When Sales Moves Faster Than Process
In fintech, sales often scales faster than process. With multiple regions, complex pricing, and long approval chains, teams end up building workarounds instead of systems.
And then forecasting breaks. Handoffs fall apart. CRM adoption drops.
Qashio was no different:
- They had 7 to 8 pipelines in use with no consistent stage definitions
- Reps tracked deals in multiple ways. Some used Pipedrive. Others relied on spreadsheets. A few kept everything in their heads
- Forecasts were based on assumptions instead of actual deal progression
- Commissions were calculated manually at the end of each month
- Leads came in from marketing, but no one could confirm if they were contacted
- Sales managers struggled to measure rep performance or trust what was in the pipeline
They needed a sales process that restore visibility and give them a reliable view of revenue.
Building a Sales Process That Made Sense For Qashio
1. Too Many Pipelines, Too Little Structure
We started by mapping how deals were actually moving through the system. There was no consistent definition of stages, no shared process between teams, and no documentation reps could rely on.
So we worked with their sales leadership to build a process from the ground up. We defined each stage, added clear entry and exit criteria, and created a single structure the entire team could align with.
From there, we consolidated their messy pipeline setup into three clean, focused tracks:
- Pipeline 1 for companies with fewer than 200 people
- Pipeline 2 for companies with more than 200 people
- Upsell for expansion and account growth
Each pipeline included tailored automation, ownership rules, and logic that reflected how the team actually sells, not how HubSpot was set up by default.
2. Robust Lead Scoring and Clean Handoff Criteria
One of the biggest gaps was in qualification and ownership.
SDRs were qualifying leads over calls, but there was no standard for what made a lead "ready" and no process for a clean handoff to AEs.
We helped design a lead scoring system based on key signals like:
- Decision-maker status
- Company size
- Timeline to purchase
- Number of stakeholders involved
- Current solution used
Each score updated dynamically in HubSpot based on contact activity, form submissions, and enrichment data. Once a lead crossed the threshold, it triggered the handoff process.
Here’s how the handoff worked:
- The AE was automatically assigned as the deal owner
- The SDR stayed linked in the "SDR owner" field for visibility
- Meeting links were shared using round-robin logic
- Reminders went out to both SDR and AE before the scheduled call
- If the prospect did not show up, the AE marked it and the lead was routed back to the SDR
This reduced drop-offs, created ownership clarity, and ensured that qualified leads actually moved forward rather than stalling.
3. Forecasting That Removed the Guesswork
We didn’t want sales managers or Qashio's leadership to guess. Guess who followed up. Guess which deals were real. Guess what revenue to expect by month-end.
So we built a dashboard that gave them the answers.
For sales managers, the dashboard showed:
- Lead response time by rep
- SLA compliance (who followed up on time and who didn’t)
- Assigned leads vs. actual outreach
- Contacted vs. untouched leads
- Longest delays in lead follow-up
This helped managers coach more effectively and spot issues early.
This view was available to managers only. Reps could still see their pipeline and potential earnings, without any comparison with others.
On top of that, we added a revenue forecasting system that updated dynamically:
- Each deal was weighted based on historical conversion data
- For example, if 30% of deals in Stage 3 typically closed, that percentage was applied automatically
- This created a live forecast that reflected real sales motion — not manual estimates or best guesses
We estimate this saved at least 15–20 hours per month by replacing manual reporting and forecast spreadsheets with real-time visibility in HubSpot.
3. Training That Made the Process Stick
Building the process was one thing. Getting everyone to actually use it was another.
We started by identifying three core users: the Head of Sales, Marketing Ops Manager, and Sales Ops Manager, and worked with them in weekly one-on-one sessions. They became the internal champions for Qashio who understood both the why and the how.
Once they were confident, we moved to team-wide enablement:
- Created SOPs for every new pipeline, stage, and handoff rule
- Ran live walkthroughs for SDRs, AEs, and managers
- Built custom dashboards for each role, so people only saw what mattered to them
- Recorded Loom videos explaining how to read each dashboard and what actions to take
The entire sales team was aligned on one process and most importantly, they were using it.
The Impact: A Sales Process Supporting Growth
- 63% increase in target attainment after rolling out the aligned sales process
- No manual commission tracking — everything flows through HubSpot
- One system everyone follows — reps know what to do, managers know what’s coming
- Faster onboarding for new reps — SOPs and dashboards are already in place
- No more lead black holes — the SDR → AE flow is automated and traceable
If your team is still running five pipelines, chasing down commission numbers, or unsure what’s actually in the forecast — it’s time to align how you sell.