Whether they’re on the road, working remote or in the office, your reps are emailing all day, every day. The problem is, they’re all doing it differently. Consistency and efficiency are keys to boosting revenue — but getting everyone on the same page isn’t as easy as it seems.
There's no shortage of online productivity tools designed to organize and optimize email for sales teams. As a sales manager or VP, you might already have one in mind. But there's still that one nagging question — “Will my reps use it?”
The reality? Many will be resistant to new software unless 3 basic criteria are met:
It’s easy to implement — a well-organized and simple process to get up and running.
It’s easy to use — fits right into their existing routine and requires less effort, not more.
It moves the needle — they can simply sell more with it than without it.
Of course, all email software makes these claims. One, however, does rise to the top when it comes to ease of use, customer satisfaction and the ability to prove ROI.
OK, so we’re a little biased as a HubSpot partner agency … but that’s also the point. We’ve been around the block many times over the years and have come to recognize a good thing when we see it.
So yes, we’ve hitched our wagon to HubSpot.
Let’s talk about why you might want to do the same.
Why Reps Prefer HubSpot for Sales Email:
- Best-in-class mobile app
- Reusable templates and snippets
- Automated email sequences
- Simple personalization options
- Gmail, Outlook & Office 365 integration
- Real-time tracking and notifications
- Sales document management
- Meeting scheduler
- Autoresponders for every need
- Reporting aligned with built-in CRM
HubSpot Email Automation Tools:
Designed to Help Sales Reps, Not Hinder Them.
It's time to put aside thoughts of complicated software with a steep learning curve, onerous logins and tedious data entry. What HubSpot manages to do so well, is to avoid these common pitfalls with a remarkably intuitive user experience.
Not only are its tools easy to learn, they're all on a single platform. Email, CRM, sales documents, deal stages, pipeline management, website analytics, lead generation — when they all talk to each other constantly, there's not much left to do but check the flawless data that only a single, closed-loop system can provide.
Let's dive into some of the ways your reps can work smarter — not harder — with HubSpot...
1. HubSpot's best-in-class mobile sales app
“On the road” no longer means “out of the office” when reps can combine email with CRM. They can take the entire sales process everywhere they go with email built into mobile CRM software that’s as easy as it is reliable. Both the iOS sales app and the Android sales app are user-friendly, full-featured mobile CRM solutions.
HubSpot's full-featured mobile app keeps sales reps connected and productive on the road, eliminating busy work at the end of the day.
Prioritize the day
Reps can plan their day in a snap with a list of task assignments and to-do reminders waiting in their inbox. Notes in the CRM keep track of important details. And, they'll have a complete view of every deal in the pipeline.
Log emails, calls and text messages effortlessly
No extra steps. Connecting with contacts in the HubSpot app is no different than using a smartphone’s built-in apps — and everything gets automatically logged in the CRM.
Prepare for meetings like never before
With the entire CRM in their pocket, a history of every contact’s activity is a click away. Have they viewed the website lately? Opened emails? Downloaded content? Armed with more context, reps can tailor every conversation to better serve prospects and customers.
Eliminate end-of-day admin work
When emails, calls and messages are logged automatically, follow ups and deal management are easily handled on the fly. By day’s end, the dreaded grunt work is already done.
No more constant check-ins
There’s no need when your team always knows what’s happening, and what to do next. With tasks, reminders, to-dos and instant alerts they’re always in the loop. Sales leaderboards and other metrics provide real-time data to keep them focused on priorities.
2. Templates & snippets: less writing, more selling
What’s more tedious than writing the same sales email over and over? The meeting reminder. The post-meeting follow up. Links to resources. On and on…
Why not create templates that can be used by reps any time, anywhere?
With HubSpot email templates, a library of your pre-written emails is always a click away — with automated personalization options, so each message is tailored to its recipient.
When everyone on the team can access those templates, not only are they saving loads of time — your process is now consistent, standardized, organized.
Snippets and templates save loads of time for reps with reusable email content that's accessed with a single click.
Want more efficiency? How about re-usable snippets — or frequently used blocks of text. How often are your reps pecking out the same instructions, details or links to resources? Why not drop in a snippet and move on to more important things?
