HubSpot Partner Pipeline Generation Bootcamp — The 5 Important Points
For the last 8 weeks, I have (Simon Lemire) had the chance to participate in a “Bootcamp” focused on lead generation given by Dan Tyre, director of HubSpot since the company was founded in 2007. This is, inevitably, a great opportunity to learn from the best and to better help local businesses.
In English, this program is called HubSpot Pipeline Generation Boot Camp (PGB 2020) and the objective is to equip participants to generate more leads and thus grow the business. We were selected from hundreds of candidates to participate in this program, mainly thanks to the support of our account manager, Casey Peddicord at HubSpot.
It is not easy to sell in 2020 and yet, we tend to think the opposite with all the accessibility of information and the possibility of being able to “close” sales from your cell phone in the comfort of your living room. The reality in B2B is not quite that and it is much more complex. For many, the prospecting stage is the most difficult part of the sales process, because we don't want to be pushy, but rather demonstrate the leader in us, we want to offer the right solution to the right person. How can these points be made simpler and more effective? Here are the 5 important points that I learned during this Bootcamp:
1. Create a clear positioning of the company
The importance of establishing a clear and precise positioning is essential, not to mention the sales process, which should be developed beforehand. Thus, a major challenge for businesses is to want to strike everywhere at the same time, while establishing a clear positioning will allow you to allocate the right resources in the right places in order to maximize the impact and be an expert in what you have to offer.
For our part, as a digital firm, we had a choice to make in terms of target customers and that is why we chose the industrial field and more specifically manufacturing companies. Anthony, my partner, has developed a very solid expertise in the business context and related technologies. So why not focus our efforts on this industry? We are building our network of experts and our reputation in the field that allow us to offer a more personalized solution to our customers.
2. Return the discovery call Short and Sweet
The first impression is important, yes, but it's also a time to be concise and to the point. One thing I've learned a lot from my experience with Dan is to be confident, personalized, and direct to the point. Not to mention, the breaks between the presentation sentences that made me uncomfortable at first, but which quickly allowed me to become more comfortable in conveying my message.
3. Use automation tools
After a few emails, calls, and direct messages on LinkedIn, it's easy to forget about follow-ups and yet that's the most important thing! Some businesses require more touchpoints and others require fewer touchpoints. To do this, HubSpot's automation tools allow you to automate sequences while maintaining a very important level of customization.
4. Video prospecting
A method that is rarely used in sales is video prospecting. At first glance, you may perceive sending video a bit intrusive, but on the contrary it is a much more personalized way of approaching a future customer.
It's been a while since tools like Vidyard exist and yet they are rather neglected. Video prospecting will increase the opening rate of your emails considerably, very useful when you are a service company that wants to show screen sharing at the same time.
5. Help instead of selling
Nowadays, it is no longer a question of selling your company, product or service. We are tired of receiving the same emails or the famous telephone sales pitch. Finding a solution to a problem is much more satisfying than selling for the sake of selling.
By using Dan Tyre's stuff during the 8 weeks of Bootcamp, I stopped selling the Lakhos Group, and just offered my help as a solution. By giving a brief overview of what we offer as services and by focusing the conversation on solving a problem, leaders are much more receptive.
In the end, it was a great experience where I put into practice identifying suitable prospects, connecting with potential businesses, creating a list of opportunities, and using HubSpot Sales Pro to further automate the process.
Stop selling and start helping!
