Expertise / CRM & lifecycle
I work with CRM, lifecycle and marketing automation from first contact through onboarding, engagement, retention, reactivation and win-back.
The starting point is the customer journey and the business objective: What behaviour can we observe? What data do we have? Who should we contact, and who should we leave alone? What is the relevant next action, and how do we know whether communication actually creates value? From there, I turn the strategy into segmentation, decisioning, triggers, automations, contact policy, communication, tests and operational processes.
A CRM setup only creates real value when customer data is used to make better decisions about who to contact, when, with what and through which channel.
That is why I work across the whole chain:
An existing setup that has grown without structure.
A lifecycle strategy that needs to be built from the ground up.
An organisation with a CRM platform and data that is not yet getting enough value from them.
My work spans strategy and architecture through to hands-on implementation, QA, documentation and ongoing optimisation.
I design and optimise lifecycle journeys based on the customer’s behaviour, relationship and next relevant action.
Lifecycle is therefore not one standard flow. It is a system of customer states, signals and decisions that need to fit together.
I use different models and decision logic depending on the business model, the data available and the customer journey.
The goal is not to implement a model for its own sake. It should help prioritise customers, communication and marketing effort better.
Recency · Frequency · Monetary value
RFM can be used to understand differences between customers based on how recently they have purchased, how often they purchase and the value they represent. I have used RFM as the basis for:
Not every customer or lead should be treated the same
Customer value and CLV-related signals can be used to prioritise marketing effort and understand where the greatest potential lies for retention, repeat purchases or further investment.
I use customer value as an input to decisions, not as an isolated KPI.
Opens, clicks, website activity, downloads, purchases and more
Behaviour can be used to assess engagement. Among other things, it can influence:
Lead → MQL → SQL
In B2B, I work with lead scoring and progression. Scoring can be based on behavioural signals such as:
Here CRM has to work alongside Sales, so that timing, handoff, nurture and suppression support the sales process rather than compete with it.
The customer’s current relationship is worth more than static segmentation
The specific stages depend on the business model. The point is to let the customer’s current situation shape the next treatment.
Interest · history · location · customer value
When product, behavioural and customer data are available, they can be used to choose more relevant content, products or offers. I have worked with recommendation logic and next-best-offer thinking.
Who can marketing actually influence?
The most valuable audience is not necessarily the customer most likely to buy. I use treatment and uplift thinking as a decision principle for audiences and impact, but I do not position myself as a specialist in advanced statistical uplift modelling.
As the number of campaigns and automated journeys grows, the question is not only what can be sent, but also what should take priority.
I work with:
For example, a customer may qualify for several flows at the same time. There need to be rules for which communication wins, what can wait and when the customer should not be contacted at all.
An effective lifecycle strategy is as much about choosing not to communicate as it is about automating more.
Retention is not just a win-back flow sent after six months of inactivity. I work with the whole journey:
This typically requires a combination of:
The goal is to identify where the relationship can be strengthened, and where communication can genuinely change customer behaviour.
I have worked with lifecycle communication and audiences across:
I do not see the channel as the starting point. A push notification only makes sense if the customer has the app. An email only makes sense if the customer both can and should be contacted. And in some situations, a paid audience can be more relevant than yet another CRM message.
Channel choice should follow the customer’s situation, permissions and the desired action.
Lifecycle and marketing automation depend on the data that enters the system. That is why I also work with the underlying CRM and marketing operations structure:
I can translate marketing needs into requirements that BI, Product and Development can take forward.
This does not necessarily mean that I write the integration code myself. My role may be to define the need, the data logic and the intended use, and to work with the technical specialists on the implementation.
A complex automation setup should not only work on the day it launches. It must also be possible to:
That is why I work both with the automations themselves and with the operational structure around them. This can include:
This is especially important in larger setups with many flows, markets, stakeholders and data sources.
I work continuously with hypotheses and tests of, among other things:
Tests should be used to make decisions, not just to produce a dashboard. If the data shows that another solution works better, the setup should change.
I have hands-on experience with CRM, marketing automation, customer data and related systems, including:
I am a Klaviyo Partner with substantial hands-on experience of the platform. At the same time, I do not position myself as a specialist in any single piece of software. The platform changes from company to company; the underlying CRM logic changes far less.
CRM and email communication to 1M+ recipients across 14 markets. The work covered lifecycle architecture, RFM, behavioural segmentation, recommendation logic, contact policy, governance and marketing operations. 392 lifecycle instances were mapped, 150+ automations rebuilt, and the setup included 462 emails.
For the launch, I designed lifecycle communication around the customer’s actual progression through the journey. Communication changed based on sign-up, booking, online test, behaviour and the customer’s treatment stage.
Rather than optimising only for a direct purchase, lead generation was connected to automated nurturing, newsletters, remarketing and ecommerce communication. The case shows the relationship between acquisition economics, CRM, customer value and lifecycle.
View the Dirks case →I have worked with B2B customer journeys and lead management where CRM does not stop at marketing. The experience covers lead scoring, behavioural signals, lead → MQL → SQL, nurture, qualification, Sales handoff, timing, suppression and CRM/Sales alignment.
I have worked with this logic in both Adobe Campaign and later HubSpot setups. The specific scoring models from individual projects are confidential, but the approach is the same: use behaviour and data to prioritise the right leads and coordinate marketing communication with Sales.
I am particularly relevant when an organisation needs to:
I work both strategically and hands-on to turn customer journeys, data and marketing technology into CRM setups that can be implemented, operated and improved over time.
Senior roles · Interim · Selected projects