What's Holding Your Team Back from Using the HubSpot CRM?

But first — what’s holding your team back from using HubSpot? Switching to a new CRM is a big deal. There’s much to learn, and many new tools to try out — all of which can make the transition a bit overwhelming and intimidating. 

In our experience, we’ve found that the best way to start shifting that mindset is to identify any underlying causes that contribute to it, which often include one or more of the following:

• Unclear value — Team members don’t see the benefits of HubSpot CRM tools, and/or the benefits of learning how to use them. 
• Undefined expectations — Team members don’t understand how the HubSpot CRM applies to their work. 
• No HubSpot Champion — There isn’t a HubSpot CRM owner or single point of contact to create and drive proper onboarding, training, and ongoing aid. 
• Lack of training — Team members are expected to figure the HubSpot CRM out on their own. 
• Fear of change — Team members are hesitant to adapt their work style or speak up about possible errors in HubSpot CRM setup and everyday usage. 

5 HubSpot Tips and Tricks to Get Your Team Using the CRM Every Day

After you’ve identified those underlying causes that may be holding your team back from using the HubSpot CRM, it’s time to get strategic on how to fix them — it’s possible, I promise! 

If you want to get your whole team on board, excited, and engaged in the platform, try the five HubSpot tips and tricks listed below. And then, of course, bask in the amazing feeling of full-team alignment, enhanced sales productivity, and ever-increasing revenue.

Without further ado…

01. Begin With a Full-Team HubSpot Onboarding Session

Not to go all Aristotle on you, but in this case, well begun really is half done. If you give your team a good start with HubSpot, your chances of success are much higher in the long run. That’s where a HubSpot onboarding session comes in. 

An onboarding session shows your team how they can use HubSpot and why they should get excited about it. Often, companies will pull in HubSpot Certified Trainers to guide them through the onboarding process and make sure no stone is left unturned. They’ll show you the basics of getting started, demonstrate a few key tools, and answer any technical questions that pop up. 

During your HubSpot onboarding session, be sure to cover these important steps:

• Emphasize the benefits of using HubSpot. From identifying qualified leads to aligning sales and marketing teams, automating repetitive tasks, and more, make sure your team knows the value behind their learning efforts. 
• Ask team members to ask questions and provide feedback. Onboarding is a two-way street!
• Offer specific, actionable ways to get started. Give your team members somewhere to begin. 
• Assign and empower a HubSpot Champion. This is your team’s single point of contact to handle all things HubSpot-related, like scheduling training sessions and choosing new tools to learn. 
• Set major milestones. Keep your team progressing through the platform by setting goals such as sending all emails through HubSpot, logging all contacts in HubSpot, etc.

02. Encourage Your Team to Invest Just 5 Minutes Each Day in HubSpot

Once your team is more familiar with HubSpot’s CRM, they’ll start to see for themselves how it works to close more deals. The hard part is getting everyone started and forming that habit of consistent use. 

One way to facilitate forming that habit is by encouraging your team to invest just 5 minutes of their day in the software. We call this a walk/run approach. First, your team gets familiar with the CRM by doing simple, but meaningful and productive tasks (walking). Then, they start to become more comfortable working in it and incorporating new tools to make them even more effective users (running). 

Or, if your team members are looking for more training and support to supplement their learning, those 5 minutes could also be spent watching training videos from HubSpot Academy, the platform’s abundant knowledge market. 

No matter what they decide to do, dedicating just 5 minutes every day for a while can make a huge difference. 

03. Run Ongoing HubSpot Training and Support Sessions

HubSpot check-in meetings create an open, collaborative space for your team members to learn from each other on how they can better use the HubSpot CRM to improve their daily operations. 

Schedule weekly, biweekly, monthly (whatever works for you!) training/support sessions to make sure your team has time reserved to work through their questions and concerns. We usually recommend starting with weekly sessions, then scaling back to monthly sessions as your team gets more comfortable with HubSpot. 

Make sure to cover each of these topics in your session agendas:

• Questions from team members
• Challenges team members have encountered
• Discussion time to troubleshoot those challenges
• Any HubSpot tips and tricks team members have discovered and found useful

04. Launch a Friendly & Educational HubSpot Competition

Encouraging some friendly competition is a great way to keep your team excited about and engaged in the HubSpot CRM. Brainstorm a fun, but educational competition geared toward meeting certain milestones and accomplishments within the platform. 

For example, if your sales team is new to HubSpot, make a challenge for them to see who can log into and use their account most consistently. Or, you could up the stakes and see who can log the most contacts or deals within it. 

Whatever milestones you choose, make sure to ensure it’s a competition that’s not only fun, but will also help your team further their knowledge in using the CRM. As the challenge goes on, they can share any tips and tricks they’ve learned amongst themselves. 

Then, of course, award some sort of prize to the winner. Most of your team members wouldn’t say no to a free coffee or lunch. 

05. Consider Hiring a HubSpot Partner Agency

If you’re just getting started with HubSpot, you don’t have to go it alone. A HubSpot Partner Agency can help you get the most out of your investment. Hiring one might be a good option for your team if: 

• Your organization is entirely new to the HubSpot CRM or Sales Hub.
• No one on your team has the capacity needed to function as your HubSpot Champion.
• A third-party coach with a complete understanding of the platform seems like a helpful way to get your team aligned. 
• You want to get the most out of your HubSpot investment, but you’re not sure where to start. 

If you choose to work with a HubSpot Partner Agency, you’ll always have access to the help and answers you need, whenever you need them. From your initial onboarding session to ongoing HubSpot check-ins and training, your partner agency will offer the support that best suits your needs.

Want More HubSpot Tips and Trick? Connect With Us!

There are always new HubSpot tools, tips, and tricks to be learned! If you’re looking for some help navigating the robust platform, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Evenbound. We’re a HubSpotDiamond Solutions Partner with multiple HubSpot Certified Trainers and 320+ HubSpot certifications. No matter if you’re just starting out with HubSpot or you’ve been a long-time user, we’re excited to see how we can help you use the platform to grow better. And if you want more tips like this, be sure to check out our post on the HubSpot blog!