Your HubSpot CRM Is Now a Communication + Relationship Manager (Act Accordingly)

We're thinking about the idea of a CRM all wrong, folks. I can't believe it's taken me over a decade to realize this, but it took a lightning bolt of wisdom from a dear friend mine to wake me up. And now it's time for you to wake up, too. Here's what happened, folks. Recently, Chris Carolan — friend, co-runner of the Customer Platform HUG, and guest on the HubHeroes Podcast — sent me a simple Slack message that completely blew my mind:

"What if CRM equaled Communication and Relationship Manager?"

Like you, the acronym of CRM has only ever held one meaning: customer relationship management. But as I looked at his message, I felt my whole mindset shift. I couldn’t shake the idea, especially since we've spent a lot of time recently discussing HubSpot as a customer platform, and how much it's changed in recent years. 

›Days later, I'm still chewing on the question Chris posed to me, because I think it's a question we all need to ask ourselves. When it comes to seeing success with inbound and customer growth, your mindset is everything. And this isn't just specific to business, if we're being completely honest. If you change your mindset around anything — health, life, growth, love, you name it — you can change your reality. 

🔎 Related: Is HubSpot a CRM? Yes, for Sales, Marketing, Service, + More! 

So, that's what we're going to do today together. We're going to change our mindset around the idea of a CRM. And that's going to change our reality (and the results we see in our businesses) in very big ways. 

Rewind: The Traditional Views of the CRM

In the business world, the CRM (customer relationship management, historically) has been a cornerstone for managing customer interactions, streamlining processes, and boosting profitability. It doesn't matter which platform you're using — HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, etc. — companies use CRMs to track customer data, automate marketing, and manage sales pipelines.

Traditionally, CRMs are built to handle a company's interactions with current and potential customers. They analyze data to provide actionable insights, with primary functions including:

• Data Management: Keeping track of customer information and interaction history.
• Sales Tracking: Monitoring leads and opportunities throughout the sales cycle.
• Marketing Automation: Automating marketing campaigns and tracking their performance.
• Customer Service: Managing customer inquiries and support tickets.

Now, I’m not saying we should ditch these functions—they’re valuable. But they often focus more on managing data than on fostering meaningful communication and building relationships. What if we kept these functions but shifted our focus towards the latter?

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And this is where Chris' question comes into play, right? What if, instead of customer relationship management (boring, static, played out 😖), we saw our CRMs a communication and relationship manager (exciting, dynamic, progressive 😎)? 

Refresh: Communication + Relationship Manager

Now, I know some of you are thinking, "Is this slight redefinition really that big of a deal?" First, it may look slight on its surface, but that's the last thing it is. And yes, it is. Again, shift your CRM mindset, shift your CRM reality, shift your CRM results. This new approach emphasizes not just managing customer data but enhancing every aspect of communication and relationship-building.

Here’s how this reimagined CRM can transform your organization:

• Enhanced Communication Across Departments: A Communication and Relationship Manager would streamline interactions across sales, marketing, and service departments, ensuring cohesive and effective customer touchpoints. Sales teams would have seamless access to marketing insights and customer service histories, personalizing their approach. Marketing teams could create campaigns that truly resonate with customer needs, and service teams would provide support based on a deep understanding of customer preferences.

• Unified Multi-Channel Engagement: Instead of just storing customer information, this CRM would integrate and manage communication across all channels—email, social media, chat, phone, and more. It would ensure that no matter where or how a customer interacts, the experience is consistent and engaging. This unified approach would break down silos and foster a more integrated, customer-centric communication strategy.

• Automated Relationship-Building: Automation in a Communication and Relationship Manager goes beyond sending follow-up emails and scheduling reminders. It includes intelligent workflows that nurture relationships at every stage of the customer journey. Automated systems could trigger personalized messages based on customer behavior, recommend next steps for sales reps, and even identify potential issues before they arise, ensuring proactive customer support.

• Focus on Retention and Loyalty: While traditional CRMs track customer interactions, a Communication and Relationship Manager places a stronger emphasis on retention and loyalty. It uses customer data to build meaningful, long-term relationships rather than just focusing on immediate sales. By analyzing customer behavior and feedback, businesses can create targeted retention strategies that keep customers engaged and satisfied.

• Timely and Relevant Interactions: Timing is crucial in customer interactions. A Communication and Relationship Manager ensures that all communications are timely and relevant. It uses predictive analytics to determine the best times to reach out to customers and tailors messages to their current needs and preferences. This leads to higher engagement rates and a more positive customer experience.

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The key here is to see that your CRM isn't just for managing your customer data in a virtual container that's little more than a somewhat organized kitchen sink. That's where this redefinition as a Customer and Relationship Manager comes in. You're moving to a proactive, human-centric mindset that prioritizes human-centric communication, where relationship-building truly becomes an active verb for your team, rather than a static database that houses your deal information. 

