As a community of business owners, startup founders, and entrepreneurs, we're always on the lookout for strategies to propel our businesses forward.
In a candid conversation with our very own Bart Kowalczyk, Eoin McGuinness, an entrepreneur, coach, mentor, and investor from HubSpot's Startup Program, shared his invaluable wisdom on mastering the art of human-to-human (H2H) sales, optimising business processes with AI, and fostering sustainability. You can listen to the full episode right here.
The Human Touch: Why H2H Sales Matters
One of the biggest pitfalls Eoin sees startups grappling with is the misguided pursuit of scale at all costs. "Everyone talks about scale, scale, scale," Eoin says, "but they think about it the wrong way through mass outreach instead of targeted, personalised engagement."
This approach often backfires, leading to frustration and diminishing ROI. Not exactly what you want in business! So what’s the antidote? Embracing a more human approach to sales and marketing.
"The more human you are, the higher the likelihood of success," Eoin says.
He advocates for taking a step back, understanding the pain points of your ideal customer persona, and tailoring your outreach accordingly.
We loved the example he shared of a sales professional who stopped him scrolling and sparked his interest by sending a personalised video, followed by a voice note on LinkedIn – a refreshing change from the usual outpouring of cold emails.
Eoin's advice is crystal clear: "Nobody cares about your product or service; they care about the solution to the pain point you're trying to solve."
If you can articulate that solution in a way that resonates with your target audience, you'll capture their attention and stand a better chance of converting them into customers.
Scaling Sustainably: Data-Driven Decision-Making
As startups start to make headway, the question of sustainable scaling tends to rear its ugly head. When a business grows, resources get squeezed, staff are under strain, and so scaling - the idea that you can do more with the same amount of resource, if you handle it in a smarter or more efficient way - becomes incredibly tempting.
That being said, Eoin believes that the key to growth lies instead in data-driven decision-making. "If you use the word 'I think' in any decision you make, you're already wrong," he says (we’re going to get that one tattooed on our foreheads). "You have to link things to data." Mic drop, anyone?
This is where the transformative power of AI comes in. Eoin massively recommends leveraging AI to optimise business processes and eliminate human biases and errors. "Ask AI to do the stuff that can typically cause human errors, and remove the 'I think' from business decisions," he says.
As an example - Eoin asked AI to analyse landing page performance and identify the best-performing variant based on data, rather than relying on subjective opinions. This approach not only enhances productivity (because you’re doing the right things rather than relying on trial and error) , but also fosters a culture of data-driven decision-making, which is crucial for sustainable growth.
Simplicity and Sustainability: A Winning Combination
Another key takeaway? Make sure you can quickly explain what you do. Simplicity should be at the heart of your offering, as Eoin, summed up in his "granny rule".
"If I can't explain it to my grandmother in 30 seconds or less, that's my problem."
He advocates for minimising consumption and overproduction, citing examples like offering lifetime warranties on products to discourage frequent repurchasing. "It's about being clever with what you're buying and consuming," he says.
Eoin also stressed the environmental impact of seemingly innocuous business activities like excessive email marketing. "Don't be pissing people off by sending them 800 emails every month," he says. We often don’t think about the impact of a little activity like sending an email, but everything has a carbon footprint - and yours might be bigger than you think.
The HubSpot Startup Program: Fueling Growth
For startups that are looking for a robust customer relationship management (CRM) solution, Eoin recommends exploring HubSpot's Startup Program. The program offers discounts of up to 75% on HubSpot's suite of tools, making it accessible to early-stage startups with limited funding.
"Our goal is to be the number one CRM for scaling businesses globally," Eoin explains. The program recognises that startups may not require the full suite of features initially, but instead encourages them to start with the essentials and scale their technology stack as their business grows. Sounds pretty sustainable to us, too.
According to Eoin, the Marketing and Sales Hubs are the most popular among startups, with approximately 70% of Startup Program customers leveraging these two hubs extensively. As businesses mature, they often explore additional hubs like Service Hub for onboarding and ticketing systems, so it makes sense to add to your stack as you go.
The Power of Video in Sales
When asked for his top tip for selling like a human, Eoin's response was short and sweet! "Use video."
He believes that video is a powerful medium for establishing a human connection with prospects, making it harder for people to say no when they can see and hear you.
"It's very hard to say no to someone's face," he explains, and conversely: "it's very easy to say no to someone's face because you'll get an answer." By embracing video outreach, startups can differentiate themselves from the competition and engage prospects in a more personalised, memorable way.
Embracing a Sustainable Mindset
As a serial entrepreneur himself, Eoin understands the importance of building businesses with a long-term, sustainable vision.
"For me, it was always about not getting people to repurchase," he says, explaining how the company offered lifetime warranties, encouraging customers to send back products for repair or replacement, rather than discarding them.
Eoin's sustainable ethos extends to the workplace, advocating for mindful consumption and minimising waste. We loved his example of HubSpot's internal "sustainable group," which monitors the company's carbon footprint and provides monthly reports, helping to create a culture of environmental consciousness.
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Adopting a human-centric approach to sales and marketing, optimising processes through data-driven decision-making, and embracing sustainability can be game-changers for any business. And, as Eoin reminded us, the human touch above all is invaluable in an era of AI advancement.
With that in mind, it pays to take a step back and pull focus. As the saying goes - slow is smooth, and smooth is fast! Taking a more sustainable slant to all aspects of your business, focusing on the data, and trying to do as much good as possible are all key for founders and entrepreneurs who want to unlock their startup's full potential.
Listen Full Episode here
