Executive Summary
Mobile as the Equalizer: Rebuilding Shaklee Connect for the Field
Company
Shaklee
Timeline
4 months
Project
Mobile-First CRM Redesign
My Role
Creative Director
The Problem
- A previous Salesforce implementation was designed desktop-first, for distributors who mostly work standing up, between other things, on a phone
- Enterprise workflows ignored the relationship-driven, mobile nature of Shaklee's business
Outcome
- Rebuilt the experience mobile-first around 15-minute field sessions, not desktop dashboards
- Increased distributor engagement by 40% within three months of launch
- Achieved 5/5 satisfaction on a previously challenging account
My Role
- Creative Director, Account Lead, Team Manager
- Brought in to reset the engagement through research and experience strategy
- Led cross-org alignment and delivery execution
Detailed Case Study
Context and Challenge
Why This Problem Mattered
What was not working
- The initial Salesforce rollout was built around enterprise CRM norms
- Distributors found the system unintuitive and disconnected from how they actually worked
Why it failed
- Implementation focused on platform configuration, not human behavior
- No deep understanding of the Shaklee distributor network informed the experience
Business risk
- Distributor frustration threatened adoption and long-term ROI
- The Salesforce–Shaklee partnership risked erosion of trust
Constraints and Complexities
Rebuilding Trust
- Needed to re-engage skeptical stakeholders after a failed rollout
- Required proof that design-led strategy would produce different results
Unique Audience
- Distributors operate as independent small business owners
- Their workflows revolve around personal networks and informal communication
Platform Realities
- Solutions had to leverage existing Salesforce investment
- Experience had to feel simple without sacrificing enterprise capability
My Role and Decision Ownership
Engagement Reset Lead
- Repositioned the work from system configuration to human-centered redesign
- Established research as the foundation for all strategic decisions
Strategic Facilitator
- Aligned Shaklee executives and Salesforce leadership around shared outcomes
- Advocated for distributor needs in roadmap decisions
Delivery Owner
- Directed research, synthesis, and experience design
- Accountable for restoring confidence through tangible, validated results
Research
Problem Definition
Target Users
- Independent distributors managing personal networks and downlines
- Executives needing visibility into engagement and growth signals
Core Experience Gaps
- CRM workflows prioritized records over relationships
- Limited support for mobile, informal, real-world selling behaviors
Required Shift
- Move from transactional automation to relationship-centered enablement
- Design for distributors as entrepreneurs, not corporate employees
User Interviews
Conducted 12+ distributor interviews observing real communication and business practices. Also received survey results from 50+ distributors.
Interview Synthesis
Each color representing a different person interviewed with each card representing a sentiment offered by the subject. Sentiments were organized into groups of affinity.
High Level Interview Synthesis Map
Key Findings
Relationships drive revenue
- Business growth happens through trust networks, not pipeline dashboards
- Visibility into relationship strength matters more than visibility into transaction status
Informal interactions matter most
- Text messages, quick check-ins, and personal follow-ups drive momentum
- Tools must support lightweight, real-time engagement rather than structured data entry
Design Implications
- Surface relationship context before transactional metrics
- Prioritize mobile-first, lightweight interactions
Design
Design Strategy
Human Before System
- Redesign around distributor behavior, not CRM structure
- Focus on moments of connection and follow-up
Mobile as Primary Workspace
- The MLM business model runs on frequent, short engagement cycles—often 15 minutes or less.
- Optimize for field use and real-time interaction
- Reduce friction in everyday selling rituals
Strengthen the Partnership
- Demonstrate how design strategy unlocks platform value
- Tie user delight directly to Salesforce ROI
Solution Overview
Experience Redesign
- Reimagined Shaklee Connect around distributor networks
- Surfaced actionable relationship signals
Workflow Simplification
- Made downline management intuitive
- Enabled faster, more natural engagement touchpoints
Strategic Deliverables
- Experience vision aligned to executive priorities
- User-validated prototypes demonstrating adoption potential
- Executive artifacts that rebuilt stakeholder confidence
Mobile Design
Designed mobile-first rather than mobile-adapted: a custom implementation of Salesforce Marketing Cloud's core capabilities, presented in a consumer-friendly experience built for short, frequent field sessions.
Dashboard
Quick view of activity status and follow ups to complete
Business at a Glance
Ongoing trends and analytics into the small business performance
Marketing Campaigns
Ability to create and track personalized email communication with one or many people
Impact
5 of 5
Satisfaction Survey
On a previously red account
+40%
Increased Engagement
3 months after launch
"This has been our most successful consultant project."
Quote from CEO