Gerente de CRM at Up Brasil

It is impossible to manage what is not measured. This statement generates great discomfort in managers accustomed to working with more instinctive management based on their own feeling.

Increased competition in the market requires companies seeking growth, prominence, and profitability to reinvent themselves. Today, for this growth to be possible, it is necessary that the company have excellent management of its sales.

Selling is not an art, as some people believe. Selling is the result of processes and methodologies. It is a step by step of specific activities that need to be performed by the commercial team, which will lead a ‘lead’ (a new business opportunity) from its first contact with the company until closing.

To achieve competitive success in today's market, we must first identify the need of people and companies and then create products that meet that need. That is, the success of a company is measured by converted and loyal customers.

In search of this competitive advantage, companies need to create strategies for attracting new customers. These strategies, usually defined between the marketing and the commercial sector, are essential for brand growth since they align business, persona, and product or service. For this, the organization must undertake an aggressive sales and promotion effort.

One of these strategies is the creation of a sales funnel, one of the most relevant marketing tools today. A sales funnel, which bears this name because not every ‘lead’ that has access to the organization's advertisements will become a customer of that company, will support the personas' buying journey.

A sales funnel also called a 'pipeline', is a strategic model that shows the customer's journey from the first contact with the company to the closing of the deal. Composed of a set of steps (usually 5 to 7: Prospect, Qualify, Prepare Proposal, Follow Up, Close) and triggers (automatic or manual), it aims to support the journey and ensure the sale.

More simply, a funnel is divided into three main parts: Top of the funnel, this is the discovery phase, where the customer has the first contact with the company and the products and/or services it offers. This step can happen through advertisements on websites, social networks, etc.

 ​It is impossible to manage what is not measured 

After being attracted, the ‘lead’ - as this visitor comes to be recognized - recognizes the problem that led him to that company and begins to recognize that he needs a solution to the problem he has and is in the middle of the funnel, also called the middle of the funnel. It is at this stage, too, that leads begin to be qualified. The last stage of the sales funnel called the bottom of the funnel, consists of converting the sale.

Given the need to manage the entire sales process, a pipeline can deliver even better results if it is automated. With this automation, it is possible to have greater control over the activities of each of the sales executives, steps with higher conversion rates, lead management, number of open proposals, closing volume, etc.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is an essential tool for automating a sales funnel, but it is not reduced to just that. To understand more about this tool, it is necessary to divide it into 2: Marketing CRM and Sales CRM.

The marketing CRM is focused on the process of attracting and nurturing potential customers and supporting inbound marketing. That is, publishing ‘posts’ on social networks, campaigns, reports, etc. Sales CRM is focused on the commercial process. That is the process that started in marketing and is now with the sales team.

With a focus on eliminating the manual, robotic, and bureaucratic work of the commercial team, the implementation of CRM comes to organize and centralize all the information of the ‘leads’ or customers. Thus, it seeks to simplify the sales process and optimize the productivity of the sales team.

CRM cannot be seen as a single tool, as it is not an inflexible system. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what the possible applications and functionalities are to obtain its benefits. Thus, it can be divided into three types: operational CRM, analytical CRM, and collaborative CRM.

Because it is more customer-oriented, operational CRM is most used in 'call centers.' It involves capturing data, contact information, details of calls made, and feedback, among other features.

The Analytical CRM is responsible for analyzing the data collected by the operational CRM. With the data collected, the analytical CRM assists in the segmentation of customers, and thus, it is possible to carry out segmented ‘marketing’ actions and be more assertive in reaching the correct audience. It also performs sales forecasts and reasons for gains or losses in operations. Therefore, analytical CRM can assist in decision-making at both the tactical and strategic levels.

Collaborative CRM, on the other hand, is aimed at collaboration between the areas that have a relationship with the customer to retain and win new customers. All channels and points of contact between the customer and the company are part of collaborative CRM. In practical terms, collaborative CRM supports the other CRMs, forming a triad of interaction, analysis, and communication management. Thus, this combination results in the use of CRM strategically.

In this context, for companies to be able to differentiate themselves in an increasingly fierce market since practically all industries are in a 'Red Sea,' it is necessary to have counter investments in this management tool.