HubSpot CRM Importer:
https://github.com/shinobukawano/hubspot-crm-importer

HubSpot offers a functionality of importing CRM data from CSV files. You can import contacts, companies, and deals by using it. However, it has one big limitation — you can not associate those objects when importing data. This is where HubSpot CRM Importer script shines. This script imports data from CSV files into your HubSpot portal with beautiful relationships. :)

Requirements

• Python 3+

The following articles might be helpful if you have not installed Python 3+.

• Installing Python 3 on Mac OS X
• How to Install Python on Windows

If you’re using Python 2.7.9 (or greater) or Python 3.4 (or greater), then PIP comes installed with Python by default.

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository.

$ git clone https://github.com/shinobukawano/hubspot-crm-importer

2. Install Requests library.

$ pip install requests

3. Add your HubSpot API Key in main.py, line 15.

API_KEY = '246b....'

Example

You can run this script with sample import files from HubSpot Academy.

Open your terminal, and execute python main.py command. It loads those files from csv directory and creates contacts, companies, and deals data into your HubSpot portal.

How does the script relate objects?

company_id and contact_id columns in csv files is the secret of it. The script associates objects based on values of them.

You can also set the owner of objects using hubspot_owner_email column. It finds HubSpot user by given email address and assign it to objects.

Applying the script in the real environment

I assume you will need to edit some portion of the script to meet your real environment. You may want to add properties of objects or modify column names of CSV files, etc. Feel free to adjust the script. I hope this script become a good starting point for your migration.

Troubleshooting

If the script does not work properly, please confirm import.log which will be generated in the root directory of the project. You may find information about the issue.

License

This software is licensed under the MIT License.

HubSpot CRM Importer:
https://github.com/shinobukawano/hubspot-crm-importer

HubSpot CRM Importer was originally published in shinobukawano on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Though originally LINE was developed for personal communication, nowadays, some companies are starting to use it for providing their services. In December 2017 Line reached 217 million the average number of users a month. Therefore, we can say that LINE became an attractive communication platform for the BtoC service companies.

HubSpot does not offer a native integration with LINE. However, with minimum coding and settings, HubSpot users can integrate it. In this article, I will illustrate how HubSpot platform is able to work with LINE and how to realize it.

Distribute LINE messages from HubSpot

In scenarios of HubSpot marketing automation, users can define “webhook” action. When a webhook action is triggered, HubSpot send the contact’s entire record formatted in JSON to the specified URL (Content-Type is application/json). This mechanism enables you to send a message to the LINE accounts which your customers have. For example, creates the scenario uses contact’s birthday, then you can deliver birthday promotion code to contacts via LINE using HubSpot.

In the setting of webhook action, you need to enter the URL which points to the server program you prepared. I wrote some Python code and deployed it to Heroku.

In this code, the program retrieves the value of the specific property and uses it for calling LINE Message API.

@app.route("/push-message", methods = ['POST'])
def push_message():
    properties = request.json.get('properties')
    user_id = properties.get('line_user_id')
    message = properties.get('line_text_message')

if (user_id and message):
        # Text
        line_bot_api.push_message(user_id.get('value'), TextSendMessage(
            text = message.get('value')
        ))
        # Sticker
        line_bot_api.push_message(user_id.get('value'), StickerMessage(
            package_id='1', 
            sticker_id='2'
        ))

return 'OK'

LINE provides SDK for each popular programming languages such as PHP, Java, Ruby, etc. So, you can use your favorite language. (In my case, it was Python.)

The details of LINE Messaging API would be out of scope in this article. Please refer to the following document for further information.

LINE Developers — Messaging API:
https://developers.line.me/en/docs/messaging-api/overview/

Send data to HubSpot from LINE

The data flow is not limited to one-way. You can send information from LINE to HubSpot. HubSpot offers various APIs for integration purpose and you can take advantage of it.

When users send a message to you in the conversation, webhook action occurs and LINE platform sends a request to the specific URL which points the program your prepared. In the following code, the program receives a request from LINE and sends user’s reply message to HubSpot.

