2024’s on — Time for CRM Future-Gazing

This week on Funnel Frontier: Dive into 2024 with latest CRM insights: AI's role in sales trends, Freshworks' success stories, and tMedia's innovative lead gen strategy.

This week on Funnel Frontier:

• Decoding futuristic sales trends

• CRM seeds to saplings (via Freshworks)

• Yes, more AI is Inbound

Stat of the Week 

The use of CRM can increase sales by up to 29%. (Salesforce)

I have seen the future of sales trends!

Yeah, yeah, I know—broken record and all that—but 2023 was the year AI swaggered into sales like it owned the place. 

Now that the Gregorian Calendar has rolled over, we can take a deep breath. 

What’s next? John Barrows, CEO of SellBetter, has helpfully weighed in on sales trends for the new year and onwards. 

Spoiler alert: AI is the main character.

• First up, AI is tackling efficiency like a caffeine-fueled sophomore. According to Barrows, sales reps spend just 28% of their week selling, with the rest lost in admin purgatory. AI's making that sad stat go bye-bye. 

• Then there's freeing time for the human touch—because sometimes customers need more than an algorithm's cold embrace. AI is helping sales reps get more chummy, perhaps even sharing a sandwich to seal the deal?

• Data is the new black, and sales teams are dressing up their strategies in it. With AI crunching numbers faster than Homer Simpson on tax day, the insights are flying.

• Influencer marketing is the new matchmaking service for businesses because nothing says “buy me” like a social media star's nod of approval. 

• And finally, sales and marketing are playing nice, sharing data like besties swapping “traveling pants.” 

In short, Barrows believes sales teams will have another year of AI-led adventures, hoping their crystal ball keeps them ahead of the curve.

The Week @ CRM.org

What is Collaborative CRM? Congratulations, your team's left hand finally knows what the right one’s doing—High-five!

Higher Education CRM. In 2024, college admissions means deciphering teen social media habits. 

17 CRM Statistics. The good, the surprising, and the ponderous. 

Social CRM. Where “Liking” a post = customer retention strategy.

Hotel CRM. Because the pillow mint is no match for the personal touch.
 

Weekly Bloom

History of Computing: Part III. Mid-century computing—evolving from corporate beasts to personal pets.

Seeds to saplings w/ Freshworks

As 2024 dawned, Freshworks sipped java and took stock of pips well-planted. 

For one, they thought about all they “gave” to The Giving Movement, a sustainable clothing brand from Dubai.

The empathy-first retailer stated they met their customer support milestones with Freshdesk and Freshchat. 

Their Head of Customer Experience, Sachin Kumar, said digging context and history “led to some great revelations of customer preferences,” while IntelliAssign sends queries to the right agents.

Er, you may even say they’ve made support “sustainable.”

Meanwhile, Monos (a swanky online luggage retailer) has intertwingled its fortunes with Freshworks—and come out smiling. 

Where peeved customers once tweeted @ the CEO, or angry TikTok danced in sheer desperation, Freshworks injected a note of reason, transforming chaos into an aromatic customer support spa. 

To be more specific, Monos has embraced Freshdesk and Freddy AI. They found that queries are answered faster than disgruntled customers can type, thanks to AI-powered chatbots and suggestions. Agents are happier, too. 

Monos scooped an 86% customer satisfaction (CSAT) score, proving that contended agents equal happy customers. The luggage retailer also saw a 500% increase in sales over their month-long Black Friday sale, and Freshworks helped them manage that exponential explosion with sang-froid. 

What’s next for Freshworks? Eh, more client success stories or somethin’.

More AI is Inbound (via tMedia, via HubSpot)

Sometimes, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” And sometimes, it makes more sense to cook with the ingredients you already have.

Wow, just what am I leading into? Well, Boston's tMedia Consulting announced a new AI-driven lead generation program for client growth and planning within their tech stack. The idea is to blend new with old in a business-savvy way. 

tMedia, by the way, is a platinum-tier partner in HubSpot's Solutions, specializing in Inbound Marketing and B2B & B2C HubSpot implementation. 

CEO & founder Tara Gearhart poured a teaspoon of salt onto the AI hype, noting that it’s “important to understand the short and long-term impact whenever a new shiny object is available for use” because “at the end of the day, people buy from people.” She thinks one should balance the old with the new and “preserve authenticity when incorporating AI in communication.”

Thus, their new lead gen program will be holistic and adaptive, aiming for sustained gains. 

And thankfully, her org’s not just about growing businesses; they're sprinkling some good in the world, too, having donated a cool $75,000 to charities. Nice.

Tasty Tidbits

CRM blips from around the web

Lightning Step gets a new CFO. The CRM, EHR, RCM integration-maker (behavioral health sector) named Matt Wesolosky, previously of Net Health.

Jesta I.S. recognized on Retail Information Systems (RIS) 2024 Software LeaderBoard. The maker of Omni Store Platform (CRM, order management, etc.), Merchandising ERP, and Retail Management Suite ranked in 9 categories and was the #4 “best retail solution provider overall.” 

Stocks of the Week

Significant Moves (01/01-01/05)

^{DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets. Please be careful and do your own research.}

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