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Finally! The holidays are here – let’s give a big cheer to the end of 2020!

It’s been a gruelling year of uncertainty, change, opportunity, and endless pivoting. The break is a great opportunity to kick back, relax and throw an LP on the turntable – assuming you have one. With few holiday gatherings this year, it made me think of this song… scroll down to revisit some classic tunes that might sum up your own take on 2020.

Here are some final takeaways:

A Last Look at 2020 HubSpot Data

HubSpot has been bringing out their ‘A Game’ this year – collecting some great statistics and data for sales and marketers using their platform. Let’s have one last look at the data and trends:

  • Deals Created & Deals Closed – Good news! Deals created and closed continue to trend above pre-COVID levels. Is this just end-of-year sales activity, or will we see this trend continue through January?
  • Sales Emails Sent & Response Rate – Sales emails sent continue to be dramatically higher than pre-COVID. However, response rates are much lower. Too much noise out there?
  • Sales Calls & Conversations – Interestingly, we also see that sales calls and conversations are trending above pre-COVID rates (but not as dramatic as sales emails!). This gives me hope, as it shows that valuable sales activity is happening. In B2B, the sales conversation is everything!
  • Marketing Emails – Total marketing emails sent continue to trend way higher than pre-COVID levels – with very strong open rates. I’m hoping this is due to integrated, multi-channel marketing programs! Sending emails as “one-offs” just gets lost in the shuffle, while a multi-touch campaign featuring quality content draws attention and engages the buyer.

I hope HubSpot continues to publish this data in 2021. I use it weekly as I track campaign results for clients vs. industry benchmarks. How do your activity levels and conversions compare to the HubSpot stats?

What’s the Soundtrack for 2020?

Our friends at VanillaSoft asked us recently about our 2020 soundtrack. I’ve taken their list of suggestions and edited it based on how I feel, and how our clients have reacted to the pandemic. Enjoy the entertainment while you feast on leftovers and heaps of holiday cheer!

“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus

“From a Distance” by Bette Midler

“Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police

“Courage” by The Tragically Hip

“U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer

“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer

“If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher

“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tommy James and the Shondells

“Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones

“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba

What song best describes YOUR overall impression of 2020?

A Few Closing Thoughts

I started this weekly email back in March in an effort to share and collaborate as we all tried to navigate through the uncertainty of 2020. Here we are in December, still navigating that uncertainty… and I couldn’t do it without all of you! Thank you for the positive feedback and amazing support you’ve provided. We’re all in this together and I wish you every success in 2021. Happy New Year!

As always, don’t hesitate to call me to brainstorm or ask how I can help.

Looking forward,
Rick

Rick Endrulat, President | ricke@v-causeway.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rickendrulat