@handler.add(MessageEvent, message=TextMessage)
def message_text(event):
    url = 'https://api.hubapi.com/contacts/v1/contact/batch/?hapikey=' + hubspot_api_key

obj = [
        {
            "email": "customer@email.com",
            "properties": [
                {
                    "property": "line_reply_message",
                    "value": event.message.text
                }
            ]
        }
    ]

requests.post(url, json=obj)

line_bot_api.reply_message(
        event.reply_token,
        TextSendMessage(text='HubSpotにデータを送信しました')
    )

return 'OK'

This time, I created “line_reply_message” custom property and set a content of reply message into it. HubSpot allows you to add custom properties of contacts, companies and deals up to 1,000 items. This is where your creativity shines. Based on your specific requirements, you can design custom properties to meet it.

Relate LINE account to HubSpot contact

You may wonder how to relate LINE account to HubSpot contact. Actually, this is the difficult part of this integration. One solution for that is to use “LINE Login” feature. The accounts who logged into your system via this feature, you can obtain LINE account’s “email address”, and “user id” which required to send a message.

When users follow your account in LINE, you can send an auto-reply message to them. It would be the best timing to encourage your “LINE Login” to the account and get a permission to receive information. After getting an email address of LINE user, you can sync “email address” and “user id” to HubSpot’s contact record using HubSpot Contacts API.

Please refer to the following document for further information of LINE Login.

LINE Developers — LINE Login:
https://developers.line.me/en/docs/line-login/overview/

Conclusion

Though some technical skill is required, you can integrate LINE platform with HubSpot platform. This combination is very powerful! I hope this article helps you.

LINE and HubSpot Integration was originally published in shinobukawano on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Recently, I made a mobile application using React Native and Node.js. React Native is an amazing development tool which enables web developers to create a real native mobile application leveraging their knowledge of JavaScript. Thanks to that, I was able to develop this application within 7 days while learning new technologies like JSX and Redux at the same time.

I would like to share you some of my experience and the application I made.

Motivation

First of all, I needed it. The application, Memozee, helps its users to memorize words and phrases of the English language in your spare time. You can store words in the database and review it anytime you like. Also, you can prioritize words based on your progress of memorizing. In the review time, the words will appear based on the priority you set. It is not a complicated algorithm, but it would be helpful for its users.

Another reason is that I wanted to use the company product which I will sell. The most favorite advice I received as Sales Engineer is that if I could use my company product in everyday life, I should do so. Through using products as a real user, we can learn the products deeply. I will sell a marketing automation software from next month as Sales Engineer. Therefore, I wanted to promote something using it. Advertising Memozee application would be a good experience. This is another reason I developed a mobile application.

By the way, the name of this application, Memozee, is originated from the word, “Memorize”. I shortened it using some cute sounds which the user might like.

Features of the application

I would like to give you a tour of the features of Memozee application. It would also be a good showcase what we can develop with React Native.

1. Login feature with the Google OAuth 2.0 authorization

The application will store data into the database in the cloud environment. I wanted to use a google user id to distinguish data per users.

Of course, it would be enough to store data in the local database of the application if I just wanted to meet the current specification. However, I have other ideas for the future. Storing data in the cloud enables me to create the web interface so that the user can manage their words using PC browsers. Also, it might be helpful for implementing a word sharing function between users.

2. Creating Decks

The first thing the user should do is creating a deck. A deck is like a folder of the windows system. You can store word cards into those decks. Of course, you can also edit and update decks after creating it.

3. Creating Cards

Once you created a deck, next thing is adding cards to it. A card is able to store “Front” value and “Back” value. Typically, “Front” will be store the word itself and “Back” will store the word’s meaning. Certainly, you can also edit and update decks after creating it as well.

4. Reviewing Cards

This is the fun part of this application. You can review cards by using the Swipe touch gesture. When you swipe a card to the right, the priority of the card will be increased. On the other hand, swiping a card to left will decrease its priority.

That’s all. Quite simple, isn’t it? But, I have many ideas to enhance the functionalities of this application. Word sharing is one of it. You can share your words with other users. I believe that this application has a potential to be a platform to memorize words.

If you wanna try?

Currently, I am submitting the application to the App Store. After the application gets approved, you can download it from the App Store. Until then, you can able to play with this application using Expo app. The following QR code is the link to Memozee application which works in your expo app. Kindly scan it if you want to try. Thanks to the nature of the cross-platform support by React Native, the application is able to run not only on iOS but also on Android.

If you have any feedback about this application, please let me know! I will be happy to hear that. :)

My First React Native Application was originally published in shinobukawano on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Currently, I work for the US-based IT company as Sales Engineer. Though I sell company’s products every day, I don’t have solid knowledge in sales. For a long time, I was feeling a necessity to complement it. SPIN Selling, a book recommended by one sales professional, seemed an ideal for my needs. This is a classic book published in 1988 but it is still popular among sales people today. Once starting to read it, I realized that this is the book I was looking for.

