The HubSpot Adoption Gap: Why Your Sales and Marketing Teams Are the Real Culprits

Hey there, Mark Hullin here from Real Inbound. Today, we're diving into a topic that hits home for so many businesses—aligning sales and marketing teams to close the HubSpot adoption gap.

It’s something we've seen time and time again with our clients. You’ve invested in HubSpot, your teams are using it, but something’s missing. You're not quite getting the full return on that investment. Why? It often boils down to a lack of alignment between sales and marketing.

The HubSpot Adoption Gap

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty, let’s revisit what we mean by the HubSpot Adoption Gap. Simply put, it's the gap between purchasing HubSpot and using it effectively across your organisation. Many businesses buy HubSpot, set it up, train a few teams, and then... crickets. The tool is there, but it’s not being used to its fullest potential.

One of the main reasons for this is misalignment between sales and marketing. When these two critical teams aren’t on the same page, it leads to inefficiencies, mixed messaging, and missed opportunities. The HubSpot adoption gap grows wider, and you're left wondering why you aren’t seeing the results you expected.

Why Alignment Matters

Sales and marketing alignment is more than just a buzzword. It's the backbone of successful HubSpot adoption. When these teams work together seamlessly, you get:

1. Consistent Messaging: Prospects hear the same story from the first touchpoint to the final sale. This consistency builds trust and moves them through the funnel more efficiently.
2. Improved Lead Quality: Marketing generates leads that sales actually want to pursue because they’re aligned on what a "good lead" looks like.
3. Higher Conversion Rates: Aligned teams nurture leads more effectively, shortening the sales cycle and increasing conversion rates.
4. Data-Driven Decisions: Both teams work from the same data in HubSpot, enabling more informed decisions about campaigns, sales strategies, and customer engagement.

Without this alignment, HubSpot becomes just another tool that your teams struggle to use effectively.

Common Misalignment Issues

Let’s break down some of the common misalignment issues that lead to the HubSpot adoption gap:

1. Different Goals: Marketing might be focused on generating a high volume of leads, while sales is more concerned with the quality of those leads. If these goals aren’t aligned, it leads to frustration on both sides.
2. Lack of Communication: Marketing and sales often operate in silos. Marketing runs campaigns and passes leads to sales without ongoing dialogue about lead quality or feedback on how those leads convert.
3. Inconsistent Messaging: If sales and marketing aren’t aligned on messaging, prospects get mixed signals. They might read one thing in a marketing email and hear something completely different from a sales call.
4. Data Discrepancies: When sales and marketing use different tools or fail to track the right metrics in HubSpot, it results in data discrepancies that hinder decision-making.

MORE INFO ON ALIGNMENT: How to Perfect Your Sales and Marketing Alignment

Now, let's talk about how to close these gaps.

Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap: Step-by-Step

1. Define a Common Goal

The first step is to get sales and marketing on the same page. What is your overarching business goal? Is it to increase revenue by 20% this year? Is it to break into a new market segment? Whatever it is, sales and marketing need to align their efforts toward that common goal.

Practical Action: Hold a joint meeting with sales and marketing leaders to define this common goal. Use HubSpot's goal-setting tools to create measurable objectives for both teams.

2. Create a Service Level Agreement (SLA)

An SLA between sales and marketing defines each team’s responsibilities and how they’ll work together to achieve the common goal. This document outlines what constitutes a marketing-qualified lead (MQL) and a sales-qualified lead (SQL), the criteria for lead handoff, and the expected follow-up process.

Practical Action: Use HubSpot to track lead stages and create automated workflows for lead handoff. Ensure that both teams agree on the definitions of MQLs and SQLs to avoid any confusion down the line.

3. Establish Open Lines of Communication

Communication is key. Sales and marketing need to have regular touchpoints to discuss lead quality, campaign performance, and customer feedback. This can be done through weekly or bi-weekly meetings where both teams review HubSpot data together.

Practical Action: Set up a recurring meeting between sales and marketing. Use HubSpot reports and dashboards to facilitate these discussions. Encourage an open feedback loop where sales can provide insights into lead quality, and marketing can adjust campaigns accordingly.

4. Use Unified Reporting

HubSpot’s reporting tools are a goldmine for sales and marketing alignment. By using the same set of data, you eliminate any ambiguity about what’s working and what’s not. Unified reporting allows both teams to track lead sources, conversion rates, and pipeline progress.

Practical Action: Create shared dashboards in HubSpot that track key metrics like lead generation, lead-to-customer conversion rates, and campaign ROI. Ensure both teams have access and review these metrics regularly.

5. Implement a Lead Nurturing Strategy

Sales and marketing need to collaborate on a lead nurturing strategy that moves prospects through the funnel. Marketing should create content that addresses different stages of the buyer's journey, while sales provide input on what messaging resonates best during sales interactions.

Practical Action: Use HubSpot's workflows to automate lead nurturing. Marketing can create email sequences that provide valuable content to leads based on their interactions, while sales can track these engagements and follow up at the right time.

6. Align on Messaging and Content

Sales and marketing must agree on the messaging that will be used throughout the customer journey. This includes everything from blog posts and email campaigns to sales scripts and presentations. Consistent messaging ensures that prospects and customers have a cohesive experience with your brand.

Practical Action: Develop a shared content calendar in HubSpot. Sales can provide input on the topics and content types that help them close deals, while marketing creates the assets. Use HubSpot's content tools to collaborate on blog posts, landing pages, and email templates.

7. Provide Ongoing Training and Support

HubSpot is a powerful tool, but it can only work if your teams know how to use it effectively. Regular training sessions can help both sales and marketing stay up to date with HubSpot’s features and best practices. This is especially important as HubSpot continues to evolve with new tools and updates.

Practical Action: Schedule quarterly HubSpot training sessions for sales and marketing. Focus on areas where alignment is crucial, such as lead tracking, reporting, and nurturing workflows. Encourage both teams to share their success stories and challenges to foster a culture of continuous learning.

Measuring Success

How do you know if your efforts are paying off? Here are some key metrics to track in HubSpot:

1. Lead Quality: Track the percentage of MQLs that convert to SQLs and eventually to customers. An increase in this conversion rate indicates better alignment.
2. Sales Cycle Length: A shorter sales cycle often indicates that marketing is generating higher-quality leads, and sales is more effectively nurturing those leads.
3. Revenue Growth: Ultimately, the goal of alignment is to drive revenue. Monitor your revenue growth against the goals set in your SLA.
4. Engagement Metrics: Use HubSpot’s engagement metrics to see how leads are interacting with your content and sales outreach. Higher engagement rates signal that your messaging is resonating.

Closing Thoughts

Closing the HubSpot adoption gap is not a one-time effort. It's an ongoing process that requires commitment and collaboration between sales and marketing. By aligning these teams, you not only close the adoption gap but also unlock the full potential of HubSpot to drive business growth.

At Real Inbound, we’ve seen firsthand how powerful this alignment can be. When sales and marketing are working together, you can move mountains. You’ll see more consistent messaging, higher-quality leads, faster sales cycles, and ultimately, better ROI from your HubSpot investment.

So, let's get out there and start closing that adoption gap. Align your teams, use HubSpot to its fullest, and watch as your business transforms.

Get free access to our 5 email series on Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap and get your own copy of our Framework - click image or button below