How HubSpot's 'Smart CRM' Aligns with This Vision

As we embrace the concept of CRM as a Communication and Relationship Manager, it’s essential to understand how HubSpot’s Smart CRM aligns with this vision.

In case you missed, it HubSpot calls itself a "Smart CRM" now! 🤓

HubSpot’s Smart CRM enables holistic, all-department enablement, driving efficiency and enhancing customer satisfaction across sales, marketing, and service departments.

• S → Simplified: HubSpot's Smart CRM simplifies complex communication and relationship processes across all departments, making them more manageable and efficient. Sales teams benefit from a clear and intuitive interface for managing leads and tracking interactions, while marketing teams can seamlessly execute and track the effectiveness of their campaigns through integrated tools. Service departments experience a streamlined ticketing system, allowing for quick resolution of customer inquiries and improving overall efficiency. By centralizing all relevant customer data, HubSpot’s CRM reduces complexity and enhances productivity across the entire organization.

• M → Multi-Functional: The multi-functional capabilities of HubSpot’s Smart CRM support various aspects of communication and relationship management, ensuring cohesive and coordinated efforts across all departments. Sales teams have access to tools for contact management, deal tracking, and call scheduling, enabling them to manage their activities effectively within one platform. Marketing teams can leverage features such as landing page creation, email marketing, and SEO tools to execute comprehensive campaigns. Service teams can manage customer interactions across multiple channels, ensuring consistent and comprehensive support. This multi-functional approach ensures that all departments have the tools they need to perform their roles efficiently.

• A → Automated: HubSpot’s Smart CRM automates routine tasks and workflows, freeing up time for more strategic activities and improving efficiency across the board. Sales teams benefit from automated follow-up emails, task reminders, and lead scoring, allowing them to focus on building relationships and closing deals. Marketing automation features trigger personalized emails, lead nurturing sequences, and campaign launches based on customer behavior, ensuring timely and relevant marketing efforts. Service departments utilize automation to route tickets to appropriate agents, send follow-up emails, and provide automated responses to common inquiries, reducing response times and improving service efficiency. Automation enhances overall productivity and ensures that each department can operate at peak efficiency.

• R → Retention-Focused: HubSpot’s Smart CRM prioritizes customer retention through personalized and meaningful interactions, fostering long-term relationships and loyalty. Sales teams use insights into customer history and preferences to offer personalized recommendations and follow-ups, enhancing customer loyalty. Marketing teams create campaigns that foster ongoing engagement and repeat business by understanding customer behavior and preferences. Service departments provide personalized support and proactively address potential issues, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. A retention-focused approach ensures that all departments work together to maintain strong, lasting relationships with customers.

• T → Timely: The CRM ensures timely responses and interactions, addressing customer needs promptly and enhancing their experience across all departments. Sales teams receive real-time notifications and reminders, helping them engage with prospects at the right moments. Marketing teams can schedule and automate campaigns based on customer behavior and lifecycle stages, ensuring messages reach the audience at the most opportune times. Service departments prioritize tickets and provide agents with the tools needed for quick responses, leading to faster resolution times and a better customer experience. Timely interactions ensure that all departments are aligned in delivering prompt and effective customer service.

When you think about HubSpot's Smart CRM this way, you can see how easily it slides into this new version of what a CRM really is — a Communication and Relationship Manager. HubSpot's Smart CRM transforms from a mere data management tool to a dynamic platform that enhances communication, nurtures relationships, and drives customer-centric interactions.

🔎 Related: HubSpot Is Now a Customer Platform, But What Does That Mean?

This shift in perspective not only redefines the traditional CRM but also paves the way for a more proactive, human-centered approach that prioritizes personalized engagement and long-term customer loyalty. HubSpot's Smart CRM becomes the linchpin in this strategy, empowering organizations to streamline their communication efforts, automate relationship-building processes, and deliver timely, relevant interactions that resonate with customers on a deeper level.

Reconsider the Role of Your CRM

As we reconsider the role of CRM in our organizations, it's clear my guy, Chris, was totally right — that thinking of it as a Communication and Relationship Manager opens up new possibilities for enhancing customer experiences and building lasting relationships. This shift in perspective encourages us to focus not just on managing data but on fostering meaningful interactions that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.

⚡ We Can Help: Get HubSpot CRM Implementation Strategy + Support Now

So, what if we embraced this new definition of CRM? What if we prioritized communication and relationship management in every customer interaction? By leveraging HubSpot’s Smart CRM, businesses can holistically streamline their communication and relationship management, driving efficiency, enhancing customer satisfaction, and supporting business growth across sales, marketing, and service departments.

The potential for positive change is enormous, and it's time we explored this new frontier in customer relationship management. Need help or have questions? Reach out and start a conversation.