So, you’ve invested in HubSpot—congratulations! You’ve got this shiny, new tool that promises to streamline your marketing, sales, and customer service. But be honest: how many of you are actually using it to its full potential? If you feel like there’s a gap between what HubSpot should be doing and what it’s actually doing for your business, you’re not alone. This is what Real Inbound the HubSpot Adoption Gap.
This gap exists for most businesses—between purchasing the tool and figuring out how to really make it work. And if you’re stuck in that gap, it’s time to crawl out of it. But first, let’s figure out how you fell into it in the first place.
Why Does the HubSpot Adoption Gap Exist?
Most companies fall into the trap of buying HubSpot without a clear strategy. You need to ask yourself what you actually want HubSpot to do for you. Is it improving lead management? Automating workflows? Getting clearer insights on customer behaviour? Without these defined objectives, you’re more likely to treat HubSpot as a fancy tool that collects dust.
An interesting read on this comes from this blog article, which points out how crucial it is to align your marketing strategy with your tools. Think about it—if you don’t know what success looks like, how will you ever know if HubSpot is working for you?
Here’s the thing: if the leadership team isn’t involved in the adoption process, HubSpot will never reach its full potential. It needs to be driven from the top down. When executives treat it like another fancy tool instead of a strategic must-have, the rest of the team will, too. One thing to consider is how businesses fail to adopt tech tools successfully when leadership isn’t behind it.
Another major roadblock is that most businesses assume one big training session will do the trick. But guess what? That’s not going to cut it. Every department uses HubSpot differently, so training needs to be tailored. Marketing, sales, and customer service teams all have different needs, and a blanket training session won’t cover them.
Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap
Now that you know why you’ve fallen into the gap, let’s talk about how you can climb out of it. Here are a few strategies to help you close that gap and make HubSpot work for you:
First things first: what exactly do you want HubSpot to do? Whether it’s automating your marketing or improving your sales pipeline, you need to have clear, measurable goals.
Your leadership team needs to be just as invested in HubSpot as the people who use it daily. They need to lead by example, set expectations, and be part of the solution when it comes to adoption.
One-size-fits-all doesn’t work when it comes to HubSpot training. You need to break it down by department and role. Sales needs to know how to manage deals, while marketing focuses on automating campaigns. Each department has different tools they need to master, so your training should reflect that.
Adopting HubSpot isn’t a one-and-done deal. You need to keep reviewing your processes and make adjustments based on performance data. Monitor how your teams are using HubSpot and look for ways to optimise further.
Ready to Close the Gap?
The HubSpot Adoption Gap is real, but with the right approach, you can close it. By setting clear objectives, getting leadership buy-in, and offering tailored training, you can unlock HubSpot’s full potential for your business.
Remember also to seamlessly Integrate CRM and Database to drive business success and how to get the most from them.
Now’s the time to stop treating HubSpot as an underused tool and start using it to its full potential. Let’s close that gap!
Need a hand? We're here to help. Check out our blogs for more tips and tricks at Real Inbound and OptimizeHub or reach out for a chat. We can help you unleash the full power of HubSpot and close the adoption gap.