Inbound Marketing & Sales Blog - Digifianz

From Spreadsheets to Sales Automation: Outdoor Water Solutions Case Study

Written by Juli Mendez | 6/27/25 7:08 PM

Outdoor Water Solutions partnered with Digifianz to migrate their sales processes into HubSpot, transforming their manual, spreadsheet-based system into a centralized, automated CRM. This digital upgrade enhanced operational efficiency, improved lead management, and empowered their sales team to build stronger, more consistent customer relationships — all while maintaining the personal, hands-on service their clients value.
About Outdoor Water Solutions:

Outdoor Water Solutions is a leading manufacturer of pond and lake management products based in Springdale, Arkansas. Founded in 2005, the company began with a focus on wind-powered aeration systems and has since expanded its offerings to include solar and electric aerators, fountains, pond bacteria, dyes, docks, and a wide range of other products. 
Outdoor Water Solutions serves a diverse clientele, including rural landowners, farmers, ranchers, golf courses, subdivisions, and park settings. Their products are designed to improve water quality by eliminating stratification and reducing the buildup of muck and organic matter in ponds. 

In 2022, the company acquired Air-O-Lator, a water and wastewater equipment manufacturer, further expanding its product line and expertise in the industry. 
Outdoor Water Solutions is committed to providing high-quality, eco-friendly products that are safe for fish and the environment. Their extensive testing and focus on continual improvement ensure that customers receive reliable and effective solutions for their pond and lake management needs.

 

Project and Goal:

The project’s goal was to implement and optimize a structured, automated sales process in HubSpot—transforming a previously manual, unstructured approach into a scalable CRM system aligned with Outdoor Water Solutions’ growth and customer engagement goals.



Before Digifianz

Prior to partnering with Digifianz, Outdoor Water Solutions lacked a centralized system to manage their sales and lead processes effectively. Their team operated mostly through Excel sheets and manual workflows, with no clear lead qualification framework or pipeline structure. This created challenges in:

  • Tracking leads and follow-ups.

  • Ensuring consistent communication across the sales cycle.

  • Gaining visibility into sales performance and pipeline health.

  • Scaling processes with their growing customer base.

 

Additionally, they were underutilizing HubSpot, missing out on its powerful automation, reporting, and CRM capabilities.


What We Did

Digifianz began with a deep discovery phase to understand their current sales process, tools, and documentation. From there, the team led the following transformation:

  • CRM Implementation: Migrated their sales data and processes from Excel into HubSpot CRM.

  • Lead Qualification: Designed a custom lead qualification framework tailored to their sales journey.

  • Pipeline Setup: Built and customized a HubSpot sales pipeline with relevant deal stages.

  • Automation: Introduced automated workflows for lead follow-up, status updates, and reminders.

  • Sales Tools: Developed and implemented email templates for repetitive tasks, enriched with personalization tokens.

  • Playbooks: Created structured internal sales playbooks to guide the team in conversations and processes.


Bootcamps delivered

We delivered a Sales Bootcamp, which included:

  • HubSpot CRM Training: Overview of contact management, filters, properties, and views.

  • Pipeline Training: How to move deals, define stages, and qualify leads.

  • Automation Workshop: Educating their team on how automation improves follow-up and lead handling.

  • Email Tools & Sequences: Using templates and personalization to increase efficiency and engagement.

  • Playbooks: How to use playbooks in sales meetings and prospecting.

Steps Taken to Complete the Project

1. Initial Audit & Discovery – Assessed existing sales materials and Excel-based processes.

2. CRM Customization – Configured HubSpot objects, properties, and pipelines.

3. Implementation – Built out the lead qualification logic and connected automations.

4. Training & Enablement – Delivered the Sales Bootcamp and supported adoption.

5. Testing & Optimization – Refined workflows and tools based on real usage and feedback.

6. Ongoing Support – Provided materials, email templates, and guidance for future scaling.


The Role HubSpot Played

HubSpot was the foundation of this transformation. Its CRM, automation, and sales enablement features allowed Outdoor Water Solutions to:

  • Centralize all customer and deal data.

  • Track interactions in one place.

  • Automate follow-ups and ensure no lead was forgotten.

  • Equip their team with scalable tools to save time and improve consistency

HubSpot’s flexibility also allowed us to fully adapt the platform to the client’s process—instead of forcing them to change how they sell, we enhanced it.



Main Challenges

The main challenge was transitioning Outdoor Water Solutions from a fragmented, Excel-based system into a fully functional CRM platform in HubSpot, without disrupting their ongoing sales activities.


Several key challenges emerged throughout the process:

  • No CRM Foundation: They had no previous CRM setup, which meant building everything from the ground up—custom properties, pipelines, and processes.

  • Lack of Sales Visibility: With no centralized data, the team struggled to track leads, follow-ups, and deal progression.
  • Manual Workload: Most communication and updates were done manually, increasing the risk of human error and lost opportunities.
  • Tool Adoption: As a new HubSpot user, their team had to be guided through adopting and using the platform effectively.
  • Licensing Scope: We had to ensure they were leveraging all available tools within their current HubSpot license while not exceeding the boundaries of what their plan offered.

Despite tight timelines and the need for fast implementation, we adapted the project scope to fit their needs and capacity, balancing speed with quality.

 

Results and Outcome

The results of the HubSpot implementation were immediate and impactful:

  • Centralized CRM System: All sales activities, contacts, and deals are now fully tracked in HubSpot.

  • Defined Sales Process: A clear, repeatable lead qualification and sales pipeline structure was created and adopted.

  • Automated Workflows: Follow-ups, task assignments, and status updates are now automated—significantly reducing manual errors and missed opportunities.

  • Efficiency Gains: Email templates and personalization tokens now allow the team to respond quickly and consistently.

  • Sales Team Empowerment: Playbooks give the sales team a reliable structure during calls and meetings, increasing their confidence and professionalism.

    📈 Although we don’t have numeric or visual metrics from HubSpot yet, internal feedback confirmed increased lead visibility, improved follow-up consistency, and faster onboarding for new sales team members.

 

Guidance and Continuity:

This was a one-time project, but Digifianz continues to offer strategic guidance post-implementation. Our support includes:

  • Best practices documentation.

  • Loom videos and SOPs on using HubSpot tools.

  • Slack/email availability for ad hoc questions.

  • Recommendations on future HubSpot features they can unlock as they scale

Additionally, we’ve encouraged Outdoor Water Solutions to consider enrolling in future marketing bootcamps or onboarding additional Hubs to streamline more areas of their business.

 

Conclusion:

The collaboration between Outdoor Water Solutions and Digifianz represents a textbook example of digital transformation through HubSpot. What started as a scattered, manual sales process is now a streamlined, automated system built for scale.


With the right tools in place, and the team now fully trained and empowered, Outdoor Water Solutions is equipped to grow faster, respond better, and convert leads more effectively.

 

If you are in search of a qualified partner to optimize your Sales and CRM Operations, we would love to speak with you!