Assignment task: HubSpot and Motion AI: Chatbot-Enabled CRM
1. Should HubSpot replace its human chat representatives with chatbots? Why or why not?
2. Which activities in HubSpot's marketing and selling process would you turn over from humans to bots? Why? In which phases of the funnel (ToFu, MoFu, BoFu) would bots do better (worse) than humans?
3. How might customer behavior change if customer interacted with bots versus with humans? How might this behavioral change affect the type of relationship formed with the company, the trajectory of that relationship, and its inherent profitability?
4. As it develops best practices to share with its customers, what should HubSpot recommend regarding a.) how "human" chatbots should be, b.) whether and/or when/how to disclose to a customer that they are chatting with a bot rather than a human, and c.) whether the bot should always speak in the voice of the brand or adjust its relational style based on cues it receives from an individual consumer? Why?
5. Was HubSpot's acquisition of Motion AI a smart move for the company? How might it affect its relationships with its own customers?
6. Go to messenger.com and send a "Hello" message to GrowthBot. Ask the bot several questions about HubSpot and its competitors. How can this product and other simple chatbots like it change marketing and sales as we know it?
7. How would you assess the potential for chatbots for managing B2B and B2C customer relationships in general? Under which conditions do bots have the most and least potential?