Experience disruption: 3 keys to staying competitive from HubSpot’s Brian Halligan [Video]

People often forget what you say and what you do, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

This is popular wisdom from Maya Angelou, and, truthfully, it belongs in every modern marketing playbook. 

Today, marketing and business are all about experiences.

They’re about how you leave your buyer feeling after they’ve engaged with you, your product, or service and making sure it’s positive.

86% of buyers say they’d pay more for a better customer experience that feels more effortless, personalized, and unique. 

Yet, this isn’t necessarily at the top of every business’ concerns. 

Back in the ‘90s and early 2000s, we talked a lot about technological disruption or the transformation of the way people live their lives and do business thanks to groundbreaking technology. 

While these advancements are still happening, in the last decade or so, this economy seems to have given way to new pioneers like Carvana, Chewy, and Spotify that HubSpot CEO and founder, Brian Halligan calls experience disruptors. 

What is an experience disrupter and how can you become one? 

In this talk from IMPACT’s annual conference, IMPACT Live 2019 (now Digital Sales & Marketing World), Halligan shares three “mutations” all experience disruptors possess and how major brands have used them to succeed. 

The new disruption playbook

In recent years, we’ve seen landmark brands challenged and even displaced by brands that don’t necessarily have a better product, but rather offer a better customer experience.

Tesla’s giving BMW a run for its money, Netflix has dethroned Blockbuster, Xfinity, and a number of other cable services.  

This is all thanks to three “mutations” from traditional tech disruptors, according to Brian Halligan:

1. They are “modern-hospitality businesses”

They don’t just try to sell people a cookie-cutter product, but rather provide a personalized, delightful experience. To create this, they “secret shop,” going through the buyer’s journey from start to finish to see evaluate it first-hand. 

2. They are driven by their terms and conditions

Many large corporations today hinder customer experiences with their red tape of complicated policies that trap users in services even if they no longer find them valuable or stuck with a product that never fit their needs in the first place.

Experience disruptors remove these barriers, promising no hidden fees or charges and making returns easy and hassle-free. They also stand by their value, offering no discounts or sales (at least not regularly). 

3. They are “flywheel ninjas”

These organizations, like HubSpot with its flywheel, recognize that the customer experience is cyclical, not linear.

They are focused on creating a seamless, consistent holistic experience across all aspects of their business.

This focus does not end with a purchase but rather extends to the customer service and delight delivered after the close all the way to referral, advocacy, or return business.

Keep going in IMPACT+

With dozens of actionable tools and training resources for sales and marketing professionals, IMPACT+ is the only online educational community that helps you both move the sales needle and advance in your career.

Join today for free or upgrade to a pro membership to see the full 40-minute talk from Brian Halligan as well as all of the recordings from IMPACT Live 2017-2019 and Digital Sales & Marketing Day, and gain access to pro courses, private virtual peer groups, pro resources, and more. 

Photo courtesy of Connecticut Headshots