Training vs. Onboarding: The One Mistake That's Damaging Your HubSpot Adoption Success

When it comes to adopting HubSpot, there's often a misunderstanding about the roles of training and onboarding. Many businesses lump these two together, assuming they're the same thing. But here's the truth: they’re different and understanding how they complement each other is key to closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap.

At Real Inbound, we've seen businesses struggle to make the most of HubSpot simply because they don't distinguish between training and onboarding. They either onboard and think they're done, or they invest in sporadic training without a structured onboarding plan. The result? An underutilised tool that falls short of delivering the expected ROI.

In this article, we'll break down the differences between HubSpot training and onboarding, explain why both are crucial, and how a balanced approach can transform your HubSpot experience.

What is HubSpot Onboarding?

Let’s start with onboarding. Onboarding is the initial phase that occurs right after you decide to implement HubSpot. Think of it as the setup phase—the time when you configure the system to fit your business needs, set up workflows, and lay the foundation for how HubSpot will be used across your organisation.

The Key Elements of Onboarding:

1. System Setup: This includes setting up the technical aspects such as integrating HubSpot with your existing tools, configuring your CRM, setting up your email domain, and importing your existing data.
2. Customisation: Tailoring HubSpot to your business processes. This involves creating custom properties, setting up deal stages, defining lead scoring criteria, and customising your pipeline to match your sales process.
3. Team Alignment: Onboarding is also about aligning your teams. It's about getting everyone on the same page regarding how HubSpot will be used, what processes will be streamlined, and how the platform will support their roles. This is where you involve key stakeholders, ensuring that sales, marketing, and customer service understand their responsibilities within HubSpot.
4. Initial Training: Yes, there's an element of training within onboarding, but it’s introductory—it's about showing your teams the basics and how to navigate HubSpot within the framework you’ve set up.

Why Onboarding Matters

Onboarding is crucial because it lays the groundwork. Without it, your HubSpot implementation is likely to be chaotic, inconsistent, and ineffective. It’s during this phase that you ensure HubSpot is configured correctly, workflows are established, and your teams have a shared understanding of how the platform will be used to meet your business objectives.

However, onboarding alone is not enough to guarantee long-term success with HubSpot. This is where training comes into play.

What is HubSpot Training?

Training, in contrast, is an ongoing process. While onboarding is about setting up the platform and getting everyone started, training is about deepening knowledge and improving skills over time. It's the process of continually educating your teams on how to use HubSpot more effectively as your business evolves.

The Key Elements of Training:

1. Role-Based Training: Training should be tailored to the specific needs of different teams within your organisation. Sales teams need to master CRM features like deal tracking and pipeline management. Marketing teams require expertise in email workflows, automation, and lead scoring. Customer service teams should be proficient in ticket management and using the Service Hub.
2. Advanced Features: As your teams become more comfortable with HubSpot, training should progress to cover more advanced features. This might include diving into marketing automation, using AI-powered tools, or advanced reporting and analytics.
3. Ongoing Education: HubSpot is always evolving. Regular training ensures that your teams stay up to date with new features, updates, and best practices. This ongoing education helps your teams leverage HubSpot's full potential as your business grows and changes.
4. Problem-Solving: Training sessions also serve as an opportunity to address challenges and optimise workflows. They provide a platform for teams to ask questions, discuss issues they’re facing, and find ways to use HubSpot more effectively.

BIG READ: Why Generic Training is Sabotaging Your HubSpot Success—And How to Fix It

Why Training Matters

Training is the key to keeping the momentum going after onboarding. It turns HubSpot from a basic tool into a strategic asset. Continuous training ensures that your teams not only know how to use HubSpot but can use it to drive results. It’s about moving from basic utilisation to advanced, strategic application.

Onboarding vs. Training: The Key Differences

To summarise, let's break down the key differences between onboarding and training:

1. Purpose:

• Onboarding: Focused on setting up HubSpot and getting teams started.
• Training: Focused on continuous learning and skill enhancement.

2. Scope:

• Onboarding: Short-term, usually lasting a few weeks to get the basics up and running.
• Training: Long-term, ongoing education that evolves with your business needs.

