Recently, we wrote about how much CRM training sales teams need. In that post, we dig into the perils of under-training and the factors for determining how much training is enough.
If you’ve identified that your team does need HubSpot training and you have a rough idea of what kind of training they need, the next step is to decide who should train them.
While there are a few directions you can go, many businesses choose to hire a HubSpot Certified Trainer. In this post, we’ll cover what a HubSpot Certified Trainer is and how hiring one could benefit your business.
What Is a HubSpot Certified Trainer?
A HubSpot Certified Trainer is someone who has completed HubSpot’s certified trainer program. This program focuses on grooming participants to effectively teach how to use inbound marketing and the HubSpot software through methods and practices that conform to the highest standards set by the HubSpot Academy.
To be accepted into this program, applicants must meet several prerequisites, including:
- Being employed at a tiered HubSpot Solutions Partner
- Having a history of speaking or training
- Being Inbound Marketing Certified, Inbound Sales Certified, HubSpot Marketing Software Certified and HubSpot Sales Software Certified
Once accepted into the program, participants must complete the Trainer Certification exam and the Practicum, which includes several exercises and sample training deliverables.
If they pass the certification exam and the practicum workbook is approved by the HubSpot Academy team, HubSpot Certified Trainers can then market their certification and use their training to teach groups, lead workshops and train clients.
Why I Became a HubSpot Certified Trainer
As you probably guessed, based on the fact I’m writing about this topic, yes, I’m a HubSpot Certified Trainer.
Becoming a trainer wasn’t something I had ever envisioned for myself. But over the years, our agency has been working on increasingly complex HubSpot projects that take advantage of more advanced features. Out of necessity, I began training clients on the platform – helping sales and marketing teams understand and use the tools we set up for them.
While I had a good handle on the software itself and I consider myself to be a strong communicator, I hadn’t considered what structure would work best for a training session or what type of teaching methods would work for different learners. I admittedly was more focused on the content of the training than finding a way to make it more interactive and enjoyable (which, in hindsight, is pretty important!).
In other words, I was kinda winging it.
What I found is that leading a successful training is no small feat. I speak to this in the blog I linked to earlier, but there’s a lot more to adoption than just showing people how to log in and use a few features.
For starters, there’s usually at least some resistance to change that must be overcome, skepticism about the outside person telling them they need to use a new system and even culture shifts that may need to happen for adoption to truly take hold. On top of that, there are different learning styles to account for, often competing interests and needs in the mix – and IT and logistical considerations to be anticipated.
I realized that if I was going to continue training, I didn’t want to do it in a half measure. The HubSpot Certified Trainer Program was the way to ensure I wouldn’t.
Having gone through it, I can attest it’s been especially helpful in how I prepare, collaborate and develop training materials based on what the participants really need to get out of it. I have a more comprehensive understanding of learning objectives, and now I understand why clearly defining them up front is key to keeping the agenda on track. And I think I can safely say the trainings are now much more fun and engaging.
Why Hire a HubSpot Certified Trainer?
Your options for booking training for yourself and/or your team boil down to the following:
- HubSpot Customer Training: HubSpot offers a handful of courses from group classes on the fundamentals to private training sessions. While you’re getting the benefit of working with HubSpot, you’re also opting for a more out-of-the-box option. Only the private session is tailored to your company, which consists of picking from pre-made course materials in either a 4- or 8-hour package.
- Training with a non-HubSpot Certified Trainer: There are plenty of agencies, consultants and solutions partners that offer training services and are not certified. Their experience and qualifications will vary and may be difficult to vet before hiring.
- Training with a HubSpot Certified Trainer: By hiring a certified trainer, you’re choosing to work with someone who has invested in their skills as a trainer and has demonstrated an ability to plan and deliver training tailored to specific needs.
Of course, there are no guarantees that hiring a HubSpot Certified Trainer is the best fit for your business. As with just about anything, we recommend doing your due diligence and researching different options to get a feel for what will be the best fit for you.
That said, if you’re choosing between a Certified Trainer that’s invested in their craft and someone who hasn’t… maybe I’m biased here, but perhaps that’s not such a hard decision to make.
Getting Started
If you’re ready to take the first steps, you can learn more about our HubSpot training services here. If our approach looks like a fit for your needs, we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss how we might develop a training program for your business.
