Technology · 6 Min Read
There have never been more marketing tools available than today. And there have never been more implementation projects abandoned halfway or barely used after launch. The reason is almost always the same: companies start with the tool instead of the problem.
Key Takeaways
Most MarTech implementations fail not because the technology is bad, but because the sequence is wrong: the tool is chosen before the problem is defined. The fix is straightforward — define the problem, map the current process, and identify the data you need before opening a single vendor brochure.
When businesses talk about marketing technology, the conversation almost always starts with: "We need a better CRM" or "We want to implement marketing automation." The tool comes first. The problem the tool is supposed to solve comes later — if it is discussed at all.
That is the wrong sequence. A CRM cannot fix a broken sales process. Marketing automation cannot replace a missing content strategy. Analytics tools do not provide strategy — they surface data that is meaningless without one.
Before a single tool is selected, four questions need clear answers:
Only once these questions are answered does tool selection become meaningful. Comparing vendors before this point is premature — you end up optimising for the wrong question entirely.
Without a solid data foundation, every other decision is made blind. Google Analytics 4, Search Console, clean conversion tracking — this layer must come first. You cannot steer toward what you want to happen until you know what is actually happening right now.
A well-maintained CRM is the backbone of any marketing and sales structure. It centralises customer and lead data, makes pipelines transparent, and enables segmented communication. It needs to be simple enough that the team actually fills it in — and structured enough to support meaningful reporting. In 7 out of 10 SME projects Simon Förstemann has worked on, the CRM was either unused or duplicated by spreadsheets within six months of launch because the onboarding plan was skipped.
Automation makes sense when the underlying processes are clearly defined and stable. Automated email sequences for new leads, onboarding journeys, lead scoring — all of these assume the processes beneath them already work. Automating a broken process simply produces bad results faster and at greater scale.
Simon Förstemann, growth strategist with 14 years of experience and 6 successful ventures, does not implement tools directly — there are specialised implementation partners for that. What he provides is the strategic layer before and after implementation: Which tools do you genuinely need? What requirements must they meet? How should the rollout be structured so the system actually gets adopted?
That sounds less exciting than the implementation itself. But the most expensive mistakes in marketing technology do not happen during implementation — they happen at the decision point: what to implement, and why. That is where independent strategic consulting pays for itself many times over.
The most common causes: the tool is selected before the strategy is defined, employees are not involved in the rollout, timelines are unrealistic, the underlying data quality is poor, and no single person owns the implementation. In 7 out of 10 cases, the problem is not the tool itself — it is the sequence of decisions that led to choosing it.
Start with analytics and conversion tracking — without a data foundation, every other decision is made blind. Next, implement a CRM to centralise customer and lead data. Then layer marketing automation on top of processes that already work. Finally, add specialist tools for specific, well-defined use cases.
The best CRM for your business is the one your team will actually use. A second-tier solution used consistently outperforms the market leader collecting dust. Prioritise simplicity, a realistic onboarding plan, and a named internal owner over feature lists and vendor demos.
Automation makes sense when your underlying processes are clear, stable, and already producing reasonable results manually. Automating a broken process just produces bad outcomes faster. Before investing in automation, map the exact steps your team follows today and identify where the friction actually lies.
A MarTech strategy consultant helps you define which tools you actually need, what requirements they must meet, and how to plan the rollout so the system gets used. Simon Förstemann provides the strategic layer before and after implementation to ensure the right decision is made before the budget is committed — with no commission on tool recommendations.
The biggest cost is rarely the software licence. It is the internal time wasted on a poorly planned rollout, the duplicate tools that accumulate over time, and the opportunity cost of data never captured correctly. A short strategy session before committing budget typically pays back many times over.
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About the author
Simon Förstemann
Growth strategist & marketing advisor with 14 years of experience. 6 ventures founded, 3 exits, Red Dot Award and German Design Award winner. Works 1:1 with decision-makers — no agency, no workshops that lead nowhere.
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