Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions have been around for a long time. From the dawn of digital Rolodexes and databases in the 1980s and 1990s to today’s software as a service powerhouse, CRM technology has always shown signs of change in the way sales and customer service work. However, while many CRM solutions include marketing tools and functionality, none of them offer most of the tools today’s marketer needs to support their business’ sales and revenue goals.
There is no doubt that the integration of CRM and marketing automation is a key step for the success of any company, regardless of its size. Here are five benefits businesses can gain from integrating CRM with the right marketing automation solution.
Offer more sales-ready leads
When you have them running consistently, CRM and marketing automation can help you verify that the leads provided to your sales team are primed and ready to buy. A good marketing automation solution uses your CRM database to power you through balanced, personalized matches – messages that are enhanced and based on information gathered through visitor and prospect tracking and smart segmentation.
Track the value of each campaign by gaining visibility into performance
By integrating, the CRM and marketing platform can help you track the side effects of your marketing campaigns from the first touch to the last sale. You can gain insight into conversions by seeing how many prospects reacted to your call to activity. Also, what’s really beneficial is that you can track how all these campaigns actually generated the revenue. With the specific goal of improving the results of your marketing and sales efforts, this type of visibility is highly beneficial.
Improve productivity by helping sales prioritize leads
A marketing automation framework that is specifically integrated into a CRM provides a window into the online communications prospects have had with an organization, for example, their history of web visits and downloads, webinar attendance, opening and clicking, messages sent, etc. Marketing automation makes it easy to qualify leads based on particular activities, profiles, and special events, generating a lead score based on recognized factors: real, certified, and sales-ready leads.
Speed ​​up the process by shortening the sales cycle
According to an IDC study, more than 50% of leads in the average B2B contact database are out of date. Marketing automation can help move live opportunities through the pipeline faster. A good automation platform enables marketers to effectively nurture leads by utilizing strategies like content marketing, triggered email campaigns, site visitor tracking, and coordinated social media outreach. They can also reinvigorate cold leads through retargeting email campaigns.
Increase revenue and average deal size through lead nurturing
A nurtured shopper is better educated and more motivated to buy more. Using marketing automation, marketers can deliver content that directly addresses the issues they face at every point in the decision process. Whether it’s a series of white papers, ROI calculators, product comparison meltdowns, videos, and case studies, this content helps them gain the insights they need as they move through the buying cycle. It not only prepares them to buy… but to buy more!