<\/p>\n
SANDOW is a luxury design media company seamlessly blending traditional and digital. While committed to high-end print\u2014irreplaceable in settings. SANDOW Design Group also drives digital innovation with content, videos, podcasts, and 30+ industry events annually. Their approach connects premium brands with the interior design community, serving both large B2B clients and smaller B2C advertisers.<\/p>\n
The Background<\/strong> <\/p>\n SANDOW Design Group is a luxury design media company with a portfolio of iconic brands, digital platforms, and high-profile events that serve the architecture and design community. For over 20 years, they\u2019ve helped premium brands\u2014from boutique design firms to luxury furniture makers\u2014reach curated audiences through immersive, high-end experiences.<\/p>\n In a rapidly digitizing industry, SANDOW has stayed true to its roots\u2014while staying ahead of the curve. Print remains central to their offering, but digital content, podcasts, video, and 30+ annual events round out a modern, multi-platform strategy that delivers impact across the full buyer journey.<\/p>\n Metropolis Cover<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something real about the pages on a piece of paper,\u201d says Keith van de Venter, Director of CRM Strategy & Operations. \u201cFrom the paper stock to the binding to how the book smells when you open it\u2014our clients expect that level of craftsmanship.\u201d<\/p>\n But as client expectations evolved, SANDOW faced growing demand for faster turnaround times, data-driven reporting, and bundled campaigns. The goal wasn\u2019t just efficiency\u2014it was delivering a premium experience at every touchpoint, without compromising on quality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Challenge<\/strong> <\/p>\n Before HubSpot, SANDOW\u2019s sales team operated across a tangle of spreadsheets, email threads, and a homegrown CRM. There was no single source of truth, and the cracks were starting to show.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a nightmare,\u201d Keith says. \u201cReps were duplicating records. Nothing was searchable. We couldn\u2019t trust the data\u2014and we definitely couldn\u2019t scale.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, SANDOW was shifting to a new revenue model: 12-month subscription programs that bundled print, digital, events, and services. These high-value deals promised growth\u2014but only if the team could deliver a seamless, strategic sales process.<\/p>\n \u201cThis model was new for our industry\u2014and it only works if your sales process is tight,\u201d Keith explains. \u201cYou can\u2019t offer a premium bundled experience when your systems are disjointed and your reps don\u2019t have a full picture of the client relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n Sales cycles dragged. Forecasting was unreliable. And without visibility into customer activity, marketing and sales struggled to stay aligned.<\/p>\n \u201cOur clients expect premium service,\u201d Keith says. \u201cBut when your reps are hunting down info instead of having strategic conversations, you\u2019re not going to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Multiple Sources of Truth<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Keith joined SANDOW, part of the sales team had already begun using HubSpot. Recognizing the platform\u2019s potential, he led the full migration to HubSpot Sales Hub\u2014bringing the entire sales team onto one centralized system.<\/p>\n \u201cMigrating from our homegrown CRM into HubSpot was a heavy lift, but the payoff was immediate,\u201d Keith shares. \u201cNow our reps can trust the data. They have everything in one place\u2014which means they\u2019re better prepared, more efficient, and able to serve clients the way we want to.\u201d<\/p>\n This foundational shift didn\u2019t just fix broken workflows\u2014it unlocked a more strategic, scalable way of selling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Solution<\/strong> <\/p>\n With HubSpot Sales Hub alongside Marketing Hub and Service Hub, SANDOW\u2019s team finally had the structure, visibility, and speed they needed to work smarter and move faster.<\/p>\n \u201cSales Hub gave us one place to work, and one version of the truth,\u201d Keith says. \u201cThat alone changed everything. Reps weren\u2019t duplicating records or chasing client history\u2014they could finally focus on selling.\u201d<\/p>\n Proposals were more personalized. Contracts went out cleaner. And reps walked into meetings fully equipped with years of customer data, ROI insights, and deal history\u2014leading to faster, more productive conversations.<\/p>\n A $375K deal that once took eight months to close? Closed in just three.