How HubSpot's Product Marketing Team Refreshes Messaging To Improve Sales Win Rates

Context

Need to Refresh Messaging

HubSpot is a leading marketing automation software company with a strong focus on empowering marketers through our flagship product, Marketing Hub®. We have achieved remarkable success, surpassing $1B in ARR this year. Marketing Hub is our key software solution, serving as the backbone of our customers' marketing operations.

Over the years, significant shifts have occurred in the industry. Our product has undergone remarkable innovations and introduced new capabilities. And the global pandemic influenced how people consume and engage with marketing. Additionally, the competitive landscape has evolved, and we’ve witnessed a change in the composition of the buying cycle, with more involvement from technology buyers and decision-making committees.

It became apparent that we needed a refreshed messaging approach that would better resonate with our target audience and effectively convey the value our product offers. Not only did my team know we needed to do this, but we could also see the symptoms of a need to refresh messaging, such as feedback from the field and product management, as well as inconsistency in how different teams communicated the value of our software externally.

Context Call Out

Key Internal Stakeholders

To achieve the refresh of our messaging, we worked closely with these key internal stakeholders:

• Product Marketing (our team)

• Product Management

• Proof Team 

• International Teams

• Sales Enablement

• Partners

• Web Strategy

• Community-led Growth 

• GTM Motions

Messaging Refresh Goal

The primary goal of this project was to increase our close rates by aligning our messaging with the product we are selling. Our ultimate aspiration was to establish a unified voice across the organization, where every team member confidently sings the same song, embodying the true essence of HubSpot's Marketing Hub.

Framework

When approaching the task of refreshing the messaging for HubSpot's Marketing Hub, my team and I were guided by a comprehensive framework that accounted for the evolving landscape and core drivers of this project. Let me share with you the key elements of our approach:

Messaging Principles

First and foremost, we recognized the need to simplify the messaging. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we embraced a "back to basics" mindset. Our goal was to distill the essence of the Marketing Hub's features into a clear and concise message that anyone within HubSpot — from our CEO to our Sales teams — could confidently convey. We focused on identifying the two or three core value propositions that truly resonated with our target audience, ensuring that our message could be delivered succinctly and effectively.

Framework Call Out

How to Validate Impact of Your Messaging

To validate the impact of our messaging, we, as a product marketing team, delivered the actual sales pitch and got graded! We started with pitching to the sales team and then pitched to real customers. This enabled us to gauge the resonance and effectiveness of our new message directly from those who use and benefit from Marketing Hub. Through an iterative process, we refined and revised our message nearly a dozen times, aligning with our customers' core pain points and drivers. We extended this live-pitch process to our Sales teams as well, with our team requesting numerical ratings to encourage honest feedback. This prompted our Sales teams to engage in deep customer conversations, gathering valuable insights that strengthened our message. It took several cycles of live-pitching and continuous refinement until we felt confident in the strength of our final pitch.

Throughout this journey, our focus remained on achieving simplicity, clarity, and resonance. By aligning our messaging with the product we were actually selling, and highlighting its unique value, we aimed to create a unified front across all departments and channels within HubSpot. It was crucial for all 7,000+ employees to sing the same song, whether it was our CEO representing HubSpot externally or our website accurately showcasing the true potential of Marketing Hub. This orchestration of messaging ensured consistency, enhanced customer experience, and propelled our success in driving adoption and revenue growth.

Product Marketing’s Role

To me, being a successful PMM means taking on the role of an orchestrator, ensuring that every department and individual within our organization sings the same song. It's my responsibility to align our messaging across the entire company, from the CEO's external communications to the content on our website and the representation of our campaigns in email marketing. By orchestrating a harmonious message that resonates with our target audience and accurately represents the value of our product, my team and I help empower HubSpot to deliver a consistent and impactful customer experience. 

Together, we create a unified front that drives growth, inspires confidence, and sets the stage for our continued success.

5 Step Messaging Refresh Framework

Our process consisted of five key steps, and each one was crucial in shaping our success:

1. Preparation: We laid a solid foundation by gathering insights, assessing the landscape, and aligning our team on objectives.

2. Research: Through extensive customer research, we understood their evolving needs, preferences, and pain points, shaping our messaging strategy.

3. Get Feedback: We actively sought input from customers, Sales teams, and stakeholders, refining our messaging based on valuable insights.

4. Synthesizing: We synthesized research and feedback into a cohesive messaging framework, focusing on simplicity and capturing core value propositions.

5. Ensure Leadership Buy-In: It was essential to ensure that our refined message would receive the green light for roll-out.

6. Final Roll-Out: With refined messaging, we orchestrated its rollout, training teams, and monitoring impact through Gong calls, driving tangible improvements in close rates and adoption.

Diagram: Messaging Refresh Process