3. Email Sequences: Sales process automation at work
Prospecting is tedious. That series of emails and calls spread out over several weeks, multiplied by every prospect — it’s no wonder so many fall through the cracks. Wouldn’t it be great if that whole process ran by itself? Freeing reps up to focus on warm leads and closing deals?
Say hello to Sequences — HubSpot email automation at its finest.
Email sequences allow reps to send a timed series of emails to prospects, leads or customers with a single click. Tasks can be added to insert reminders for calls and other key activities in the cadence.
Prepare a series of emails, making sure to add personalization tokens for the salutation, company name and any other details to add a human touch.
Then, schedule the emails and add Tasks to set automatic reminders for follow-up calls.
That's it. Reps can enroll individuals, entire lists, or set up a workflow that automatically adds contacts that meet certain criteria.
Every morning, reps get an email reminder for Tasks due. The day is prioritized for them, and doesn't include a long list of emails to send.
Seriously, it’s that easy.
Now reps can maintain highly-personalized outreach over time with any new prospect — with the click of a button.
A few of the best email sequences to consider for sales process automation:
- Drip email sequence
- Lead nurturing email sequence
- Onboarding email sequence
- Welcome email sequence
More than just a time-saver, automated email sequences can be a game-changer for any sales team.
4. HubSpot personalization tokens and smart content
For a business to grow, its sales process needs to scale. But selling is personal. It’s those one-to-one connections that earn trust and build relationships. That’s why it’s critical to invest in productivity tools that also help maintain a human connection.
When it comes to automated sales email, there’s a fine line between a personalized touch and the stuff of generic email blasts. This is where personalization tokens and smart content come in.
Personalization tokens keep automated email tailored to each individual. With HubSpot's custom contact properties, sales reps can add details that make every message relevant to its recipient.
Personalization tokens auto-populate email content with contact attributes — their name, title, company name, location, favorite ice cream flavor (the options are limitless with HubSpot's custom properties).
Smart content allows reps to send automated emails with different text for recipients who meet different criteria. For example, an email might have one subject line for existing customers and another for prospects. Another email might have an alternate message for recipients on mobile devices. With smart content, targeting more specific segments of your audience is easy.
Whether using personalization tokens or smart content, there are endless possibilities for automated emails with a human touch — allowing reps to work efficiently at scale, while maintaining the individual attention that fosters trust and closes deals.
5. Seamless email integration with Gmail, Outlook, Office 365
Sales reps spend a lot of time sending and responding to emails. In fact, most sales reps spend over one-third of their time working in their inbox. But let’s face it — not all reps welcome new software … or anything that threatens to disrupt their routine.
Luckily, they won’t have to change a thing when it comes to email.
HubSpot's email integration puts the CRM and tools right into the email programs your reps are already using.
HubSpot integrates seamlessly with Gmail, G Suite, and Outlook or Office 365 for Windows* to bring the power of the HubSpot CRM directly into their inbox.
Incoming and outgoing emails get tracked automatically. Real-time alerts notify reps when their emails are being opened and clicked. Templates, sequences, meeting scheduling, contact records and other CRM data — it’s all right there in the program they’re already using.
*Certain features are limited by email client and/or HubSpot tier
“Whether they’re on the road, working remote or in the office, your reps are emailing all day, every day. The problem is, they’re all doing it differently.”
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With HubSpot's email notifications sales reps can stop wondering if their emails are being read. Instant alerts let them know the moment a message is opened or clicked.
6. Instant sales email tracking and notifications
When reps know which emails have been opened — and who opened them — they can prioritize and reach out to leads without the guesswork.
With real-time notifications, they won't just know that an email was opened. They'll know that a lead is active and won't miss an opportunity to place a well-timed call.
And, since all email activity is recorded on the lead's timeline in the CRM, reps have a complete history to add context to their conversation.
It all comes together when reps are able to reach out at just the right time, armed with valuable behavior insights. This means less time chasing cold prospects and more time closing warm leads.
7. Sales document management
Organization and consistency are a no-brainer for an efficient sales process, but so many reps waste valuable time tracking down sales documents. Too often, they’re sending outdated versions or, worse yet, going rogue with their own.
The simple solution — a single, shared library of up-to-date sales content for your entire team.
The HubSpot Documents Tool puts an end to disorganized sales materials. Everyone on the team can access the correct documents and resources in one central location.
