Introduction
Wiremu was tearing his hair out. His manufacturing business was doing alright, but something was off.
Leads were slipping through the cracks. Meetings between the marketing and sales teams turned into polite blame games. The CRM looked like a kid’s scribble on a foggy car window.
“We have great people,” Wiremu told me over a coffee, “but we aren’t clicking.”
Cue HubSpot’s CRM.
The result?
Leads flowed more efficiently. Conversions doubled. And those snarky Slack emojis?
Mostly retired.
In this post, we’ll show you why aligning sales and marketing (aka smarketing) matters for NZ businesses, walk through four steps to make it happen with HubSpot, and share human tips to keep your teams connected – no drama required.
What Is Smarketing, and Why Does It Matter?
Smarketing, sales and marketing working as one, isn’t just a buzzword; it’s your ticket to less stress and more wins. When teams are out of sync, leads vanish, campaigns flop, and your CRM becomes a mess of random notes, and let’s be honest, another friction point. It’s like trying to play rugby without a game plan.
Smarketing means:
- Shared goals: Both teams chase the same targets, like closed deals.
- Shared language: Everyone agrees on what a “qualified lead” is.
- Shared systems: HubSpot’s CRM keeps it all in one place, lightening the admin load.
- Shared accountability: No finger-pointing, just teamwork.
For NZ businesses, where relationships drive deals, smarketing is gold. A 2023 HubSpot report shows aligned teams boost close rates by 38% and cut sales cycles by 20%. Whether you’re an Auckland startup founder or a Christchurch marketing manager, smarketing means faster deals, happier customers, and a team that feels like mates, not rivals.
How to Align Sales & Marketing with HubSpot
Here’s a four-step plan to get your teams on the same page, packed with HubSpot tricks, NZ examples, and a bit of Kiwi humour. Think of it as building a cracking pavlova – simple steps, done right.
1. Set Shared Goals That Mean Something
Random targets create chaos. Wiremu got his marketing and sales teams together (over coffee, naturally) to nail down:
- What’s a qualified lead? They used BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline).
- Monthly goals? 20 sales-qualified leads (SQLs) and 5 deals.
- How to track? HubSpot dashboards, not dusty spreadsheets.
HubSpot How-To:
Use HubSpot’s custom properties to tag leads (e.g., “MQL,” “SQL,” “Source: Website”). Set up a dashboard to track SQLs and deals in real time.
Additionally:
Use HubSpot’s workflows and task queues to automatically assign follow-up reminders to sales reps when a lead hits the SQL stage. You can even configure this to add the lead directly into their pipeline, cutting admin time and letting salespeople focus on what actually moves the dial – selling.
This keeps efficiency high and the handover tight, so leads never fall through the cracks again.
Wiremu’s team loved watching their wins stack up like a scoreboard.
Example: Wiremu’s team agreed an SQL needs a $10k+ budget and a 3-month timeline. This cut the confusion and focused everyone.
2. Run a Weekly LOOP Hui
Meetings can suck the life out of you, so Wiremu’s team created the LOOP hui, a 15-minute sync to stay aligned without the waffle. LOOP stands for:
- L – Leads: Are marketing’s leads hitting the mark?
- O – Opportunities: Which deals are heating up?
- O – Obstacles: What’s slowing things down?
- P – People: Who’s killing it or needs a hand?
HubSpot How-To: Build a HubSpot dashboard with reports for MQLs, deal stages, and overdue tasks. Share it via Slack or Teams for easy access. Wiremu’s team ran LOOPs every Tuesday, keeping it sharp.
Example: When sales flagged “too many cold leads,” marketing tweaked their LinkedIn ads to target NZ decision-makers, boosting SQLs by 25%.
3. Nail the M.I.X. Handover
Sloppy handoffs kill momentum. Wiremu’s team used vague notes like “call this guy.” The M.I.X. handover fixed that:
- M – Motivation: Why’s this lead here? (E.g., saw our ad.)
- I – Intent: Browsing or ready to buy? (E.g., requested a demo.)
- X – Next Step: What’s next? (E.g., call by Friday.)
Marketing logs this in HubSpot’s lead notes before passing to sales. Example: “Lead from Auckland, saw LinkedIn ad for cloud software. Wants to upgrade by Q3. Booked demo for Tuesday.” Sales jump in with context, no guesswork.
HubSpot How-To: Use HubSpot’s lead status fields and notes for M.I.X. details. Set up a workflow to notify sales on handoff. Wiremu’s team cut follow-up time by 50%.
Example: Marketing’s Kirsty added, “This lead loves rugby – mention the Hurricanes!” It made sales calls warmer.
4. TALK Before You Tag
We’ve all tagged someone in HubSpot and bailed like it’s a mic drop. Wiremu’s team adopted TALK – >> Take A Little Kindness. Before assigning a lead, send a quick message: “Kia ora, Kiri! Dropped a hot lead in your queue. Looks promising, thought you’d want a heads-up.” It’s 10 seconds that build trust.HubSpot How-To: Use HubSpot’s task feature for lead assignments, paired with a Slack or Teams integration for notifications. Set up a “Hot Lead” alert.
Example: Wiremu’s team started Flat White Fridays, grabbing coffee to chat with leads. It turned tasks into teamwork.
Tips for Keeping Smarketing Human
- Celebrate Wins: Big deal closed? Shout out both teams on Slack or Teams or at the LOOP hui. Wiremu’s “Win Wall” in HubSpot’s notes tracked shared victories.
- Campaign Channels: Create Slack/Teams channels for each campaign (e.g., #Summer-Ad-Blitz). Sales can share feedback like “Clients loved the new video!”
- Emoji Code: Use emojis in HubSpot: 🌟 for hot leads, ⚡️ for urgent, ☑️ for closed. It makes the CRM fun.
- Fresh Dashboards: Tidy HubSpot dashboards monthly. Wiremu’s team set a reminder to keep reports relevant.
- Smarketing Retro: Every quarter, reflect on what’s working. Use a Miro board to map wins and fixes. Wiremu’s report showed sales needed shorter emails, sorted in a week.
Closing
Wiremu didn’t fix a broken business. He made a good team great by tearing down that invisible wall. HubSpot was the tool, but the real magic was clarity, kindness, and habits like LOOP and M.I.X. His teams now move like mates planning a weekend roadie – together, focused, pumped. “We’re not just hitting targets,” Wiremu said. “We’re building something real.”
Your wall might be missed messages or fuzzy goals, and once you identify those, you’ll overcome them easily. Start with one LOOP hui, M.I.X. handover, or kind note.
Ready to get your sales and marketing teams clicking? Let Turnpoint Marketing set up your HubSpot CRM with dashboards, automations, and smarketing habits that last. Book a free session to start smashing that invisible wall.
Alignment is just one part of proving ROI. For a complete framework, explore our guide: [The Complete Guide to Proving Marketing ROI in New Zealand].
🗓️ Book a free smarketing session with Turnpoint
