Four weeks into a CRM program overhaul for a leading subscription app, we got our first results back: Open rates looked good, CTRs were decent, but the conversions? Nearly zero. Retention was flat against control.
The Head of Growth turned to me and asked, “We did everything right. Why isn’t this working?”
I’ve now done 27 CRM audits across industries, and this is what I’ve learned: When CRM fails, it usually isn’t the copy, the timing, or even the team. It’s the foundations. The same five patterns show up again and again, and they’re quietly killing CRM impact.
Instead of keeping these learnings buried in my audit notes, I decided to finally break down patterns I’ve seen again and again and the fixes that actually move the needle.
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