• Outdated CRMs create hidden costs through inefficiency, poor data and missed follow-ups.
  

• MadeMarket helps firms switch with minimal disruption, unlocking faster workflows and immediate productivity gains.
  

• Firms that switch gain measurable ROI through time savings, better visibility and stronger deal execution.

For many investment banks, the idea of switching CRMs feels like a major disruption. Migration raises fears around downtime, data loss and user resistance. But what often goes unexamined is the steep cost of staying with the wrong system—one that’s underused and misaligned with your workflows.

This article breaks down the hidden costs of sticking with an outdated CRM, the perceived friction of switching and the tangible benefits of moving to MadeMarket—a purpose-built CRM and deal management platform for investment bankers.

The hidden costs of sticking with the wrong CRM

1. Low adoption = low ROI

When CRMs aren't tailored to how investment bankers actually work, adoption drops off fast. Bankers fall back on spreadsheets, inboxes and memory. Busy teams forget to upload the latest updates and data goes stale. Pipeline information becomes unreliable. Reporting turns into a manual lift.

If your firm is paying a few hundred thousand dollars per year for a CRM software only a fraction of the team uses it, you’re already spending six figures annually for a tool that isn’t generating return.

Because MadeMarket is built specifically for bankers—from custom deal execution dashboards and easy-to-use data entry tools, to automated client reporting and target list-building capabilities—our platform drives faster adoption, higher engagement and better ROI from day one.

For many banks that switch, that ROI is often over 3000%. To calculate your firm’s ROI, you can use our calculator here. ‍‍

2. Time lost to manual work

When CRMs don’t align with your workflows, your team spends countless hours doing the work that software should be streamlining and automating—manually updating logs, formatting reports or building buyers lists from scratch.

Across the firms we work with, bankers can save more than 200 hours per year by streamlining and automating these common tedious tasks.

If your average junior or mid-level banker earns around $100/hour fully loaded, that’s around $20,000 in recovered time per person, per year.‍

3. Poor data slows execution and decision-making

When deal data lives across disconnected spreadsheets, tracking logs and inboxes, responsiveness suffers. Follow-ups are missed. Redundancies creep in. Internal coordination becomes guesswork.

Over time, this fragmentation creates drag: deals take longer to move forward, buyer interest isn’t fully capitalized on and internal reports don’t reflect reality.

MadeMarket changes this by centralizing the most critical information—from contact activity to deal milestones to buyer engagement—so your team can respond faster and make more confident decisions in real time.

‍4. The opportunity cost of inaction

The clearest cost of staying with the wrong CRM isn’t just inefficiency—it’s missed revenue.

When you’re slow to respond, late to follow up or missing data on key relationships, deals slip through the cracks. The firms that adopt purpose-built platforms like MadeMarket aren’t just working faster—they’re winning more mandates and closing more transactions.

Firms using MadeMarket can close around one additional deal per year for every five managing directors, driven by better data and faster workflows.

‍Learn more: How to Close More Deals Faster with MadeMarket as an Investment Banker

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To explore what MadeMarket can do for you, connect with a member of our team to get started with a demo!

The Perceived Costs of Switching

1. Data migration concerns

One of the biggest fears when switching CRMs is data loss—but with the right tools and onboarding support, migration is structured, fast and accurate.

Existing spreadsheets—like contact lists, tracking logs, and deal data—can be imported, cleaned, and structured to match how your team already operates. There’s no need to rebuild processes from scratch or overhaul how deals are managed.

Migration focuses on preserving what works while improving visibility and usability. With guided setup and practical training, teams can make the transition quickly and without disruption to active deals.

‍Learn more: Migrating Deals from Excel to MadeMarket’s Investment Banking CRM

‍2. Integrating with Salesforce? No problem

Many investment banks rely on Salesforce for firm-wide reporting or compliance—but it wasn’t built for deal execution. That’s why MadeMarket integrates seamlessly, allowing your team to run deals in the right platform while keeping your systems connected.

With this integration, your firm can:

• Sync contacts and firms automatically between platforms
• Control how data flows to match your workflows and compliance needs
• View key MadeMarket deal and relationship insights inside Salesforce

This gives leadership the visibility it needs in Salesforce, while bankers stay productive in MadeMarket—with no duplicate entry, no workflow disruption, and no silos.‍

3. Workflow disruption

Many firms fear they’ll have to rebuild workflows from scratch. But with MadeMarket, the platform is ready-built around your day-to-day needs—from contact tracking and deal execution to reporting and buyer communication.

No consultants. No six-month configuration window. Just tools that match how you already work.

‍Learn more: Debunking the Myths About Getting a New CRM for Your Investment Bank‍

‍The tangible ROI of switching to MadeMarket

‍Time savings that scale

• Buyers list building: 10X faster
• Tracking log updates: 12X faster
• Client report building: 15X faster
• Deal process email: 20X faster
• Total: 200+ hours saved per user per year

Multiply that across your team, and the impact becomes real.

If your firm has 50 users, that’s 10,000 hours saved annually.

At an average cost of $100/hour, that’s $1M in recovered time alone.

Learn more: MadeMarket’s Purpose-Built CRM Can Increase Investment Banking Revenues by Almost 10%‍

Faster workflows + Better data

But MadeMarket is about so much more than just time savings, it’s about finding the insights you need to move faster with confidence and clarity.  

• Relationship IQ helps bankers find the best path into any firm based on real engagement and firmwide touchpoints.
• Pipeline KPIs let managing directors track deal progress, stalled processes, and banker productivity across the team.
• Business intelligence dashboards make firmwide reporting easy—no spreadsheets, no formatting, no requests to junior staff.
• Custom reporting tools allow users to slice activity by sector, status, stage, or region—instantly.

The bottom line: The cost of staying with the wrong CRM adds up fast. Switching isn’t just manageable—it’s a strategic move that pays off.

‍To learn more and explore what MadeMarket can do for you, connect with a member of our team to get started with a demo!