In the current enterprise software ecosystem, few tools generate as many expectations as a CRM. However, Manuel García Pinacho, co-founder and CEO of WolfCRM, issues a direct warning: “A CRM by itself does not help you sell if you don't have the right methodology.” In an interview with ComputerWorld, the executive breaks down the keys that have allowed his company to grow against giants like Salesforce or HubSpot, especially in sectors such as food and beverages, where it has become a benchmark.

The Evolution of CRM: From Sales Tool to Global Platform

García Pinacho recalls that, in its origins, CRM was focused almost exclusively on sales teams: visit tracking, order taking, and similar tasks. “Today the vision is much more global. Any department that has a direct or indirect relationship with the customer has been integrated into the CRM environment,” he explains. This includes marketing, for campaign management, and customer service, for incident management. “Previously these functions were carried out through external applications. Now what is being attempted is to integrate and globalize all these functionalities within a single platform,” he adds.

Debunking Myths: CRM Doesn't Sell by Itself

“The main myth is thinking that by having a CRM you will automatically sell more,” says García Pinacho. For him, technology is an enabler, not a substitute for a solid work methodology. “When someone asks me in a demo what a CRM is for, I answer that it is for selling more. But that doesn't mean the tool sells by itself. It doesn't do magic. It doesn't visit clients, make presentations, or close deals. What it does is create a work methodology, reduce the administrative burden on sales teams, and make them more efficient. Consequently, what it really provides is time to generate more sales opportunities and ultimately sell more,” he argues.

This approach is especially relevant in the context of customer management in vertical sectors, where personalization makes the difference.

Artificial Intelligence as a Real Ally

WolfCRM has integrated artificial intelligence for over a year, but without falling into the “hype” that often surrounds this technology. “We use it mainly in customer service to optimize automatic responses, manage incidents, resolve problems, generate reports, and capture external information to enrich a potential customer's data,” details García Pinacho. However, he acknowledges that the market is still identifying in which areas AI can provide real differential value. “Each company has different needs. For example, for some organizations it is essential to automate incident management, and that is where we try to add value,” he clarifies.

The Problem of Methodology in Sales Management

For García Pinacho, the main obstacle is not technology, but the lack of methodology. “I always give the same example: a CRM by itself does not help you sell. If a company does not have an adequate methodology, does not implement the tool correctly, and does not monitor its use, the system will not work.” He denounces that in Spain it is common to implement technology without the accompaniment of a real work methodology. “And that is one of the main problems we continue to see in Spain,” he adds. Lack of leadership is also key: “If you want a sales team to work with a CRM, but the person leading it does not use it or lead by example, it is very difficult for the rest of the team to do it well.”

The Importance of a Single Data Source

In a world where integration with systems like SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, or Sage is increasing, García Pinacho highlights the need to “have a platform capable of centralizing all customer information into a single data point or unified view.” The goal is that the user does not have to enter seven different applications to get all the information about a customer. WolfCRM, for example, allows access to ERP data from a customer record, avoiding dispersion.

Winning Strategic Decisions: Specialization and Support

WolfCRM has managed to gain ground against competitors with more resources thanks to two key decisions. The first is specialization in niche markets, such as the wine sector. “Although we were born as a generalist CRM, we detected an opportunity in several niches because we started developing functionalities that other CRMs did not offer,” he explains. The second is support: “We get down in the trenches, work with their sales teams and different departments to help them define work methodologies. That gives us a very important differential value.” As a result, more than 92% of large Spanish wineries work with their technology, and their churn rate is well below the market average.

The Value of National Software and International Ambition

García Pinacho defends the quality of Spanish enterprise software but laments the lack of visibility compared to major international brands. “Salesforce, for example, is a magnificent CRM, but it has an advertising and positioning investment capacity that companies like ours do not have.” He believes that national companies should be “more ambitious when it comes to entering international markets. It is a step that Spanish software companies often find difficult to take and that would undoubtedly help us compete better.”

Growth Strategy and the Future of Enterprise Software

Looking ahead, WolfCRM plans to continue expanding markets within sectors related to its specialization, such as wine, energy, and food. “Starting from scratch in markets where you have no specialization would be much more complex,” he states. Regarding the future of enterprise software, García Pinacho envisions an upper layer of intelligent agents that will interact with different applications. “We can imagine a scenario where there is a personalized agent to whom you simply ask for information or actions. That agent will be responsible for interacting with the different applications and gathering all the necessary information. All of this will be managed from an upper layer capable of communicating with the different systems, sending information, obtaining data, and coordinating processes. I believe that is the future.”

This approach towards intelligent automation resonates with trends such as trust in AI agents and system integration in corporate environments.

Original source: ComputerWorld. Analysis and adaptation by ForgeNEX.