Our Process

How working with Solutions4SF actually goes

No mystery. No 60-page proposal. Just a clear, predictable process — from your first message to the final handover. Here’s exactly what to expect, week by week.

Honest filter before we even talk

I’d rather lose a misaligned project than waste your time. Here’s exactly when Solutions4SF makes sense — and when it doesn’t.

It’s a match
  • You run Salesforce + Pardot (or are migrating to/from it) and the stack isn’t delivering pipeline
  • You’re a RevOps, Marketing Ops, or Sales Ops manager who actually touches the system daily
  • You need senior-level execution — not a junior consultant learning on your budget
  • You’re ready to invest $1,500–$30,000 in fixing the architecture properly
  • Your team will own the system after handover — you don’t want a permanent retainer
  • You value documentation, training, and clarity over flashy decks
Sounds like us →
Not a fit
  • You want a $50/hour Upwork freelancer — we’re a senior consultancy
  • You expect 24/7 retainer support with a full agency PMO behind it
  • You need generic CRM advice across HubSpot, Marketo, Mailchimp, etc.
  • You want someone to manage your day-to-day Pardot operations indefinitely
  • You expect instant results without a proper audit or discovery phase
  • You’re looking for someone to blame rather than collaborate with
Try a different fit →

Three steps from first call to live system

Before I show you the detailed phases, here’s the simple version — what happens between your first email and a working Salesforce + Pardot stack.

Step 01

You describe your situation

Free 30-minute strategy call. We map where revenue is leaking and what your current Salesforce/Pardot setup looks like. No sales pitch — just a structured conversation.

Duration: 30 minutes

Step 02

I scope and propose

Within 24–48 hours, you get a clear scope document: what we’ll do, in what order, with what timeline and price. Fixed-scope, not hourly. No surprises.

Duration: 24–48 hours

Step 03

We start building

Kickoff within 2 weeks of signed agreement. Same person on the call writes the automation rules, configures scoring, and migrates your data. No hand-offs.

Duration: 2-week kickoff window

Four phases of every Solutions4SF engagement

Whether it’s a $1,500 audit or a $30,000 full architecture rebuild — every project follows the same four phases. The difference is depth, not structure.

Phase 01 Duration: 1 week

Discovery & Audit

Before I touch a single setting, I need to understand what you have and where it’s broken.

  • Stack audit: Pardot configuration, Salesforce data model, sync rules, automation logic, scoring & grading rules
  • Stakeholder interviews: 30-minute calls with RevOps, Marketing Ops, Sales Ops, and at least one VP — to understand both the technical and political reality
  • Data integrity check: field-level analysis, custom object usage, lead-to-contact conversion paths
  • Roadmap document: a written deliverable showing what’s broken, what’s OK, and what to fix in what order
Deliverable: Written audit report (15–25 pages) with prioritized findings, risk assessment, and recommended scope for Phase 2.
Phase 02 Duration: 2–12 weeks (depends on scope)

Implementation & Build

This is where the work actually happens. The same person who joined your kickoff call configures, codes, and migrates — personally.

  • Configuration / Migration / Build: Pardot scoring rebuild, Salesforce data migration, integrations with ZoomInfo / LinkedIn Sales Nav / payment systems, custom objects, automation rules
  • Weekly progress demos: 30-minute sync every Friday with screenshots, screen recordings, and a written status update — you’re never in the dark
  • Documentation as we go: every architectural decision is documented in plain English the same week we make it — no “documentation phase” at the end
  • Sandbox-first: all changes happen in a Pardot/Salesforce sandbox first, with full review before production deployment
Deliverable: Live, production-ready system with all changes deployed, tested, and signed off by your team.
Phase 03 Duration: 1 week

Training & Handover

Your team learns the system as we built it — not as a one-time PowerPoint at the end.

  • Live training sessions: 2–3 sessions for admins, marketers, and sales ops — recorded for replay
  • Runbook walkthrough: step-by-step guide for common operations (resync, troubleshoot scoring, add new fields, etc.)
  • Q&A sessions: dedicated time for your team to ask anything — no question is “too basic”
  • Architectural decision log: permanent reference for “why did we build it this way?” — so your next consultant doesn’t reverse-engineer guesses
Deliverable: Internal team owns the system. They can extend, modify, and troubleshoot it without needing me on speed dial.
Phase 04 Duration: 60 days (included)

Post-Launch Support

After launch, you get 60 days of direct access — included in every project. No hidden retainer.

