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The Ultimate Guide to HubSpot Customer Relationship Management

The Ultimate Guide to HubSpot Customer Relationship Management
Ultimate Guide to HubSpot Customer Relationship Management
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Why revisit your CRM Strategy?

Just like the world has moved on from monolithic ERPs to decentralised technology supporting standardised processes, it's time to rethink how best to use CRM technology.

Why? B2B companies that use CRM systems effectively can increase sales by up to 29%, improve sales productivity by 34%, and boost forecast accuracy by 42% (source: Nucleus Research).

Aligning your sales, marketing and customer service operations on a single platform with powerful workflow automation delivers insights into customer behaviour with streamlined operations.

Given the trend to drive innovation closer to the customer, resulting in decentralised autonomous decision-making, how should the CRM strategy support the business at scale?

You'll need a CRM built for that rather than a cobbled solution, so let's discuss why HubSpot is the best choice.

 

 

 

Why HubSpot CRM Matters

Your ability to deliver a great Customer eXperience (CX) is the sum total of every element of the company spanning front, mid and back office operations.

As one of the five key differentiators of premium suppliers, investing in a great CX has a huge ROI, and one of the foundations of a CX strategy is the CRM.

According to Gartner, great customer service experiences increase the chances of repurchases and renewals by a staggering 82%.

Automating the quote-to-cash process, automating workflows, and capturing actionable insights on one platform is where HubSpot Customer Relationship Management (CRM) comes in.

Whether you’re integrating a new acquisition, tackling technical debt, streamlining a division, or standardising a scalable tech stack, HubSpot Smart CRM helps you stay one step ahead.

 

 
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What is HubSpot CRM?

At its core, HubSpot CRM is a single cloud-based platform Customer Relationship Management technology where Customer Service, Sales and Marketing perform their tasks to deliver a seamless CX integrated to mission critical delivery systems like Field Service and Warehouse Management.

 

 

The 5 Key Hubs in HubSpot CRM

 

1. Marketing Hub

Attract the Right Audience- Target Territories/ Accounts

This hub lets you create targeted content, schedule social posts, build email campaigns, build out full ABM campaigns to your target accounts and track results all in one place. Think of it as your marketing Swiss Army knife.

2. Sales Hub

Convert Leads- Organic Sales Growth

Single prospecting workspace, playbooks, pipelines, sequences, workflows, automation and embedded prospecting AI are all included and user-friendly. Sales Hub is one of the best sales software options to help you grow your business. Sales Hub helps sales teams close more deals with less effort. Keeps Sales informed of UpSell and Cross Sell in real time.

3. Service Hub

Keep Customers Happy- >93% CSAT

Service Hub offers many customer support tools, such as the customer self-service portal, automated ticketing, and an integrated customer-specific knowledge base, that let you assist your clients efficiently before problems escalate. Leverage the smart workflows to elevate your customer experience.

4. CMS Hub

Integrated Insights- Site and Shop

Create and manage a website and eCommerce store without needing a dev team! CMS Hub includes SEO tools, A/B testing, and dynamic content options. Update content on your site in minutes! The eCommerce B2B Webshop by CommercePro delivers integrated ordering, including for sophisticated service catalogues. 

5. Operations Hub

Keep Everything Automatically Synced

Automate quote to cash, workflow automations and integrate systems like Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, and Oracle. This hub ensures everything works together like a well-oiled machine.

 

HubSpot Hubs

 

Key Features That Set HubSpot CRM Apart

 

Single Unified Platform

HubSpot was built from the ground up as one single codebase it’s not stitched together from acquisitions. This architecture removes up to 90% of IT overhead and specialist support usually required to implement and maintain a CRM.

  • Seamless experience across Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Ops.
  • Faster onboarding times and lower total cost of ownership.

Sales Reps Actually Want to Use It

Unlike clunky alternatives (looking at you, Salesforce), HubSpot is beloved by sales reps for its clean design and user-first workflows. It's user friendly interface makes it the most popular choice for B2B salespeople.

