[THE LATEST] THE LATEST turns 2, the 10 best SaaS marketing tools and platforms, everything you need to know about HubSpot workflows, and how They Ask, You Answer can fail even with all the right pieces

Here's THE LATEST digital sales and marketing news, so you can do your jobs better and make smarter decisions faster.

THE LATEST is 2 years old, the 10 best SaaS marketing tools and platforms, everything you need to know about HubSpot workflows, and how They Ask, You Answer can fail even with all the right pieces ...this is THE LATEST! 🎉 Hot off the presses Open your toolbox: Here are the 10 absolute must-have SaaS marketing tools and platforms Bookmark this (seriously): The complete guide to creating out-of-this-world HubSpot workflows This issue's must-read: 4 ways They Ask, You Answer can still fail (even if you think you've got it right) Save the date: Our newly announced Inbound Content Bootcamp is on October 12 🎉 Tickets for HubSpot Training Day are now $99. But, if you use my code LIZHASFRIENDS you'll get yours for $49! Whether you're a digital marketer, content manager, sales pro, or business leader, there's something for you at HubSpot Training Day ...even if you don't use HubSpot! I'm back home from vacation and, holy cannoli, do I have something crazy to show y'all: "Uh, what the heck is that, Liz?" Well, that uninspired piece of introductory fluff right there is how I opened my very first edition of THE LATEST with me as the author back in 2018 — a milestone I thought would be fun to share today considering this little email newsletter just turned two years old.  It's funny, I never wanted to be a part of this. Before THE LATEST, I was happiest hiding under my headphones, cranking up my beloved Pitbull and swearing it was something inspiring like Paganini (although, to be fair, I can also get down with some Paganini), and writing blog articles and content pillars.  Creating content was safe. I could edit everything until it was *chef's kiss* perfect. Email newsletters, on the other hand, which go out to tens of thousands of people that I couldn't take back or revise later? Hard pass. I would have rather managed an IRS audit for a drunk hedgehog who moonlights as a private detective, with only a shoebox filled with 896 crumpled receipts from 1972 to 2003 to work off of.  So, two years ago, when Kathleen Booth (our then-VP of marketing) asked me if I'd like to try my hand at writing for THE LATEST, I laughed and said "no" without hesitation.  To which she replied: "Oh, let me rephrase that. You are going to try your hand at writing THE LATEST. You don't actually have a choice." It took me awhile to open up and stop playing it so safe. Of course, now some might say I take the human approach to email newsletter-writing a little too far. But I stand by the memories we've shared together, both ridiculous and hyper-personal: That time I considered carrier pigeons as a delivery method when HubSpot went down, and I couldn't send THE LATEST. Or when I thought about starting up a side hustle of condolence cards for digital marketers.  I've also shared my undying love affair with train travel... ...as well as the inside of my bathroom. Oh, and my awkward obsession with antiquated etiquette books. I even educated you about the weird fact that, if you were to listen to "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers aboard the International Space Station, traveling at its average speed of 7.66 km/s, you would travel almost exactly 1,000 miles (like the guy in the song) by the time the song finished. Then, after more than a year of references to my seemingly perfect life and husband, I shared I was getting a divorce, leaving my new house, and moving to Connecticut from Maryland. Of course, once the pandemic hit a mere 10 days after I started my new life up here, I opened up about how shell-shocked and defeated I felt — as we all did... and, in many ways, still do sometimes.  With THE LATEST, we sought to create something magical for all of you out there — a newsletter so valuable that you could do your jobs better, grow in your careers, and make smarter decisions faster.  Over the past two years, however, I've learned what an unexpected gift this newsletter has also been for me, for utterly selfish reasons. I've found a confidence and a voice here that I didn't know I possessed. And during periods where I've felt tremendous loneliness or fear in the face of life-altering experiences and decisions, your replies and personal stories were bright sparks that pushed me to take risks. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.  🎉 "There are thousands of SaaS marketing tools and platforms... which are the best?" (7-minute read) Now, if you've been keeping track, the MarTech landscape has increased to around 8,000 solutions. In other words, it may take you a little while to filter out the noise and find the best of the best tools. And to make it more complicated, some tools are incredibly niche and some are largely encompassing. So, finding the ideal tools for your business may take some fine-tuning. Thankfully, IMPACT Director of Digital Product Morgan VanDerLeest is a glutton for punishment — and he sifted through all of that crazy to bring you his hand-curated list of the 10 best SaaS marketing tools and platforms. 🎉 You asked, we answered  How do you use Trello to manage your content strategy production? What are the best video conferencing tools to make the most of our meetings? 🎉 "What do we need to know to maximize our use of HubSpot workflows? Can it be used for more than email nurturing?" (14-minute read) If you're a HubSpot user, marketing automation is synonymous with HubSpot workflows. Many HubSpot users assume workflows are primarily used for email lead nurturing and while this is absolutely true, workflows are really the "Swiss army knife" of the HubSpot tool kit — they can be used in multiple applications and have (almost) endless possibilities. Lucky for you, IMPACT HubSpot trainer Jess Palmeri is here to save the day with this ridiculously comprehensive, examples-packed guide to absolutely everything you need to know about HubSpot workflows. 🎉 You asked, we answered How do we make the most out of our investment in HubSpot Marketing Hub? IMPACT+ course: Marketing automation mastery with HubSpot workflows 🎉 "How can companies fail with They Ask, You Answer when they believe in the principles and hire the right people for their team? How does it still go wrong?" (10-minute read) In what's become one of the most iconic movie scenes of all time, after 15 rounds in the ring with Apollo Creed and numerous broken bones — Rocky loses! It just goes to show that sometimes you can put your heart and soul into something, do everything you were supposed to and it still doesn't work out. The same holds true for companies implementing a They Ask, You Answer approach to their digital sales and marketing. They read the book or see Marcus speak, they catch the vision, they hire the right people... and then it still doesn't work for them. Why? Well, in this candid, actionable analysis from IMPACT Digital Sales and Marketing Coach Chris Marr, get the inside scoop on the four reasons why They Ask, You Answer can still fail with the best of intentions. 🎉 You asked, we answered What is They Ask, You Answer? What is a revenue team, and why do we need one? 🎉 Go back to school with IMPACT+ Our new revamped business tools are live! This update brings not only a fresh design, it also includes new functionality. If you go to the left hand side of your IMPACT+ dashboard, you will see Priorities and Strategic Plan which is where all the new tools live, including: You can now create a planning period. You can also assign team members priorities and assignments from our Playbooks. We've also updated the Scorecard interface and functionality.  Yes, you need an IMPACT+ account to access these, but you won't regret it. 🎉 Hot topics in Elite IMPACT Elite is our exclusive Facebook group for the brightest minds in digital sales and marketing. Here's the latest discussion that caught my eye: Suzanne is looking for guidance on setting leaderships expectations for marketing ROI. How would you go about it? 🎉 In case you missed it...  A few of my hand-selected, personal favorites from the IMPACT archives...  15 re-engagement email examples you'll want to steal Virtual selling: 6 essential video sales call tools and tech you need 5 benefits of hosting an online community in the age of social distancing 🎉 Weeklong nonsense With everything going on in the world, you now get nonsense in every single issue of THE LATEST... Ha. Later, squares! Liz "Terrible Twos" Moorehead Editorial Director @naptownpint Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe Sent with 💙 by IMPACT  470 James Street, Suite 10, New Haven, CT