CRM in Outlook: Copilot Watches Your Deals for You
Sales reps at manufacturing companies don't spend their day living in a CRM system. They live in Outlook. And that's exactly where deals get won or lost today. Forget the sci-fi hype—artificial intelligence has a very concrete, practical use case here. When you connect eWay-CRM with Microsoft Copilot, you get a reliable sidekick that steps in precisely when you're swamped.
Let's look at three real-world examples:
1. "Circle back later" doesn't mean they're not interested
A short customer reply like "I'm slammed right now" is a classic dead zone. Most sales reps either ignore it or push it off indefinitely. But Copilot in Outlook can quickly summarize the conversation so far, capture the full context, and draft a short, focused response with a clear next step. Not a long-winded email—just a few smart lines that keep the momentum alive, plus a concrete follow-up suggestion. The result? The deal doesn't quietly disappear simply because the customer was "too busy."
Prompt for Copilot: "Summarize the latest communication with this customer and suggest a brief response that highlights clear value and includes a concrete follow-up action."
2. A lead that stays only in email might as well not exist
This is especially common at smaller companies: quick mobile exchanges, rapid-fire emails, and nothing ever gets logged in the CRM. From the system's perspective, the deal never happened. But Copilot can spot that it's a genuine business conversation, identify the company and topic, and suggest creating a lead in eWay-CRM—right at the moment it matters most. Think of it as a quiet bulldog in the background, making sure nothing important slips through the cracks on a crazy day.
Prompt for Copilot: "Evaluate whether this email thread is business-related and prepare a proposal to create a lead in CRM, including the suggested next step."
3. The deal is stalled—and someone needs to notice
A deal has been sitting untouched in the pipeline for three weeks. No rejection, no progress—it's just frozen. CRM already knows how long similar deals typically take. Copilot can help flag these unusual slowdowns and, crucially, suggest specific actions to fix them: Should you call? Send a quick summary? Share a relevant reference? That's the real difference—not just "warning: problem," but "here's exactly what to do next."
Prompt for Copilot: "Evaluate this opportunity in CRM and suggest a concrete next step based on the history of similar deals."
In manufacturing companies, deals aren't usually lost because of zero interest. They're lost in the messy in-between moments—during hesitation, in a forgotten email, or amid daily chaos. Having CRM inside Outlook with Copilot watching your back changes that dynamic. It doesn't nag or yell. It simply tugs your sleeve at the right moment, reminding you when to act.