  • +81 Net Promoter Score among sales users.
  • Average adoption time is 50% faster compared to traditional CRMs.
  • Designed for minimal clicks and zero confusion - so reps can spend more time selling, less time updating fields.

Contact & Lead Management

Centralised timeline shows every email, call, note, and form submission in one place.

  • Automatically enriches contact records with public data (industry, company size, social profiles).
  • Use smart lists and custom filters to prioritise high-intent leads.

Email Tracking & Automation

Know the second a lead opens your email or clicks a link.

  • Real-time desktop notifications.
  • Set up sequences that automate follow-ups, save templates, and personalise at scale.
  • Boost open rates by up to 30% with time-optimised sends.

Automation & Workflows

HubSpot’s visual workflow builder makes it easy to set up powerful automation without a developer.

  • Automate follow-up emails, lead scoring, task assignments, and more.
  • Reduce manual data entry by up to 80%, freeing reps to focus on revenue-generating tasks.

HubSpot stands out with its cutting-edge workflow automation tools, setting a new standard in CRM solutions. These tools empower businesses to enhance sales, marketing, and customer service efficiency seamlessly. Automated workflows are initiated when specific triggers or criteria are met.

For instance: A Marketing Manager can set a trigger to alert the sales manager for a follow-up when a prospect downloads a white-paper or engages with a link in an outbound marketing email. The Sales Manager then crafts a workflow tailored to the lead’s attributes - such as size, industry, etc and their interest in a particular product or service - and assigns it to a representative with expertise in that area.

The brilliance of HubSpot’s Breeze AI lies in its ability to set most of these actions and triggers through intuitive prompts. It can also be programmed to send reminder emails, or automatically generate a contact record and follow-up email for an event attendee.

By experimenting with automations, sales and marketing teams can fine-tune their strategies, identifying the optimal timing for engaging leads at different stages of the sales funnel, thereby significantly boosting the chances of closing a sale.

Visibility of Customer and Prospect Activity

HubSpot meticulously records every customer interaction across all stages, providing marketers and sales teams with insights into the most effective channels. This allows sales teams to identify the advertising strategies and landing pages that successfully convert prospects into inquiries or sign-ups.

 

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Custom Dashboards & Reporting

Create dashboards that align directly with your goals - whether that’s sales velocity, pipeline leakage, or customer retention.

  • Drag-and-drop report builder with filters, goals, and forecasting.
  • Advanced reports available on paid plans (like cohort analysis and deal attribution).

The ability to craft tailored sales dashboards that showcase both individual and team performance metrics, such as win rates and average deal size is invaluable to sales teams.

Marketing dashboards provide a comprehensive view of engagement and conversion rates, both overall and by campaign. With a user-friendly drag-and-drop feature, updating dashboard elements is seamless.

HubSpot’s visually appealing and highly functional dashboards truly set themselves apart in the industry.

Shared Dashboards

A standout feature is the capability for teams to share and comment on dashboards, fostering valuable collaboration opportunities.

For instance, sales representatives can instantly share customer insights with marketing colleagues by tagging them in comments. This immediate notification allows for a quick review of what contributed to a sale or why a marketing campaign may have faltered.

Marketers can then leverage these insights to craft more targeted messages, effectively addressing customer pain points and enhancing campaign performance.

Sales Pipelines

Visual deal boards make it easy to manage your pipeline with a simple drag-and-drop UI.

  • Create multiple pipelines for different teams, regions, or product lines.
  • Add deal automation rules (e.g. auto-create tasks when a deal moves to "Proposal Sent").

Customisation

HubSpot CRM offers an unparalleled level of customisation, allowing you to meticulously tailor contact properties, deal stages, and various other CRM elements to perfectly align with the unique needs and processes of your business.

This flexibility ensures that your CRM system is not just a generic tool but a bespoke solution that reflects the intricacies of your operations. By customising these elements, you can create a CRM environment that supports your specific workflows, enhances team productivity, and ultimately drives better business outcomes.

