HubDo Podcast: Do More On HubSpot.

How Top HubSpot Partners are Scaling Operations with ClickUp

Episode Summary

ZenPilot co-founder Gray MacKenzie shares deep experience from helping over 2,600 marketing agencies to improve operations and scale.

Episode Notes

In this episode, we tap the Intrinsic Knowledge Gray MacKenzie has built from helping over 2,600 marketing agencies over the last nine years.

ZenPilot chose to specialize in the ClickUp platform, as they have found through experience that ClickUp works very well for scaling agency operations.

Gray points out that platforms like Accelo might be a better fit for agencies who want an end-to-end system including accounting and billing. We also explore why HubSpot’s native Project Management features are not well suited for agencies with multiple clients. Gray recommends ClickUp for agencies with established accounting/billing systems who want to improve project management for client and agency operations.

Early in this episode, we discuss the three main pillars Gray has learned are key to success: Technology, Processes and behaviours. We then expand on those themes with examples of what can lead to success or failure.

We dig into some real-world examples of agencies who have implemented ClickUp very well, including Mojo, Media Labs, Lean Labs and Beacon Digital Marketing. The key outcomes of success can vary, such as a small agency increasing managed revenue by 350%, compared with an established agency like Beacon Digital Marketing scaling to double the headcount within a year.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that less than 50% of processes are documented, so Gray talks us through the five key ingredients that make implementation go well:

  1. A culture of documentation from the leadership level, to standardise best practices across the team
  2. A clear mission of what the agency wants to accomplish, with clear targets
  3. A willingness to step back and allow the team to collaborate to document best processes
  4. A follow-through to create all processes on the system, ready to use
  5. A dedication to ensure all of the teams knows how to quickly use the system and processes

HubDo recommends agencies download the excellent by ZenPilot: How To Implement ClickUp For Agencies (https://learn.zenpilot.com/how-to-implement-clickup-for-agencies)

To get in touch with Gray and ZenPilot, see the links below.

Episode Highlights:

  1. 03:21 The ideal types of Agencies for ClickUp, versus say Accelo
  2. 04:32 At what point ClickUp becomes a good fit.
  3. 05:59 Three key pillars: Technology, Process, Behaviour
  4. 07:17 The most common mistake
  5. 09:07 Where you run into problems as an agency
  6. 11:32 Why HubSpot Projects struggles in an agency ecosystem
  7. 13:12 ClickUp new native HubSpot integration (in beta)
  8. 15:54 Commonalities of successful agencies like Mojo Media Labs, Lean Labs, Beacon Digital Marketing
  9. 17:11 “Agencies are infamous, they jump tools every 2 years”
  10. 18:54 Example of 25-person agency, were already on ClickUp
  11. 19:30 “So we went through a 3-step process”
  12. 20:08  “with the same headcount, increased managed revenue 350%”
  13. 21:26 “a more mature agency like Beacon Digital Marketing, doubled in a year”
  14. 23:57 “well below 50% of processes are documented”
  15. 25:40 Five key ingredients that made implementation go well
  16. 27:51 “there should be a book, how to get processes out of people’s heads and agreed upon by all”

About ZenPilot

ZenPilot is a training and consulting business that helps digital agencies build more productive, profitable, and healthy teams by streamlining their operations in ClickUp.

Handy Links for more information on ZenPilot

https://www.zenpilot.com/pm-benchmark/

https://learn.zenpilot.com/how-to-implement-clickup-for-agencies https://learn.zenpilot.com/gravity-global-case-study

Connect with Gray MacKenzie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie

Follow Gray on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sgraymackenzie

Book a Meeting with ZenPilot: https://www.zenpilot.com/call/

 

Your host Pete Nicholls is the Founder of HubDo, HubSpot Certified Trainer and Foundation Certified in Bidding and Proposals by the APMP.

Connect with Pete at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penichol/

Email: pete@hubdo.com

Meet: www.bookachatwithpete.com
 

For questions about this episode, email podcast@hubdo.com

The HubDo Podcast is a production of HubDo ApS Denmark.

All rights reserved.