AMA: HubSpot Accreditations [Closed]

[MDuffy]

Hi HubSpot Community,

My name is Meg Duffy I am a Senior Solutions Partner professor at HubSpot. I specialize in technical education for solutions architects and I’m currently training for the Tokyo Marathon. I am here to answer your questions about accreditations and why they matter. Drop your questions on this thread and I’ll answer them during the week of November 27th. 

Need some suggestions for what to ask? Here are some example questions:

1. What are HubSpot accreditations?

2. Why do accreditations matter to me as a customer?

3. Where can I find an accredited partner?

Look forward to hearing from you soon!

[Bryantworks]

Hey @MDuffy !

First, thanks for doing the AMA!  Second, do you know about any flexibility on the number of certifications needed to apply?  I've done several of the accreditations, but being that I'm a team of one (also a Diamond partner) the certification threshold prevents me from even applying.  

[MDuffy]

Hi @Bryantworks ! Good question.

Right now, HubSpot requires partner orgs to have at least 3 full-time, in-house employees to be eligible for accreditations.

Obviously this connects back to the certification requirements, but more broadly the team put this requirement in place based on in-depth capacity and capability modeling to ensure the highest standards of service delivery.

If you have more questions or want to talk in more detail about this specific requirement, feel free to reach out to the team at accreditations@hubspot.com

[kvlschaefer]

Hi @Bryantworks, @Lucila-Andimol, @Dan1, @jforte, @HFisher7, @Teun - Do you have any questions about HubSpot accreditations for @MDuffy? ⭐ 

[Lucila-Andimol]

Thanks @kvlschaefer for the tag!

@MDuffy do you have any special tips for each accreditation in order to prepare all the material?

We are already Onboarding Accredited

and 'd love to prepare others, for emaple the CRM Implementation...

it's just so time consuming that maybe you can give us some tips

for example...concrentate specially in showing the project plan/Gantt.

This way we can prepare the right info, so we save our time and your time reading/evaluating ☺️

Thanks!

[MDuffy]

Hi @Lucila-Andimol !

The best way to get ready is to knock out those prerequisites in advance. You can see the essential certification learning path here, and there's a checklist to keep track of each one you complete. You can also check out the prep guides for individual certs to get a sense of the materials you'll need to submit. 

[HSultania]

Hi @MDuffy ,

Just curious - What exactly are HubSpot accreditations?

[MDuffy]

Good question, @HSultania !

HubSpot accreditations allow solutions partner organizations to support the success of HubSpot customers with the highest levels of quality, service, and strategic insight. 

In order to be awarded an accreditation, solutions partners must demonstrate that they have the expertise, capacity, and practical experience needed to serve customers with complex, technical, and business needs.

The process is pretty intense: there's a lot of prerequesite education partners need to complete, and there are three rounds to the application process, including submitting a case study and completing an interview process. 

[franksteiner79]

Hi @MDuffy 

Two immediate questions pop to mind.

1. Is this for solutions partners only, or also for solutions providers?
2. I'm a details person, so is there a page where the prerequisites and detailed application process are listed?

Cheers

Frank

[MDuffy]

Hi @franksteiner79 , 

Good questions! Right now, accreditations are just available to solutions partners. But you can get more information on the requirements and the process here. 

[Mike_Eastwood]

Hi @MDuffy 

I'm with @elizheleva, as a Gold Partner, who often does the geeky work for other Partners (Platinum, Diamond and Elite) it would be great to be able to add Accreditation to our offer.

Any chance of exceptions? Or making Accreditation available to more people?

Thank you

Mike

Here to learn more about HubSpot and share my HubSpot Knowledge. I'm the founder of Webalite a Gold HubSpot Partner Agency based in Wellington, New Zealand and the founder of Portal-iQ the world's first automated HubSpot Portal Audit that helps you work smarter with HubSpot.

[MDuffy]

Hi there, Mike! Hope you're having a good Monday.

You've got me: I don't know the answer to this one, but I'm curious, too! 

I'll reach out to the Accreditations team and report back. Stay tuned!

[MDuffy]

Hi @Mike_Eastwood! I followed up with the Accreditations team and it sounds like there isn’t a plan to open accreditations to gold partners in the next cycle.

I understand that may not be a satisfying answer, but as a professor, I’d love to support you from an education standpoint.

I hear you that you’re working on upmarket deals with larger partners. What kind of lessons, courses, and certifications would you like to see us build in 2024?

[Mike_Eastwood]

Hi @MDuffy 

Are there any exceptions? Our Managed MRR is Platinum, our Sold MRR is Gold.

Curiously

Mike

[MDuffy]

Hi @Mike_Eastwood and @elizheleva, I'm sorry to report there aren't any exceptions being made at this time. I hear the frustration, though! The team is always iterating on the process, so I'll pass this feedback along to them. 

Could I ask for your feedback on a curriculum I'm building? I'm working on a third solutions architect cert centered around CRM extension and customization. What topics/use cases would you like to see in that type of education? 

[elizheleva]

We're exactly in the same boat, Mike. it's a bit frustrating, isn't it? Just because we focus on getting the clients happy and keep them on the system, hence the Platinum Managed MRR, it doesn't mean that we're not as skilled as those who sell more.

If anything, I'd be interested to see the ratio between Sold MRR and Managed MRR for other companies.

Eli

[CCharrel4]

Hi Meg, 

As a partner, I would like to know when we will have the date for the next Accreditations and if HubSpot plans to keep the same requirements.

Thank you, 

Camila

[MDuffy]

Hi there, Camila! The exact dates for the next Accreditations window are currently being finalized. I know the window will open up at the beginning of next year, but we'll have exact dates for you soon. 

For the next round, HubSpot plans to keep the same requirements. Hope that's helpful!

[elizheleva]

Hi, Meg,

The question I have as a partner is "why are Gold partners not given the chance to apply for the accreditations?" 🙂

Thanking you,

Eli

[MDuffy]

Hi Eli! Hope your week is off to a good start.

As I mentioned to Mike, I don't know the answer to this question. But I'm going to follow up with the Accreditations team for more info and get back to you!

[MDuffy]

Hi @elizheleva ! I followed up with the Accreditations team to get more information.

They told me that as a prerequisite, to achieve accreditation status, partners need to sell and manage a certain amount of HubSpot. Hitting this benchmark helps HubSpot understand the quality of their work and their capacity. That's why accreditations aren't open to gold partners at this time. 

I understand that may not be a satisfying answer, but as a professor, I’d love to support you from an Academy angle. What kind of lessons, courses, and certifications would you like to see us build in 2024?