The Most Common Mistake in Digitalisation (and How to Prevent It)

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A familiar scenario: sales results are lagging, processes are inefficient and the pressure to ‘digitalise’ is mounting. The management team decides a new CRM system is needed. After a long selection process and a significant investment, the software is implemented. A year later, the conclusion is sobering: the system is hardly used, the old problems still exist and the expensive software has become a source of frustration. 

This is the most common—and most costly—mistake in the digital transformation of B2B companies: buying a technological solution for a problem that hasn’t been fundamentally analysed. 

That’s why at Marketing Guys we follow a guiding principle that prevents these costly errors: “Strategy First, Technology Second”. In this blog we explain what this means and how this approach drives success. 

The mistake: the ‘band-aid solution’

The urge to reach straight for a technological fix is understandable. A tool is tangible and software vendors’ promises are often grand. The problem is that software is rarely the root cause. The underlying cause is almost always one of the following three: 

1. Unclear goals: the company doesn’t know exactly what it wants to achieve. ‘More revenue’ isn’t a goal; it’s an outcome. What specifically needs to improve to realise more revenue? 

2. Inconsistent processes: the processes for marketing, sales and service aren’t standardised or aligned. A new CRM system then only automates a bad process. 

3. Lack of buy-in: the team isn’t involved in the choice and sees the new system as ‘something from management’. There’s no sense of ownership and people don’t see how the tool makes their work easier. 

Buying software without addressing these fundamentals is like building a house without a blueprint. The result is unpredictable and the risk of collapse is high. 

The solution: a strategic blueprint 

The “Strategy First” approach turns the process around. Before we even talk about a specific tool, we create a detailed blueprint. We do this through a number of crucial steps: 

• 1. Set objectives: we sit down with management and key stakeholders to sharpen the goals. Do we want to shorten the sales cycle? Increase margin per customer? Improve customer satisfaction? We make these goals specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic and time-bound (SMART). 

• 2. Analyse processes: we map the current processes. What does the journey of a prospective customer really look like—from first contact to after-sales? Where is the friction? Where are time and information lost? We visualise the ideal future processes. 

• 3. Involve people: we interview people on the front line. What are a salesperson’s daily frustrations? What does a marketing employee run into? What does the service team need to help customers better? This not only creates valuable input, but also the first buy-in for change. 

• 4. Only then choose the technology: with this complete blueprint in hand, we can make a well-founded choice for the technology that best fits your company’s goals and processes. Sometimes that’s HubSpot, sometimes Salesforce and sometimes a combination of tools. Technology is a means, never the goal. 

The result: a guarantee of return 

By following this approach, buying software shifts from a gamble to a logical and (almost) predictable investment. You know exactly which problem you’re solving, how you’ll measure success and you have your team’s buy-in to implement the change. 

Planning to invest in new commercial technology? Avoid the most common mistake. Let’s talk about your strategy first. Book a meeting and we’ll gladly help you draft your blueprint for success. 

Discover how technology can accelerate your growth.

Have questions about marketing automation, CRM, or integrations? Together, we’ll find the best solution for your organization.

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