Paul Mortimer
As we move into 2025, maintaining an accurate CRM database is more crucial—and challenging—than ever. CRM decay, the natural degradation of data over time, is accelerating, with contact information becoming outdated at an estimated rate of 25% per year.
For businesses aiming to thrive, managing this decay is critical.
Without a solid strategy, outdated data can compromise customer engagement, decrease deliverability, and ultimately hinder growth.
The Cost of Neglecting CRM Maintenance
When CRM data decays, it affects the performance of key sales and marketing channels. For instance, email marketing, which remains a powerful tool for customer engagement, faces a unique challenge. With inaccurate contact information, deliverability drops, sender scores take a hit, and messages end up in spam folders.
In today's inbox-saturated world, brands must go beyond simply reaching customers—they need to ensure their messages resonate, are delivered accurately, and engage audiences meaningfully.
Attribution Challenges in a Data-Driven World
In addition to data decay, businesses today face new complexities in tracking customer journeys. Social media platforms have become less transparent, making it difficult to attribute engagement and conversions accurately.
Traditional SEO is also in flux, with organic reach harder to achieve than ever. In this landscape, a robust CRM and deliberate data management practices are indispensable. They allow companies to understand which channels are effective, enabling more strategic and personalized customer outreach.
Adapting to Elevated Customer Expectations
With the abundance of personal data available, customers now expect seamless and highly personalized experiences. This has redefined the customer-business relationship.
Businesses that leverage their CRM to provide tailored experiences can stand out in a crowded market. However, without regular data updates and a focus on CRM accuracy, even the most personalized approaches can miss the mark, particularly if businesses rely on generic, AI-only mass-produced content.
Navigating the AI-Powered Marketing Future
The rise of AI offers new possibilities for efficiency but also presents challenges. While AI can automate content creation and help streamline operations, it can risk making brand interactions feel less genuine.
Companies aiming for authentic customer relationships will benefit from balancing AI-driven efficiency with a personal touch, using accurate data to guide both automated and human interactions.
For example, I have been presenting and speaking on this topic throughout 2024 - I have various blog posts, slide decks, emails, newsletters and rough notes here, there and everywhere on the topic.
Using ChatGPT's voice chat functionality, I got a draft of this post down 'on paper' in under 10 minutes. I then spent 20 minutes tidying and proofing it to match my own tone and adding sources and other human touches.
Then, using HubSpot's Content Remix Tools, I got the first draft of an email and five social posts done in under 2 more minutes.
Pre-AI time commitment to reach this stage: 2.5 - 3 hours
AI-powered time commitment to reach this stage: 40 minutes
Blending AI into your daily way of working isn't just about content production though.
Preparing for 2025
Gaining efficiencies in producing marketing content and sales messages is one benefit of leveraging AI in your business.
But the cognitive effort it saves also means that your sales and marketing (and customer service) teams are free to work with renewed purpose and energy.
Here are some other places you can get healthier CRM data and let your team work more effectively - and therefore help your business grow:
- Call notes. AI notetaker tools mean your team can focussed on the call itself rather than not missing any notes. The call is of higher quality, the customer is happier and the notes heading into your CRM are more thorough and accurate.
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Data Enrichment from Third-Party Sources: By integrating external data sources, such as LinkedIn, industry databases, or trusted data vendors, companies can supplement and verify CRM data. This enrichment enhances customer profiles with up-to-date job titles, company information, and engagement histories, ensuring that sales and marketing teams operate with the most accurate insights.
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Automated data cleansing and deduplication: Regularly schedule automated data checks to remove duplicates, correct errors, and fill in missing information. This proactive maintenance minimizes outdated or incorrect data in the CRM, keeping it accurate and reducing the manual effort required from your team.
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Incentivize data accuracy across teams: Encourage your team to update CRM records consistently by implementing small rewards or recognition for accuracy. This promotes a culture of data stewardship where each team member contributes to keeping the CRM clean, ensuring that customer information is as accurate and current as possible.
As Nordic businesses prepare for the challenges of 2025, the Nordic Growth Summit will offer valuable insights into optimizing CRM and data strategies. This event aims to provide leaders with actionable tools and knowledge to improve data management and drive growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.
You can find out more about the upcoming event in March 2025 here:
