Standards
How we keep it working
The governance layer that ensures consistency, reliability, and repeatability across every system and workflow. 3 standards require immediate attention.
CRM Standards
ValidatedCurrent Status
Inconsistent data entry, duplicated contacts, lifecycle stages undefined. Activity logging is manual and irregular.
Desired Standard
Every contact has a lifecycle stage, source, owner, and last activity date. No duplicate records. Activity logged within 24 hours of any interaction. Lifecycle stage changes documented with reason.
Gap
Lifecycle stage taxonomy not defined. Duplicate contacts unresolved. No enforcement mechanism or audit process.
CRM standards are the foundation for all downstream automation and reporting. Nothing else can be trusted until this is resolved.
Database Standards
ValidatedCurrent Status
Contacts distributed across HubSpot, Apollo, LinkedIn, and personal files with no synchronization or master source of truth.
Desired Standard
HubSpot is the master database. All contacts enriched with firmographic data on creation. ICP scoring applied to every record. Lists segmented by lifecycle stage, relationship type, and engagement tier.
Gap
Enrichment pipeline not built. ICP scoring model not defined. Segment criteria not established. Cross-tool sync logic not designed.
Requires CRM Standards to be implemented first. Database quality directly determines outbound campaign effectiveness.
Automation Standards
EstimatedCurrent Status
Undocumented Zapier workflows of unknown scope and task usage. No version control, error monitoring, or maintenance ownership.
Desired Standard
All automations documented with trigger, logic, owner, and expected behavior. Error notifications configured and routed. Monthly review cadence. New automations require documentation before activation.
Gap
No documentation exists. No designated automation owner. No error monitoring. Unknown number of active workflows.
Automation debt compounds quickly without governance. Establishing standards early prevents technical debt from accumulating.
Meeting Standards
Needs DiscoveryCurrent Status
Meetings recorded via Otter.ai but transcripts reviewed manually. Notes rarely transferred to HubSpot. Follow-up dependent on individual memory.
Desired Standard
Every meeting auto-processed within 2 hours of completion. Summaries, decisions, and action items logged to the relevant HubSpot contact and deal record. Follow-up email draft generated and queued for review.
Gap
No automation between Otter.ai and HubSpot. Manual process is inconsistent. No accountability mechanism for post-meeting action item completion.
Otter.ai API access is the critical technical dependency. Confirm availability before scoping implementation.
Content Standards
EstimatedCurrent Status
Outreach emails, follow-ups, and proposals written from scratch each time. No approved templates, voice guidelines, or testing framework.
Desired Standard
Approved email templates for each sequence stage and contact segment. AI-assisted personalization layered on top of approved structures. A/B testing framework for subject lines and calls to action.
Gap
No template library. No voice and tone guide. No testing framework. AI not yet integrated into content workflows.
Content standards enable consistent outreach at scale. Voice guidelines should be established before AI personalization is built.
Reporting Standards
EstimatedCurrent Status
No automated reporting. Pipeline and performance visibility requires manual HubSpot queries. No scheduled delivery of metrics to leadership.
Desired Standard
Weekly automated performance report delivered to leadership covering pipeline health, outreach activity, referral pipeline, and KPI trends. Dashboard always current without manual refresh.
Gap
Executive dashboard not built. No automated reporting cadence. KPIs not defined at the business level — reporting can't be built until KPIs are agreed.
Define the 5–7 KPIs that matter most before building the dashboard. Reporting standards should precede dashboard implementation.