Get A Bullet-Proof Justification Framework
There are a lot of great marketing and sales conferences out there. I feel like I have participated in most of them over the past decade. It’s easy to put all of the elite business conferences in the same bucket - Dreamforce, Content Marketing World, Funnel Hacking Live, Social Media Marketing World, etc.
There are several events I highly recommend to re-charge and learn the latest marketing and sales techniques.
However, as a long-time HubSpot customer and someone who relies on HubSpot and the inbound philosophy every day to grow businesses (including my HubSpot consulting firm), there is one conference that stands out above the rest.
HubSpot’s INBOUND Conference
With the increasingly stiff competition for your professional development dollars, this sounds like a tall claim. In fact...
- There are better places to learn how to lead your company.
- There are better conferences to get sales training.
- There are better ways to learn traffic and lead generation for various markets.
However, if you are serious about growing your business using HubSpot, the INBOUND Conference is the best event for your team to attend.
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The sessions and speakers also appeal to companies ranging from start-ups and solopreneurs, to nonprofits and large enterprise.
You are not going to find another conference that meets your needs in all of these important areas and has a focus on HubSpot software and the underlying methodology.
The Problem With Justifying the INBOUND Conference
Even though HubSpot provides tools for selling this event inside your company, the INBOUND Conference can still be hard to explain to your boss and colleagues.
There is so much that goes on over those four days. Even if you have attended the conference in the past, you can trip over yourself trying to justify the cost of attending.
In trying to wrap your head around this 24,000+ person event and convey its value, you can easily say the wrong thing and end up staying home that week.
My team has put together the following guide to help you frame why your company should send you to the INBOUND Conference.
Why INBOUND Is a Must-Attend Event If You Are Serious About Growing Your Business Using HubSpot
Some companies are using HubSpot, but they are not sold on the software, process, or its cost. That usually means that they are not putting adequate resources behind getting value from their investment in HubSpot.
If you are that company, this guide is not for you. You have bigger issues to figure out internally before evaluating what you will get out of the INBOUND Conference.
However, if you are committed to increasing leads and sales using HubSpot, the following information will highlight why missing INBOUND is simply not an option.
Why INBOUND Is A One-Of-A-Kind Experience For HubSpot Customers
In the 10 years I have been attending INBOUND, there have been times when I have struggled with the experience. Sometimes the content wasn’t advanced enough. Other times, the combination of excitement over new ideas, coupled with the overwhelming task of implementing new ideas with a small marketing team, made for an emotional rollercoaster.
When I developed the following framework, I was able to get more from the conference and categorize different sessions and experiences into the right perspective.
You Attend INBOUND For Inspiration:
- Make strides in half the time by getting ideas from peers.
- Change your growth plan with a new mindset.
- Come back refreshed with a new perspective on how to grow your company.
- You have a good ideas;validate them against marketing and sales best practices.
- Keep your eye on trends in attracting attention, lead generation, and sales.
You Go To The INBOUND Conference For the How-To Content:
- Attend sessions and case studies that walk you through how to execute specific marketing and sales tactics.
- Learn how to increase traffic when the old method stops working.
- Get advice on increasing lead generation from companies that are crushing it.
- See how to turn more leads into sales using an inbound approach.
- Find out how to create advocates in your market from your customers and community.
You Attend INBOUND To Learn How To Use HubSpot Software Better:
- Get the most from HubSpot’s Marketing Hub.
- Show your sales reps how to win more business using the HubSpot sales tools.
- See how to complete your flywheel with HubSpot’s Service Hub.
- Get to know your options for adding power to your HubSpot system with HubSpot’s Connect Partners.
- Prepare your team for the future with HubSpot’s new feature announcements and demos (This is always one of my favorite sessions!).
The Under-The-Surface Value You’ll Get From HubSpot’s INBOUND Conference
The session and keynotes are both inspiring and actionable. However, the most impactful takeaways require some work on your part.
Networking & Relationship-Building
From people in your shoes, to veteran HubSpot experts, to HubSpotters themselves, the people you meet at INBOUND can become a key part of your network and support system. It gets even better when your relationships grow and you see each other at the next INBOUND or local HubSpot User Group meetings throughout the year.
Get Solutions To Business-Specific Challenges
Want quick wins? Spend the weeks before INBOUND compiling a list of specific questions you need answered. Float your questions by the people you meet (after you get to know them a little), or seek answers at the huge HubSpot support center at Club INBOUND. This focus ensures that you will come back from INBOUND with actionable steps to solve things that will have an impact on your specific business.
Setting Expectations For the INBOUND Conference
Like any well-run business conference, INBOUND is not perfect.
INBOUND has had problems in the past with keynotes that missed the mark and crowd-sizes. One particularly big challenge was in 2016, when INBOUND was held during the 2016 presidential election. With that being said, the conference organizers do an excellent job of asking for feedback and listening - sometimes even making adjustments mid-way through the event.
Every year, some parts are good, while other aspects are great. Your takeaways largely depend on your situation, your expectations, and how you prepare for the conference.
It is important to understand and convey that these three categories (inspiration, how-tos, and HubSpot software) are precisely what you need to grow your company using HubSpot.
When you look at it that way, going to INBOUND is a no-brainer.
INBOUND Conference Takeaway
Leverage the framework in this article to explain the INBOUND Conference to your boss and colleagues. Use this approach in your justification to make yourself more confident in selling INBOUND internally.
If need be, you’ll make the case to roll your entire professional development budget into the INBOUND Conference. This experience will provide the know-how, inspiration, and understanding of the HubSpot platform to last the entire year.
