Will Hearn’s Post

CRM is seen as a cost. Not an investment. I hear it all the time from CMOs and marketing directors: "We've got a CRM team of 12 people but can't show what they actually deliver." "We're spending €2 million on CRM tech but the CFO keeps questioning whether it's worth it." "Our CRM team works hard, but nobody really understands what they do." The problem isn't the CRM. The problem isn't the team. The problem is that CRM is still treated as a channel instead of an engine. As something that costs money instead of something that makes money. I saw it clearly with a client a couple of years ago. They had a CRM budget of €1.8M annually. When I asked: "How much revenue does your CRM drive?" Silence. Nobody knew. Not the CRM manager. Not the CMO. Not finance. They tracked open rates, click rates, and campaign sends. But revenue? Retention impact? LTV lift? Nothing. So I asked a different question: "If I removed your entire CRM tech stack tomorrow, how much revenue would you lose?" Still silence. And that's when it hit them. If you can't measure the impact, you can't defend the investment. Three things changed everything for them: 1. We connected CRM directly to revenue. ↳ Every automated journey tracked to incremental purchases ↳ Every campaign measured against baseline behaviour ↳ Every message attributed to retention and LTV impact 2. We built a dashboard that spoke the CFO's language. ↳ Revenue per CRM euro spent ↳ ROI on automation vs. manual campaigns ↳ Customer retention rates by journey type 3. We stopped talking about emails and started talking about outcomes. ↳ Not "we sent 2 million messages this month" ↳ But "CRM drove €840K in incremental revenue this month" Within 90 days, their CRM program went from a questioned cost centre to a protected growth driver. The CFO stopped asking "can we cut this?" and started asking "how can we scale this?" Here's the truth most CRM teams don't want to hear: If you can't prove revenue impact, you're just an expensive email tool. But the moment you connect CRM to business outcomes? Everything changes. Your budget gets protected. Your team gets respected. Your work gets seen as strategic, not operational. CRM isn't a cost. It's one of the highest-ROI growth channels you have. But only if you measure it like one. ♻️ Share if you also believe CRM should be measured by revenue, not open rates.

CRM, It's a Fusion Of Confusion. CRM is a backbone of most businesses, helping them streamline operations, unify customer data, and make smarter, data-driven decisions. Yet, CRM can be a challenge in its selection, adoption and use. This results in spiralling costs and poor adoption. That’s why people come to us for help and advice. Here are some thoughts on implementation challenges and practical ways to overcome them. 1. Lack of Clear Vision and Strategy Many organisations jump onto the CRM bandwagon without knowing what they want it for; data, sales, marketing, hybrid work, or a combination. Overcome it by starting with a clear roadmap. Define your goals and objectives and timelines, (and budget!). 2. Data Migration and Quality Issues Migrating legacy data into any CRM one of the most technical stages. Many companies have loads customer information stored across multiple systems, often incomplete, duplicated, or inconsistent. Overcome it by investing in data cleansing and validation tools before migration. This will ensure data accuracy from day one. Clean, reliable data not only improves productivity but also builds trust in the system. 3. Over-Customisation Most CRM systems offer immense flexibility, but over-customising can lead to unnecessary complexity. Overcome it by focusing on using the systems out-of-the-box capabilities wherever possible. A CRM partner will help identify where and when a custom solution truly adds value. This reduces costs and keeps your system simple with the ability to scale as your business grows. 4. Integration Across Systems A business may use a third party software as part of their daily life. If this is not integrated properly into your CRM, you lose sight of what information is correct. Overcome it by using either built in API's to connect your software together or a third party platform to do this for you. 5. Low User Adoption One of the biggest software fails is user adoption. Employees may resist change, especially when transitioning from familiar tools or workflows. Overcome it by implementing a change and training programme. Most CRM's have user-friendly dashboards to help staff simplify their daily work. This will help increase user usage. 6. Keeping Up with AI and Automation CRM is rapidly evolving, with AI tools to enhance the CRM experience. Many struggle to keep up with these innovations while managing day-to-day operations. Overcome it by partnering with a CRM consultant to help design, develop and test any new tools. 7. Lack of Ongoing Support For many companies, “go-live” isn't the end of the project, it’s just the beginning. Without continuous monitoring, optimisation, and support, systems can quickly become outdated or underused. Overcome it by having ongoing support from a CRM partner.

