The First Know-How About HubSpot

HubSpot is built around a free CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that serves as the foundation for all its other tools.

🧭 Why This Matters:

The CRM is centralized, meaning you can track and manage all your contacts, companies, deals, and communications in one place.
It’s free to start, which makes it accessible for individuals and small teams.
It integrates seamlessly with HubSpot’s other hubs (Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Operations), allowing you to scale as your business grows.

🔑 Key Takeaway:

HubSpot is designed to help you attract, engage, and delight customers—starting with a CRM that organizes your relationships and interactions.

The first know-how about HubSpot is understanding its core philosophy:

“Inbound marketing and customer-centric growth.”

🧠 What This Means:

HubSpot is built on the idea that businesses grow better when they attract, engage, and delight customers—rather than interrupting them with traditional outbound tactics like cold calls or spammy emails.

🔑 First Know-How in Practice:

Start with the Free CRM
- It’s your central hub for managing contacts, companies, deals, and communication history.
- Automatically logs emails, calls, and meetings.
Use the Inbound Methodology
- Attract with helpful content (blogs, SEO, social media).
- Engage with personalized emails and chat.
- Delight with excellent service and follow-up.
Leverage Automation Early
- Even in the free version, you can automate tasks like email follow-ups and lead assignment.
Integrate Gradually
- Add Marketing, Sales, or Service Hubs as your needs grow—no need to buy everything at once.

✅ HubSpot Getting Started Checklist

1. Create Your HubSpot Account

Sign up at hubspot.com
Verify your email address
Choose your business type and goals

2. Set Up the Free CRM

Import your contacts (CSV or sync from Gmail/Outlook)
Organize contacts into companies and deals
Customize contact properties (e.g., industry, lifecycle stage)

3. Connect Your Tools

Connect your email (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
Install the HubSpot browser extension
Connect your calendar for meeting scheduling

4. Customize Your Dashboard

Set up your sales pipeline stages
Add team members and assign roles
Create custom dashboards and reports

5. Start Using Marketing Tools

Create your first email campaign
Build a landing page or form
Set up lead capture workflows

6. Explore Sales Tools

Use email templates and sequences
Schedule meetings with the booking tool
Track email opens and link clicks

7. Use Service Tools (Optional)

Set up a ticketing system
Add a live chat or chatbot to your site
Create a knowledge base

8. Learn and Grow

Take free HubSpot Academy courses
Join the HubSpot Community
Explore integrations (Slack, Zoom, Shopify, etc.)

This serves as an introduction to understanding what HubSpot is capable of. The next key question is: What’s the first thing you should learn when starting with HubSpot? Check my next notes…

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