The problem: manual systems holding back growth
In the fast-paced world of commercial printing, speed and accuracy often determine whether a company thrives or falls behind. For one US-based commercial printer, the challenge was not on the production floor but in the sales office. Despite a reputation for high-quality offset, digital, and wide-format printing, their sales process was stuck in a patchwork of spreadsheets, personal calendars, and manual follow-ups. The result was a disjointed customer journey, slow deal velocity, and limited visibility into performance.
The company had grown steadily since its founding in 1992, serving industries from finance to publishing with a team of 11–50 employees. Yet, behind the scenes, its sales approach lagged far behind its technical capabilities.
Three key obstacles stood out:
- Disconnected sales tracking: Without a CRM, sales reps relied on spreadsheets and personal notes, creating silos and reducing accountability.
- Data migration hurdles: Years of customer records sat in outdated formats, making it difficult to properly import and associate contacts with companies.
- Resistance to change: Sales team members were wary of new tools, stalling onboarding and limiting adoption of more efficient processes.
The solution: hands-on CRM implementation
- Pipeline alignment: A customized deal pipeline was created, mirroring the company’s sales process. A test deal served as proof-of-concept, showing how leads could move through structured stages.
- Data governance: The consultant trained the team on best practices for importing spreadsheets, formatting data, and ensuring clean associations between contacts and companies.
- Automation and efficiency: Workflows were built to alert when deals closed and capture closed-lost reasons. Sales reps also learned to use sequences, templates, and snippets, giving them the power to scale outreach without sacrificing personalization.
- Reporting foundation: Custom dashboards were introduced to track push rates, close ratios, and deal velocity, replacing the old manual reporting process.
The results: a centralized system with measurable impact
- A centralized sales system replaced siloed spreadsheets, giving managers real-time visibility into pipeline health.
- Cleaner data management ensured more accurate reports, with standardized processes for ongoing imports and updates.
- An empowered team became self-sufficient, confidently using HubSpot’s tools to prospect, track, and report on their work.
This transformation positioned the company to compete more effectively against larger national printers. With modernized sales operations, they could focus on what they did best: delivering high-quality print and fulfillment services.
Key metrics
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
Confidence |
| Employees |
11–50 |
Company Profile |
3 |
| Revenue |
$2M–$5.5M |
Company Profile |
3 |
| PPP loan support |
$760K |
Company Profile |
4 |
Why this matters
This case highlights how even long-established businesses can struggle when legacy processes clash with modern demands. The turning point came not from technology alone, but from a hands-on approach that combined training, data governance, and cultural buy-in. For other mid-market companies facing similar hurdles, the lesson is clear: modernization is not just about tools, but about empowering people to use them effectively.
Call to action
If your team is still juggling spreadsheets for sales, consider whether it’s time to build a centralized system that empowers growth.