What Is the Disconnection Crisis and What Can Be Done About It?

The rapid spread of COVID-19 led companies to pivot their businesses in a matter of days, testing the adaptability of customers and employees in a complex environment where technology played a crucial role. It took some time to evolve, but ultimately, the shift to remote became a learning opportunity that helped drive broader digital transformation.

However, these accelerated changes that sought to bring customers, teams and systems closer, paradoxically, generated a crisis of disconnection for businesses. In the current landscape, their systems and data are disconnected because of cobbled point solutions. They’re disconnected from their customers, as buyers tune out saturated channels, and they're disconnected from their peers because, in today’s hybrid world, the office is no longer the core of a company’s culture. 

But let’s take one step at a time and explore the crisis of disconnection at different levels. 

Systems Are Disconnected

Companies are struggling with disconnected systems and this is not breaking news. Nevertheless, it has gotten worse according to HubSpot Market Research. Based on that survey, the biggest pain point for companies in 2022 was disconnected systems. In Mexico, a similar analysis revealed that only 29 percent of organizations believe that their data and information are fully connected. This is an important red flag for the country.

During the pandemic, businesses shifted to fully digital overnight and bought a tool for every task, every team, and every department. As a result, the average scaling company has 242 SaaS tools today. The problem isn’t that companies have a lot of tools, though — it’s that too few are connected. Each has its own data and processes but there’s no one place tying it all together.

Companies are Disconnected From Customers

It’s not just the data disconnect that businesses are experiencing. Companies are more disconnected from their customers than ever. They’re writing blogs at a frenzied pace but still can’t drive traffic. They’re emailing prospects but can’t get a response. The channels and strategies that used to work for companies now seem to be working against them. According to HubSpot data, only 48 percent of business leaders in Mexico believe that their companies create very strong connections with their customers. What is happening with the other 52 percent?

We identified two important shifts that Mexican companies need to take into account: first of all, people are digitally drained. From our social feeds to our inboxes to our text messages, we are bombarded at every turn. As a result, buyers aren’t engaging with companies like they used to. On the other hand, we are now living in a privacy-first world so people are more protective of their data than ever. They might even fear what companies will do with their data. Both of these shifts lead to companies being more disconnected from their customers than ever.

People are Disconnected

From quarantining to social distancing to working remotely, isolation has become part of our daily lives. But the issue here is that as humans, we rely on each other for support and connection. We are social beings and as people continue working from home, we’re losing those serendipitous interactions that the office used to facilitate. That’s why employees today are craving real, authentic connections with other people beyond emails or virtual meetings. 

In fact, 45 percent of workers say that the number of people they interact with at work decreased, and 57 percent of people say that they engage in fewer social activities these days (O.C. Tanner Global Culture Report, 2022).

We all want to build deeper relationships with our co-workers, customers, and network, but unfortunately, it seems that it’s not as easy as it was when our work revolved around the office. So, we need to create more intentional opportunities for people across time zones and work preferences to communicate and collaborate so that they can best solve problems for the customer.

What Can We Do About It?

For years, companies have relied on legacy CRMs to “manage” their customer relationships. But that won’t cut it in this new world. Yamini Rangan, CEO of HubSpot, believes the companies that will win in the future are those that focus on customer connection, not customer management. That means you need more than data, you need context. You need more than leads, you need connection. You need more than contacts, you need community.

But evolving business strategy alone isn’t enough. It is fundamental to get the right technology to make connection possible — connection with your data, your teams, and your community. That’s why we’re bringing three powerful parts of HubSpot’s solution together:

• Connected Platform: Our CRM platform powers the Hubs with connected data, including commerce data, and extensibility. The platform is customizable and has over 1,100 app integration partners to give companies flexibility at scale.

• Connected Applications: Our Hubs — Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Operations — are designed to connect your entire front office. They give go-to-market teams a single, unified view of the customer journey.

• Connected Community: Companies need more than software to grow, so we’re bringing together educational content through our Academy, as well as assets and expertise through our partner networks.

In the words of Winston Churchill, “never let a good crisis go to waste.” Crises should instead be seen as an opportunity to evolve and find new and better ways of doing things. There’s nothing to fear. It is time to enter the Age of the Connected Customer, together.