At a glance
Central to operations
Supporting consultants managing their pipelines.
Clear visibility
Real-time insights give leadership a clear view.
Better decisions
Accurate, real-time data means planning with greater confidence.
Background
Ernest Hunter Green is a privately owned senior Executive Search business specialising in TMT, Professional Services, Real Estate & The Built Environment, and Banking & Financial Services. Since 2015, the team has delivered senior mandates across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
As the business shifted toward winning and delivering retained search projects, it became clear their existing CRM couldn't keep up built for a one-size-fits-all approach, not the agility a growing, specialist firm needed.
The challenge
Ernest Hunter Green's original CRM worked well in the early days. But as the business shifted toward retained search projects, its limitations became clear it simply couldn't support the activities that kind of work demanded.
Not built to flex: a one-size-fits-all system lacked the agility to grow with a smaller, specialist business.
Wrong fit for the work: the CRM couldn't support the activities needed for retained search projects.
Limited customisation: the team needed to shape the system's layout and structure around their own workflows.
"We initially started with a different CRM that worked for us in the early stages. However, as we shifted focus towards winning and delivering retained search projects, it became clear that our existing CRM could not support the activities required for this type of work."
Why Seven20?
After reviewing the alternatives on the market, Ernest Hunter Green chose Seven20 then still in the early stages of its own growth, which turned out to be exactly the right fit.
The right stage: Seven20's own early growth stage matched what Ernest Hunter Green was looking for.
Built to fit: the ability to build a system that looked and felt right for their business was the deciding factor.
"We reviewed the alternatives on the market and chose Seven20 which at the time was in the early stages of its growth. This suited us and what we were looking for, we were attracted to the ability to build out a system that looked and felt right for our business."
The implementation
Changing CRM always comes with its challenges. Ernest Hunter Green leaned on their account manager and online training to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Guided transition: the account manager and online training helped ease the shift to a new system.
A useful reset: the process gave the team a chance to properly define what they wanted and needed from a CRM.
"Changing to a new CRM always has its challenges, so we made use of our account manager and the online training to make the transition as smooth as possible. It was a good opportunity to take a step back and think about exactly WHAT we wanted/needed from the CRM."
The results
The new CRM has become central to how Ernest Hunter Green operates, giving the business clear visibility it didn't have before.
Central to operations: Supporting consultants in managing their pipelines, day in and day out.
Clear visibility: Real-time insights give leadership a clear view across the whole business.
Better decisions: Accurate, real-time data means planning with far greater confidence.
"The new CRM has become a central part of how we operate, supporting our consultants in managing their pipelines while giving us clear visibility across the business. We now have accurate, real-time insights that help us make better decisions and plan with greater confidence."
Looking ahead
As the business has progressed, the team has learned to harness the system's capabilities to empower consultants and improve operational oversight moving from recording activity after the fact to actually working inside the dashboards day to day. That evolution has been matched by the people behind it.
"James Bright and the wider Seven20 team have been consistently available, responsive, and proactive. They deliver a personal service and have taken the time to understand our business, often providing solutions to challenges we didn't even realise we had."
Advice for others
"Do your research, talk to other businesses in your sector to obtain references. Take the time to clearly define what you need from your CRM and don't be afraid to look for a system that can grow with you. It's worth investing in a platform that not only supports your consultants' day-to-day but also provides leadership with clear, actionable insights to drive better business decisions."
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