CRM-system as a Marketer's Assistant: Truth or Myth?

There is a myth that a CRM system is a tool used solely by the sales department. But is it true? In cases where the potential of a CRM is not fully utilized or it is maintained incorrectly, it becomes little more than an electronic notebook for sales managers—a poor story.
In this article, we discuss positive stories and the correct experience of using a CRM system in terms of its usefulness not only for the sales department but also for marketers.

The usefulness of any service stems from the problems it solves through its functionality. Therefore, we will begin with the problems faced by the marketing department, as a link in the company that actively interacts with external and internal clients to achieve the company’s goals.

  Problem #1: Outdated (subjective) view of the target audience's portrait and requests

This issue lowers the effectiveness of the offers and messages used by marketers in advertising campaigns.

The problem can be addressed by surveying sales managers regarding:

  • The position of those who inquire and purchase.
  • What is important to clients when choosing a product/service?
  • Which products are purchased most frequently?
  • Reasons for refusing to buy.
  • How quickly are clients ready to make a purchase?

Without a CRM system, marketers would rely on the subjective opinions of managers at the time of the survey.

The proper solution to the problem:

  • The marketing and sales departments jointly form a list of questions to qualify the target audience.
  • These questions are added (preferably with answer options) to the CRM system fields.
  • These fields are made mandatory to fill out during the lead qualification stage.

This way, marketers will have access to an informative database of clients with their characteristics and interests, which can be sorted, filtered, and viewed from any angle over any time period.

In addition to having an up-to-date audience profile and the ability to segment it, a CRM system enables marketers to provide each segment with a personalized offer containing information genuinely relevant to the potential customer. This leads us to

  Problem #2: Marketing communication with the client. How to make it as effective, automated, and measurable as possible?

What do we have without CRM and automation? Let’s look at specific examples.

Without CRM and automation:

Example: A base of email addresses is used (whose origin and relevance are uncertain, perhaps containing only names). The marketer sends out generalized promotional emails.
Effect: Minimal, as the database burns out from such untargeted messaging.

The same situation with Viber mailing lists

With CRM:

Example: Filter all individuals in the CRM database interested in two-bedroom apartments but still undecided. Send them targeted messages showcasing possible designs and layouts.
Result: Visually appealing, targeted nurturing based on potential clients’ interests.

Communication automation:

CRM systems are not isolated from communication services (messengers, email platforms, autodial bots, etc.). In fact, they often come with ready integrations. If such integrations are unavailable, no-code services can bridge the gap, connecting different applications as needed.

Examples:

  • An email platform linked to a CRM can send tailored information about a service of interest when a potential client needs time to decide.
  • Connected messengers (via omnichannel platforms) allow marketers to notify those interested in a specific perfume that it is now available for purchase.
  • SMS or autodial bots can remind customers when it’s time to reorder their pet food for Rex, for example.

І все це без надзусиль, із одноразово налаштованої інтеграції і сформованого повідомлення. 

  Problem No. 3 - the evaluation of the effectiveness of advertising campaigns is not at the level of the number of leads,

or the number of clicks on the phone number, and on the indicators of profit, average checks, and the payback time of advertising investments.

And again, we will consider this problem using a case example.

The marketing team creates three ads with different creatives, generating 30 leads from each. Were all creatives equally effective?
Without CRM, the assumption might be “yes.”
With CRM, the reality might be:

  • Ad #1: 80% of leads were lost due to high pricing objections.
  • Ad #2: 50% booked a demo, 30% purchased, yielding a profit.
  • Ad #3: 60% expressed interest but deferred purchase for a year, making it costly with delayed ROI.

With CRM insights, decisions can be data-driven: invest more in Ad #2, revise the creative for Ad #1, and change the target audience for Ad #3.

So with a CRM system, the marketing department has the full picture and the ability to analyze advertising investments to make them optimal based on numbers, not guesswork.

Problem №4 - it is phrased differently, but its essence is most often characterized by the statement: “We invested X budget in advertising, but got 0 sales. Why didn’t marketing bring leads?”

A CRM system in this case provides the ability to answer this question with data and distribute responsibility among all participants in the process, not just the marketing department.

Examples from real life where CRM defended marketers:

Case №1

We have a question: a marketing campaign with a massive budget was launched. The flow of leads was enormous, but sales were minimal. The sales department claims that all leads were non-targeted.

An audit (listening to calls and reviewing chats) of the leads marked as “Lost” from this marketing campaign revealed that 40% of potential clients did not refuse to buy; they went to think or compare several offers from the same company. They didn’t make an immediate purchase. It was necessary to address their objections and stimulate decision-making. This was done, and 10% of them made a purchase.
Was the sales problem solely in marketing campaigns and leads? – No.

Чи була проблема продажів тільки в маркетингових компаніях і лідах? – ні. 

Case №2

We have a question: the advertising budget was doubled, but sales did not increase. Why?

Communication revealed that managers processed only 30% of the leads within the first hour, while 20% were left for the next day and subsequently forgotten. This, of course, impacted the final result, and the issue here is not with the marketing department but with optimizing the client processing workflow and ensuring a sufficient number of staff in the sales department.

Case №3

We have a question: a marketing campaign was launched with previously tested creatives and a familiar, proven target audience, but there are no sales… What happened?

Thanks to the fact that the company had:

  • a standardized method for assessing a client’s interest in purchasing;
  • a mandatory field in the CRM system for this evaluation;
  • and the manager filled in this characteristic for each lead,

it was easy to identify that most leads showed deferred demand, with payments expected no sooner than a month and a half later. The issue here isn’t solely with the marketing department but also reflects the overall market situation. However, with this information and data-backed insights into client behavior, the marketing department now clearly understands what needs to be adjusted in the advertising strategy.

We have discussed situations that are most commonly encountered in practice, but in general, the functionality of a CRM system can still be very useful for marketers in many ways. It includes forming loyalty programs based on customer purchase history, running giveaways and separate activities with funnels and automations, as well as the ability to forecast sales and build necessary reports.

How exactly can CRM help in your company and your marketing department? Feel free to ask – we’d be happy to share our knowledge and experience.