Investigation is Crucial than Demonstration

This book defines sales call progresses as following four distinct stages.

1. Preliminaries: The warming-up events at the start of the call
2. Investigating: Finding out facts, information, and needs
3. Demonstrating Capability: Showing that you’ve got something worthwhile to offer
4. Obtaining Commitment: Gaining an agreement to proceed to a further stage of the sales

So, which stage do you think is most important? From nature of Sales Engineer, I thought that the Demonstrating Capability stage is most important. However, this book answers that the Investigating stage is the best based on their extensive research. Since we can find out a problem the customer really wants to solve, we can show a product as the solution for it. Unless the customer has strong needs, a demonstration would be just a time-wasting activity for each other. Thus, we have to think about what we will ask, not about what we will tell.

In this point, I had one question. How to find out customer’s needs? One of the methodologies is the “SPIN” questions introduced in this book. Using it, we can uncover implied needs of customers. Furthermore, even we can develop them into explicit needs!

Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-payoff

SPIN is an acronym for following question names.

1. Situation Questions
2. Problem Questions
3. Implication Questions
4. Need-payoff Questions

I think Situation Questions and Problem Questions are straightforward to understand. Those questions are literally asking “Situation” and “Problem” of a customer. In their research, many sales people stop their investigation in this phase and start to introduce their products as a solution. This way might work in smaller sales, but in larger sales are not. These subsequent questions, Implication Questions, and Need-payoff Questions will be a key to obtain a commitment from the customer in larger sales. (By the way, a unique feature of this book is that the author is talking about “larger” sales. He found that different perspective have to be required to smaller sales or larger sales)

On Implication Questions. This is a question to ask the consequences or effects of a customer’s problem so that the customer perceives the value of the solution we offer. For instance, “Does the slowness of your present system create bottlenecks in other areas of a process?” or “Because the preparation is so labor-intensive, the excessive time presumably means greatly increased cost?” are Implication Questions.

On Need-payoff Questions. This is a question to ask the value, usefulness, or utility that the customer perceives in a solution. For instance, “The preparation stage is an area you’d like to speed up?” or “So what you’d like to see would be a reduction in preparation costs?” are Need-payoff Questions.

I guess the difference between Implication Questions and Need-payoff Questions are confusing to understand. I like the episode that the author included into the book. The 8-year-child son of their team discovered the difference of it. Implication Questions are always sad. Need-payoff Questions are always happy. You might feel it is ridiculous. The author complemented it as follows. Implication Questions are problem-centered, they make the problem more serious, and that’s why they are “sad”. Need-payoff Questions are solution-centered, they ask about the usefulness or value of solving a problem, and that’s why they seem “happy”.

If you want to learn more, I would like to recommend reading the book. However, I know you are a busy person. I found a good summary movie of SPIN selling. It would be a nice alternative to learn it.

SPIN Selling — Business Book Academy:
https://youtu.be/Rq4KzwbncPc

After Investigation

If we could develop the customer’s implied needs into explicit needs using SPIN questions, the subsequent sales processes should be easier.

On the Demonstrating Capability stage. Generally, we tend to focus features or advantages of product we offer. We have to focus showing how our product or service meets an explicit need expressed by the customer.

On the Obtaining Commitment stage. The author pointed out that the traditional closing techniques possess a risk in large sales. One of the big differences between larger sales and smaller sales is that the existence of the ongoing relationship or not. We should care about the relationship with the customer because larger sales are not a one-time sales call. Pushing purchase might hurt a trust relation. We should confirm and summarize with the customer that our solutions are able to meet the customer’s needs at this stage. After that, we propose an appropriate level of commitment.

Conclusion

I am a newbie in sales. Therefore, I wanted to learn the basic methodologies of it. SPIN Selling exactly fulfilled my needs. I think the concepts which introduced in this book might be obvious for many sales people. Plus, this book was published roughly 30 years ago. However, many sales people are still talking about SPIN Selling today. This would be a proof that this book is worthwhile for learning basic methodologies of sales, especially for new people coming from different field like me.

Again, since we can find out a problem the customer really wants to solve, we can show a product as the solution for it. I recognized that my role in a sales call is that of problem solver.

SPIN Selling was originally published in shinobukawano on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.