Is Your CRM The Artery to Your Business?

I remember really eloquently explaining why Web Analytics were the most important part of my marketing role during a LinkedIn discussion. A poster had asked “What is the most valuable part of your marketing arsenal?”. My response was based on my role at the time which was to create scalable growth in the most evidenced way. I had transformed one business’s success through changing the website and creating PPC campaigns all based upon the Google Analytics data that told me everything about the reader on the website.

It was transformational – I knew their keywords, short and long tail, which allowed me to write copy that engaged with where they were at, that convinced them to engage and, consequentially, become customers.

With massive conviction I declared that web analytics were the most valuable asset that I had.

I was wrong.

Or rather, in the role of Digital Marketing Manager I was right at the time, but over time my view has changed!

Much of my work is now focused on one of the most common counter-responses in that discussion: CRM. I now find myself as an ambassador for CRM development as it, I now recommend, is / can / should be the artery for business.

This change in perspective came through experience in companies where growth was required, growth that would be measured in three digits not two and that was sustained and aggressive. Success required a different challenge than before and needed a deeper understanding to facilitate growth through diversification and expansion. An understanding that needed insights beyond what the in-use CRM was able to deliver. (A three month project to investigate everything set the scene for a comprehensive and diverse marketing strategy that achieved the targeted success, but that is a story for another day!)

I have posted several times on Big Data – perhaps a gimmick that, as a buzzword, has had its day, but as a practice remains valuable, I suggest critical. Big Data seeks to unite previously disparate datasets with the view of delivering business improvements beyond that possible through analysing data in isolation. While often associated with huge corporations with IT budgets many medium-sized enterprises would relish as a turnover, the premise of Big Data is achievable for SMEs and, I advise, found in a well rounded CRM.

A Customer-Centric Philosophy sets the agenda for a business to, at every decision point, consider the impact of the customer – Product Development: what does the customer want? Marketing – what customer problem does the product solve? Sales – what value does the product deliver to the customer? Support – if something goes wrong, what will keep the customer satisfied? Customer Success – what will maintain the customer’s loyalty? And so on.

CRM can become the the artery that the customer is channeled along throughout their experience with a business and this ties in neatly with Big Data. There is a great benefit to every department in knowing what another interaction with a customer has been; imagine how more effective marketing can be if Customer Success teams feedback benefit statements realised by satisfied customers, or how sales could benefit from knowing the lifetime cost of a customer when pricing support contracts.

Marketing is in the perfect position to drive the value of CRM data – if marketing needs to find new customers, it needs to know what a good and profitable customer is. Something that should be evident from the data held within the CRM. It’s a challenge that I pose through consulting: what data is held in the CRM and how is it used?

If I were to answer the same question now, I would passionately argue the case for CRM and make the comparison that, like an artery that carries blood through the body, CRM should carry the customer safely through the business. If I were to stretch the analogy, I might try and work out how the heart is Marketing – not necessarily the function but the philosophy. I think I need to ponder over that one further though!

If you are facing a business challenge and need to explore the role of Marketing in resolving that, talk to me using the contact form below. If you have a comment, a complementary or even contrasting experience or view, please share.

Thanks for reading!