3. Content:

• Onboarding: System setup, customisation, basic usage, and initial team alignment.
• Training: Advanced features, role-based education, problem-solving, and ongoing optimisation.

4. Outcome:

• Onboarding: A functioning HubSpot platform customised to your business, with teams aware of how to use the basics.
• Training: Teams that are proficient in using HubSpot strategically to achieve business goals, with a focus on continual improvement.

Why You Need Both to Close the HubSpot Adoption Gap

Now that we've established what onboarding and training are, let's explore why you need both to close the HubSpot Adoption Gap.

Onboarding Without Training = Underutilisation

Many businesses stop at onboarding. They set up HubSpot, show their teams how to use the basics, and then move on. The result? A system that’s underutilised. Teams don't take full advantage of HubSpot's features because they haven't been trained on how to use them effectively. Over time, this leads to stagnation, with HubSpot becoming just another tool that fails to deliver on its promises.

Training Without Onboarding = Chaos

Conversely, some businesses focus on training without a solid onboarding process. They try to teach advanced features and workflows without having a clear structure in place. This leads to confusion, as teams are trying to learn how to use a tool that hasn’t been properly configured for their specific needs. Without onboarding, training becomes a disjointed experience, and adoption suffers.

The Power of a Combined Approach

The real magic happens when you combine onboarding and training. Onboarding provides the structure and foundation, while training builds upon it, allowing your teams to grow their skills and become more proficient over time. This combined approach closes the adoption gap by ensuring that HubSpot is not only set up correctly but also used to its full potential.

Implementing a Balanced Approach at Your Organisation

To truly close the HubSpot Adoption Gap, you need a plan that integrates both onboarding and training.

Step 1: Start with a Solid Onboarding Plan

Begin by developing a comprehensive onboarding plan that covers:

• Technical Setup: Ensure HubSpot is integrated with your existing tools and data is imported correctly.
• Customisation: Tailor HubSpot to match your business processes, including setting up deal stages, pipelines, and custom properties.
• Team Alignment: Bring all relevant stakeholders on board, and outline how each team will use HubSpot.

Step 2: Develop an Ongoing Training Programme

Once onboarding is complete, transition into a long-term training programme that includes:

• Role-Based Training: Customise training sessions for different teams, focusing on the features they will use most.
• Advanced Features: Gradually introduce more advanced features as teams become comfortable with the basics.
• Regular Updates: Stay current with HubSpot’s updates and new features, and ensure your teams receive ongoing education.
• Problem-Solving Sessions: Create an open environment for teams to discuss challenges and optimise their use of HubSpot.

Step 3: Use Data to Drive Training

Make data a central part of your training programme. Use HubSpot's reporting and analytics to identify areas where your teams need additional support or training. For example, if you notice low usage of certain tools like marketing automation or pipeline management, target these areas in your training sessions.

Step 4: Involve Leadership

Leadership involvement is crucial in both onboarding and training. Leaders set the tone for how HubSpot is perceived and used within the organisation. Involve them in the onboarding process and keep them engaged through regular training sessions. Their commitment will drive adoption and encourage teams to embrace HubSpot fully.

Conclusion

HubSpot onboarding and training are not mutually exclusive—they are complementary processes that, when combined, can transform the way your organisation uses HubSpot. Onboarding sets the foundation, providing the structure and alignment needed for initial success. Training builds on this foundation, empowering your teams with the skills and knowledge they need to use HubSpot strategically and effectively.

Closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap requires a balanced approach. By integrating both onboarding and training into your HubSpot strategy, you can ensure that your teams not only adopt HubSpot but thrive with it.

At Real Inbound, we believe in the power of this combined approach. We’ve seen firsthand how businesses that invest in both onboarding and training experience greater adoption, higher ROI, and more successful outcomes with HubSpot.

Ready to Close the HubSpot Adoption Gap?

If you're ready to take your HubSpot journey to the next level, contact us at Real Inbound. We specialise in creating customised onboarding and training programmes designed to close the adoption gap and unlock HubSpot's full potential for your business.