HubSpot reveals what buyers really want from salespeople

HubSpot’s latest report, Asia Pacific Buyers Have Spoken: Sales Needs to Evolve, reveals what buyers really want out of the sales experience, from discussion topics for the first call to the appropriate time to meet sales.

According to the research, it is not so much that sales is getting harder as much as traditional sales tactics are losing their efficacy. The problem is that sales tactics today do not match up with buyer expectations. If salespeople can cater to what buyers want, the conversions will happen, HubSpot says.

The research provides insights from consumers in Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia like:

· More than half (57%) of salespeople agree that buyers are less dependent on sales during the buying process. During the awareness stage, buyers rely on search, vendor websites, and newsletters/emails as their top channels to find information. They opt to connect with a sales representative point when they are ready to buy.

- One-third of buyers in the Asia Pacific region (APAC) seek out product demonstrations early on in the buyer’s journey. This is contrary to the prevalent belief that product demos are a final closing action. One solution is a prerecorded video demo that is clearly visible on a vendor’s website, which can double up as a useful prospecting and qualifying tool for companies that have products that require demonstrations.

- Almost half (47%) of buyers find information from marketers trustworthy but just over a third (36%) of buyers trust information from sales. However, buyers are likely still missing crucial information that is not really available online, information that only a salesperson can provide. It is important to know how long an integration/installation will take, how long it typically takes to see results, or even if the product is a proper fit for an organisation. While buyers are ready to talk pricing, salespeople should also raise such considerations by asking buyers open-ended questions.

Interested?

Read more about the research

posted from Bloggeroid

HubSpot shares inbound marketing secrets

Source: HubSpot presentation. The more content there is, the more lead generation there is.

The old playbook for attracting customers is broken, proclaims Ryan Bonnici, Director of Marketing - Asia Pacific & Japan, HubSpot. Speaking at the opening of the HubSpot Singapore office, which is also the Asia Pacific headquarters for the company, Bonnici explained why inbound marketing works better than outbound marketing.

In the past, marketing consisted of advertisers bombarding customers with ads and pamphlets. Customers have more control. In a world filled with ad blockers, Netflix and lookalikes which come without ads, plus the ability to compare prices across different shops, they are not opening direct mail, unsubscribing from email alerts, and opting out of telemarketing, Bonnici said. The truth is that 83% of consumers skip TV ads, 91% unsubscribe from email, 20% of direct mail is never opened, and 48% have placed themselves on 'do not call' lists, out of reach of telemarketers, he said.

Source: HubSpot presentation. Proving ROI in marketing is difficult.

Bonnici added that marketers are just alienating customers with many of the digital marketing tools at their disposal, which include interruptive popup ads, and videos that "play really large".

The new way of marketing has to do with attracting attention by doing something that people want, and the answer has to do with quality content: a blog for example, plus photos, videos, and infographics to adds colour to the blog and makes it shareable, Bonnici said, pointing out that HubSpot's website attracts 6 million readers. At the advanced stage, e-books, presentations, and other digital content can be offered.

There are other ways to offer what people want, Bonnici added, introducing the website.grader.com website, which harvests website links and email addresses before evaluating a website on what it needs to improve on.

"It's a good example of a free B2B tool (that) generates interest," he said. "Convert leads with interactive content, then close customers with automation."

Other creative examples are websites which sell property, and which can intelligently suggest properties in the same location and price range as the one which is being viewed; and the L'Oréal Makeup Genius app, billed as a virtual makeup tester.

"The more content you create online, the more customer leads you generate," he said.

As proofpoints, Bonnici introduced Tradegecko, an inventory management software provider, which used HubSpot and benefited from over 100% growth in organic leads and web conversions since using the platform. The company also gained operational efficiencies with marketing from the ease-of-use.

Happy Marketer, an Internet marketing specialist and another HubSpot customer, built their own lead generation system on the inbound boosted client model. They boosted client Fastacash’s 
 qualified leads by 1,040% 
 in one month, and also increased NTU’s EMBA 
programme leads by 247%.

"There is now no better time to thinking how you can create content," Bonnici concluded.

Interested?

