Sales & Marketing Effectiveness for Sustained Growth

Is a Truism Holding True?

The software industry often expounds that you are 1st,  2nd or 3rd  in your category or simply out of business. The question I pose is whether the announcement that Entellium, makers of Rave CRM, has falled on hard times is an early warning of more fallout to come in the CRM space.

If you believe the numbers, that less than 20% of small and mid-size businesses are using CRM, you can understand the opportunity.  Yet, potential users need to show caution in their selection of a CRM product and vendor.  Another truism might be that the marketplace does not care about the “best technology”. 

A CRM project must be approached as a blending of strategy, process and technology for sales, marketing and customer service.  While selecting the right software that facilitates this blending is important, it is not the most important activity. 

Some pointers on the right way to approach CRM

A CRM implementation will have more chances of success if:

•  It is not considered a technology project

• There are clear and documented step-by-step processes for how you go to market, how you sell and how you achieve customer loyalty

• There is an implementation plan with clear, measurable, and phased objectives for each user group

• Management takes the time to determine the real ROI for a CRM implementation and evaluates each phase against the established ROI for corrective actions

• You don’t get overwhelmed by the features of sophisticated systems. Evaluate systems based on the features that will help you reach your current goals, plus potential for additional capabilities

• You consider hiring an expert for selecting and installing your solution and/or training if your company doesn’t have the necessary skills or resources

I cover all this, and much more, in an earlier posting “Building Customer Relationship – A Blueprint for Success” 

If you have not read that post, I encourage you to do so before venturing too far down the CRM selection path. 

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Hard Times Require Hard Work

I’m sure many of you have heard that phrase before.  For real marketers, that should mean more marketing and smarter marketing. A slow economy shouldn’t slow your  efforts.

As pointed out in his recent post, “Now Is Not the Time to Hide”, Lewis Green, Founder and Managing Principal of L&G Business Solutions  said "When everyone else is being super-cautious, this is the time for business to move from good to great. When everyone else is pulling their heads in, poke yours out. Get noticed. Rise above the pack."

His post provides some great suggestions for smarter marketing in these tough economic times and is well worth a read.

Yes, economic conditions are bad, have been for quite a while, with no real solutions in sight. We’ve all been flooded with blog posts, articles, newsletters, email and editorial opinions on how this puts a brake on marketing.  But unless you’re working in a progressive, marketing-oriented company aren’t you, in essence, used to working in a slow economy in your very own company?  How many of your companies are suffering their own internal recessions?   

Budget cuts, staff cuts, idea cuts, along with increased demands for proving ROI, aligning up with sales, and trying to explain to your CEO and CFO why marketing is valuable – isn’t this the norm for marketing people? Isn’t that our every day, own internal recession? 

At the first of the year, On February 26, 2008, I wrote a post addressing the issue of marketing during a recession. In that, I offered some advice on what, I believe, might help all of you live out the storm successfully.  The storm still builds around us. 

Again, you are on the brink of another year and also on the brink of possible major economic disasters, but unless you are anticipating that the bad economy is going to drive you right out of business, then you better plan on driving your marketing strong and in the right direction. 

Marketing is the push and support that drives sales.  And sales are what drive economies – all economies - yours and the world’s.  

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