HubSpot PLC Training Course

Module 1: Introduction to HubSpot

1.1 Grasping the HubSpot Ecosystem

• An overview of what HubSpot is.
• HubSpot’s function as a CRM platform.
• HubSpot’s role in supporting sales, marketing, customer service, and operational workflows.
• How CRM data facilitates business analysis and strategic decision-making.
• Understanding core entities: contacts, companies, deals, and activities.

1.2 HubSpot’s Product Suite

• An overview of the major HubSpot hubs:
  • Marketing Hub
  • Sales Hub
  • Service Hub
  • Content Hub
  • Operations Hub
• CRM and customer data management capabilities.
• Understanding the interplay between marketing, sales, and customer data.
• Selecting the right HubSpot features to align with specific business requirements.

1.3 HubSpot from a Business Analyst’s Viewpoint

• Identifying and documenting business requirements.
• Mapping existing business processes to CRM functionalities.
• Defining data requirements for analytics.
• Identifying relevant KPIs and metrics for tracking.
• Utilising CRM insights to inform product decisions.

Practical Exercise:
Map a sample product’s customer journey to HubSpot CRM objects, activities, and key data points.

Module 2: Fundamentals of the Product Life Cycle

2.1 Defining the Product Life Cycle

• Definition of the Product Life Cycle (PLC).
• The rationale behind products having distinct life cycles.
• The relationship between customer demand, sales, revenue, and product maturity.
• Distinguishing between the PLC and the customer life cycle.
• Factors that influence the duration of a product’s life cycle.

2.2 Exploring PLC Theory

• The traditional PLC model structure.
• Sales and profitability trends across the life cycle.
• The impact of market demand and competitive pressure.
• How business objectives shift across different PLC stages.
• The limitations of the traditional PLC model.

2.3 Identifying PLC Stages

• Development
• Introduction
• Growth
• Maturity
• Saturation
• Decline

Group Exercise:
Analyse a real or hypothetical product to determine its current PLC stage, utilising sales, customer, and market indicators.

Module 3: Development and Introduction Stages

3.1 Product Development

• Identifying underlying customer needs.
• Conducting market research and gathering customer feedback.
• Defining the target market.
• Establishing clear product requirements.
• Using CRM data to support product discovery.
• Building customer personas and segments.

3.2 Product Introduction

• Launch planning strategies.
• Creating market awareness.
• Lead generation techniques.
• Identifying early adopters.
• Managing prospects and leads within HubSpot.
• Tracking initial sales activity.
• Establishing baseline KPIs.

3.3 HubSpot in the Introduction Stage

• Creating and organising contact records.
• Managing contact properties and segmentation.
• Managing leads effectively.
• Creating lists and target audiences.
• Tracking customer interactions.
• Monitoring lead-to-customer conversion.

Hands-on Exercise:
Create a basic customer segment for a new product and define appropriate launch KPIs.

Module 4: The Growth Stage

4.1 Characteristics of Growth

• Increasing customer demand.
• Revenue and sales growth.
• Expanding market presence.
• Increasing competition.
• Identifying high-value customer segments.

4.2 HubSpot Strategies for Growth

• Lead nurturing processes.
• Concepts in marketing automation.
• Sales pipeline management.
• Customer segmentation strategies.
• Deal tracking.
• Conversion analysis.
• Identifying opportunities for cross-selling and upselling.

4.3 Measuring Growth

• Lead volume.
• Conversion rates.
• Customer acquisition.
• Sales pipeline value.
• Revenue growth.
• Customer engagement.
• Campaign performance.

Hands-on Exercise:
Use a sample HubSpot dataset to identify growth trends and determine which customer segments warrant additional attention.

Module 5: Maturity and Saturation

5.1 Understanding Maturity

• Characteristics of a mature product.
• Stabilising sales figures.
• Increasing competition.
• Focus on customer retention.
• Differentiation strategies.
• Maintaining profitability.

5.2 Understanding Saturation

• Indicators of market saturation.
• Declining acquisition opportunities.
• Increased customer acquisition costs.
• Competitive pressure.
• Retention versus acquisition strategies.

5.3 HubSpot Strategies

• Advanced customer segmentation.
• Customer retention analysis.
• Re-engagement campaigns.
• Identifying inactive customers.
• Upselling and cross-selling initiatives.
• Customer feedback and engagement analysis.
• Monitoring customer and sales trends.

