No spreadsheets. No complicated CRM.
How AFC Motorcycles keep on top of every deal
“We had an Excel spreadsheet that we ran… but doing a global search was really difficult. It was quite lethargic to find that sort of stuff. With Orion’s Sales Workboard, it’s a lot easier to follow up and maintain every single lead… and because of that, you’re on to every lead!“
More consistency.
More control.
And ultimately, more deals.
That’s where AFC Motorcycles have landed. But it didn’t start there. For Brendan Tootell and the team, sales has always been a hands-on, practical process. Moving stock, talking to customers, and keeping things running across multiple branches. But as the business grew, so did the challenge of keeping track of every opportunity. Like a lot of dealerships, they relied on spreadsheets to manage leads and follow-ups. It worked, for a while…until it didn’t.
When “good enough” starts slowing you down
For years, the team relied on spreadsheets to manage leads and track follow-ups. It was familiar. Flexible. And on the surface, it did the job. But underneath, things were getting harder to manage. Searching for specific customers or opportunities was slow. Notes became messy and bloated over time. And trying to filter or segment leads, whether for follow-up or marketing, was more effort than it should’ve been.
“We had an Excel spreadsheet that we ran… but doing a global search was really difficult. It was quite lethargic to find that sort of stuff.”
Even with regular sales meetings and a structured process, maintaining consistency across every lead and every salesperson was a constant challenge.
Looking for something better, without overcomplicating it
The team had explored other options. CRMs, prospecting tools, all the usual suspects. But most came with a trade-off. More functionality meant more complexity. And for a small sales team, that wasn’t what they needed.
“We are motorcycle dealers… we don’t want other systems to complicate things.”
What they were really after was something simple. Something that fit into the way they already worked, not something that forced them to change everything. So, when Orion’s new Sales Workboard came into play, they decided to give it a go.
From scattered tracking to a single, connected view
The shift was immediate. Instead of juggling spreadsheets, the team could now see every lead in one place. It’s clearly organised, easy to navigate, and always up to date. More importantly, it introduced structure without adding friction. Tasks could be assigned and followed through. Leads could be aged and prioritised. And every interaction, every note, sat neatly within the enquiry itself.
“It just keeps that discipline around following up… even having the days there, you can see how old the lead is really quickly.”
But one of the biggest differences was how it brought communication into the same workflow. Where spreadsheets made it difficult to act on leads, the Workboard made it easy. Whether that meant sending a quick follow-up, reaching out to a group, or re-engaging older enquiries, it could all be done in one place.
“That global search function and then being able to market from that, send an email, send a text message, is just fantastic.”
There’s no need to jump between tools. Tracking and follow-up now sit side by side.
Built for real teams, not just systems
One of the biggest differences wasn’t just functionality. It was how easily the team adopted it. Across multiple branches, with varying levels of experience and tech confidence, the rollout was almost effortless.
“The guys have adapted to it basically overnight… I showed them once and that’s it, they’re putting leads in.”
There was no push required. No chasing people to use the system. It worked the way they worked. That made all the difference.
“That’s the great thing about it. It is really, really simple… anyone can do it.”
Better follow-up. Better visibility. Better results
While it’s still early days, the impact is already clear. Not because it helps them focus only on the “hot” leads, but because it helps them stay on top of all of them. Every opportunity is visible. Every follow-up is tracked. And actually reaching out, whether by call, email or SMS, is part of the same process.
“It’s a lot easier to follow up and maintain every single lead… and because of that, you’re on to them.”
And in sales, that consistency is what drives results.
“It can take 10 contacts before you close someone… it’s really about that constant drive to keep following those people up.”
Simple systems win
For Brendan, the value of the Sales Workboard comes down to one thing: simplicity. Not stripped-back, but focused. Practical. Easy to use. The kind of system that teams don’t resist. They just use it.
“If we can do it all within Orion, then ultimately that’s really good… we don’t want to overcomplicate it because then no one will use it.”
And his advice to others considering it?
“You will not look back… everyone’s gone, well, this is cool, it’s so easy to use, and they’ve kept using it.”
Closing the gap between leads and sales
For a team that was already disciplined and process-driven, the Sales Workboard didn’t change how AFC Motorcycles sell. It just made it easier to do it properly, every time. Every lead is visible. Every follow-up is clear. And nothing gets left sitting in a spreadsheet. And that’s where the difference comes from. When follow-up is consistent, deals don’t get missed. They get done.
