In 1949, American professor Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, an anthropological work that outlines the universal concept of the hero’s transformative journey in story and myth throughout time.
Campbell’s theory states that we create heroes that mirror exactly who we are. It's said that stories that survive over time are those that present characters with whom we can empathize because we recognize ourselves in them.
A famous example of this theory in our stories is George Lucas’s use of The Hero with a Thousand Faces as the scaffolding for Star Wars. He deliberately followed the structure that Campbell outlined to create the journey of Luke Skywalker.
Lucas envisioned Luke as the protagonist, but, when I was a kid (and a grown-up) Princess Lea was my hero. And that works, too! Literally, every character in any story is a potential hero because, at the end of the day, we’re ALL heroes. Even the villains (but that’s another story).
At some point early in every story, a guide or mentor appears who is uniquely qualified to empathize with and assist the hero.
If we apply Campbell’s theory to our idea of inbound marketing and the Buyer’s Journey, that mentor archetype represents your Business Development Team. Their job is to help the buyer make it safely and happily ever after to the sale that eases their pain.
Our Business Development Lead, Will Davidson, is going to show you the importance of entering the Buyer’s Journey at the right stage and how he ensures our client's safe passage home by applying this concept to his process.
Every one of us—every hero—begins a journey with significant pain: an abduction, a loss, a threat of imminent destruction, so, one could say that our initial problem creates our path. Otherwise, we might never grow, change, or leave home. The Hero’s Journey.
Along that path, we experience the pain of the initial problem or other problems that must be recognized, figured out, and solved. That, my friends, is often about being a buyer—seeking out an elixir that will soothe or solve the problem. The Buyer’s Journey.
Though Campbell’s structure has more detail, both theories have three main components.
| The Hero’s Journey | The Buyer’s Journey |
| Separation | Awareness |
| Initiation | Consideration |
| Return | Decision |
With the hero archetype, we only need to think of any of our favorite films or novels to get the gist of it:
The main character is hurled out of their peaceful spot due to some major trauma that sets them out on the “road” where they face trials and tribulations until they are transformed by knowledge gained at which time they return back to where they were before—only smarter and bearing gifts to their community that brings peace.
Similarly, the buyer realizes something is causing them to suffer, so they seek information about how to solve it. Once they figure it out and commit to one solution, they buy which returns them back to a place of peace (and often bearing shopping bags).
Combine the two, and you’ve got it.
Almost immediately after our buyer hero realizes they’re neck-deep in proverbial quicksand, the mentor appears. Now we’re talking marketing: for this is the moment at which your Development Team enters the story.
The most successful team has this tool in their main hand: empathy. Your Development Team has to understand the pain before they can help, and help they must. They are the Obi-Wan Kenobi to the buyer’s Luke. Got it?
Will Davidson knows this well. He remembers exactly what it’s like being in the shoes of our clients when they find us at Growth because he remembers his own pain. He knows their story because he lived it, too.
Two years ago, Will was running his own business without a CRM. “That’s a specific memory that drives me to show our clients what onboarding to Hubspot can actually do. The difference is drastic: pain vs. relief from pain, and I want them to experience that feeling. I want them to succeed in their own businesses, and a powerful, intuitive CRM like Hubspot is key to that.”
Will comes by empathy honestly. His dad was a billboard company owner, and he remembers how his dad did it differently than everyone else. “He wasn’t that pushy, salesy guy. He was the guy who got exactly and only what you needed and then became a part of your family. His clients loved him because he genuinely loved them. He looked out for them. He was way ahead of his time.”
“Now, we know that the Buyer’s Journey requires someone who helps, someone who’s more interested in assistance than making a sale. But, back then, that’s not how salespeople were trained to do it. My dad was just being himself, and he knew that when you care about people, the rest takes care of itself. And it did. His clients thrived because of his help.”
When I asked Will who his hero is (and I was thinking, you know, from movies or books, from stories)—Will said, without hesitation: “My dad. He’s more than my dad; he’s my mentor.”
Will Davidson, Business Development Lead
Growth Marketing Firm
Growth Marketing Firm, Jun 14, 2021
Did you know that 2 out of 3 CRM projects fail due to slow user adoption? In the same study, 38% of organizations reported a lack of IT support for CRM initiatives. Other barriers to successful CRM adoption include inadequate change management, a lack of executive support, and general misalignment.
Conversely, 82% of top salespeople cite their CRM as a critical tool for closing deals. Companies see an average of $8.71 back on every dollar spent on CRM. Using a CRM can increase sales by 30%.
Enough with the motivating metrics—let’s discuss some actionable steps for your organization's successful CRM adoption.
With thoughtful planning, careful attention, and support from the right solutions partner, your CRM implementation and adoption can beat these odds. Do these 5 things to help your organization roll out a new CRM successfully.
Katrina Horne, Apr 30, 2021
Looking to reclaim a sense of peace and calm in your CRM? After heavy usage, it may be time to declutter your database. Here is our step-by-step guide to clearing your old CRM contacts.
Chris Nault, Apr 23, 2021
(last updated September 9, 2022)
“Everything is a CRM these days. What makes yours different?”
Traditionally, CRM has been associated with sales software, but, at HubSpot, your Customer Relationship Management is a single source of truth that empowers your team to build engaging relationships and provide a best-in-class experience to your customers.
While it marries marketing and sales—or what we like to call smarketing—when you choose the right CRM for your business, you gain access to the many benefits from this software.
By the end of this, you’ll be able to make a well-informed decision when determining whether the HubSpot CRM is right for your business.
Let’s dive in.
Ashley Lilly, Apr 22, 2021
Entering at center stage: HubSpot Operations Hub
Designed to help your company run better so you can grow better, HubSpot continues to make strides in investing in its suite of tools, enabling us to innovate faster and solve for our customers. With the expansion to its crafted CRM platform, HubSpot has now launched Operations Hub or Ops Hub. A product designed to transform the role of operations professionals across the business world and empower them to be at the forefront in helping deliver friction-free customer experiences.
"Operations teams are the unsung heroes of our industry, They carry the responsibility for managing the systems, processes, and data that keep a scaling company running every day.” - HubSpot's EVP of Revenue Operations Alison Elworthy.
Ashley Lilly, Apr 21, 2021
Last you heard, we were celebrating the occasion of becoming a HubSpot Solutions Partner. But, now, as we kick off Q2 of 2021, we have an even bigger reason to celebrate! We are excited to announce that Growth is a HubSpot Gold Solutions Partner. We can deliver more value to our customers with our newly achieved status, including exclusive offers to new and existing HubSpot users.
“The commitment to continued education and self-improvement by the Growth team is nothing short of humbling. Everyone took the hard road, to provide a higher level of consulting and commitment to our clients. This was truly the “give before the get” our mission is centered around.” says Growth Founder, Chris Nault.
"The Growth Marketing team has a unique balance of a genuine customer-first mindset and adaptability that has made them a standout partner among the pack. Many partners can talk the talk but Growth can walk the walk," says HubSpot Channel Consultant, Nick Cull
But, what does all of this mean for your business? Read on to see how our HubSpot Partner Agency can help your business grow better together.
Growth Marketing Firm, Apr 15, 2021
