Why Your CRM Isn't Closing Deals (And the Fix That Generated $4M)

Michelle Terpstra sits down with Jason Kramer, founder of Cultivize and self-described CRM whisperer, to talk about the customer relationship management system. They look at why so many companies buy a CRM and then do nothing with it, and how to avoid that.  They unpack what it actually takes to build a process that runs without the founder carrying it all in their head. The case studies in this episode make the stakes of a broken follow-up system impossible to ignore.

Jason and Michelle also explore what happens after the lead lands, and the referral ecosystems that separate businesses that scale from those that stall. Jason shares his framework for labeling pipeline stages around what the prospect needs to do rather than what the salesperson needs to do. Whether you're still running deals out of a spreadsheet or sitting on a CRM you've never fully built out, this episode offers practical guidance on where to start.

Chapters
[Start] Why CRMs Fail Small Businesses: Michelle introduces Jason, and they dive into the biggest adoption hurdles for small businesses.
08:45 The Follow-Up System: Jason shares a case study where an automated follow-up sequence closed over $4 million in revenue.
16:08 Automation Wins: Jason walks through how digitizing a business’s intake produced a 90% contract completion rate and unlocked upsell data.
24:37 Pipeline Management Practices: Jason's framework for structuring pipeline stages around prospect actions rather than salesperson tasks.
34:08 Partnerships & the Trust Recession: Michelle and Jason discuss affiliate strategies, referrals, and whether B2B sales cycles are slowing in a trust-challenged market.


Links & Resources
Cultivize
Lead Nurturing Guide
Connect with Jason on LinkedIn
Jason’s Podcast Appearances
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