From January 27, 2021, JAFCO will start a support program for startups in collaboration with Mer Co., Ltd., the only master partner in Japan for the CRM platform "pipedrive".
By introducing "pipedrive" to JAFCO's investment startups, we support sales activities during the seed-early period. Mer Co., Ltd. will support the initial introduction free of charge so that the operation can be started smoothly.
We spoke with Yutaro Saka of JAFCO Group Co., Ltd. and Tomoaki Sawaguchi of Mer Co., Ltd. regarding this support program.
<What is Mer Co., Ltd.>
The only master partner in Japan for CRM "pipedrive", which has been installed in more than 95,000 companies in 175 countries around the world. In addition, we are developing a no-code specialized web development service "builder" and an Insight Board construction service "DIGLY" that visualizes sales data and management data specialized for corporate subscription business. There is.
Launched "pipedrive", a new CRM option that is ideal for startups
-What is the content of the support program?
Sawaguchi JAFCO will provide the initial construction design and introduction support of pipedrive to the investee companies free of charge. In addition to initial settings and simple setup, we have prepared customs that match the business model, so we will build and install a system that suits the company that requested it. If you have already introduced another CRM, we will also support data scrutiny and migration work.
Saka: When startups consider introducing CRM, they often get inquiries about not finding something that suits them. It is worth noting that this support program has made it possible for JAFCO to propose a "pipe drive" as well. For investees to aim for an IPO, budget management is extremely important. We would like to support you so that you can choose the most suitable CRM for the company.
-Please tell us how JAFCO and Mer came to work together.
Saka JAFCO has always wanted to provide the best tool options for the business growth of the investee. At that time, a person in charge of the Investment Division introduced that pipedrive, of which Mer is a master partner, could solve the problems of companies struggling to introduce CRM.
When I actually explained the product of pipedrive, I was surprised that it has most of the functions necessary for a company to manage numbers for listing even though the price is not high. We would like to introduce this to JAFCO's investment destinations, and we have promoted cooperation.
Sawaguchi: I remember being happy to hear from JAFCO shortly after our company was established. We also feel that there are many startups and have a high affinity with our customers, so we have proposed this introduction support program.
-What kind of service is "pipe drive"?
Sawaguchi Although not well known in Japan, pipedrive is a CRM platform installed in more than 95,000 companies in 175 countries around the world. Although it is a latecomer service, it has been developed with a focus on "producing sales results." It's a tool that the founder, who was originally a sales person, improved the problems he felt with existing CRM.
In sales activities, we have all the functions that can be used from the start of a project to delivery, such as lead acquisition, automatic quotation creation, and electronic contract conclusion, just by having a pipe drive.
<Four features of pipedrive>
1. 1. Intuitive UI and easy setting method
The UI is designed so that even people with little IT literacy can operate it intuitively. This will lead to a reduction in learning costs and operational burden. It is also easy to set up, so the introduction hurdle is low.
2. Achieve a low price! Cheapest plan 1 user monthly fee 1,500 yen
It is overwhelmingly cheaper than other companies' services so that it is easy for startups and SMEs to introduce. You can significantly reduce the cost of CRM.
3. 3. Sufficient functions required for startup
It has various functions that provide generous support to sales staff in all processes from the start of a project to delivery.
4. Excellent external application cooperation and customization performance
It is possible to link with more than 200 types of external applications such as Slack, Asana, Google, Microsoft, and ZOOM. Since information is automatically updated in cooperation with external tools, information in sales activities can be centrally managed.
-What kind of function is it to produce sales results?
Sawaguchi The most important thing in sales activities is the management of next action. If you manage the items "next, when, who, what", the matter will surely move forward. However, as the number of projects increases, it usually becomes difficult to keep track of everything.
pipedrive displays the task status in different colors such as gray (future), green (today), red (expired), and yellow (not set). It is possible to grasp the progress of many tasks at a glance.
For example, if red and yellow disappear from the screen, you can immediately recognize that the matter is in progress. Everywhere there is a function from a sales perspective that pays attention to these details.
-What other points are evaluated by users?
Sawaguchi: Intuitive UI and easy settings have been well received because learning costs can be reduced.
Traditional CRM tends to have high both direct and indirect costs such as learning costs and initial setup. However, pipedrive has an intuitive UI and simple settings, so even those who are new to CRM can use it immediately, so I think it is attractive to be able to reduce learning costs.
Another feature is that the operation is easy to take root. It can be linked with external services such as Google and Microsoft in both directions. Since various existing data such as emails, calendars, and files are automatically synchronized, the input load is reduced and it becomes easier to continue operation.
Can be operated even at startups that do not have information system staff
-What kind of company do you recommend "pipe drive"?
Saka: The number of sales staff has increased to about 10, and I think it is suitable for companies that have become difficult to manage with spreadsheets. If you have 10 or more people, you have to consider analyzing sales efficiency, but pipedrive is also an excellent analysis tool.
Many existing CRMs are difficult to operate and set up, and it is difficult to operate without knowledge, but pipedrive is easy to handle, so it can be operated sufficiently without an information system person in charge. It is recommended for startups where the number of sales staff has increased, but the information system staff is not yet in-house.
Sawaguchi: With conventional CRM, the internal members who operate it are divided into three attributes: "sales staff" at the site, "manager" who manages it, and "information system staff" who designs the system.
A common pattern in this system is that the information system staff builds the CRM without understanding the intentions of the sales staff and managers. Sales are entered for numerical reporting, but if CRM is difficult to use, it will end up being just like a daily report tool.
However, with pipedrive, sales staff and managers can build their own, so they can reflect the opinions of the field and respond quickly. The CRM will be easy for sales staff to use, and the operation will proceed smoothly.
In this way, one of the strengths of pipedrive is that sales staff and managers can customize it by themselves. That is why it is useful for sole proprietors, start-ups and SMEs. We are a startup with about 10 people who are not in charge of information systems, but sales are doing well using pipedrive.
-How will the support programs of these two companies develop in the future?
Saka When a startup introduces CRM, there may be issues such as "high price", "difficult to introduce", and "cannot operate". In that case, any small thing is fine, so I would like to consult with the JAFCO capitalist once and help them choose the best CRM for the company.