<\/p>\n \u201cThat big deal was a perfect example of why fast time-to-value matters,\u201d Keith explains. \u201cIn publishing, deadlines are fixed. We don\u2019t have the luxury of slow onboarding or long learning curves\u2014HubSpot delivered value immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sales Workspace: From Visibility to Velocity<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the foundation in place, Sales Workspace helped SANDOW move from efficiency to acceleration\u2014giving the team the clarity, structure, and tools to close faster and coach smarter.<\/p>\n Pipeline insights reps can act on<\/strong><\/p>\n Sales leaders now have full visibility into the pipeline, broken down by rep, lead source, and deal stage. No more gut checks\u2014just clean, actionable data. \u201cBefore, we were looking at one giant pipeline wondering how much was real versus high hopes,\u201d Keith says. \u201cNow we can coach around what\u2019s actually happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Deal scoring that drives smarter selling<\/strong><\/p>\n Deal scoring helps the team stay focused on the opportunities most likely to close\u2014while flagging stalled or slipping deals. \u201cIf a deal\u2019s been sitting in a stage for 29 days and the close date changed four times\u2014it\u2019s not real,\u201d Keith explains. \u201cWe use deal scoring to coach around that and clean out anything that\u2019s not in the green or yellow.\u201d<\/p>\n Built-in momentum with guided actions<\/strong><\/p>\n Guided actions keep reps moving with clear prompts for what to do next\u2014without waiting on a manager. \u201cGuided actions help our reps stay ahead,\u201d Keith says. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to wait for someone to tell them what to do\u2014it\u2019s right there in front of them.\u201d<\/p>\n AI-Powered Meetings, Smarter Follow-Up<\/strong><\/p>\n Meetings are now central to SANDOW\u2019s structured sales process\u2014and with AI Meeting Assistant, those conversations become strategic assets.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore meetings, AI pulls in relevant context. Afterward, it captures the follow-up steps,\u201d Keith explains. \u201cThat means less note-taking, more listening\u2014and smarter decisions afterward.\u201d<\/p>\n By transforming unstructured meeting data into organized, actionable insights, the team improved post-meeting execution while reducing manual workWith HubSpot\u2019s mobile app, reps stay productive on the go\u2014especially during SANDOW\u2019s 30+ annual events.<\/p>\n \u201cAt our events, reps can scan business cards, check if contacts exist in HubSpot, add notes, and create follow-up tasks on the spot,\u201d Keith shares. \u201cIt\u2019s helped us act fast and stay organized\u2014right from the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n The Transformation<\/strong> <\/p>\n With HubSpot Sales Hub and Sales Workspace, SANDOW has transformed its sales process from slow and fragmented to fast, focused, and data-driven.<\/p>\n \u201cThe adoption of Sales Hub was fast and easy for our reps,\u201d says Keith. \u201cAnd Sales Workspace just took it to the next level. It\u2019s helped us be more efficient, more insightful, and more agile.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, reps are prepared for every conversation. Sales and marketing are aligned. And SANDOW is setting the foundation for what comes next\u2014AI-powered growth built on clean data and a unified customer platform.<\/p>\n \u201cAI is only as smart as the data you feed it,\u201d Keith says. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re doing the hard work now\u2014making sure we\u2019re ready. We\u2019re not just playing catch-up\u2014we\u2019re preparing to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SANDOW delivers premium services across print, digital, and events\u2014but outdated systems were slowing sales and threatening client satisfaction. 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\nElevating Luxury Design Through Print and Modern Innovation<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nDisjointed Systems Were Slowing Sales and Diluting Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nOne Customer Platform, Endless Sales Potential<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Sales](\"https:\/\/www.dkmeco.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sales-Hub-Sales-Workspace-Home-1.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"Deal](\"https:\/\/www.dkmeco.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sales-Hub-Sales-Workspace-Deal-Tab-2.webp\")
<\/p>\n![\"AI-Powered](\"https:\/\/www.dkmeco.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sales-Hub-Guided-Execution-Que.webp\")
<\/p>\n
\nFrom Manual Work to Momentum<\/strong><\/p>\n