5 ways to get more value from your tech stack

By Ali Schwanke

In the last three years, my company has conducted over 500 calls with HubSpot customers about their platform setup, spend and optimization. We’ve identified some of the most common martech stack issues. The result? The average company is wasting 35% of their budget on cloud and SaaS tools. Here's how you can get more more out of your current stack.

1) Negotiate software contracts

Many software companies are willing to negotiate to keep you as a customer and expand your usage within their platform. Consider working with a partner to help you navigate the negotiation process and ensure you get the best deal possible. Partners have the expertise and relationships to secure better deals.

2) Invest in team training

Knowledge disappears with turnover. Newer team members may not have the same grasp of a system that previous leaders did and, therefore, won’t use it to its fullest extent. This is where training and development can help. Individualized training may also uncover gaps you weren’t even aware of.

3) Consolidate 

With the accelerating rate of mergers and acquisitions, larger platforms are buying smaller ones to expand their offerings quickly.  While not always as sophisticated as leading competitors, a unified system adds convenience and cost savings. Do an audit of your stack, looking for areas where you can cut old or poorly functioning tools and eliminate redundant services.

4) Cut seats, not just tools

Most SaaS companies charge per “seat” or user, so costs increase with each additional employee on it — even if they’re not using it. Look through your platforms and see where you can downsize the number of users you have. This seems obvious, but companies of all sizes consistently overlook it. Many mistakenly give seats to employees who don’t need access to the platform’s paid features, driving up costs unnecessarily.

5) Bring in external resources

While bringing an external resource reduces in-house hiring and training costs for marketing software, the advantages often go beyond cost savings. By leveraging external expertise, you can tap into their deep knowledge of tools and platforms, reducing the risk that you underutilize tools. These folks can help upskill your existing team, providing training and processes to ensure you’re continually leveraging your investments efficiently.

Dig deeper:

Story 1

Adobe announces Firefly for AI-driven creative 

Story 2

A B2B marketer’s guide to long-form content 

..................................................

Learn more about MarTech, subscribe to our free daily newsletter and more!