Practical Exercise:
Build a simple maturity/saturation dashboard concept displaying sales performance, customer activity, conversion, and retention indicators.

Module 6: The Decline Stage

6.1 Recognising Product Decline

• Declining sales trends.
• Reduced customer engagement.
• Shifts in customer preferences.
• Emergence of new technologies and substitute products.
• Competitive threats.
• Declining profitability.

6.2 Business Strategies for Declining Products

• Product repositioning.
• Market segmentation adjustments.
• Product improvements.
• Cost reduction measures.
• Product retirement planning.
• Migration to replacement products.
• Customer retention during product transition.

6.3 Using HubSpot to Manage Decline

• Identifying declining customer segments.
• Tracking customer engagement levels.
• Creating targeted retention campaigns.
• Managing customer communications effectively.
• Identifying replacement-product opportunities.
• Monitoring sales pipeline changes.

Case Study:
Analyse a declining product and develop a HubSpot-supported action plan covering customer retention, repositioning, and product transition.

Module 7: International Product Life Cycle

7.1 What Is an International PLC?

• Definition of the International Product Life Cycle.
• Differences between domestic and international PLCs.
• Product adoption across different markets.
• Market maturity variations.
• Cultural and regional factors.
• International competition.

7.2 International PLC Examples

• Products introduced at different times across countries.
• Market expansion strategies.
• Regional customer segmentation.
• Differences in demand and product maturity.

7.3 HubSpot for International Markets

• Managing international contacts and companies.
• Market and geographic segmentation.
• Regional campaign management.
• Comparing market performance.
• Tracking international leads and opportunities.
• Using reporting to compare markets.

Exercise:
Compare the PLC position of the same product in two hypothetical international markets and recommend different CRM and marketing strategies.

Module 8: PLC Usage and Business Analysis

8.1 When Should Businesses Use PLC Analysis?

• Product launch planning.
• Marketing strategy development.
• Sales forecasting.
• Portfolio management.
• Market expansion.
• Product repositioning.
• Product retirement decisions.
• Investment and resource allocation.

8.2 Keeping the PLC in Mind

• Connecting CRM data with business strategy.
• Monitoring changes in customer behaviour.
• Using data to validate PLC assumptions.
• Establishing measurable indicators for each PLC stage.
• Turning CRM insights into business recommendations.

8.3 Best Practices

• Define clear business objectives.
• Use reliable and consistent CRM data.
• Establish relevant KPIs.
• Segment customers appropriately.
• Monitor trends rather than isolated metrics.
• Regularly review PLC assumptions.
• Combine quantitative CRM data with qualitative customer feedback.
• Align sales, marketing, and product teams.

Workshop:
Participants create a PLC monitoring framework containing:

• PLC stage indicators.
• Business KPIs.
• Required HubSpot data.
• Recommended HubSpot activities.
• Reporting requirements.
• Recommended business actions.

Module 9: Reporting, Dashboards, and Decision-Making

9.1 CRM Reporting for PLC Management

• Why reporting matters in a business context.
• Selecting relevant metrics.
• Creating meaningful reports.
• Monitoring trends over time.
• Comparing customer segments and markets.

9.2 Key PLC Metrics

Depending on the PLC stage, participants may examine:

• Leads generated.
• Lead conversion rate.
• Customer acquisition rate.
• Sales pipeline health.
• Revenue figures.
• Customer engagement levels.
• Customer retention rates.
• Campaign performance.
• Deal velocity.
• Customer segment performance.

9.3 Building a PLC Dashboard

• Selecting appropriate KPIs.
• Designing a management dashboard.
• Presenting trends clearly.
• Identifying exceptions and opportunities.
• Turning dashboard findings into actionable recommendations.

Hands-on Exercise:
Design a management dashboard for a product and explain what actions should be taken based on the results.

Module 10: Integrated Practical Case Study

Participants work through a complete product life-cycle scenario.

Scenario

A company has launched a new product and wishes to use HubSpot to monitor its progress from introduction through growth, maturity, and potential decline.

Participants will:

1. Identify the product’s target customers.
2. Define customer segments.
3. Map the product to PLC stages.
4. Identify relevant CRM data.
5. Define KPIs for each stage.
6. Recommend HubSpot activities and workflows.
7. Analyse sample sales and customer data.
8. Create a reporting/dashboard approach.
9. Identify the current PLC stage.
10. Recommend next steps for the business.