Whether you need to adjust fields to capture industry-specific data or modify deal stages to match your sales cycle, HubSpot CRM provides the tools to make these adjustments effortlessly.

Customer Segmentation and Personalisation

HubSpot’s advanced customer segmentation tools are truly impressive. They empower you to segment markets using key attributes such as demographics, psychographics and past interactions, including event participation.

HubSpot distinguishes itself with the ability to create both static and active lists.

Static lists capture individuals or companies meeting specific segmentation criteria, while active lists dynamically adjust, adding or removing entities based on their current status.

This capability is invaluable for both B2B enterprises. For instance, a B2B company with a complex sales process can develop distinct segments based on company type and sales funnel stage, such as “visited the pricing page,”  or “expressed an interest in a demo.”

Your team can leverage HubSpot’s Breeze AI to craft personalised emails for each segment. Following the email dispatch, a follow-up calling list can be generated for the sales team to effectively re-engage past clients or cold leads.hubspot-crm (3)

Integrations Galore

HubSpot connects with over 1,000 apps - most with no-code setup.

  • Popular integrations: Gmail, Outlook, Salesforce, Shopify, Slack, Zoom, QuickBooks, and Stripe.
  • Use HubSpot's Operations Hub to sync data across platforms in real-time.

HubSpot’s CRM features can help foster greater understanding and cooperation between the marketing and sales teams. Here are some features we particularly liked:  

HubSpot Academy

From swift, hands-on courses to in-depth certifications, gain mastery over the most in-demand business skills. HubSpot Academy is 100% free online training with unlimited access to hundreds of topics for sales, marketing and customer service professionals.

 

Why HubSpot CRM Is a Game Changer for B2B Businesses

B2B companies thrive on strong, data-driven relationships. HubSpot CRM provides that data in a clean, actionable way.

  • Transparency: Everyone in your team has access to the same up-to-date info.

  • Efficiency: Automate tasks and spend more time closing deals.

  • Productivity: AI enhances your workflows by providing intelligent support and streamlining tasks.

  • Scalability: Scale with your needs.

  • Support: HubSpot Academy and a huge user community are there when you get stuck.

 

Best in class Sales, Service and Marketing Automation Software

 

Effortless Omnichannel Marketing Campaigns

HubSpot empowers sales and marketing teams with robust omnichannel communication capabilities, enabling seamless interaction and marketing to customers through phone, text message, live chat, social media, and email. Here are some standout features of HubSpot’s omnichannel prowess that truly impress

Email Marketing

HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite of email marketing tools that surpasses many competing CRMs. With drag-and-drop design capabilities, you can craft emails and later optimise them based on campaign results. HubSpot provides a variety of goal-oriented email templates - many available for free - with customisable layouts, branding, and calls to action. You can easily integrate database information into marketing emails for personalisation or create your own templates with HubSpot’s AI, and conduct A/B tests to identify the most effective designs.

Telemarketing and Telesales Tools

Telemarketing and telesales remain a vital part of many companies growth strategies, HubSpot supports this with voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) functionality, allowing you to use your own carrier if preferred.

You can manage outbound campaigns using the Campaigns tool, set objectives, track performance by representative, and measure return on investment.

Additionally, HubSpot’s AI assistant can transcribe and analyse conversations, integrating them into customer records. Agents can make calls directly from the HubSpot browser with a single click or utilise one of the many teleconferencing integrations.

Text and Messaging Integrations

While HubSpot offers limited short message service integration through its Twilio partner, it supports over 40 apps to enhance this functionality.

You can also integrate to send and receive messages via private messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram, as well as manage direct messages on social media platforms.

 

Guide to generating more B2B leads
 
 
 
 

Common Use Cases for HubSpot CRM

Technology Companies

Track product signups, nurture leads and reduce churn with behaviour-based automation.

