iCore got a clear flow between sales and market thanks to a HubSpot implementation with Smarkify
Summary
Challenge
- Need for a more flexible and automated CRM system.
Solution
- Implementation of HubSpot to optimize sales and marketing processes.
Results
- More efficient workflows, better overview, and automated tasks that save time.
Background and Challenge
iCore is a leading provider of business integration solutions. They help companies connect their systems and applications to gain better control over their operations and data. They had outgrown their previous CRM system where they felt that it could no longer accommodate the processes they wanted to get automated. The existing system also lacked the flexibility and integration capabilities that iCore needed to create a better flow between sales and market. Another important aspect was the ability to automate recurring tasks to free up time for more value-creating activities.
After considering various solutions, the choice eventually landed on HubSpot as the platform. For iCore, it was crucial that the CRM system not only managed customer data but also facilitated collaboration between sales and market. They wanted to ensure that everyone could work in the same system and have a common overview of the customer journey — from the first interaction to the closing of the deal and beyond.
iCore wanted support from an agency that both knew HubSpot and its capabilities but also understood their business. It was important to get support throughout the process.
In order to succeed in the swap, iCore started its journey towards a new system by developing a The Smarketing Playbook. Experts from Smarkify helped them define how sales and marketing would work together and what processes needed to be in place to achieve a seamless workflow. The Playbook became the foundation for the upcoming implementation of HubSpot and played a central role in how the system was adapted to the specific needs of ICORE.
Solution / About the Collaboration
A strategic and agile implementation of HubSpot
The decision to implement HubSpot was made in close collaboration with Smarkify, with the goal of creating a platform that not only met ICORE's current needs but was future-proof as well. Smarkify supported everything from the license to the technical set, the implementation of processes and the training of everyone who would work in the platform. In conjunction with the implementation, all existing data from their previous CRM was also migrated to HubSpot.
-We found it easy to get started with HubSpot. We focused on the key features first and made sure it aligned with our Playbook. Sometimes they can feel overwhelming and laborious to change systems. But by supporting us with taking the most important things first, and having our Smarkiting Playbook as a basis, we got the best conditions for a smooth implementation,” says Annika Jörs, Marketing Coordinator at iCore.
iCore had a clear picture of what they wanted out of their new CRM and marketing system. The most important thing was to be able to collect all customer data in one place and create conditions for sales and marketing to minimize friction in the work. Another important aspect was the ability to automate what is going on so that time is spent on value-creating activities instead of administration.
-There were also no surprises along the way when we implemented HubSpot. We have received everything we described that we wanted from the solution,” continues Thomas Madsen, Marketing Manager at iCore.
Smarkify has contributed creativity and fast support
We gained early confidence in Smarkify who quickly understood our challenge and what we needed,” says Thomas Madsen, Marketing Manager at iCore. Since then, we have received fantastic support all the way, which has meant that we have had very short lead times. The Smarkify team has always been there to support and help us on our journey,” Annika adds.
The collaboration worked so well that iCore chose to continue working with Smarkify in a Marketing as a Service (MaaS) setup. This means that they receive ongoing support with digital marketing every month. They have a designated project manager who coordinates the efforts based on ICORE's needs and ensures that the right specialist is recruited depending on the planned activities.
iCore also cooperates with another marketing agency, and has split the work between them and Smarkit Agency. A setup that worked perfectly for iCore.
We are very pleased with Smarkify's efforts! They often come up with ideas and help us find creative solutions. They say, 'Why don't you guys test this? It can be solved easily through this function.”, says Thomas.
A concrete example of this is how Smarkify helped iCore optimize its recruitment process. By sharing their experiences and identifying a seamless solution, they were able to implement HubSpot for job application management as well. This meant that all information is now gathered in one place, with a clear and structured process for recruitment.
Thomas talks about an example of a creative solution from Smarkify regarding their recruitment process. Here Smarkify supported by sharing its experiences to find simple solutions. This led to the fact that all job applications are now handled through HubSpot. Everything ends up in one place and there is a clear process set up for recruitment.
We can really recommend Smarkify. It is agency that challenges us and that constantly helps us to be better. We appreciate that!
“We can really recommend Smarkify. It is agency that challenges us and that constantly helps us to be better. We appreciate that!”
Thomas Madsen
Marketing Manager at iCore
Results
Better overview and smooth integrations that simplified the work
Once HubSpot was implemented, iCore got the seamless integrations they wanted. They got a clear flow between sales and market as well as a better overview of the customer's buying journey.
The seamless handling has been really good. We have been able to put automation in a completely different way now, which has allowed sellers to have a much better overview and control of the leads that are created. At the same time, continuity and follow-up of these leads was made possible thanks to the automations that we have set up. As soon as a contact had downloaded a document from the website or signed up for a course or similar, the person received a confirmation and a next step, says Thomas.
The processes developed in the Smarketing Playbook were easily implemented in HubSpot. Today, all forms on iCore's website are integrated with HubSpot, and collaboration between sales and marketing is easily managed through an interface within the platform.
Another important aspect was to increase activity in social channels. Managing this manually was time-consuming, but thanks to HubSpot's scheduling and automation capabilities, iCore was able to increase its presence while maintaining continuity.
Now we can publish new content and be relevant in our digital channels, even when we are on vacation. In addition, we make it easy in the same platform where we handle everything else in sales and marketing. We are now also integrating Meta with HubSpot to be able to manage content also for Facebook and Instagram via our HubSpot portal,” says Thomas.
Being able to follow up on activities on social media and other channels has become much easier. Together with Smarkify, iCore has set up relevant dashboards and linked statistics from, for example, LinkedIn, providing a clear and valuable overview of the results.
There are many benefits of HubSpot for us. Among other things, we simplify our sales. The insights and lists in HubSpot give us a clear overview of the customer journey, and we can follow everything that happens from prospect to customer. Thanks to the automated mailings, we can now send out the right information to the right contacts and follow up more frequently, which is starting to show up in the numbers,” concludes Thomas.