Download the L'Oréal Makeup Genius app

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about HubSpot's office opening in Singapore

Hashtag: #HubSpotHousewarmingSingapore

posted from Bloggeroid

Hubspot's cool new Millennial-ready Asia Pacific HQ in Singapore

Source: HubSpot. The company held a lion dance as part of the official opening ceremony. Mahtani, left, posts with Sherman, right.

HubSpot has officially opened the doors of its Singapore office and announced it will hire 150 more Singapore-based employees over the next three years. HubSpot Singapore currently has 30 employees.

The Singapore office — affectionately known as SingSpot — joins Sydney, Australia as the second HubSpot office in Asia Pacific and will act as the company’s regional headquarters. HubSpot first came to Asia Pacific in 2014 in an effort to extend HubSpot’s global reach and make an impact with the many midmarket companies and data-driven marketing and sales professionals in the region looking for a more personalised and integrated way of doing business.

Messages written on a chalkboard wall.

A reception area.

HubSpot is an inbound marketing and sales platform that matches marketing and sales techniques to the way people live, work, shop and buy, in the words of its President and COO JD Sherman. The company believes in inbound marketing as opposed to the traditional 'outbound' marketing methods of buying ads, buying email lists, and hoping for leads. Inbound marketing focuses on creating content that attracts people towards the brand.

With a larger presence in Singapore and employees spanning nearly all aspects of HubSpot’s business including sales, marketing, services, and support, HubSpot can build on the momentum and growth that has taken place over the past two years. “HubSpot has an incredible opportunity for growth in Asia Pacific and we could not be happier to be celebrating that with a new office and a commitment to hiring 150 new employees,” said Sherman, who added that he is very pleased with the progress and momentum so far.

“HubSpot’s Singapore-based team will be core to the impact that we’re making across Asia Pacific and the growth and success of our customers in the region,” he said.

Sherman said HubSpot's expansion to Ireland has taught the company that there are three main success factors for HubSpot's international growth: the inbound marketing strategy, ensuring that the founding team "is a great team and they really work well together", and giving that team a great leader.

As HubSpot expands its presence across Asia Pacific, the team will be led from Singapore by Jeetu Mahtani, Managing Director of International for HubSpot. Mahtani said that HubSpot's international business is growing 77% year on year, and called Singapore an ideal location for its talent pool and world-class infrastructure, including Changi Airport. He added that and that the new headquarters will offer easy access to prospects, customers and agency partners.

"HubSpot has just scratched the surface of what we can achieve in Asia Pacific. We’re looking forward to creating remarkable experiences and results for our customers across the region and so excited to do so with a full team on the ground in Singapore. With the right team in place, we’ll be unstoppable,” he said.

The office includes key characteristics that have become HubSpot staples across all global offices, as well as a few that are uniquely Singaporean. The office is decorated with an “East Meets-West” theme featuring corrugated metal and other marine accents to give a nod to the area’s history as a major shipping hub.

Conference rooms are named after inspirational people, including Raffles and Gandhi. This one is named 'LKY' after Singapore's late statesman

This collaboration space includes marine-style lighting.

Desks at the HubSpot Singapore office convert at the touch of a button from traditional 'sitting' desks to a format where employees can stand and work. 

All 90+ desks in the space are electronic and can convert from sitting to standing at the push of a button. The office is equipped with conference rooms, collaboration spaces and nomad desks so that employees can choose the space they work best in. APAC employees will now have a dedicated IT help desk and board room.

Hubspot’s new Singapore location features some unique features typical of offices with Millennials, including:

● Dedicated quiet space
● Mother’s room
● Snack-stocked kitchen
● Games room
● “Hidden” lounge space with game console

The games console.

Source: HubSpot. The candy wall at the HubSpot Singapore office pantry.

The pantry even includes freezer and fridge space for community use.

Today, over 18,000 companies in more than 90 countries use HubSpot’s software, services, and support to transform the way they attract, engage, and delight their customers. HubSpot’s inbound marketing software includes social media publishing and monitoring, blogging, SEO, website content management, email marketing, marketing automation, and reporting and analytics, in one integrated platform. HubSpot has over 1,100 employees in five locations, including Singapore.

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about how Singapore staff designed AirBnB's new office
Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about Facebook Singapore's office

Hashtag: #HubSpotSingaporeHousewarming