Client Background

A marketing agency based in Birmingham. They had started growing: more outbound activity, more inbound enquiries, more leads in different stages — and more projects moving simultaneously.

The problem wasn’t capability. It was operational strain. Their “system” was a collection of Notion databases, spreadsheets, and inbox threads — held together by memory and good intentions.

Challenge

As volume increased, the Notion-based CRM became a bottleneck.

Symptoms:

• Leads entered from multiple channels (LinkedIn DMs, email outreach, referrals, contact forms).

• No consistent definition of cold vs warm vs hot — so follow-up varied by person.

• Opportunities stalled because “next actions” weren’t enforced.

• Sales and delivery were disconnected: projects were sold, then handover was messy.

• Reporting was unreliable because data entry was inconsistent.

They couldn’t answer:

• “How many leads are active, and who owns next action?”

• “What’s our follow-up coverage?”

• “What’s closing, what’s stuck, and why?”

• “Are we overloaded next month, or under-booked?”

They didn’t need “better Notion templates.”
They needed a single operating model.

Solution

We installed an AgencyOS: a centralised system that covered the full lifecycle:
Outreach → Lead routing → Pipeline management → Closing → Onboarding → Delivery tracking.

The objective was predictable execution with minimal admin load.

Discovery and Brand Voice Development

For outbound and follow-up, tone is part of conversion.

We standardised:

• outreach messaging pillars (1–2 offers, 1 clear outcome)

• follow-up tone by lead temperature (cold/warm/hot)

• qualification questions that protect time

• handover language so delivery expectations were clear from day one

This reduced “random messaging” and made the agency feel more premium.

Service Descriptions (what we installed)

1) CRM Replacement + Single Source of Truth

We replaced the Notion CRM with a system designed for:

• structured pipelines

• reliable ownership

• automation triggers

• accurate reporting

Notion remained for knowledge and documentation — not as the operational heart.

2) Cold / Warm / Hot Routing System

We installed consistent rules:

• Cold: not qualified / low intent → nurture sequence

• Warm: qualified but not ready → education + proof + soft CTA

• Hot: qualified and ready → booking/closing path

Each category had:

• required fields

• next action rules

• automated follow-up logic

3) Outreach Workflow (execution)

We systematised outreach so it wasn’t “random activity”:

• daily outreach targets

• lead capture into CRM

• automatic tagging by source

• follow-up prompts and stop rules

4) Pipeline Governance (no more stalled deals)

We installed:

• stage definitions (entry/exit criteria)

• next-action required field

• auto reminders for stalled opportunities

• reporting rhythm (weekly pipeline review)

5) Closing + Onboarding Handover

We installed a clean handover process:

• proposal/contract stage standardised

• payment/retainer capture

• onboarding form + kickoff checklist

• delivery project created automatically

6) Delivery Tracking (sales → delivery visibility)

We connected sales to delivery:

• project status tracking

• workload visibility

• client communication checkpoints

• a single view of: what’s sold, what’s active, what’s at risk

Client Testimonials and Success Stories

We captured success in operational terms:

• less admin chaos

• faster follow-up

• fewer stalled deals

• smoother onboarding

• clearer delivery ownership

Results

Immediate operational outcomes:

• One pipeline replaced scattered databases and inbox tracking

• Cold/warm/hot routing became consistent across the team

• Opportunities stopped stalling due to “missing next steps”

• Handover from sales to delivery became structured and repeatable

• Management finally had visibility across sales and delivery in one view

Commercial outcomes (typical after install):

• higher follow-up consistency (fewer lost opportunities)

• improved close rate through disciplined pipeline movement

• better capacity planning (less overload / fewer quiet months)

Testimonial

“Notion worked when we were small. Once leads and projects grew, it became chaos. The new system gave us one place to run sales and delivery — and we stopped losing deals to missed follow-up.”

Adam K., Co-Founder

This case study demonstrates…

…that agencies don’t scale on talent alone. They scale on operating systems: routing, governance, and a single source of truth that connects sales to delivery.

When the system is installed, the team can execute consistently — without living inside Notion and spreadsheets.

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Start with an OS Diagnosis

If your CRM is a collection of databases and your follow-up depends on memory, growth will stay inconsistent. We’ll map your workflow and install the smallest operating system that makes execution predictable.

Apply for OS Diagnosis

Applications reviewed in batches. Qualified teams receive a booking link.