Sure, Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but the love story between CRMs and Marketing Automation systems is a timeless tale that’ll warm the coldest of hearts (we condone, and encourage, forwarding this blog post to your ex).
Jokes aside (were we joking?), CRM software and marketing automation software are a match made in heaven. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true! These two systems depend on each other and while you technically can have one without the other, we don’t recommend it. It’d be like Sonny without Cher. Or Holmes without Watson. Sure they could make it work, but they’d be lacking the magical chemistry we all fell in love with. Let’s get into why!
Now, dynamic duos aside, what makes this special software pairing so magnificent? Let us explain:
A glorious coupling of the right CRM system and marketing automation software will convert for MQLs to SQLs
To set things straight, a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a contact that is sales-ready but is not yet ready for direct, personal attention from the sales team. A Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) is ready for direct follow-up from sales and should be made a priority to engage with one-on-one to generate conversion.
Without a compatible CRM and marketing automation combo, the transition from MQL to SQL can be painful and unproductive for both sales and marketing.
CRMs and marketing automation work together to fill in any communication gaps between sales and marketing; therefore, if one of these systems (or both) falls behind or they fail to sync with one another, the transition from a MQL to SQL can be strenuous, confusing, or simply not occur at all.
Because that’s the thing about CRMs and marketing automation. Not just any combo will do. Here at Net-Results, we natively integrate with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Salesforce, SugarCRM, and some custom-built CRM systems.
Want more info on the relationship between Dynamics 365 CRM and Net-Results? Download our free white paper to learn the benefits of this stellar integration!
Integrating the two software systems will give your sales reps the full picture
And they’ll love you for it!
With a thoughtfully assembled CRM and marketing automation duo, your sales reps will have access to the full marketing history of their prospects. Why is this important? By taking a glance at a prospect’s customer journey and history with marketing initiatives, sales will be able to assemble a multi-faceted understanding of the prospect’s needs and interests. This knowledge allows your sales team to engage with the prospect in a confident, assured manner that’s guaranteed to translate to more sales.
Ultimately, the transparency that CRM and marketing automation integration provide greatly benefits your sales team and your marketing team. Need more proof? Check out our past blog post on 4 Reasons Sales Teams LOVE Marketing Automation.
Integration = Collaboration
One of the greatest benefits of integration is collaboration. Let us explain:
Integrating your CRM and marketing automation is more than a marriage of software systems—it’s about the collaboration and connection of sales and marketing.
We all know it to be true—a company is nothing without a strong sales and marketing team. The union of your CRM and marketing automation will allow these two dynamic teams to work together like never before.
Sure, it seems a bit fantastical and too good to be true, but hear us out.
Your marketing team will be able to leave notes for your sales reps in a contact record about a previous interaction, background knowledge about the prospect, and/or suggestions on what features to hype up to a specific prospect based on what they’re looking for (i.e. what piece of content sent out via marketing did this specific person engage with?).
On the other hand, your sales team can help the marketing team determine which content leads find the most helpful (and least helpful) and any other feedback provided by the prospects upon sales follow-up.
The points of collaboration are endless for both teams, but first, the integration of both teams’ software systems (CRM & marketing automation) must occur.
Come to think of it, this isn’t exactly a love story between CRMs and marketing automation—it’s a love story between two vital teams: sales and marketing. When both softwares and teams unite, you’ll be able to transition MQLs to SQLs more efficiently, offer better visibility to both departments, and increase cross-department collaboration.
Now, these are just a taste of the ways CRMs and marketing automation systems go hand-in-hand. For the full experience, take the plunge and integrate your systems today! Need further info on which CRM systems Net-Results is compatible with? Schedule a free 20-minute chat with our team today.
With love (for CRMs and Marketing Automation),
Lexie Robbins
Digital Marketing Specialist
