When I was selling early in my career, sales and marketing operated in isolation. Being a sales rep meant a daily ritual of prospecting, meetings, and closing sales. Along the way, if I needed a comparison guide, a step by step guide, a leave behind product piece, a cost calculator, etc., marketing was my go to. Marketing ran the booth at trade shows and we grabbed our leads before they left to go back to the office where we knew we wouldn’t see them again. If you’ve been around for a while, I'm sure you can relate. Day in, day out.
Along the way, reports and projections came into play. All of these functions were siloed.
Fast forward to today, and the power of a CRM with Sales and Marketing is really exciting! I know we’ve spoken in the past about The Steps that Lead to a Successful CRM Implementation and The Value of CRM & ERP Integrations, but what’s the value for sales and marketing?
The focus on the customer experience is putting your customer at the center of everything you do. Forrester Research found that those companies focusing on the customer experience grew 40% faster than before. Why is this important to note? Because that customer experience is what we were doing years ago. In the field, we controlled that customer experience. One by one, we made them happy, we serviced, we educated, and we delivered. The problem is, the old ways aren’t working as efficiently anymore, if at all.
Now, more than ever before, we recognize that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the foundation of every aspect of your customer experience.
Where to start is always the first question we are asked. We start with a strategy. Why? Because understanding what you have, what you need, and how to get you there starts with that strategy. It’s your map to get started.
Once we’ve determined what is needed to achieve your goals, a plan is built to get you there.
Sales and marketing are now both considered revenue streams with key roles in the sales process. Understanding the power of the CRM for marketing and sales is your first step in building a CRM powered marketing team!