Project Overview & Headline

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This case study outlines the creation of Solaris's first structured sales operations function. The project involved implementing Salesforce as the central CRM, defining a clear sales pipeline, and building dashboards to provide leadership with real-time visibility into performance. This work transformed the sales process from an art into a science, creating a scalable and predictable revenue engine.​

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The Context & Challenge

 

In the early, high-growth phase, leads and deals were being managed in spreadsheets and personal notes. While this worked for a handful of reps, it was not scalable and created significant challenges:

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• Lack of Visibility: Leadership had no reliable, real-time view of the sales pipeline, making forecasting nearly impossible.

• Inefficient Processes: There was no standard process for lead handoffs, deal progression, or data capture, leading to lost information and wasted effort.

• No Data for Decision-Making: Without structured data, it was impossible to answer critical questions like "Which lead sources are most effective?" or "Where are deals getting stuck in our process?"
   

The challenge was to implement the foundational systems and processes needed to run a modern, data-driven sales organization.

 

The Process & The Role

 

A three-phase process was executed to build the company's sales operations from the ground up.

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Phase 1: CRM Implementation & Process

 

Design The project began with the selection and implementation of Salesforce as the company's single source of truth for all commercial activity. This involved:

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• Defining Sales Stages: A clear, five-stage sales pipeline (e.g., Lead, MQL, SQL, Opportunity, Closed-Won) was designed and configured in the CRM.

• Data Structure: Custom fields and objects were created to capture the specific data points relevant to a B2B FinTech sales process.
   

Phase 2: Pipeline Management & Data Hygiene

With the system in place, the focus shifted to process. A rigorous process for pipeline management was established, including:
 

• Lead Routing & Qualification: Rules were created for routing inbound leads and defining the criteria for a "Sales Qualified Lead" (SQL).

• Pipeline Review Cadence: A weekly pipeline review meeting was established, using the CRM as the central tool to discuss key deals, identify risks, and ensure data accuracy.
   

Phase 3: Dashboarding, Reporting & Training

To turn data into insights, a suite of Salesforce dashboards was built for different audiences.
 

• Leadership Dashboards: Provided C-level executives with a high-level overview of key metrics like pipeline growth, conversion rates, and revenue forecasts.

• Sales Team Dashboards: Gave individual reps a clear view of their personal pipeline and performance against targets.

• Team Training: The commercial team was trained on how to effectively use the new CRM and adhere to the new sales process.

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The Results & Impact

 

The implementation of a structured sales operation provided the foundation for scalable growth.

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• Provided Full Pipeline Visibility: Gave leadership a reliable, real-time view of the entire sales funnel for the first time, enabling accurate forecasting.

• Increased Operational Efficiency: Standardized processes eliminated guesswork and saved reps time, allowing them to focus more on selling.

• Enabled Data-Driven Strategy: The structured data allowed the company to analyze performance, optimize its sales process, and make informed decisions about where to invest resources.

• Created a Scalable Foundation: The new CRM and processes provided a robust system that could support the rapid growth of the sales team in the years to come.