I was speaking recently with a new client from a manufacturing company, discussing his needs, goals and objectives.  He was walking me through the issues his company is having and how they need help.  As he explained all the things they want to do, he suddenly said, “we just need a process so we make sure we do it right.”

I almost jumped across the table and hugged him!

Too many times companies buy into the myth that all they need is a CRM or marketing automation or the latest “silver bullet” platform, and then all their marketing process and lead management issues will go away.  So they invest huge dollars into the latest technological promise and quickly realize their problems still exist.   Why?  Because they don’t have a process in place to ensure the technology can perform. They buy software somehow hoping that it will be the solution to their marketing problems.  But it isn’t. In fact, it often adds to the problem because, in addition to ineffective marketing, there’s now a requirement to justify the software investment.

Technology is great and it can solve many challenges, but don’t buy the hype.  Process and technology should always be connected. When they are, you’ll see the real impact that software can have, and how it can help deliver significant returns on your marketing activity.