Top Drawer Merch & DMT: Sub-Niche Outreach for Merchandise Services

Top Drawer Merch, a forward-thinking agency HQ’ed in Los Angeles, merges full-service merchandise expertise with the latest tech and web3 innovations. As a Shopify Plus Agency and Shopify Preferred Partner, they’re redefining Tokengated Commerce, offering partners unparalleled, white-glove services.

Top Drawer Merch needed a predictable lead generation strategy, focused on connecting with decision makers in niche markets across the US and beyond. TDM was looking for a reliable sales development partner who understood how to navigate a range of industries - from crypto and blockchain to streamers, music creators, and beyond. That’s where DMT Corp came in, ready to help elevate Top Drawer’s market presence and generate high-quality leads.

The initial phase targeted the Food & Beverage and Alcohol sectors, but these showed surprisingly low engagement with our value proposition. The client’s proactive involvement and willingness to communicate regularly via Slack played a key role in helping us adjust our approach. A major turning point was fine-tuning our messaging to better convey the core value, leading to improved conversion rates.

Our target sectors included Crypto/Blockchain, Streamers (YouTube/Twitch), Music Labels & Festivals, and Cannabis. Early attempts to segment by job titles didn’t deliver strong results, so we shifted to focusing on the industries themselves—crafting tailored campaigns for each. This change led to significantly more meaningful engagement across the board.

To tackle the challenges TDM had with lead generation, we implemented a strategy that combined industry knowledge and value prop segmentation with the use of relevant client references to strengthen our outreach. A key part of this was what we call the “referral approach.” Here's how it worked: in our messaging, we’d ask something like, “Would you or [ReferralName] be interested in this?”

By mentioning a colleague’s name, we increased the chances of getting a response and ensured the message reached the right person—someone who could truly recognize the value of what we were offering. This tactic proved especially effective in industries where identifying the right contact is often difficult.

We also put custom processes in place that boosted our SDRs’ efficiency, enabling them to manage multiple campaigns at once. Meanwhile, our research team played a crucial role by building tailored lead lists and tracking relevant events to support highly targeted outreach.