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From cluttered CRM to systematic outbound
The advice confirmed what we already felt, but weren't sure about — and that made all the difference. We knew our HubSpot was a mess. Through working with Outbound Catalyst, we finally cleaned it up, implemented lifecycle stages properly, and started using native HubSpot features instead of overcomplicating everything with custom properties. That gave us a solid foundation to build on. The knowledge they shared put us on the right path. And what we also noticed: in a world where everyone is being flooded with AI-generated sequences and messages, meeting people at events and calling them still works better. We started doing event-based outreach through HubSpot — and we're getting significantly higher response rates and more meetings as a result. Our target? Achieved. Outbound Catalyst delivered the audit and advice, and we ran with it. The foundations are solid. Now we're ready for the next step.
Summary
Client: RetailSonar
Industry: Retail Intelligence SaaS
Market: Belgium · Netherlands · France
Services:
- HubSpot Audit + Outbound Playbook
- 400+ HubSpot properties removed
- 16%→2% Email bounce rate roadmapped
- ✓ H1 first-meeting target hit & exceeded
- 100% Of calling SDRs exceeded quota
Company: RetailSonar provides location intelligence and retail analytics to major chains across Europe. Customers include enterprise retail groups with complex, multi-country operations.
Team size: 3 SDRs + Account Executives
Sales cycle: 3 months – 2 years (enterprise outbound)
What we delivered:
- HubSpot Audit
- Outbound Playbook
- Account Tiering
- Signal Framework
- Email Infrastructure
The Challenge
A sales engine running on instinct, not infrastructure
RetailSonar had a motivated team and a clear product. But the operational foundations weren't keeping pace. Their HubSpot had quietly become a liability — 700+ duplicate contacts, 200+ duplicate companies, and hundreds of conflicting custom properties. Nobody fully trusted the data. On top of that, their main sending domain was bouncing at 13–16%. Every sequence they sent was degrading their sender reputation. They were treating 600–700 accounts the same way, with no tiering. And in a world flooded by AI-generated sequences, their SDRs were still defaulting to email when they should have been picking up the phone.
"Our HubSpot was really a garbage bin. Too many actions, too much noise. We knew something had to change, but we weren't sure what to tackle first.”
Dave Dhoest — RetailSonar.
What We Delivered
A HubSpot audit and a full outbound architecture
Our engagement consisted of two core deliverables: a deep HubSpot audit and a systematic outbound architecture that RetailSonar could implement on their own terms.
1 HubSpot Audit
In a 90-minute session we mapped the full state of their CRM. The findings were clear: it needed to be rebuilt from the ground up, not patched. Database cleanup — deduplication of 700+ contacts and 200+ companies, full property audit. Lifecycle stages — implementing native HubSpot stages instead of the custom-built workarounds that had multiplied over the years. Pipeline consolidation — merging fragmented country-by-country pipelines into a single, scalable structure. 400+ properties removed — replaced with native HubSpot fields wherever possible. Email infrastructure — alternative sending domains to protect their main domain, moving bounce rates from 13–16% toward the 2% threshold. Sales Workspace activation — proper lead stages, target account tiering, and lifecycle management for the sales team.
2 Outbound Playbook & Architecture
Beyond fixing the CRM, we mapped out a complete outbound architecture built around their specific market and ICPs. Three-tier account model — AAA accounts (Aldi, Lidl, Carrefour) get high-touch, signal-triggered outreach; AA accounts get semi-automated sequences with manual call follow-up; A accounts get fully automated touchpoints. Signal monitoring framework — defining which triggers matter: new C-suite hires, expansion announcements, new locations, industry events, sector news. Event-based outreach workflow — HubSpot as backbone for pre- and post-event outreach, with Clay as the enrichment and orchestration layer. Calling-first methodology — when a trigger fires, the first action is a call. Not an email. LinkedIn warm-up on autopilot — continuously connecting SDRs with target stakeholders so that when a trigger fires, they can message directly. Unified reporting — email, LinkedIn, and call activity consolidated into HubSpot as the single source of truth.
Implementation
They ran with it themselves
What makes this engagement stand out isn't what we built — it's what they built. RetailSonar took the audit findings and the playbook and implemented the vast majority of it internally. Their operations lead ran the HubSpot overhaul himself: removing the 400+ properties, activating lifecycle stages, setting up the Sales Workspace, building lead scoring, and creating the workflows to keep it all running. The team aligned on what had been validated: events and calling work. AI-flooded email sequences don't. This is precisely the type of partnership we look for — we provide the strategic clarity and the system design, the client brings the internal ownership to execute.
“The knowledge you shared put us on the right path. The foundations are now solid — and we have a huge amount of inspiration for the next steps.”
Dave Dhoest — RetailSonar.
Results
What actually changed
Database clean and trustworthy. 400+ properties removed. Lifecycle stages live across marketing, sales, and CS. H1 first-meeting target achieved. Slightly exceeded. SDRs who called consistently hit and surpassed quota. Event outreach driving real pipeline. Significantly higher reply rates and meetings booked vs. standard sequences. Email deliverability roadmap in place. Alternative sending domains being set up. Bounce rates moving from 16% toward the 2% target. Clear account tiering for 600–700 accounts. Effort is now allocated where it generates the highest return. Calling culture rebuilt. The correlation was direct: SDRs who called hit targets. Those who didn't, fell short. “
The SDRs who called enough hit their targets and exceeded them. The ones who didn't, fell short. That's the logical conclusion — and it's a beautiful one.”
Dave Dhoest — RetailSonar.
The Takeaway
Advice, not execution, and that was enough
RetailSonar didn't need us to run their outbound for them. They needed the clarity to stop second-guessing what they already suspected, and a concrete framework to act on it. Our audit confirmed what they intuitively felt — and gave them the confidence and the blueprint to move. In an environment where everyone is flooded with AI-generated sequences, meeting people at events and picking up the phone still works. Outbound Catalyst helped them rediscover that, systematize it, and make it stick.
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