The CRM Guru logoThe CRM Guru

Independent CRM consultant · UK

Senior CRM leadership, without the full-time hire

Most businesses aren’t short of CRM. They’re short of someone senior to make it pay. I’m Craig Kent, and since 2014 I’ve helped more than 45 UK businesses get real value from their CRM: auditing what they have, leading it month to month, and choosing the right platform when it’s time to change. Senior, vendor-agnostic and hands-on.

  • 25+ years in CRM
  • 45+ clients
  • Outside IR35 · DMA accredited
Craig Kent, independent CRM consultant and founder of The CRM Guru
Clients includeHuelPhotoBoxThreePayPalShellS&WPilgrim’s EuropeCity Plumbing

Three ways to work with The CRM Guru

Each one has a clear scope and a fixed structure, so you know exactly what you’re getting before we start.

Fixed price · 5 days

CRM Health Check

An independent review of your CRM platform, data, customer journeys and team, ending in a prioritised 90-day roadmap.

  • An honest view of what’s working and what isn’t
  • Quick wins you can act on straight away
  • A 90-day roadmap with clear owners
More about the CRM Health Check

Monthly retainer · 6-month minimum

Fractional Head of CRM

Senior CRM leadership on a monthly retainer, for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.

  • A CRM roadmap agreed with your leadership team
  • A monthly scorecard against agreed KPIs
  • A quarterly review to reset priorities
More about Fractional Head of CRM

Fixed fee per phase

CRM Selection & Transformation

Vendor-agnostic CRM platform selection and implementation readiness, so you choose the right platform and get value from it.

  • Requirements from every team that depends on CRM
  • An independent longlist, shortlist and scored evaluation
  • Contract, partner and implementation readiness
More about CRM Selection & Transformation
Diagram showing how the CRM Health Check leads into either a Fractional Head of CRM retainer or CRM Selection and Transformation
Most clients start with a Health Check, then choose the route that fits.

Not sure where to start?

Most clients start with a CRM Health Check. In five days you get an independent view of where your CRM stands and a 90-day plan to improve it, before committing to anything bigger.

From there, some teams run the roadmap themselves. Others bring me in as their Fractional Head of CRM to lead it, and some find it’s time to change platform.

  1. 1. ReviewCRM Health Check: where you are and what to fix first
  2. 2. LeadFractional Head of CRM: senior ownership of the roadmap
  3. 3. ChangeCRM Selection & Transformation: the right platform, ready to implement

Results clients have seen

32 → 1CRM platforms narrowed to Microsoft Dynamics for S&W, now live
£315kyear-on-year revenue uplift from CRM at PhotoBox
$45ka week in CRM revenue at PetLab Co
FirstCRM programme built for Huel, later launched in the US and Germany

Read the case studies

Why work with The CRM Guru

Independent of vendors

I’m not tied to any CRM platform, so my advice is about what fits your business, budget and team.

Senior, without the overhead

25+ years in CRM and customer marketing, available without a permanent salary or a long recruitment search.

Strategy and delivery

As comfortable presenting to the board as working through data, journeys and suppliers with your team.

Measured on results

Every engagement has clear outputs, from the Health Check’s 90-day roadmap to a monthly scorecard on a retainer.

Frequently asked questions

What does an independent CRM consultant do?

I help businesses get more value from their CRM: reviewing how the platform, data, customer journeys and team are working, leading CRM strategy and delivery, and helping choose and move to a new platform when it’s needed. Being independent means I’m not tied to any CRM vendor.

What is a Fractional Head of CRM?

A senior CRM leader who works with your business part-time on a monthly retainer. You get the strategy, accountability and team leadership of a Head of CRM without the cost and commitment of a full-time hire.

Where should we start?

Most clients start with the CRM Health Check, a fixed-price, five-day review that ends in a 90-day roadmap. It gives you an independent view of your CRM before you commit to anything bigger.

Do you work outside IR35?

Yes. I work through my own limited company, The CRM Guru Ltd, and all engagements are structured outside IR35.

Where are you based?

London. I work with clients across the UK, on site and remotely.

Not sure which fits? Let’s talk

Tell me where your CRM is today and what you’d like it to do. No pitch, just a straight conversation about whether one of these three ways of working fits.