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What did we learn from the Manchester HubSpot User Group in 2020?

3 mins read

2020 certainly presented us with some challenges. During the chaos, it also gave us more opportunities to learn and grow as marketers. With events going virtual, it meant industry experts could be accessed at the touch of a button.

Just take a look at the video below for our highlights. 

 

There's never been a better time to join the Manchester HUG. No travel, no time constraints - just talks from industry experts delivered straight to your device. 

Introducing personalisation into the sales cycle

In September's Manchester HUG, our Head of Solutions Caroline discussed the current sales process, how it's evolved over the years and why you need to change your approach.

 

Although selling has changed over the years, many people still have the old school view of sales professionals. That's why it's essential for prospective clients to see you've adapted to this new way.

It's not a sales professional's job to close the deal as quickly as possible. Instead, it's their job to help and advise prospects along their own purchasing journey. You can watch the full talk and learn more about bringing your sales tactics into the 21st century here.

What do people really want from B2B content in 2021?

In B2B content marketing, you never know whether your content needs to be 100 words or a thousand.

 

The problem? One thought leader will give you one figure, Google will tell you something else and another expert has an entirely different opinion which leaves you with more questions than answers and we’re back to square one.

It actually just depends on the context, the topic and who we’re writing for.

Paul, our Head of Delivery, did a tonne of research earlier this year around this topic. He took this research to the last HUG of the year in November, giving attendees a taste of what's to come in the new year. You can take a look at his slides here or read the in-depth blog we put together that's packed with actionable tips and expertise. 

Recapping updates from INBOUND 2020

We were devastated when we couldn't send some of our team to INBOUND this year. Instead, we had our own version. With so many great talks, some overlapped and meant sharing our learnings was essential. Here's a little snippet. 

 

Luckily, we had Rachel Ahearne, Principal Channel Consultant at HubSpot, to recap some of the key parts for not just us but also for all those that attended the September HUG too.

Some of the updates included the HubSpot CRM, marketing contacts and more.

"More than one-third of CRM implementation projects fail and more than 50% of sales leaders find their CRM system really difficult to use."

You can more details about Rachel's talk over on this blog. These features aren't to be missed.

An intro to the CMS Hub

We also had HubSpot’s very own Jack Coldrick, a whiz when it comes to the CMS Hub and all its functionality. The Senior Solutions Engineer explored the platform right before our eyes, detailing all the features and opportunities the CMS presents. 

 

He even gave us a quick demo and made sure to provide lots of great resources in his slides for us to take away. It Included some guides on getting started and some certifications to get stuck into. Check them out below. 

HubSpot reporting & getting the figures your boss needs

HUG-Sam Banks hubspot reporting

Back when we first went digital, Sam Banks delivered a wonderfully relevant talk all about HubSpot reporting and how to get the figures decision-makers need. It was essential given the current climate and increased pressures. 

He went into just enough detail to maximise your reporting and take advantage of HubSpot's readily available optionsFor more insight, check out Sam’s full talk to start reporting like a pro

If you want to make your monthly report meetings worth shouting about, you can chat to our Head of Solutions, Caroline. She'll audit and advise on some quick wins you can roll out. It's a completely no-catch consultation; just one marketer to another.

How marketers can use sales tools to support their sales teams

HUG-Andrew Munnelly how marketers can use sales tools

Sharing not only his screen but also his insight was Andrew Munnelly back in July. He’s a Customer Success Manager at HubSpot, so you could say he knows a thing or two about its sales tools.

Did you know on average, salespeople only spend about 35% of their time selling?

He talked about the manual tasks sales teams can get bogged down with and how it takes away from the most important thing - selling!

Andrew admitted there are some jobs robots are just better at. But one thing we can all agree on is there’s no question that sales and marketing need to be on the same page. Having sales tools that are advantageous for both teams is a huge step towards that.

This is just a fraction of value that Andy delivered in his talk. For more about getting the most out of HubSpot’s sales tools, you should settle in and watch his entire talk.

Haven't finished learning yet? We've got just the thing...

Although we're virtual for now, it's still the perfect event if you want to soak up valuable information and become a better marketer.

We hope if you attended a HUG this year you took something valuable away. If you're yet to, hopefully we'll see you again next year. It's a great opportunity to ask any questions to the experts in attendance.

Who knows what 2021 has in store for us. But for now, you can continue learning in our marketing group dedicated to just that.