Which System Gets You to the Finish Line?
CRMs vs Automated Systems – Which is Right for You?
While marketing and sales are inextricably tied together, the two require their own set of tools. Here are some tips in helping you decide which ones can help you get to the finish line more efficiently.
It is important to know the key differences between a CRM and an automated system, as this helps increase success and cuts waste. After all, you don’t see a carpenter using a sledgehammer to tack finishing nails into baseboards, right?
An automated marketing system is just what the name says – it’s part of marketing. Its primary job is to help maintain a strong pipeline of leads. It notifies the sales team when a prospect is ready to buy.
A CRM (customer relationship management) is a sales tool that helps keep conversations going with current and prospective customers.
So how do you know which one you need? Here’s some details about the strengths of each:
Automated Marketing System Benefits:
- Understands that prospects have different needs. It breaks them down into targeted ‘segments’ based on preferences, interests and needs.
- Sends automated email messages or texts after a prospect takes a variety of actions (ex: fills out an online form, visits a web page, takes a virtual tour). These messages are pre-crafted to respond to common prospect concerns while engaging with your company.
- Sends “drip” campaigns, which are a series of pre-crafted messages designed to keep your business ‘top-of-mind’ over weeks or months
- Notifies sales team when a prospect begins to behave more like a lead – and is ready-to-buy
- Provides analytics, which shows prospects’ patterns and progressions
Benefits of CRM software:
- Lets you accumulate customer buying histories, track phone conversations, open and click through rates from email campaigns
- Sales teams can see where customers are in a sales process
- Gives insight as to what type of targeted sales collateral is needed, based on customer activity. This step can build trust between your company, sales team and customers.
- Product and service renewals are easier to track. New products are more readily received, giving you the chance to increase sales with individual customers. Your sales team can even send birthday and anniversary greetings as a way of staying in touch.
Most automated marketing and CRMs can sync, allowing both marketing and sales teams to see all activities at once, so they can better understand what type of communication is needed next.
Unsure which tool works best for your business’ marketing and sales team? Contact First Impressions Marketing for additional assistance.
