Skipping Ongoing Staff Support is Killing Your HubSpot Success

When businesses adopt HubSpot, they often focus on initial setup, training, and onboarding. But what happens after that? Many companies mistakenly believe that once HubSpot is implemented, the hard work is done. The truth is, without ongoing support, your HubSpot investment is at serious risk of failing to deliver long-term value.

At Real Inbound, we’ve helped many businesses navigate what we call the HubSpot Adoption Gap—the space between buying HubSpot and fully leveraging its capabilities for lasting success. One of the most common reasons this gap persists is a lack of continuous support.

In this article, we’ll discuss why ongoing support is essential for closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap and ensuring that your CRM system remains a critical asset to your business over time.

The HubSpot Adoption Gap: Why It Happens

The HubSpot Adoption Gap occurs when businesses invest in HubSpot but don’t fully integrate it into their everyday operations. It’s easy to get excited about the platform during the initial stages, but sustaining that momentum requires ongoing effort.

Here are a few reasons why the HubSpot Adoption Gap exists:

• Leadership Disconnect: Leaders might not continue championing HubSpot after the initial implementation.
• Limited Training: Teams might receive onboarding training but are left without resources to keep learning as new features are released.
• Underutilisation: Without continuous support, businesses might only use a fraction of HubSpot’s full capabilities, leaving powerful tools like automation and reporting untapped.

By closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap, companies can unlock the platform's full potential, but it requires a dedicated strategy for ongoing support, training, and monitoring.

The Role of Ongoing Support in Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap

Ongoing support isn’t just about fixing problems; it’s about ensuring that HubSpot becomes a fully integrated part of your business’s day-to-day operations. If your teams don’t feel supported or don’t understand the more advanced functionalities of HubSpot, they won’t use the system to its full capacity.

Here’s how ongoing support helps close the HubSpot Adoption Gap:

1. Maintaining Engagement
   After the initial setup, it's natural for enthusiasm to wane. Without regular engagement and support, teams may fall back into old habits, leaving HubSpot underutilised. Continuous support ensures that teams remain motivated and confident in their use of the platform.
2. Maximising Utilisation
   HubSpot is packed with features, but many businesses only scratch the surface. Without ongoing support, your team may never fully explore or understand powerful tools like automated workflows, reporting, or segmentation. Regular training and guidance help your team use HubSpot to its fullest.
3. Adapting to Growth
   As your business grows, so will your needs. HubSpot must evolve alongside your company. Ongoing support ensures that your CRM system is regularly updated and optimised to meet new challenges, helping you close the HubSpot Adoption Gap and stay competitive.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE HUBSPOT ADOPTION GAP: The HubSpot Adoption Gap - Why Most CRM Implementations Fail and How to Avoid It

The Dangers of Skipping Ongoing Support

Many businesses don’t realise the risks of not investing in ongoing support for HubSpot until it’s too late. Here are the key dangers of neglecting ongoing support and letting the HubSpot Adoption Gap grow:

1. Decreased Adoption Rates

Without consistent support and engagement, employees may start using HubSpot less and less. They might forget how to perform critical tasks or rely on outdated methods. Decreased adoption rates can cause major inefficiencies and even undermine your initial investment.

2. Missed Opportunities for Automation

HubSpot’s automation capabilities can revolutionise how your sales and marketing teams operate. However, without ongoing training and support, your team may not know how to set up or optimise automation workflows, leaving valuable opportunities on the table.

3. Limited Data Utilisation

HubSpot is a treasure trove of data, but are you using it effectively? If your team doesn’t receive continuous support, they might not know how to access or analyse data reports in a way that can truly drive growth. Missing out on HubSpot’s reporting features means missing out on key business insights.

4. Employee Frustration and Abandonment

When employees encounter issues and don’t have the right support in place, they can quickly become frustrated. In the worst-case scenario, this frustration leads to them abandoning HubSpot altogether and resorting to less efficient tools, which defeats the purpose of the CRM investment.

