become meetings.
When does BAO's SmartLeads or public-sector focus fit better?
Choose BAO when SmartLeads, public-sector access, or a result-linked appointment product fills a specific gap in an existing sales team. Choose us when the buyer needs the full phone motion tested or operated as one scope.