Premium Manufacturing

Monitor the entire buyer journey - from lead to long-term client - and deliver great CX with Self Service and automated quote to cash. Integrate with ERPs and Field Service..

Testing, Inspection & Certification

Develop divisional-based target account selling to increase organic sales and deliver CSAT improvements driven by a single unified automated platform.

Profession Services Firms

Preserve billable utilisation by targeting ready-to-buy clients, reducing the drain on subject matter experts.

 

How to get started with HubSpot

 

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HubSpot CRM Project Implementation

At the outset, we plan to set the foundation for a successful HubSpot CRM implementation project.

Key components include:​

  • Requirements Definition: Document the business requirements, including measures of success, processes, workflows, data migration, integrations, reports and dashboards.  Include target systems architecture and test scripts.
  • Stakeholder Communication Plan: Establishes clear communication channels and protocols to ensure all stakeholders are informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle.

  • Delivery Methodology: Outlines the approach and processes that will be followed to deliver the project effectively.

  • Assumptions, Risks, and Dependency Log: Identifies potential challenges and dependencies, allowing for proactive risk management.

  • Project Schedule and Task List: Provides a detailed timeline and breakdown of tasks to keep the project on track.

  • Defined Deliverables and Phases: Clearly specify what will be delivered at each phase, ensuring transparency and accountability.

  • Change Request Process: Establishes a formal process for handling changes, maintaining control over scope and resources.

  • Solution Architecture: Designs the technical framework to support the project's objectives.

  • Systems Integration Plan: Ensures seamless integration with existing systems and processes.

  • Project Management Delivery: Applies best practices in project management to oversee execution and delivery.

  • Payment Terms: Defines financial arrangements to ensure mutual understanding and agreement.

  • Acceptance and Testing Criteria: Sets the standards for deliverable acceptance, ensuring quality and satisfaction.

HubSpot Partner Content_Hub_AI_images

We can help with all of these tasks with our done-for-you implementation service.

 
 
 
 

Tips for Maximising HubSpot CRM

  • Use Custom Properties to collect industry-specific data

  • Create Lead Scoring rules to prioritise high-intent prospects

  • Set Up Alerts for important actions like opened emails or visited pricing pages

  • Run Weekly Reports to monitor progress and make quick adjustments

 
 

How to use HubSpot CRM and ensure Quick Wins 

 

Set up meeting scheduler

Leverage the meeting scheduling feature to empower leads and customers to effortlessly book appointments with your sales team. This innovation streamlines the scheduling process, enhancing convenience and efficiency. Use this link for a step by step guide to setting up HubSpot meeting scheduler.

Monitor email open and click rates

Monitor email open and click rates meticulously. Leverage this data to engage with interested leads and customise your email content to align with your audience's preferences.

Customise your contact properties

Customise your contact properties to capture the data that is crucial for your business. Develop bespoke properties to track distinctive information about your contacts.

Utilise lead nurturing workflows

Develop automated email workflows to strategically guide leads through the sales funnel. Provide timely, relevant content to effectively advance leads towards conversion. Take this HubSpot Academy course and learn how to set up your own lead nurturing workflow in just minutes!

Integrate email marketing

Integrate your email marketing platform with HubSpot CRM to create a seamless and efficient email marketing experience. This integration empowers you to send personalised emails and monitor engagement directly within the CRM, enhancing your marketing strategy with precision and ease.

Automate lead scoring

Integrate your email marketing platform with HubSpot CRM to create a unified and efficient email marketing experience. This integration empowers you to deliver personalised emails and monitor engagement directly within the CRM, enhancing your marketing strategy with precision and ease.

Use Sales Playbooks

Utilise sales playbooks to strategically guide your sales team in their engagements with leads and customers. Equip them with comprehensive scripts, templates, and industry best practices to enhance the effectiveness of their sales dialogues.