Reps can select documents to include in emails right from a drop-down menu in Gmail or Outlook, and never worry about whether they have the latest version.
As soon as recipients engage with the content, reps are notified so they can follow up in a relevant and timely way. Not only will they know who's viewed their sales materials, they'll know when and how long was spent on each page.
Now that's valuable insight.
Best of all, you’ll see which documents are having the biggest impact on closed deals. Focus on that best-performing content, share it with the entire sales team and you’re on the path to continuously improving your sales process.
8. Meetings Tool: the ultimate sales meeting time scheduler
Scheduling meetings is a pain. Back-and-forth emails, checking everyone’s calendars, sending reminders … it’s a productivity killer.
Enter HubSpot’s Meetings tool.
The HubSpot Meetings Tool syncs with a rep's calendar and allows anyone to self-book, eliminating the painful back-and-forth emails that waste time and cause delays.
Now prospects can self-schedule with a simple booking widget that syncs to every rep’s Google or Office 365 calendar. Prospects always see the most up-to-date availability and every attendee will receive invites and reminders automatically.
Your team will save hours of time spent on unnecessary emails.
Group meeting links allow prospects to schedule time with more than one person in your organization.
Round-robin links schedule meetings with the next available sales rep.
Meeting links can be pasted into emails, added to email signatures or embedded on your website to encourage prospects, leads or customers to book time conveniently, when it works for them.
And, since it’s all part of HubSpot’s CRM, every new person will be automatically added to your contact database.
All of this, with zero effort.
9. Email autoresponders for every need
Autoresponders are a fundamental part of any email strategy. They allow reps to passively and automatically send pre-written emails to contacts, based on an action or property.
HubSpot Automation Workflows can effortlessly trigger email replies based on events or other custom criteria.
Welcome new customers
The moment a lead becomes a customer they should receive a warm, welcome email. Instead of adding this to a rep’s to-do list, why not automate it? The instant a lead’s CRM record changes their lifecycle stage to Customer, have HubSpot fire off the message.
Engage active leads
Trigger an email based on a high level of activity — number visits to your website, clicks on emails or social media posts — so reps can effortlessly engage the most interested leads at any given time.
Internal sales rep notification
What if a rep could receive an email alert when a lead is nearing a buying decision? Identify high-value web pages, emails and other content that reflects purchase intent and trigger an internal email to a lead’s owner when that content is being viewed. Your rep can follow up instantly, armed with the lead’s full history to provide valuable context.
Re-engagement and inactivity
Trigger an email when it's been a while since a contact last engaged with their rep. Set criteria based on the number of days since last contact, website visit or email open.
Event attendance
Hosting a live, in-person event? A webinar or other online event? This is a prime opportunity for reps to engage warm leads with automated emails to registrants before, during, and after the event.
These are just a few of the possibilities with automated email response. In every sales process, there are many opportunities to stay connected and move prospects closer to purchase — all while showcasing a superior level of personal service that builds trust.
10. Email reporting insights that drive revenue
When every rep is sending different email content and squeezing it into their available time, there’s no consistency — and no yardstick to measure performance. While HubSpot delivers quick wins with its time-saving tools, the real long-term value is in data from HubSpot sales email tracking.
Standard and customizable reports and dashboards allow you to share high-level business metrics with executives, or dig into more granular metrics for the sales team.
Monitoring email open rates, clicks, send times and other performance measures is key to surfacing trends that are having the biggest impact on sales. Which templates and sequences are contributing the most? Which autoresponders are prompting website visits? What days and times are your recipients most likely to engage? Which of these factors can be attributed to the most revenue?
Once you’ve begun to pinpoint variables that are helping close more deals, the whole sales team can begin implementing them. You’ve identified the keys to a better process.
What does it all mean?
At its best, email is a vital productivity tool that helps streamline the sales process and drive revenue.
At its worst, it amplifies inefficiency and inconsistency, resulting in lost opportunities.
There’s no shortage of amazing tools designed to get your email program running like a top, but there’s also no shortage of resistance from sales reps. They may be wary of new technology with a steep learning curve, clunky software, extra steps or change that just doesn’t align with their routine.
Whether you’re leaning toward a simple solution like HubSpot, or one of many others, be sure to address your reps’ concerns early and often to get the most out of your investment.
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