The CRM automation mistake that cost us ₹8 lakhs happened because we followed "best practices" everyone recommends — here’s what actually works instead. 🚨 From Following Industry Standards to Learning the Hard Way 🚨 What started as implementing “proven” automation strategies turned into a costly wake-up call that reshaped how I think about customer lifecycle marketing. 💸 Mistake #1: The Welcome Series That Welcomed Users to Unsubscribe Cost: ₹3.2 lakhs in lost revenue We built the classic 5-email welcome flow — progressive storytelling, perfect cadence. The result? 47% unsubscribed in the first week. ✅ What worked instead: One personalized welcome message based on signup source + behavioral follow-ups only after engagement. Unsubscribes dropped to 8%, conversions grew 34%. 🎯 Mistake #2: Segment Everything (And Confuse Everyone) Cost: ₹2.8 lakhs in operational overhead Everyone said: “More segmentation = more personalization.” We built 47 micro-segments with separate flows — chaos followed. Messaging became inconsistent, and managing it was exhausting. ✅ The fix: We simplified to 5 core behavioral segments tied to user actions. Clear journey maps, consistent tone. Campaign efficiency rose 60%, and management time was cut by 70%. ⚡ Mistake #3: Automation Without Human Touch Cost: ₹2 lakhs in lost acquisition We automated everything — support, recommendations, feedback. Users felt like they were talking to bots, and NPS tanked. ✅ What changed: We added human checkpoints within automation. Predictive analytics now alerts our team when human touch is needed. Customer satisfaction rose 45%, and retention hit new highs. 🌟 The Real Game-Changer: Context Over Content 🌟 The biggest revelation wasn’t tools or templates — it was timing and context. We stopped asking “What should we send?” and started asking “When does the user actually need this?” Now, all communications trigger real-time behavioral signals, not fixed timelines. That single shift boosted automation ROI by 180%. 💡 Key Takeaways 👉 Start simple, scale smart — complexity kills conversion. 👉 Behavioral triggers > time-based triggers. 👉 Human touch points aren’t optional. 👉 Test with purpose, not for the sake of testing. After burning through ₹8 lakhs, these lessons reshaped not just our CRM strategy but our entire growth mindset. If you’re building CRM journeys or retention flows, let’s connect! I’d love to trade notes on what’s actually working in 2025 — and help you skip the costly mistakes. 💬 What’s your most expensive automation lesson? Drop it below — let’s learn from each other. #CRMAutomation #MarketingLessons #GrowthMarketing #RetentionStrategy

How much clarity does your organization really have? Because here’s something almost nobody talks about: CRM’s most underrated benefit isn’t automation, analytics, or dashboards. It’s clarity. Clarity that reveals: - Who your most valuable customers are - Where deals are getting stuck - What truly drives revenue - When clarity is paired with automation, your team stops chasing tasks and starts driving outcomes. That’s the real face of RevOps. If you want a deeper dive into how clarity and insight factor into CRM’s success, check out this article: “CRM Technology Use and Implementation Benefits in an Emerging Market” (Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management) — which highlights that benefits like customer insight and employee productivity often lead the list for organizations adopting CRM. https://lnkd.in/dRzsHciE #CRM #RevenueOperations #BusinessClarity #DataDriven #Growth

The Integration Nightmare That's Paralyzing Your Growth. Your CRM doesn't talk to your website. Your website doesn't talk to your marketing tools. Here's the real cost. A CEO told me: "We have all the data. We just can't access it when we need it." His team uses 23 different tools. None of them talk to each other. 🚨 The integration crisis: - Average organization uses 897+ applications - Sales reps spend 4.2 hours daily switching between tools - 60% of customer data sits in silos Here's what's actually happening: Customer fills out form → Data sits in form tool Sales tries to follow up → Manually copies info to CRM Marketing sends email → Doesn't know customer already purchased Support answers question → Sales has no record Each team thinks they have the full picture. Nobody does. 💰 The real cost: That CEO lost a $2M deal because: - Lead came through website - Sales never got notification (integration broken) - Competitor followed up in 10 minutes - His team followed up in 3 days By then, deal was gone. The problems killing your growth: ❌ One-way data flow (Marketing → CRM, but sales notes don't flow back) ❌ Manual data entry (20+ hours monthly wasted) ❌ Delayed updates (hours to sync critical changes) ❌ Missing context (Support can't see purchase history) ❌ Broken attribution (Can't track lead to revenue) Your Systems Integration Audit: 🔍 Map your data flow - Where does customer data get stuck? 📊 Identify critical gaps - Website → CRM → Marketing → Support → Analytics ⚡Calculate the waste - Hours spent transferring data × hourly cost = your integration tax The framework: ✅ Bi-directional sync, not one-way ✅ Real-time updates, not batch processing ✅ Single source of truth for each data type ✅ API-first approach for flexibility Real transformation: B2B SaaS company: ❌ Before: 18 disconnected tools, 25 hours weekly on manual entry, 3-day response time, lost 20% of hot leads ✅ After: Real-time data flow, 2-hour response time, 34% increase in closed deals, $1.8M additional annual revenue Quick wins: ✅ Website forms → CRM ✅ CRM → Email marketing ✅ Support tickets → CRM ✅ Analytics → CRM The brutal truth: Your tools aren't the problem. Your lack of integration is. You're paying for powerful systems that can't share information, losing customers daily. How many tools does your team use daily? Can they all share data seamlessly? If you hesitated, your integration gaps are costing you deals right now.

