This thing called planning? It’s comforting. Predictable. You list out activities, set budgets, and assign owners. You say things like, “Let’s improve retention,” or “Let’s run a win-back flow,” or “Let’s test a new subject line.”

And while that looks like progress, it’s not a strategy. Most CRM marketing today is a list of tactics disguised as a plan. But planning isn’t the same as strategy. And calling it “strategic planning” doesn’t make it so.

Here’s the hard truth: You can execute dozens of CRM campaigns without moving your business forward.

Why?

Because a strategy is a theory. A belief about how you’ll win.
It’s about deciding where to play and how to win in that space.

In CRM terms, it means:

• Choosing which users to focus on (new signups? silent churners?)

• Defining how you’ll win their attention or loyalty (surprise, education, value?)

• Building a CRM ecosystem that supports that vision (not just another email flow)

The Planning Trap in CRM

Planning says:

• Let’s build a reactivation flow.

• Let’s send a loyalty campaign this month.

• Let’s send a loyalty campaign this month.

• Let’s A/B test this CTA.

All good. But disconnected.

If they aren’t rooted in a strategy and no unified theory tying these actions together, they become noise.

CRM planning often focuses on what we can control:

• We can launch a new journey.

• We can write new copy.

• We can automate another email.

But CRM strategy asks what we can achieve, given what we believe about our customer behavior and competitive space.

CRM Strategy Is a Hypothesis

A great CRM strategy sounds like:

“We believe first-time buyers drop off after week 2 because we overwhelm them. So we’ll simplify their onboarding and deliver value in bursts, not blasts. If we’re right, we’ll see more second purchases in month one.”

It’s targeted. It’s testable. And yes, it’s risky. Because you’re not in control of whether users respond the way you want. But you are in control of how thoughtfully you try.

Ask Yourself:

• Are you planning CRM activities? Or strategizing toward outcomes?

• Do your campaigns add up to something bigger? Or just look busy?

  
  

In conclusion: Most brands are playing to play. But great CRM teams are playing to win.

Let’s stop building plans that look good on paper and start crafting strategies that move people, and businesses.

Stay tuned for part 2 where we will explain how to set a solid CRM Marketing strategy.