In a prior Youtube video interview with Mary Becker, VP of Sales and Marketing at Schumacher Homes, she discusses how Pivotal’s CRM is helping an “on-your-lot customer home builder” bridge the gap between disparate software packages and provide streamlined processes that increase the company’s competitive advantage.

2 Take-Home Messages

1) Analyze ALL of your business practices. What are you competitive at?  What can you do faster and better with technology?  People and qualified skills are another matter.

2) (from an on-line perspective) Marketing is a science.  If you are using a pay per click (PPC) campaign, you can analyze to your hearts content what keyword or keyword combination went the full distance on a sales funnel.

Analyze ALL of your Business Practices

Remember it is humans that can properly strategize the processes of a successful sales and marketing group.  And at the end of the day it will be humans (hopefully highly qualified sales and marketing people) that will execute the marching orders. 

Computers and software only help automate the processes.

If I was a software vendor, my biggest fear would be the competition trying to out price you.  Everyone is looking for value, and believe me, a lower price tag can perk my ears.

Especially when I’m unhappy over a few issues.

It’s like the restaurant business.  Owners hate it when you leave unhappy and quietly.  They know you’ll end up telling two friends, or worse, set up a web site, or blast it on Twitter and Facebook!

Take a good hard look what you’re good at, and where you can improve.  Then take a look at technology to see if it can be automated.  Rinse, and repeat.