Business Metrics
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CRM
Customer Relationship Management: the system that stores people, contact history, and next steps for sales and marketing. It is relationship memory, not a spreadsheet dump.
Detailed explanation
A CRM shows who you talked to, which stage they are in, and what happens next. If it is not tied to marketing automation and support, teams argue about the source of truth.
Dirty data (duplicates, missing consent, dead emails) ruins reports. GDPR/KVKK deletion requests must flow through CRM processes.
A content platform may only need CRM-like segments in the email tool. Teams with a sales funnel also keep opportunity stages here.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a spreadsheet a CRM?
- It can store rows. Automation, consent, and a single customer view stay weak. It breaks as you scale.
- Why should marketing look at the CRM?
- Lead quality, sales feedback, and consent status change media and email decisions.
Related terms
Internal links for the topic cluster — read these concepts together.
- LeadA person who is not a customer yet but left enough contact—and permission—to start a conversation. Traffic is not a lead; a form, trial, or chat capture is.
- Lead NurturingMoving a not-ready lead toward a decision with relevant content and timed contact. It is a value sequence, not one “buy now” email.
- Email MarketingSending news, offers, or teaching through a permissioned list you own. It is not a rented blast; it stands on delivery, relevance, and an easy way out.
- SegmentationSegmentation is the approach of dividing a target audience into smaller, more homogeneous groups based on shared demographic, behavioral, or interest-based traits.
- First-Party DataData you collect from your own site, app, or email list in a direct relationship. As third-party cookies weaken, it becomes the backbone of media and measurement.