WISHTRIP: A comprehensive CRM overhaul

The Background

Wishtrip is a SaaS-based application that empowers tourists and tourism operators. The application benefits tourists and attraction operators by engaging visitors before, during, and after their visits. It creates promotional content to educate users and suggests exploration opportunities to enrich the tourism experience. 

WishTrip effectively advertises the destination for the tourism operator by branding all visitor-generated content with the destination's branding. The app also provides data and analytics on the destinations to improve operations and analyze tourist activities.

The Challenge

After five years of using HubSpot, the entire time managed in-house in a do-it-yourself style by individuals without formal training, things had to change. Marketing could have used HubSpot more effectively—the sales processes needed to be more straightforward and were essentially counterproductive. The after-sales support team did not use the HubSpot Service Hub at all.

If the company wanted to scale, it needed a working CRM that seamlessly processed incoming leads and funneled them to sales. This CRM would use all the information collected during marketing and the sales process to empower the after-sales Customer Success team. It would also effectively track customer interactions and provide valuable insights for future marketing strategies.

The Solution

The first step was understanding the current business practices and management's ultimate aspirations for the system. By aligning the CRM with the company's goals and objectives, management could ensure a seamless integration that would drive long-term growth and success and improve overall efficiency and customer satisfaction. The watchword for the entire reorganization process was "Evolution, not Revolution."

In collaboration with management and department team leaders, I thoroughly documented and learned how each team member performed their role. Based on this investigation, I created a blueprint for gradually modifying existing practices while customizing HubSpot's features to support these changes. Once all parties involved approved the modifications and customizations, I implemented them over six months. Throughout this process, I ensured that team members received training to fulfill their roles effectively with HubSpot's support.

This approach allowed for a smooth transition that minimized disruption and employee resistance. By educating and involving everyone in the process, we built buy-in and ensured that the changes would be embraced rather than met with opposition. The result was a CRM system that met the company's needs and exceeded expectations, leading to increased productivity and profitability.

Our Accomplishments

Marketing

• The effort and time required to winnow the chaff from the stream of incoming leads significantly decreased. 

Sales

• As a result, sales teams could more efficiently focus on high-quality leads and convert them into customers. Additionally, the CRM system allowed for better tracking and analysis of customer interactions, leading to improved targeting and more personalized communications. 

After-Sales Support

• Together with the Customer Success team, we built an automated onboarding process that streamlined customer setup and training.,resulting in faster ttime to valuefor new clients.
• In addition, the CRM system's role in post-sales support, including facilitating smoother customer service interactions and communicating more proactively with clients, ultimately led to higher customer satisfaction rates and increased customer retention.
  

Management

• Finally, for the first time in years, as the modified processes integrated with the HubSpot platform started to collect meaningful data, the management team could begin extracting meaningful reports on all aspects of their business. The team was able to make data-driven decisions that improved overall efficiency and effectiveness. 
  
• By acquiring real-time insights into sales performance, customer behavior, and marketing campaign efficacy, the management team could swiftly identify opportunities for improvement and execute strategic modifications. This approach resulted in a more agile and competitive organization that is better positioned to address its clientele's evolving requirements.

Key Takeaways

• Without the in-depth investigation and documentation of the existing business processes, no amount of changes to the HubSpot CRM hubs would have achieved the same success.
• Ultimately, the involvement of all the stakeholders and direct users in this learning and planning process directly contributed to its ultimate success.
• Finally, my knowledge and skills as a Systems Analyst (RevOps) and SaaS software expert, along with my years of training and coaching experience, helped the team adopt and use the HubSpot platform we set up together.