Whether you’re the owner of a small, entrepreneurial business or a leader at a large, multimillion dollar company, understanding and managing the flow of sales prospects is imperative for growth. In today’s ever-evolving tech space, we are fortunate to have tools that help manage the growing number of contacts that need to be nurtured to take them from prospect to a happy, long-lasting customer.

At 5280 Accelerator, we work with companies to help them holistically align their marketing and sales to achieve the same goal – a new customer. This involves two key actions:

  1. Defining the overall marketing and sales process, a.k.a. “the funnel.”
  2. Establishing tracking and management to move prospects through the funnel.

Alignment

Often, the first hurdle to clear is establishing an alignment between sales and marketing. When guiding our clients, we have the outside perspective to keep our eye on the prize – that is, creating systems whereby both teams can work harmoniously together towards the same goal of bringing a new customer on board. It might sound idealistic, but building a process with this objective in mind can position you light years ahead of your competition; many companies suffer greatly when their sales and marketing teams are at odds, either pointing blame or seeking to take credit. If you’re experiencing this, read more here.

The Funnel

The marketing and sales process is defined through the development of a sales funnel, which takes the prospect from awareness and interest (marketing) to consideration and intent (sales). We’ve helped numerous companies build out their sales funnels, each of them answering the following three questions:

  1. Who is responsible for each stage in the funnel?
  2. What is the goal of each stage?
  3. What triggers a hand-off to the next stage?

Development of the marketing and sales process is important work, and when done thoughtfully, provides the framework for a well-oiled, sales-generating machine.

The CRM Backend

Once the process and handoffs are defined, the next step is determining the technology that will help manage it all. There is a plethora of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools in the marketplace, so which one to choose and how to maximize its effectiveness is often a conundrum our clients face. It’s important to understand and weigh the pros and cons of each CRM you are considering in order to identify the best fit, behind the scenes machine to align marketing and sales activities and improve productivity with the click of a mouse.

Check out this case study on setting up a CRM and sales process.

When deciding which CRM aligns with a company’s specific needs and goals, we look at these and other features:

  1. Contact management features and the flexibility to modify the type of information collected and how it can be sorted for reporting.
  2. Lead management functionality, including the ability to easily capture leads (via a desktop or mobile device) and assign scores or priorities to each lead.
  3. Pipeline management tools that enable the user to import their unique process, track deals, and prioritize activities to keep them moving forward.
  4. Email integration for the ability to seamlessly track email communications directly within the CRM system. Some CRMs have their own email modules while others integrate with email platforms through an application programming interface (API), which is a connection between two or more digital systems – like a CRM and an email platform. Other integrations that might be important to consider would be connections to existing accounting software or project management tools.

Some of the CRMs we work with regularly include HubSpot, Zoho, Mission Suite, Pipedrive, and LACRM, but there are many others like Insightly, Freshworks CRM, and Salesforce Essentials. Each one has its merits, and companies should consider scalability and pricing plans, in addition to features, when making a final decision. Once a decision is made, we help companies build out the CRM for maximum efficiency.

The Edge

When companies hire 5280 Accelerator to market their business, we always want to ensure that the fruits of those marketing efforts will be handed off to sales smoothly. By being thoughtful about the sales funnel development and how it ties into the CRM, we work hand-in-hand to ensure effectiveness in meeting the goal of acquiring new customers.

Not all marketing agencies are created equal, since many work in tactical silos – like search, email, or social – without assessing who and where the target audience is and what mix will best reach them. Others seek creative prowess – wanting a sexy campaign or award-worthy design – sacrificing cost-effectiveness and consistency. Few look at the internal processes, tools, and relationships that are key to winning more business.

At 5280 Accelerator, we’re different. Our strategic approach, business acumen, and owner’s perspective considers the complete picture – from the who to the how, from leads to nurture, and from interest piqued to sale won. Why would you want to market otherwise?

Reach out if you think your sales funnel or process isn’t working, or if you need help nailing down the right CRM for your business. We can help you get up and running with your marketing strategy, sales process, and CRM implementation to attain your goals.