Unlocking Exponential Growth: The Power of CRM in Business 🚀 (Powered by Creatio) In today's hyper-competitive landscape, customer relationships are the lifeblood of any successful business. Are you truly leveraging them for maximum impact? Many companies still operate with fragmented data and manual processes, unknowingly stifling their potential. A robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system isn't just an advantage; it's a necessity. Let's explore the critical difference between operating with and without a CRM: Investment vs. ROI: A Mindset Shift 1. Without CRM: Investment: Appears low initially, but conceals massive overheads: manual data entry, lost info, duplicated efforts, reactive problem-solving. It's a "penny wise, pound foolish" approach leading to inefficient lead tracking, missed sales, higher churn, and wasted administrative time. ROI: Stagnant lead nurturing, poor retention, missed upsell/cross-sell opportunities, lack of insights. You're constantly playing catch-up, leading to significant hidden costs and squandered revenue. Mindset: Short-term savings, long-term stagnation. 2. With CRM (e.g., Creatio): Investment: Initial outlay for powerful software like Creatio's no-code CRM platform and implementation, viewed as a strategic asset multiplying returns over time. It’s an investment in efficiency, intelligence, and loyalty. ROI: Increased Sales & Revenue: Streamlined lead management, automated follow-ups, better conversions, clearer upsell paths. Creatio’s intelligent tools ensure no opportunity is missed. Improved Efficiency: Automation of routine tasks, centralized customer data, enhanced collaboration. Creatio's no-code allows rapid process changes, drastically cutting operational costs. Enhanced Customer Satisfaction & Retention: Personalized interactions, proactive service, 360-degree customer view. Creatio builds lasting relationships. Data-Driven Decisions: Real-time analytics provide insights into sales, customer behavior, and market trends, empowering strategic growth. Mindset: Strategic investment, exponential growth. Why CRM is Non-Negotiable (Why Creatio?): In a digital-first world, you need a dynamic platform that adapts to your business. 360-Degree Customer View: Centralize all customer interactions and history. Sales Process Automation: Guide reps, automate tasks, accelerate sales cycles. Marketing Campaign Management: Personalize communications, track effectiveness. Exceptional Customer Service: Deliver consistent, high-quality support. Scalability & Flexibility: Creatio’s no-code platform empowers rapid process modifications, integrations, and scaling without heavy IT reliance. This agility means faster time-to-value and lower TCO. Don't let outdated processes hold your business back. Invest in a CRM like Creatio that empowers your teams, delights your customers, and drives sustainable growth. What's your biggest CRM success story or challenge? Share below!

Stop treating your CRM like a filing cabinet. Most CRMs are like three separate drawers: contacts, companies, and deals. It's no wonder revenue signals never seem to add up! When your CRM objects aren't talking to each other, it's trying to navigate a city with three separate maps: one for streets, one for buildings, and one for people. Good luck finding your way around! The "filing cabinet" problem in your CRM. -Company drawer: this is where you stuff all your account intelligence. It's the foundation, but it's a bit like a junk drawer - everything gets tossed in there. -Contact drawer: here's where you cram insights about individuals. It's like a rolodex on steroids. -Deal drawer: this is your engine to drive opportunities forward. But without context from the other drawers, it's running on fumes. When these drawers don't talk to each other, a few things happen: -You can't see everything about your customer in one place. -Data gets duplicated and errors multiply. -Critical customer signals get lost between disconnected systems. Benefits of connected CRM objects: But when you connect these objects, magic happens: -Sales cycles speed up because information flows automatically between contacts, companies, and deals. -Teams make faster decisions with complete context at every customer touchpoint. - Reporting becomes more accurate with unified data across all customer interactions. You have a single source of truth instead of multiple versions of reality. Here's a quick diagnostic. Answer these 5 yes/no questions: ❓Do you find yourself updating the same information in multiple places? (If so, you might be stuck in a filing cabinet loop.) ❓Are your deal insights disconnected from contact activities? (Try to read a book with half the pages missing!) ❓Does your team struggle to see the full relationship history? (Does every interaction feel like the first?) ❓Are you manually tracking key customer signals? ❓Do valuable insights get buried in notes? If you answered "yes" to any of these, your CRM might be suffering from filing cabinet syndrome. Haha! But don't worry, there's a cure! Comment "MAP" and I'll share the 1-page object map template that transforms how your team uses your CRM. It's like getting a GPS for your revenue journey. P.S. You'll never look at your filing cabinets the same way again! #GTM #SalesTech #CRM

