Salesforce Workflow & Client Updates — 2025-10-31
Overview
Working session with Lincoln Durham (Quarra Stone) to clarify Salesforce lead/opportunity logic, review recent configuration changes, and discuss active client projects. The call surfaced a key workflow misunderstanding that had been causing data duplication, and produced several concrete decisions and action items.
Attendees:
- Lincoln Durham — Quarra Stone (external)
- Karly Oykhman — Asymmetric
- Mark Hope — Asymmetric
- Avokerie Onorimuo — Asymmetric
Source recording: Fathom
Key Decisions
1. Salesforce Lead vs. Opportunity Logic — Clarified
The team aligned on the correct Salesforce data model after Lincoln identified that his sales team had been creating new leads for new projects from existing contacts (e.g., Monty Foreman), causing duplicate records.
Correct logic going forward:
- Leads → New contacts only. Someone you've never worked with before.
- Opportunities → Existing contacts with new projects. Do not create a new lead; create a new opportunity directly.
- New contacts at existing accounts → Add as a contact to the existing account, then create an opportunity.
Lincoln will communicate this distinction to his sales team directly.
"Leads are really only for new relationships. And if it's someone you're already working with, it's immediately an opportunity." — Lincoln Durham
2. Salespeople Cannot Convert Leads (Stays Off)
Lead conversion remains restricted to prevent premature conversions. Salespeople can create leads and opportunities but cannot convert leads themselves. This setting stays in place.
3. Opportunity Approval Flow — To Be Built
To maintain data quality while allowing salespeople to create opportunities freely, an approval flow will be built. Opportunities created by salespeople will enter an "unapproved" state and require Lincoln's review before becoming active.
This replaces the previous intent to restrict opportunity creation entirely.
4. Task Subject Dropdown + "Task Details" Field
The default task subject dropdown is too limited for Quarra Stone's workflow. Resolution:
- Lincoln will provide a list of desired subject options (confirmed: "Develop Estimate" is one).
- Mark will add an optional free-text field called "Task Details" to the task object, allowing detailed instructions without bloating the subject dropdown.
5. Outlook-to-Salesforce Email Logging — Demo Scheduled
The Salesforce Outlook add-in will be demonstrated to the Quarra Stone team. The add-in prompts users to log emails and allows selection of the correct opportunity when a contact is tied to multiple records.
Configuration Updates (Already Live)
- "Project Name" field added to the lead object as a required field. Carries over to the opportunity upon lead conversion. Pushed to production the morning of this call.
- Opportunity stages updated with probability percentages for improved forecasting.
- Duplicate detection active and surfacing alerts for Lincoln's team.
Action Items
| Owner | Action |
|---|---|
| Karly | Email American re: lead list service — $0.50/name (name, title, company, LinkedIn); request search criteria |
| Karly | Call Wisconsin Masonic to reconnect expired Square plugin token |
| Karly | Email Wisconsin Masonic quoting ~$1,500 for WooCommerce donation store build |
| Karly | Build Salesforce opportunity approval flow for Lincoln's review |
| Karly | Schedule Outlook-to-Salesforce demo with Mark + Lincoln |
| Karly | Schedule next working session with Mark (November) |
| Mark | Add optional "Task Details" text field to the task object |
| Mark | Participate in Salesforce process guide creation with Karly |
| Lincoln | Email sales team clarifying lead vs. opportunity rules |
| Lincoln | Provide Karly with desired task subject dropdown options |
| Lincoln | Review drafted opportunity stage guidance and send feedback |
| Lincoln | Schedule call with Veeth (Fathom) to unblock prospect folder creation |
Client Project Updates
[1]
- Domain writing: Complete (Mark had already handled this).
- Lead generation: Will be offered a new service using [2] at $0.50/name. Deliverables per name: contact name, title, company, LinkedIn profile. Karly to email with the offer and request search criteria.
- Potential expansion: Multi-touch outreach sequence discussed (LinkedIn message → email → call → LinkedIn connect → email). LinkedIn and email touches could be managed by Asymmetric or a contracted resource; phone outreach would remain with American's sales team.
[3]
- Square plugin: Token expired; requires a quick reconnection call with client on the line. Karly to schedule.
- Donation store: Client wants a store where donors can purchase specific items (e.g., jump bag, AED). Quoted as a separate project: ~$1,500 for a WooCommerce build including product upload and checkout flow. Karly to send quote.
Italian Website
- Payment: Still pending as of this call. Development is proceeding regardless — a review was completed Monday, active build has begun, and some assets have been received from the client.
[4]
- Prospect folder creation: Blocked pending a call with Veeth (Fathom) to work out the file creation automation. Lincoln to schedule.
- New hire: Tom Preboa (remote, Ann Arbor, MI) is onboarding. Today was his last day on-site. Lincoln wants him integrated into Salesforce.
- Facility move: Complete. Final machines being integrated; operational.
- Government shutdown impact: Two major public projects frozen:
- $4.7M Peace Corps plaza (near U.S. Capitol) — NPS cannot green-light contracts.
- Philadelphia US 250th anniversary project — same NPS freeze.
- Lincoln noted that public/academic projects are no longer the reliable revenue base they once were.
Notable Transcript Excerpts
On the lead vs. opportunity confusion:
"I feel bad, because I feel like you guys have understood that the entire time. And I'm like, the lead's got to be the project that we're pursuing." — Lincoln Durham
On the approval flow approach:
"They can create it, but it's not approved. It's like an unapproved opportunity... That keeps those opportunities from people just willy-nilly creating opportunities and causing anarchy." — Mark Hope
On the government shutdown:
"The public projects and the academic projects that have often been an important part of our backbone are now not the safe haven that they once were. You've got to follow the money." — Lincoln Durham
Related
- [5]
- [6]
- [7]
- [8]