With features like email marketing, campaign automation, web intelligence, surveys, landing pages, web forms, event management and more, marketers are often eager to implement a marketing automation solution with Microsoft Dynamics 365. However, marketing departments can sometimes face a sizable obstacle in the purchase of marketing automation technology – their company’s executive team. According to Capterra, CEOs and business owners are 25 percent more likely to be involved in a marketing automation software purchase than they are to be involved in other business software purchases.
Some executives don’t immediately see the benefits of a marketing automation system, while others are more tuned in to the marketing side of the business and the value of such a solution. No matter which camp your company’s leaders fall into, as you seek approval for a marketing automation investment, be prepared to educate and persuade executives.
One of the biggest challenges is often this: marketing has a persistent image problem. Many executives still don’t see marketing as a revenue-driving function, but as a cost center. The impression from the C-suite can often be that marketing teams are too focused on creative and social media, not lead generating activities.
Whether you’re addressing a CEO, CIO, CMO or VP of sales, focus on outcomes. What can marketing automation do for them? Speak a business language, and be sure you understand your executive team’s goals. Make a list of the challenges your business faces and how marketing automation can help solve them. Talk in terms of revenue,
pipeline contribution, cost savings, etc., not just marketing metrics.
During these discussions, don’t just focus on the acquisition of a marketing automation system. Making the case for retention can help you hone in on the long-term benefits and how marketing automation can bring lasting, positive changes to your organization over time.
Well-thought-out talking points about the benefits marketing automation can bring to your company and case studies of success at other companies can go a long way towards making the business case for marketing automation. Sometimes, however, third-party research about the ROI of marketing automation is needed to help persuade decision-makers. Here are some compelling statistics for you to use as you pursue approval from your executive team:
- Nearly one-third of companies surveyed rated marketing automation “very successful” at achieving important goals like increasing lead generation and improving lead nurturing. – Ascend2
- B2B marketers who implement marketing automation increase their sales pipeline contribution by 10%. – Forrester
- 63% of companies that are outgrowing their competitors use marketing automation. – The Lenskold Group
- CMOs at top-performing companies indicate that their most compelling reason for implementing marketing automation is to increase revenue (79%) and get higher quality leads (76%). - Gleanster
- B2C marketers who take advantage of marketing automation see conversion rates as high as 50%. - eMarketer
- Companies that have implemented a marketing automation platform report higher levels of collaboration between sales and marketing. – Forrester
- 78% of successful marketers say that marketing automation is most responsible for improving revenue contribution. - The Lenskold Group
- Nearly two-thirds of companies surveyed expect to realize the benefits of their marketing automation system within six months of implementation. – Ascend2
- 79% of top-performing companies have been using marketing automation for
more than two years. – Gleanster
This post is an excerpt from the ClickDimensions eBook “The Marketing Automation Field Guide: Getting Started with Marketing Automation for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.” Download your complimentary copy here.
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