 
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Pros and Cons of HubSpot CRM

 

hubspot-crmPros

  • Free version is feature-rich

  • Intuitive UI

  • Seamless integrations

  • Strong automation tools

  • Extensive educational resources

Cons

  • Advanced features can get pricey

  • May have a learning curve for some users

 
 

How HubSpot Compares to Other CRMs

 

Feature HubSpot CRM Salesforce Zoho CRM
Free Tier Yes No Yes
Ease of Use High Medium Medium
Integration 1000+ 3000+ 500+
Automation Strong Enterprise-level Good
Support HubSpot Academy Trailhead Zoho Academy

  

HubSpot CRM is an innovative and robust solution designed to revolutionise your approach to managing customer relationships while optimising your sales, marketing and customer service operations.

With a comprehensive suite of features and functionalities, HubSpot CRM empowers you to excel in today's competitive business landscape. Don't just take our word for it - explore some of the accolades HubSpot has achieved in the awards and review section below.

 

 

Independent Reviews and Industry Awards HubSpot winners

 

 

New HubSpot Smart CRM Pricing

While HubSpot remains committed to offering you access to their smart CRM for free, for the first time, HubSpot Smart CRM is now available as a stand alone product which you can buy as Smart CRM Professional or Smart CRM Enterprise edition.

 

Smart CRM Color Logo - OneLine

If you're not ready to purchase a HubSpot Hub, you can now access the full features of HubSpot Smart CRM in Pro or Enterprise editions. Full feature list is detailed below. (Note: Smart CRM will still be included for free with any Hub purchase, just like it's always been)

 

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Customers demand CRMs that not only automate but also unify, cleanse and enrich data. These systems must serve as comprehensive solutions for managing customer relationships, connecting diverse teams and centralising essential systems and tools. With HubSpot Smart CRM, you can do all of this and more.

Discover how HubSpot's Breeze Copilot can make a difference for your business with quick and easy data enrichment, insights from buyer intent data and much more.

Contact us for a demo and pricing options.

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Stand out HubSpot Features you won't find in other products

 

HubSpot’s AI automation, summarisation and content generation capabilities are at the forefront of innovation.

Breeze AI facilitates seamless automatic conversations, enhances sales interactions and provides comprehensive data summaries.

It empowers users to build templates, generate compelling copy and customise message tones, while efficiently fetching and visualising CRM data.

By aggregating information from across the web, it enriches contact and company profiles, simplifying lead generation and communication strategies for sales and marketing managers.

This streamlined access to information fosters robust cross-team collaboration and significantly enhances productivity.

HubSpot is the leading CRM for seamless integration of sales and marketing and it extends its capabilities with Help Desk and Customer Portals, establishing itself as the ultimate customer platform.

 

Is HubSpot CRM Worth It?

hunters case studyIn one word? Absolutely. HubSpot CRM is more than just a tool - it's a partner in your business growth.

It’s built to make your life easier, your team more efficient and your customers happier!

Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to overhaul an outdated system, HubSpot CRM provides the flexibility, power, and support to make it happen.

Read the Hunter CASE STUDY here

 

 


 

 

 

Stop Losing B2B Deals to Clunky Processes!

 

BBA awardsIf manual tasks bog down your sales and service teams, you're not just wasting time - you're leaving revenue on the table.

Your buyers expect fast, personalised experiences. We help you deliver exactly that.

At Big Business Agency, we build done-for-you HubSpot automations and workflows that turn chaotic pipelines into streamlined sales machines and transform reactive service into proactive retention.

Imagine a sales engine that runs itself and a service team that scales without burning out! Let’s build that reality together.

Book your free discovery call now and start closing more, faster with less effort.

 

 

FAQs

 

Many traditional CRMs promise more than they deliver, leaving companies struggling to maintain effective customer relationships. But it doesn't have to be this way. Transition to a smart CRM with HubSpot and experience a solution that truly supports your business needs.

To find out more, book a meeting with us today.

 


 

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Maximising SEO with Content Hub

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Business.com HubSpot CRM review and pricing

G2 HubSpot reviews

 

 

 

 

https://academy.hubspot.com/lessons/setting-up-your-crm

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