Cincy Scoop, an up-and-coming media company based in Cincinnati, specializes in highlighting local events, businesses, and the stories that make the city unique. As their platform grew and they began partnering with local businesses for sponsored content and advertising, Cincy Scoop faced challenges managing their expanding sales pipeline. The company needed a more structured system to track sponsorships, manage relationships, and gain visibility into their revenue and sales activities.
To solve these challenges, Cincy Scoop turned to a team of Salesforce experts to design and implement a custom CRM system that could streamline their sponsorship management process and optimize their sales pipeline.
Identifying the Challenges
Before implementing the CRM system, Cincy Scoop's sales and sponsorship processes were largely manual, with a mix of spreadsheets and ad hoc communication. The lack of structure created several key issues:
- Fragmented data management: Sponsorship details, client interactions, and campaign progress were scattered across multiple tools and documents, making it difficult to track deals or measure success.
- Lack of visibility into the sales pipeline: With no centralized system for managing sponsorships, the team lacked a clear view of active deals, potential opportunities, and overall revenue metrics.
- Operational inefficiencies: The absence of automation led to duplicated efforts, missed follow-ups, and a general lack of alignment between team members managing sponsorships.
With the company scaling rapidly and new partnerships being added frequently, Cincy Scoop needed a solution that would streamline processes and help the team manage their growing pipeline more effectively.
Building the Solution: A Tailored CRM for Sponsorship Management
The team worked closely with Cincy Scoop’s founders, Sarah and Mitko Karshovski, to develop a custom CRM system within Salesforce that would meet the company’s specific needs. The solution focused on three key areas: pipeline management, sponsorship tracking, and automation to increase efficiency.
Centralized Sponsorship and Client Management
To centralize all relevant data, the team built a custom CRM system that allowed Cincy Scoop to track all sponsor interactions, campaign details, and revenue in one place. By creating custom objects to store sponsor contact information, deal status, and campaign performance, Cincy Scoop gained a comprehensive view of each sponsorship and its associated value.
Now, the team could easily track every step of the sponsorship process—from initial outreach to contract signing, execution, and reporting—ensuring nothing slipped through the cracks.
Streamlined Sales Pipeline
A key component of the CRM was the creation of a sales pipeline that gave Cincy Scoop full visibility into their sponsorship deals. The pipeline was designed with custom opportunity stages reflecting their sales process, from prospecting to closed-won deals.
Automated reminders and task notifications were set up to ensure timely follow-ups, and Kanban-style board views were used to visualize the status of each opportunity. This allowed Cincy Scoop’s team to prioritize high-value deals and track their progress through the pipeline with ease.
Real-Time Revenue Tracking and Reporting
To support Cincy Scoop’s growing focus on revenue generation, the new CRM also included robust reporting and dashboard features. Custom reports were built to track key metrics such as:
- Sponsorship deal values and revenue forecasts
- Lead conversion rates and overall sales performance
- Campaign success and client engagement
These reports provided real-time visibility into revenue, making it easy for leadership to monitor progress, measure success, and adjust strategies accordingly. The improved reporting system also allowed the team to analyze sales trends, uncover hidden revenue opportunities, and forecast future earnings.
Automation for Efficiency
Automation played a pivotal role in streamlining operations and reducing manual work. The CRM system included automated workflows that handled routine tasks such as sending follow-up emails, scheduling meetings, and updating deal statuses. This freed up the team to focus on high-priority tasks and improved overall operational efficiency.
Impact: Streamlined Operations and Increased Revenue Visibility
Within a few months of launching the CRM, Cincy Scoop saw significant improvements in their sales operations and revenue tracking:
- Complete visibility into the sales pipeline: The team was able to track sponsorship deals at every stage, ensuring that high-value opportunities were prioritized and followed up on in a timely manner.
- Increased efficiency: Automation helped eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing the team to work smarter and focus on building relationships and closing deals.
- Improved revenue tracking: The custom reporting features provided detailed insights into sales performance, making it easier for leadership to identify trends, optimize processes, and uncover hidden revenue opportunities.
- Stronger client relationships: With a more organized and responsive system, Cincy Scoop was able to engage clients more effectively and ensure that sponsorships were managed smoothly from start to finish.
Client Testimonial
"Caroline transformed our business by building a CRM that provides complete visibility into our sales pipeline and revenue metrics. Her exceptional talent for analyzing our existing system helped us uncover hidden revenue opportunities and eliminate bottlenecks we didn't even know existed, dramatically improving our operational efficiency."
— Sarah Karshovski, Co-Founder, Cincy Scoop
Key Takeaways
By developing a custom Salesforce CRM system, Cincy Scoop was able to:
- Centralize sponsor and client data for easier management and more effective follow-ups
- Streamline their sales pipeline and gain better visibility into opportunities and deal progress
- Increase operational efficiency with automation and improved reporting
- Unlock hidden revenue opportunities through better data insights
The CRM system provided Cincy Scoop with the tools they needed to manage their expanding sponsorships more effectively and drive revenue growth. With a stronger foundation in place, they are now well-positioned to scale their business and continue delivering exceptional value to their clients.
