The Challenge

Saga Indústria e Comércio Têxtil has built a strong reputation in the textile industry. The company offers a complete line of products—from bleached sacks to kitchen towels to cleaning cloths—that appeal to a wide range of customers, from small retailers to large supermarket chains.

However, the company's sales operation wasn't keeping pace with its product strength. Sales processes were scattered across spreadsheets, email threads, and individual rep notebooks. There was no unified view of the pipeline. Customer data lived in multiple systems that didn't talk to each other. Reps operated with different approaches, different scripts, and different levels of accountability.

"We had no clear process," one team member explained. "Prospecting was happening, but we couldn't see where deals were or why some reps succeeded while others struggled."

The real problem wasn't lack of effort. It was lack of structure. Without visibility into what was working, the company couldn't scale. Without consistent processes, new reps took months to ramp. Without clear incentives tied to growth, the team defaulted to maintaining existing relationships rather than hunting for new business.

Saga was leaving money on the table. The company had dormant customers from years past who could be reactivated. It had untapped regions where new reps could expand. It had a complete product line that could drive higher average order values. But without a system to track, measure, and manage these opportunities, growth remained stuck.

The Solution

Saga's leadership recognized that fixing sales required more than hiring better reps. It required building a system. They brought in consulting support to design and implement a structured sales transformation.

The approach had three pillars: process, data, and people.

Process came first. The team developed a standardized sales playbook. It started with relationship-building—not with a pitch. Reps learned to ask discovery questions about the distributor's operations, team size, and current product mix. Only after understanding the customer's needs would they present products and samples. This shift from transactional selling to consultative selling changed everything.

"The new approach felt natural," one rep shared. "Instead of pushing products, we were having real conversations. Customers responded better."

The team also created scripts tailored to different customer profiles. A script for a small retailer looked different from one for a supermarket buyer. This personalization made conversations more relevant and increased conversion rates.

Data came second. The company implemented HubSpot CRM to centralize customer information and pipeline tracking. Every call was logged. Every deal stage was recorded. Every follow-up was assigned and tracked. For the first time, leadership could see the full picture: how many prospects were in the pipeline, which reps were moving deals forward, where bottlenecks existed.

The CRM also enabled better customer segmentation. The team identified dormant accounts—customers who hadn't purchased in months or years. They analyzed purchase history to understand which customers had the highest reactivation potential. This data-driven approach meant reps could focus their energy on the highest-value opportunities.

People came last—but it was the most important. The company formalized incentive structures. Reps now had clear targets: new customer acquisitions, revenue thresholds, and quarterly bonuses tied to performance. Marketing budgets were allocated to support field activities—coffee meetings, in-store promotions, sample distribution. Training became ongoing, not one-time.

Leadership also made a critical decision: split the sales role. One person would focus on account management and customer retention. Another would focus purely on prospecting and new business development. This clarity of purpose meant each rep could excel in their lane.

"When people know exactly what's expected and how they'll be rewarded, everything changes," the team noted. "Accountability went up. Excuses went down."

The Transformation

The results came quickly. Within weeks of implementing the new relationship-focused approach, three distributors requested orders. The pipeline became visible. Reps could see their own performance against targets. Leadership could forecast revenue with confidence.

The company set a clear goal: 25–30% revenue growth for the year. To get there, they needed to reactivate dormant customers, onboard new reps in underserved regions, and increase the average order value through cross-selling.

Early wins included:

Increased pipeline visibility. With CRM in place, the team could see exactly where deals stood. No more surprises. No more lost opportunities. Forecasting became accurate.

Faster rep onboarding. New reps no longer had to figure out the sales process on their own. They had scripts, training, and clear expectations. Time to productivity dropped significantly.

Higher conversion rates. The relationship-first approach and tailored scripts meant more conversations turned into orders. Distributors felt understood, not sold to.

Reactivation of dormant accounts. By analyzing historical data and prioritizing high-potential customers, the team recovered revenue from accounts that had gone quiet. The potential was there—it just needed a structured approach to unlock it.

Stronger rep accountability. With clear KPIs, transparent metrics, and tied incentives, reps knew exactly how they were performing. This drove engagement and effort.

The transformation also created a scalable foundation. As the company brings on new reps in new regions, they won't be starting from scratch. They'll inherit a proven playbook, a data system, and a culture of accountability.

"This isn't just about hitting numbers," leadership reflected. "It's about building a sales organization that can grow with us. We've created a system that works."

The path forward is clear. With a structured sales engine in place, Saga can pursue its growth ambitions with confidence. The company has the products, the market opportunity, and now—for the first time—the operational discipline to capture it.

The textile industry is competitive. But Saga's advantage isn't just its product line. It's the team behind it, armed with the right tools, the right process, and the right incentives to win.