As digital transformation accelerates, small businesses are increasingly looking for efficient tools to manage customer relationships, streamline operations, and remain competitive. In 2025, CRM software solutions have become more advanced, affordable, and accessible, offering powerful features once reserved for large enterprises. Among the providers leading this shift is CloudCC, a brand that continues to gain recognition for its scalable and user-friendly platforms. Industry experts point out that the needs of small businesses differ significantly from those of large corporations. While enterprises often require complex, multi-layered systems, small businesses prioritize ease of use, cost efficiency, and quick deployment. This is where solutions like CloudCC CRM stand out. Designed with simplicity and functionality in mind, it provides small teams with tools for customer management, sales automation, and service tracking without unnecessary complexity. One of the defining trends of 2025 is the rise of AI-powered CRM tools. CloudCC integrates artificial intelligence to help businesses analyze customer data, predict purchasing behavior, and personalize communication. For small businesses, this means being able to compete with larger players by offering a more tailored and responsive customer experience. https://lnkd.in/gMqpZT6C

🗞️🔥 Snappy Kraken has announced its new CRM integrations, the first real-time, bidirectional integration of its kind in the advisor marketing space. This innovation makes Snappy Kraken the only platform able to fully unify CRM, marketing automation and analytics in a single ecosystem. The new CRM integration enables continuous synchronization between advisors’ CRMs and the Snappy Kraken platform—eliminating manual imports and giving enterprises and advisors a single, up-to-date view of client and prospect data. It also supports pre-built integrations with leading systems including Redtail Technology Orion, Salesforce and Practifi, while simplifying integrations with new CRM vendors and custom systems to ensure consistent, accurate marketing efforts for advisors and enterprises. For wealth management firms, fragmented CRM and marketing systems have contributed to slower growth, compliance challenges and outdated client data. Snappy Kraken’s updated CRM integration eliminates that friction by uniting CRM and marketing automation into one connected system, improving data quality, enabling timely follow-up and allowing deep customization for every advisor and firm. The result is a compliant, scalable and AI-ready infrastructure that supports growth across the entire organization. “Innovation only matters when it creates better client experiences and truly drives growth. Advisors and firms don’t need more software. They need a modern growth stack that fully connects their CRM, marketing automation and analytics. With our updated CRM integration, we’re reinforcing our mission to deliver enterprises and advisors unified marketing technology where every tool works in harmony to drive growth. This release makes that possible with one simple authentication.” - Robert J. Sofia, CEO #news #CRM #martech #financialadvisors https://lnkd.in/gbEZGDNs

Just came across a fascinating article on where CRM is headed in 2025 and wow - this isn't your father's contact management system anymore! 🔍 The shift from basic CRM to full Customer Experience Management (CXM) is exactly what I've been telling my ERP clients about. These systems can't exist in silos anymore. AI is completely reshaping what's possible - from predictive analytics to actual customer behavior forecasting. And with third-party cookies dying, first-party data strategy isn't optional anymore, it's survival. What really caught my attention? The B2B evolution. Longer sales cycles and complex decision-making processes mean systems need to adapt. AI-driven lead scoring and account-based marketing are becoming must-haves, not nice-to-haves. Truth bomb: Many companies are still struggling with basic CRM implementation while these innovations race ahead. Are you positioned to leverage these trends or playing catch-up? If you're wrestling with how these CRM advancements fit into your broader ERP and digital transformation strategy, let's chat. Sometimes the hardest part is just knowing where to start. What CRM trend are you most excited (or concerned) about? https://lnkd.in/eX3iKXQV