  • Direct Slack/email access: for questions, edge cases, and tweaks — same-day response
  • Bug fixes: if something breaks because of how we configured it, I fix it — no hourly billing
  • Minor adjustments: small tweaks to scoring, automation, or reporting based on real-world feedback
  • Final sign-off: at day 60, formal sign-off that your team is fully self-sufficient
What happens after Day 60? Most clients don’t need ongoing work. Some hire me for new scopes (Phase 2 of a different project). Some come back 6 months later for a follow-up audit. None are forced into a retainer.

What you actually walk away with

Every Solutions4SF engagement ends the same way — not with you depending on me, but with your team owning the system completely.

Documentation

Full architecture documentation

Every automation rule, scoring decision, sync configuration, and integration point documented in plain English — not Salesforce metadata XML.

Runbook

Operational runbook

Step-by-step guide for the 10–15 most common operations your team will need to do post-launch (add a field, troubleshoot scoring, resync, etc.).

Training

Recorded training sessions

2–3 sessions for admins, marketers, sales ops — recorded so new hires can onboard themselves without paying me again.

Decision log

Architectural decision log

Permanent record of every major decision and the trade-offs considered — so future you (or your next consultant) understands the “why”.

Diagrams

System architecture diagrams

Visual maps of data flows, integrations, and dependencies — so anyone joining your team can understand the system in 30 minutes.

Support

60-day post-launch support

Direct access for questions, tweaks, and edge cases — included. No hidden retainer, no surprise bills, no “upsell window”.

Common questions about how we work

If you’re considering reaching out, you probably have these questions. Here are honest answers.

What happens if the scope changes mid-project?

Scope changes happen — especially after Discovery reveals something we didn’t expect. When that happens, I write a short Change Order document (1–2 pages): what changed, why, and the impact on timeline/price. You sign or decline. No hidden “by the way, that’ll be $5K extra” conversations.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes — happy to sign your standard NDA before the strategy call if that’s required. If you don’t have one, I have a simple mutual NDA template ready.

Can my in-house admin shadow you during the build?

Absolutely — I encourage it. The whole point of the Architecture of Independence is that your team owns the system after handover. The more they shadow during Phase 2, the less training they’ll need in Phase 3.

What if my team isn’t technical enough to maintain it?

Then we design the system to match your team’s actual skill level. If your admin can manage Pardot Engagement Studio but not Apex code, I won’t build solutions that require Apex knowledge to maintain. The architecture matches the team — not the other way around.

Do you work with companies outside the US/Europe?

Yes — remote-first by default. I’ve worked with teams in the US, UK, Canada, Ukraine, and EU. Time zones matter for live calls (I overlap with EU mornings and US East Coast afternoons), but the work itself is async-friendly.

What’s the smallest engagement you’ll take?

$1,500 Pardot Audit. That’s the minimum entry point. It’s a 1–2 week diagnostic that gives you a written report and a prioritized roadmap — you can take it to anyone for implementation, not just me.

Can you work with a Pardot/Salesforce instance I’ve never seen before?

Yes — that’s actually the most common scenario. Most clients come to me because their previous consultant left without documentation. Discovery Phase 1 is specifically designed to reverse-engineer what’s there before changing anything.

Why don’t you offer a permanent retainer like agencies do?

Because that’s the opposite of what I sell. The Architecture of Independence is the philosophy that your team should own the system — not depend on a vendor for life. If I locked you into a retainer, I’d be doing exactly what I criticize agencies for. Some clients hire me again 6–12 months later for new scopes — that’s a healthy signal, not a contractual obligation.

Ready to see how this works for your situation?

30-minute strategy call. No sales pitch, no obligation. We’ll map where your Salesforce + Pardot setup is leaking revenue — and you’ll leave with clarity, even if we don’t work together.

Book a Strategy Call →

30 min · Free · No sales pressure