Jorge Fuentes
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I've gotta be honest, I can't believe it's been almost two months since I joined the team. Since I've joined, I've learned so much working here. (I've even had a chance to sit in as a guest host on this week's episode of the HubHeroes podcast.) Although my guess is that, if you know George, that likely doesn't surprise you at all. After all, George is the original HubHero and Owner/HubSpot Helper.
So, how much have I learned in the first few months of working here? Significantly more than I can share in one article.
🔎 Related: The future of AI and ChatGPT with Jorge Fuentes (HubHeroes Podcast)
In fact, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite and most impactful lessons with you all as time goes on as part of this new series. But since I've already learned so much, I wanted to kick off this series with the top (and absolutely mind-blowing) things I’ve learned from working with clients, what I've learned by watching George in his element, and what I’m looking forward to learning next.
We'll start with some of the technical, HubSpot goodness ...
1. HubSpot audits that are actually relevant
HubSpot audits aren’t anything “new,” I would do them in past jobs too.
There were always these frameworks that agencies had to follow for an audit – specific things to focus on. But they didn’t always feel relevant. Working with George, I’ve learned that our process for audits actually uses best practices from HubSpot, plus stuff that we know is relevant to our clients.
🔎 Related: Get to know Jorge Fuentes, the newest HubHero
Our audits look at things that can’t go unfixed. If they're not fixed, they'll be a problem later down the line – even if we ignore it momentarily. We’re not just looking at things that need fixed now, we’re looking for things that might be functioning “fine” but could cause major issues in the future.
Our HubSpot audits are super thorough too. I wish you all could have seen my face when George told me to spend two or three weeks on an audit. I used to do basic audits in an afternoon! 🫣
So to have the opportunity to dig this deep and really look at all the nitty gritty details is pretty cool.
2. Developing amazing email copy
Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s just done so poorly, so often. One of the most impactful things I’ve learned since starting working with George B is how to write amazing email copy. I’m sure this will shock you, but the key here is making it more human.
🔎 Related resources:
- Email marketing strategy best practices and HubSpot (HubHeroes podcast)
- How to do email marketing in HubSpot (HubHeroes podcast)
If your email copy sounds like a robot, reads like an automated message, or is blatantly for the wrong audience, you can’t be surprised when it doesn’t perform like you wanted it to.
You’ve got to get customized. When you’re writing out an email, really think about the audience:
- What are their pain points?
- What are their needs?
- What is their story?
Your lists should be segmented in a way that’s specific enough to make an impact.
For example, let's say you’re talking to CEOs, marketing directors, and novice HubSpot fans with the same email because they’ve all downloaded your SEO Content Strategy Guide. You'd better get creative and figure out what all these people have in common and speak directly to that.
Don’t hesitate to break down your lists a bit more so you can speak more directly to your audience. An email that goes to 50 people, gets opened by 40 people, clicked on by 30, and converts 20 is a lot more effective than an email that gets sent to 5,000 people, gets opened by 40, clicked on by 14, and converts 2 – because the message didn’t resonate.
You absolutely have to customize and get personal with your audience.
3. Mind-blowing self-attribution
I truly cannot see any reason why every business shouldn’t be tracking self–attribution. It really does wonders.
Allowing your audience to tell you how they think they got to your form is huge. Yes, we can look at the analytics and see that they found a blog through a Google search, clicked a few links, maybe went to LinkedIn to check you out and followed, and then a few days later came back to your website and filled out a form to download a pillar.
🔎 Related: How to measure content marketing ROI the right way (HubHeroes podcast)
Surprise! They actually found you through your podcast. A friend had recommended you listen to an episode they loved. On that episode, you mentioned a blog post you’d published a few months back. They Googled and found the article, and the rest is history.
But you’d never know that the podcast was what initially introduced them to your brand.
Give the people the power to tell you what’s working.
Now, enough with the technical stuff. There are some “soft skills” that I’ve really enjoyed honing in on too.
4. Client relationships are so rewarding
I’ve learned so much from being in meetings with George. It’s truly impossible to not look forward to a meeting with George if you’re one of his clients. Meetings are fun, productive, and engaging. It’s such a great time to build rock-solid relationships with your clients.
I’ve noticed that George’s clients are thrilled to work with him because he’s an expert, finds and gives solutions, and has a clear (and contagious) passion for what he does.
Bringing this kind of energy into client meetings helps build confidence and trust with your clients. And it makes it fun. It’s my goal that any meetings I schedule with clients are ones that they’ll look forward to attending.
Beyond meetings, shifting my mindset about client management has been really impactful. It’s not just about making the client “happy,” fixing their problems, and getting it done. It’s showcasing the expertise that they hired you for, pushing back when they’re wrong, and giving them confidence that they’ve chosen the right partner.
5. Conversation skills matter
Now, George is a rockstar of a speaker and presenter. It might take a little while for me to get on his level, but that’s not to say that I haven’t learned a lot from him in the past few months.
Finding a good balance between professionalism with expertise and confidence will get you far. I’m really seeing the power of communicating well and networking effectively. Especially since getting more exposure on George’s network, I’ve been getting LinkedIn connections from people left and right. I love getting to connect with so many new people and have conversations with them.
It’s cool to be building a platform of my own now. I’m not just an agency employee doing the work. I’m a human with a voice. A human, building a brand!
With your conversation skills, responsiveness matters too. You want to communicate clearly and quickly. I’ll never go a full day without answering emails and inquiries (unless I’m on vacation of course).
6. The value is in the content
This is a big one. I never want to stop learning. For so many people, learning is about checking the boxes and building out your resume. Getting 23 HubSpot certifications is awesome, but where’s the value? It’s so much more than "padding" on your resume.
Yes, I am pushing to get as many HubSpot Academy certifications as possible. But the truth of the matter is that the value is in the content. Being able to apply what you’ve learned in your field is so rewarding.
🔎 Related: Ultimate guide to HubSpot certifications (all roles, experience)
I’m currently listening to the audiobook They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan. I’m really enjoying this approach – it’s probably the best learning resource I’ve had so far while working with George. I can’t recommend it enough.
If you’re going to take the time to earn the certifications, take the time to focus on what you’re learning and how you can use it in your life. Your life will be better for it.
What’s next?
I wasn't kidding at the beginning of this when I said I had already learned a ton — the outline for this article was originally twice this long!
So, what’s next? I’ll share what I’ve learned as I grow in the HubSpot world (and marketing in general) every so often here in this space. Learning is such a fundamental part of growing as a marketer – especially if you’re a HubHero.
I’m currently most excited about the HubSpot Trainer Certification. I have not started yet, but it's in the pipeline. I also want to upgrade my SEO and CMS/WebDev skills. With George’s support, I'm getting there! It’s all quite exciting and can’t wait to share more in the next edition.
🔎 Related: Why you need to write (and market) like a human (+ examples)
If we sound like the type of guys you want to work with, simply reach out and let us know. We’d love to connect and talk about your HubSpot hurdles, exciting (or scary) business goals, and maybe even your deepest personal aspirations, together – as humans.
'Til then,
Jorge 👋
