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In our recent episode of the Aligned podcast, our guest Jordan Benjamin detailed the importance of utilizing an integrated toolset. Unifying tools to work with each other maximizes efficiency and best positions your business for strategic growth. So how can we best adopt this analytic lens for long-lasting success? Read below for the answers.
Data integration informs all good decisions:
Data integration is the process of combining data from multiple sources into a single view. In creating this amalgamated data set, decision-makers and business leaders can look at a situation or business practice from an overall perspective, drawing from data that shows a comprehensive view of the organization rather than the limited sets a single tool typically provides. Not only is this integral from a leadership perspective, but it’s also necessary to see where and how your business currently operates. In analyzing integrated data, leadership can better determine bottlenecks, areas of growth, and cause-and-effect relationships between departments and even individual employees. Armed with this knowledge, you can refine your business model to best accommodate the needs and relationships with your prospects and customers.
Like almost anything else, this practice is easier said than done. On the topic of data integration, the near limitless methods of conglomerating make it impossible to determine a ‘best practice’ guaranteed to give you the results your business needs. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to decide on, but rather that the solution might be specific for your organization. A typical starting point is the notion of vector alignment - ensuring all employees and departments are united on the organization's core goals. By positioning your organization to simultaneously move in the same direction in pursuit of these goals, your toolkit (and derived metrics from them) naturally become better aligned.
The evolution of Hubspot (and other SaaS software):
When discussing the proper approach to a unified toolkit, the conversation should begin with Hubspot. As one of the leading developers of SaaS technology, Hubspot’s approach to software development is led by its goal - to move prospecting conversations from a simple sales pitch to an information exchange. Hubspot knew this goal couldn’t be accomplished without quality data informing the information sales leaders share with their potential buyers. To overcome this limitation, they expanded their technology and capabilities to go beyond thei initial niche of inbound marketing to better understand customers throughout their entire sales journey.
Initial CRMs were (for lack of better words) digital Rolodexes, a simple compendium of names and emails. Hubspot realized sales conversions would drastically increase if the conversation was personalized based on the expected wants and needs of the buyer. This critical information is what data-driven insights help provide, driving conversations beyond the jargon of standard selling and more toward the custom insights buyers need that lead to conversions. Over time, Hubspot expanded its software options to help with this exact issue, providing integrated solutions companies could use to extrapolate meaningful data across different platforms and touchpoints throughout the customer’s buying journey.
Shifting the executive perception:
Even the most integrated platform cannot be utilized efficiently without buy-in from management. From a seller’s perspective, establishing quality systems for measurement and analytics should be the simplest way to track KPI performance. Especially if your current analytics system prevents you from deriving meaningful data, a change in the software that features integrative aspects will likely alleviate this issue and help track success or areas for improvement.
From the executive perspective, an integrated toolset (and the data-driven decisions that follow) should be of the utmost importance. Leaders don’t just work toward improving personal metrics; they’re responsible for the forward progression of the company as a whole. Making these overarching decisions requires a data-driven approach that doesn’t just analyze data in silos but instead contextualizes in tandem with the rest of your necessary data.
While Hubspot doesn’t have to be your go-to solution, many sellers, top executives, and business professionals are shocked to learn that Hubspot’s technology goes beyond the realm of inbound marketing. As they continue to expand their software updates that align business objectives across departments and organize employees to a unified goal, Hubspot offers a standard of data integration that could highly benefit any small or mid-sized company. The comprehensive ability to access contextualized data functions as a way to better handle executive decisions with more confidence in a successful outcome.
