The Epic Odyssey in Search of the Perfect CRM

Based on True Stories

Once upon a time, there was a group with multiple brands, held hostage by various single-brand "CRMs"—or, more accurately, SRMs (Supplier Relationship Management)—where each salesperson was required to register everything in the specific platform of each brand. In addition to this endless task of registering, registering, and registering, the group was still managing leads via emails—yes, emails!

The Email Odyssey

A very diligent marketing department sent leads by email to the salespeople. The salesperson, equally dedicated, would quickly pick up the phone and call the potential customer—without ever knowing who that person was or if there was any history."Oh, you have a car to trade in? Fantastic! Yes, come by on Saturday, I'll be here waiting for you!" Then, of course, the salesperson would reply to the marketing email: "Interested customer, visit scheduled."

Endless Follow-up Emails

Days later, inevitably, another email would arrive: "What’s the status of that lead?" And the salesperson, with infinite patience, would reply once again by email.

One year, thousands of leads, and an overflowing inbox later, someone finally realized:"This isn't working. We urgently need a CRM!"

A "CRM" to Rule Lead Flow

They move to a lead "CRM," trying to balance the challenge: not duplicating the salespeople’s work too much, since they already have to register everything in the single-brand platforms.Now, the salesperson does the same work but registers it in the centralized Lead CRM. Marketing, relieved, no longer needs to send the classic email asking for updates—they can just check the system. Fantastic, right?

And Everything Else?

"But wait… this customer decided to postpone the purchase for six months. And if, in six months, the customer doesn't submit a new lead? What if they call the salesperson directly? Does that still count as a lead? Where is this managed? What’s the link to their past interactions? And now what?"

A Customized CRM… The Solution?

Two years later, the company decides to bring everyone together to shape a well-known CRM to fit its needs.

Sales managers, after-sales managers, directors, marketing staff, and even salespeople are all called in. Now, everyone is thinking about CRM—on top of their usual responsibilities.Directors want to see exactly how much revenue each customer generates, something already available in the billing system, but it would be interesting to have it in this platform as well. The sales manager wants to see sales by salesperson and by vehicle, despite this information already existing in the single-brand CRM—but, of course, it should also be here. The after-sales team wants to check workshop revenue and schedule maintenance, functions already present in the billing platform. Marketing wants to track how many leads and sales came from each campaign, something they already had in the Lead CRM. And the salesperson? Just wants a simple, practical calendar.

Reality Kicks In

Everything is then integrated, and something starts to take shape… until… after countless hours of work, thousands of euros, and two or three years later, no one seems to agree."This CRM isn’t working either!"

Moral of the Story?

An advanced, truly business-adapted automotive CRM is no small matter.

It’s not just a simple calendar or a mere lead flow; it can and should be much more than that: a tool that spans the entire retail group, where the salesperson materializes all customer activity, creating a detailed history that strengthens long-term relationships. It’s also the resource where leadership finds valuable insights to enhance team management and development, while marketing identifies and engages different customer segments.

Implementing a CRM that meets all these needs is a herculean task.

Not even the full dedication of experienced professionals in leadership roles is enough to guarantee success in this challenge. Because, ultimately, the "secret" of a CRM doesn’t lie—only—in technology, but in the materialization of a MANAGEMENT MODEL—and a "management model" is a whole different story!

Are we facing an endless loop?

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