Year-End Shout Outs, Part 1
I don't do affiliate marketing. It's fine for others but, knowing myself as I do, I prefer to make recommendations based on nothing but genuine love for a product. Being motivated by pay or reward makes me feel less authentic. And I can't move past this question: If I like your products/services enough to endorse them, why should you have to pay me for that? So, for me, no paid endorsements and no affiliate marketing.
When I do decide to endorse a product or recommend a service, I go "all in." If I don't like a product, except in extreme situations, I don't mention it at all. That's why you won't see many negative book reviews from me even though I read voraciously. It doesn't seem worth the time and effort, and I was taught "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Positive reviews are another matter. When I really like something, I want to shout it from the rooftops. That's why I'm writing 5 posts to end the year on a high note and publicly recognize companies, resources and people who helped make 2017 a great year for me and People First Productivity Solutions.
This first shout out goes to game changers protocol 80, inc. (P80) and HubSpot. When I made the move to an inbound agency, I knew there would be a huge learning curve. I'd dabbled with HubSpot's free CRM and liked it quite a bit. But I had no idea how much more potential there was. In just a couple of months and a few meetings with the awesome team at p80, we've managed to:
- Set up buyer personas and create content pathways to attract buyers, magnify their interest, and establish strong connections. What we offer today is light years ahead of what we were offering 18 months ago.
- Track prospects' activity and engage them at critical points to make more sales.
- Create templates and sequences that significantly reduce my time spent on follow-ups. I'm not where I want to be yet (old habits die hard!), but I'm vastly improved when it comes to keeping up with leads and new business development.
- Redesign our website and make it much easier for viewers to navigate to desired content and information.
- Optimize blog posts and website content that has dramatically improved our search results and volume of inbound inquiries.
What's more, this powerful combination of a strong tool in capable hands enabled us to set up stronger calls to action, to create smart pop-ups, and to get blogs and social media performing like never before. My list has expanded rapidly and improved in quality, not just quantity. Email open rates, content download counts, click-through rates, new business acquistion, feedback, and every other success metric affirms just how well we are doing.
An unexpected bonus -- the relationships and learning I've experienced by becoming a HubSpot user. I've progressed from casual user of the free CRM to paid CRM and now to using the Sales Pro version of HubSpot. It rocks. Not only that, but I've participated in Inbound Sales Day and Inbound17 as a speaker and met a lot of sales professionals through these events (plus meeting a few new clients, too!). I've become a member of the HubSpot community and had a blast with the "Ask Me Anything" series I did in September (over 7300 views and counting!). I guest blog for HubSpot and follow their blogs, even citing their insightful research in my upcoming book.
P80 has helped integrate most of the tools and tracking I use into HubSpot for me. As a regular presenter on my personal BrightTALK channel, having my new subscribers there automatically uploading into HubSpot is a huge time saver. Getting Gmail and apps that go with it (like my favorite, CrystalKnows) to play nice with HubSpot was seamless. Incorporating our quiz builder and eLearning creation tools and other business essentials has also been easy.
At least I think it's been easy! That's where P80 really shines. As HubSpot partners, they make everything easy for me. They ask great questions to understand what I want to accomplish and then they just make it happen. Like magic. They hit the nail on the head because they know their stuff and because they took time, at the onset, to get to know me and my business and my ideal buyers.
This is what partnerships are meant to look like. I'm learning every day from the folks at P80 and HubSpot. I can't say enough about how much they've helped me reach and exceed my goals. Most importantly, they keep introducing new ways I can stretch my goals and think bigger. That's why I wanted to give a huge shout out to both companies and to the people who have helped me including Irina Nica, Aja Frost, Roisin Kirby, Christian Kinnear, Dan Tyre, and Michael Pici from HubSpot and Josh Curcio, Ashley Wilson-Rew, Renee Witko, Josh Hatcher, Adam Vosler, Kelsey Boudin, Donny Kemick, and Holly McCully from protocol 80, Inc.
Having said all that, let me add two things.
First, everything I've said is actually under-representative of the full power of HubSpot and P80. That's because I've been unable to dedicate as much time as I'd like to more fully utilizing the products and services they offer. Writing a new book... making a cross-country move... fulfilling all the new business generated from these partnerships... and an extremely challenging series of events in my personal life added up to not being able to realize the full potential of HubSpot and P80. Look out in the new year when I can do even more!
Second, in case it's not obvious yet, I wholeheartedly endorse these two companies. If you're looking for more sales, easier streamlining of sales activities, and partners who genuinely work to help you meet your business goals, you've found them in P80 and HubSpot. I don't make endorsements lightly, and I don't have any hidden agenda here. Check them out and strap in for a wild ride to success!
I'll be posting four more shout outs over the next 4 days to end this year with gratitude and recognition. Who were the partners that helped you make 2017 a success? Year-End Shout Outs, Part 1
Real Estate Financing
6yHubSpot is the best! I have no problem endorsing them. There tools rock!
Fence Consultant@Fenceful.com
7y"if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."
Author: Think Better and The Accidental Salesperson (Never Be Closing)
7yEver amazing, Deb Calvert.
Member Services Assistant Costco Leeds 👍🏻
7yMy Son for one who bought me a webcam so I can now do my own Shout Outs on You Tube which has provided lots of laughs, also Costco Members who said nice things about my service enabling me to be selected as employee of the Month 2 years running. There are far too many people like yourself Deb to mention, who, although I am now retired from sales have provided excellent webinars, podcasts, blogs etc that I have enjoyed enormously. Many thanks to you all and I wish you a 2018 that goes well beyond your expectations.
LinkedIn Top Voice | Top 50 Keynote Speakers in #Sales | Helps Re-humanize the sales process to increase win rates and CX: Author of Heart and Sell | #BeMoreSellMore
7yDefinitely, support from many of the Women's Sales Pros like Jill Konrath and Lori Richardson. Also, Mark Hunter, Eric Chester, Jim Hopkins and Mario M. Martinez Jr.!!!