[THE LATEST] HubSpot CRM Onboarding Mistakes, Mailchimp Is Now a Marketing Automation Platform, & Critical B2B Sales KPIs to Track

Here's THE LATEST from the marketing, business, and tech world...

HubSpot CRM Onboarding Mistakes, Mailchimp Is Now a Marketing Automation Platform, & Critical B2B Sales KPIs to Track... This Is THE LATEST! This week, I have left my humble home office in Annapolis, Maryland, behind to join my fellow IMPACTers in our headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut, for the week... Lookin' good, New Haven. Lookin' good. Anyway, I want to talk about the conversation I had over lunch today with one of our new team members.  He's one of those guys who has a borderline supernatural talent for asking deceptively simple questions that force people to drop all pretense and be honest about what makes them tick. So, it didn't take long for our casual back-and-forth to turn into a deep conversation about the friction of change in a business.   More specifically, how so many of us become blind to the fact that we've outgrown our organizational processes, systems, and structures. Even when they begin to create problems, we'd rather lean into "the devil we know" instead of acknowledging the fact that it's time for a change and a break with convention.  Think about it. How many times have you asked someone why something is the way it is, and they come back with, "Well, that's the way it's always been done"? And how many times did you (or someone else) consider that an absolutely acceptable answer?  This is a dangerous way of operating, and I needed that reminder today. Sometimes you need to break things. Sometimes you need to try something new even if it's uncomfortable. Sometimes you need to be the voice in the room that says: "This no longer works for us. We can do better." 📛 Here Are the Most Common Problems Sales Teams Create for Themselves with the HubSpot CRM The HubSpot CRM has a lot to offer modern sales teams, but even in the most capable and motivated hands, things can go wrong with implementation. It's not that getting started with the HubSpot CRM is hard; the real issue is getting it right. In this article, IMPACT Director of New Business Melanie Collins outlines the five most common HubSpot CRM onboarding mistakes sales teams make and how to avoid them.  📫 Email Marketing Darling Mailchimp Is Now a Full Marketing Automation Platform for Small Businesses For many years, Mailchimp has been very popular with small businesses as an easy-to-use, affordable email marketing platform. But this past week, the company made a big announcement -- it's time to say goodbye to the one-dimensional Mailchimp of yore. Mailchimp is now a robust marketing automation solution for small businesses, and here is what you need to know about it.  📊 What KPIs Do Modern B2B Sales Reps Really Need to Track? B2B sales pros -- especially those of you who are new to the space -- may feel overwhelmed by the level of activity required to maintain sales momentum and fill your pipeline every month. Moreover, your sales manager is likely going to ask you to constantly report on how your deals are progressing throughout the month. But if you want to understand how you're performing (and where you can improve), these are the four sales KPIs you also need to be tracking.  👀 ... When You're All Ears (& Eyes)  "Google's Duplicate Content Penalty Isn't Real" & the Return of Franco Valentino (Content Lab, Ep. 30) "INBOUND Breakout Highlights, New Website Analytics Tools, & Bad Sales Cultures" (Hubcast 225) "When to Seize the Opportunity & Start a Business" (MarketHer, Ep. 52) "How to Market, Sell, & Connect with Gen Z" (Film School for Marketers, Ep. 12) 🚨 Save Your Seat If you'll be in the Connecticut area in June, now's the chance to save your seat at a HUG. Want to learn from HubSpot's "Pick Your Own Adventure" lead nurturing strategy? On June 11 in Hartford, our very own HubSpot ninja, Carina Duffy, will give you the scoop and spill all of the HubSpot secrets. Then, on June 25, the New Haven HUG will be hosting totally live website throwdowns. If you've never been to one of our famous website throwdowns, you are in for a treat! Our panel of experts will be critiquing websites from our audience, offering valuable tips and tricks to improve your site right away. Register now for this popular event -- and, if you dare, throw your hat into the ring! ⏰ Throwback Thursday IMPACT Live '19 is quickly approaching, and I'm really excited about all of the new and innovative topics we'll be covering in our agenda.  However, Marcus Sheridan's talk from IMPACT Live '17 reminds me that while a lot has changed in the world of inbound, there are certain principles of what it takes to be successful with inbound that haven't:  🗞️ What I'm Reading Without preamble or context, here what's inspiring me this week from around the web: Laura Belgray of Talking Shrimp (one of my professional idols) talks about bridging the divide between her blog and her email newsletter. She gives great tips on getting over writer's block and how to differentiate your newsletter. Plus, she's really funny. Poynter highlights how journalists and modern newsrooms are trying to reach younger audiences through Instagram. It's not just about growing their audience; it's about understanding who this new generation really is and what they care about. Digiday highlights how digital publishers are combating those who circumvent their paywalls with blockers or incognito browser windows. For those trying to monetize their content, this is a fascinating read. Later, nerds!  Liz Murphy Director, Web & Interactive Content @naptownpint I'm not interested at this time Sent by IMPACT, 470 James Street, Suite 10, New Haven, CT