The Impact Game

Hey there! People tend to overlook the value of CRM. It’s more than just a way to send emails; it’s a strategic powerhouse. I delivered an insightful session at PAKCon 2024 titled “The Impact Game.” I pulled back the curtain on the real benefits of CRM and showed how businesses can use it to drive revenue and create lasting customer loyalty. I am sharing those insights in the article and give you the chance to test your predicting power around CRM impact.

CRM: More Than Just Emails

CRM managers are often seen as "email senders," this view severely undervalues the complexity and strategic value of the role. CRM is about understanding customer journeys, improving retention, and personalising customer experiences.

Key stats from a LinkedIn poll show the widespread misconceptions about CRM:

• 72% of people believe CRM is only for sending emails.

• 21% think CRM doesn't need a dedicated team.

• 5% don’t see measurable ROI.

I think that these misconceptions stem from a lack of communication and visibility within organisations. We are often working behind the scenes, handling everything from customer segmentation to detailed reporting and analytics.

What CRM Managers Actually Do:

• Customer Retention Strategy

• CRM System Management

• Customer Data Management

• Marketing and Campaigns

• Reporting and Analytics

• Customer Segmentation

We juggle numerous tasks to improve customer satisfaction, reduce churn, and contribute to overall business goals..

Real-World Impact: Case Studies That Prove CRM Works

I didn’t stop at theory—I laid out five case studies my team and I implemented showing how CRM directly impacts business results. These examples show how vital CRM is to business success. I cannot share revenue numbers with you but the uplifts and ROI. To make this more fun, you need to guess the impact. A click will reveal if you are right or wrong.

Case 1: Boosting Sign-ups

• Task: Improve the sign-up rate on a landing page.

• Approach: The team implemented a tool for A/B testing and onsite personalisation to experiment with different calls-to-action (CTAs), optimising the user experience based on real-time data. We tested a generic CTA (Start now) against one that was focused on the customer’s need (Save money now).

What to learn from it?

CTAs matter! Don’t underestimate their impact. Play around with different copies and use A/B testing for verify the right approach.

Case 2: Increasing ROI

• Task: Drive higher revenue with CRM.

• Approach: Optimised the sign-up flow for newsletters and introduced lifecycle automations that targeted specific customer segments more effectively. A revamped segmentation strategy ensured better communication with key groups.

What to learn from it?

Investments in CRM are worth it. We know that some measures don’t return the revenue instantly. It helps to share a business case predicting the impact over the next 12 months.

Case 3: Reducing Costs

• Task: Reduce operational costs during a seasonal marketing campaign.

• Approach: While in previous campaigns, the focus has been only on WhatsApp as communication channel. The team integrated email sendouts and strategically escalating communications via WhatsApp only when necessary, the team was able to streamline outreach while maintaining high engagement levels.

What to learn from it?

Cross-channel campaigns work. Consider specific channel characteristics and use them for your advantage. Test your old one-channel approach against it to show the uplift.

Case 4: Boosting Conversion Rates

• Task: Increase the overall conversion rate through CRM-driven automation.

• Approach: The team identified key touchpoints in the customer journey where conversions were lagging during a cross-functional customer journey workshop. They implemented current automations in a new CRM tool and just added some quick wins in the copy.

What to learn from it?

Let me be clear on the impact. After tool implementation, we were able to see the uplift in the weekly cohort report for the whole company. I reached out to every team to understand if they had changed anything. Everyone said no and the impact stayed over the following weeks. We were able to prove that CRM can massively increase a company’s conversion rate. Communication counts.

Case 5: Customer Reactivation

• Task: Reactivate customers and boost retention rates.

• Approach: A Minimum Viable Loyalty Program (MVLP) was launched across multiple markets, specifically targeting inactive customers. This program offered personalised incentives to re-engage lapsed users.

What to learn from it?

Let me be clear on the impact. After tool implementation, we were able to see the uplift in the weekly cohort report for the whole company. I reached out to every team to understand if they had changed anything. Everyone said no and the impact stayed over the following weeks. We were able to prove that CRM can massively increase a company’s conversion rate. Communication counts.

Bridging the Gap: Better Communication About CRM’s Value

One thing I want to emphasise is the need for us as CRM teams to share their successes. The reality is, most people in the company don’t see the day-to-day value CRM provides. If we regularly update stakeholders on the impact, it can change how CRM is perceived within the organisation.

Here’s how we can improve communication:

1. Share Wins Regularly: Make sure CRM’s contributions are visible.

2. Link CRM to Business Goals: Show how CRM initiatives align with key metrics like revenue growth and customer retention.

3. Collaborate with Other Departments: The more people understand CRM’s role, the more they’ll value it.

Key Takeaways

• CRM isn’t just an email tool—it’s a strategic system that drives customer engagement and business growth.

• Case studies prove that CRM can improve sign-ups, ROI, conversion rates, and more.

• Better communication about CRM’s impact can change how teams are valued within a company.

About the Speaker

Jessica Jantzen is a CRM pro with over 10 years of experience. She’s helped scale CRM systems at 13 companies, generating over 300 million in revenue along the way. Her passion lies in educating businesses about the true power of CRM and helping them get the most out of their systems.