Building human connections: Key takeaways from our Aircall Conversation Event with HubSpot

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According to our Voice of SMB report, 72% of global businesses (69% of UK businesses) are focussing on customer satisfaction as their main priority for 2024. How can partners, sales leaders, and customer relationship managers achieve this goal, as well as contribute to sustainable growth for the future? And will AI play a part?

These were the questions we aimed to answer on 6th March with our networking event with our HubSpot ecosystem partners: Inbound Fintech, Heyoo, and Findmore Solutions. Set against the stylish backdrop of The Ivy Soho Brasserie in London, we gathered together a host of our customers, channel partners, and integration partners to discuss our spotlight topic: building human connections - a key feature in our 2024 report, The Voice of SMBs.

Aircall, HubSpot and Connectd

Overall, the evening was a chance for our partners and customers to meet, relax, and enjoy the cool surroundings and thought-provoking conversations. As well as the chance to catch up, we treated our guests to an engaging panel discussion, focussing on the topics of AI and the customer experience. Our panellists were Lucy Crook, Mid-Market Sales Manager at HubSpot, Jim Dixon, Senior Performance Acquisition Manager at Connectd, and our own James Mensforth, Sales Director UKI, with Lisa Vecchio, Aircall’s VP of Global Integrated Marketing as our moderator and host.

Building a winning sales formula through human connection

The panel began with some insights into customer satisfaction, and our responsibility to make sure customers are maximising the value they’re getting from our platforms. 

'...if our customers are to get value from the platform, that starts with our sales team making sure that they’re selling the right solution…making sure that they’re having the right conversations with the right people…getting to the root cause of the problem as well, and not selling to surface problems.'

Lucy Crook, Mid-Market Sales Manager, HubSpot

From here, our speakers shared incredible knowledge around humanising the sales and support process, building better relationships with customers, and supporting teams with mindset coaching and tailored conversations. Lucy, Jim and James all brought expertise from varying backgrounds and industries, and although they sometimes preferred different approaches to customer management and team development, they all agreed that having data at your fingertips is essential in building human connections. Take a look at the full discussion:

Aircall Conversations with HubSpot: Key insights

Our panel discussion raised a number of great points, which gave us and our guests real food for thought on the journey home:

1. How can we best focus on customer satisfaction?

   The team shared ideas around conducting yourself as an owner for your business, and making the sales cycle easy for customers. Also, it’s important to offer multiple communication channels so customers can contact you in a way that suits them.

2. AI: friend, foe, or just another business tool?

   Here, the group put forward their opinions on using AI as a business tool which strips out admin and enables your sales and support teams to invest more time in value-driven customer conversations, e.g. through automated meeting notes. Use AI to support human connection, not replace it.

3. How to coach your sales team and make them stand out

   Coaching was a huge part of the discussion, with the whole panel agreeing that active listening and being present in meetings is a skill which can be supported by AI. Also, up–front transparency about your product’s capabilities will help you stand out as a sales person.

4. Data, insight, and adapting to the customer

   While we honed in on human connection, the panel acknowledged that all the best sales and support conversations are built on a foundation of data and insight. Your teams have to be able to surface what your customers need, and they need to flex to the customer’s expectations - they simply cannot do this without the data to steer them. Having it at their fingertips is a must.

The journey home: Engaging with SMBs

The panel closed to huge applause, with the vast majority of our guests commenting on how they’d garnered actionable insights and practical ideas to take forward into their own businesses. The discussions went on into the night, and even in front of the camera, as our Aircall Conversations Event drew to a close on a cool, early Spring night in the heart of London.

Discover even more insights into building human connections, with our full report: The Voice of SMB. And, check out our UK-specific reports:
The Voice of SMB: UK Sales edition
The Voice of SMB: UK Support edition

Published on March 25, 2024.