How to Close the HubSpot Adoption Gap with Ongoing Support

At Real Inbound, we’ve learned that ongoing support is critical to closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap. We’ve seen firsthand how businesses that implement a solid support structure experience long-term success with HubSpot. Here’s how you can do the same.

1. Continuous Learning and Development

HubSpot is constantly updating its platform with new tools, features, and updates. Without regular training, your team may never fully grasp how to use these tools. By offering ongoing training, you ensure that your teams stay sharp and can make the most out of HubSpot’s evolving features.

• Quarterly Training Sessions: Schedule regular training sessions to keep everyone updated on new functionalities. This could include refresher courses on existing tools or deep dives into newer features like enhanced reporting or advanced marketing automation.
• HubSpot Certifications: Encourage your team members to complete HubSpot Academy courses regularly. HubSpot offers free certifications that help employees stay current with best practices and platform updates.

2. Regular Performance Monitoring and Feedback Loops

To close the HubSpot Adoption Gap, you must continuously monitor how your team uses the system. This ensures that HubSpot is aligned with your company’s goals and helps you address any issues early.

• Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Track HubSpot usage by setting measurable goals. This could include lead response times, pipeline growth, or workflow efficiency. Monitoring these KPIs helps you stay on top of adoption rates and areas for improvement.
• Implement Feedback Loops: Regular feedback from your team is essential to improving how HubSpot is used. Hold monthly check-ins where team members can share what’s working, what’s not, and where they need more support. Use this feedback to refine your HubSpot strategy and continuously close the adoption gap.

3. Internal and External Technical Support

Your team will encounter issues when using HubSpot—whether it's technical difficulties or confusion about how to execute specific tasks. Without a structured support system, these issues can become significant roadblocks.

• Internal Help Desk: Designate a team member who can serve as an internal HubSpot expert. This person should be well-versed in the platform and able to provide on-demand support to resolve common issues.
• HubSpot’s External Support: For more complex problems, take advantage of HubSpot’s external support system. HubSpot offers live chat, knowledge bases, and consulting services, so your team never has to feel stuck.

4. Celebrating Wins and Driving Engagement

To keep the momentum going and ensure HubSpot remains a valuable asset for your business, celebrate successes and milestones. By doing so, you can encourage ongoing engagement and foster a sense of ownership among your teams.

• Recognise HubSpot Heroes: Identify top-performing users who excel in using HubSpot and publicly acknowledge their efforts. This not only motivates the individual but inspires others to take full advantage of HubSpot’s features.
• Internal Marketing Campaigns: Run internal campaigns that showcase how HubSpot has positively impacted the business. Share case studies, success stories, and testimonials to keep teams engaged and excited about using the platform.

How Real Inbound Helps Businesses Close the HubSpot Adoption Gap

At Real Inbound, we know firsthand that ongoing support is the difference between a successful HubSpot implementation and one that fizzles out over time. That’s why we offer dedicated support for every client, ensuring that HubSpot continues to evolve with your business.

Our Approach to Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap

1. Regular Check-Ins: We meet with our clients regularly to review HubSpot performance, check on KPIs, and make any necessary adjustments. This ensures that HubSpot always aligns with business goals and delivers maximum value.
2. Ongoing Training: We offer continuous training sessions to help teams stay up to date with HubSpot’s latest features. Whether it’s a refresher course or advanced training on new tools, we’re always here to help your team grow.
3. Proactive Support: Instead of waiting for problems to arise, we proactively monitor HubSpot updates and how they might impact your business. If we spot potential issues, we’ll work with you to address them before they become major roadblocks.

Conclusion: Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap for Long-Term Success

Skipping ongoing support is a surefire way to sabotage your HubSpot success. But by focusing on continuous learning, regular monitoring, technical support, and team engagement, you can close the HubSpot Adoption Gap and ensure that your CRM investment continues to drive growth for years to come.

At Real Inbound, we’ve helped countless businesses close their adoption gaps and fully integrate HubSpot into their operations. If you’re ready to do the same, reach out to us—we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Check out our "HubSpot Adoption Gap Framework" Below