Winter 2026 Pipeline Briefing: Signals, Clicks, Buyer Enablement, and Always-On Growth

In this client-only Pipeline Briefing, Paul Slack hosts a panel with Ray Larson (Director of Client Services), Jeremy Griffin (Sr. Account Manager), and Lauren Glover (HubSpot Account Manager) to unpack how B2B buyers actually buy in 2026, and how revenue teams should respond. The big shift: stop chasing clicks; start harvesting signals to guide precision engagement, unify your data, and build buyer-enabled, always-on motions that grow pipeline.

Who It’s For

Marketing and sales leaders at mid-market B2B companies who want practical, near-term plays to influence revenue despite fewer website clicks and form fills.

Core Themes & Big Ideas

• Signals beat clicks. Treat dwell time, video watches, post engagement, community participation, and event behaviors as buying signals you can capture and operationalize—on and off your site.

• Buyer blackout is solvable. Even if buyers don’t click, they leave breadcrumbs. Use those signals to infer journey stage and act with precision.

• AI is maturing from copy to capability. Examples: AI-coded Pipeline Growth Assessment, site chat, AI-assisted prospecting, and internal “AI twins” for enablement.

• Always-on > campaign-only. Respect that only ~5% are in-market now; educate the 95% without “pitch-slapping” them.

• Unify your data. Bring channel, engagement, meeting, and CRM data together so marketing and sales see the same truth—and AI can help.

What You’ll Learn (Practical Takeaways)

1. Operationalize LinkedIn engagement inside HubSpot
   Export account-level engagement from LinkedIn (organic + paid), import to your CRM as a property (e.g., “Engagement Level”), and use it in lead scoring. Build two views:

   a) Target accounts with contacts + high engagement
   b) Target accounts with no contacts + high engagement (send SDRs to connect)

2. Treat people as learners or leads (timing matters)
   Don’t “go for the jugular.” Offer a helpful asset post-connect, wait, then follow up thoughtfully. Use event behaviors (registered vs. attended vs. repeat attendee) as journey signals.

3. Adopt the Buyer-Enablement Wheel
   Activate your audience (their feed is the new homepage)
   Establish authority (prove you understand and can remove the pain)
   Nurture relationships (surround them with the next best learning step)
   Growth & retention (verify outcomes, create raving-fan proof, loop back)

4. Content is the bait that throws off signals
   Authority content (thought leadership, show collaborations, knowledge hub)
   Proof content (testimonials, case studies, client interviews → clips)
   Community/event-led content to “win the mid-funnel” now that forms are fewer.

Memorable Moments (Use These in Sales & Social)

• “Signals > Clicks.” Recast success from vanity metrics to momentum: how many are learning, moving stages, and how quickly revenue closes.

• “Don’t pitch-slap like a timeshare hawker in Cancun.” Earn trust with timing, context, and help—then ask.

• “Their feed is your new homepage.” Go to buyers; don’t wait for clicks.

Mini-Playbook: From Invisible to Invested

• Map your signals. List observable, privacy-safe signals across LinkedIn, events, video, community, email replies, meeting transcripts. Pipe them to HubSpot.

• Score for fit + intent. Combine ICP fit scoring with LinkedIn “Engagement Level” to surface true surges. Route the right next step (SDR connect, value asset, invite, demo).

• Program the wheel. Always-on streams for Authority, Proof, and Event content—matched to learner vs. lead paths.

Resources Mentioned

• Pipeline Growth Assessment (AI-coded; used for prospects and clients to quantify improvement over time).

Key Quotes to Steal

• “Less focus on vanity metrics like clicks… more on signals and momentum in your pipeline.” — Jeremy

• “Always on. Be present where your customers are.” — Ray

• “Let data drive your decisions with signals captured along the journey.” — Lauren

Suggested Next Steps

• Take the Pipeline Growth Assessment to benchmark where you stand (then re-score in 6–12 months).
  

• Ask your AM to help import LinkedIn Engagement Level into HubSpot and build the two views (engaged with contacts / engaged without contacts).
  

• Spin up an always-on content wheel: weekly authority posts, quarterly customer interviews for proof assets, and a recurring community event to “win the mid-funnel.”