Before AI, Fix Your Data: The ABM Wake-Up Call

Shownotes

About the Guest

Daryn Smith is the Group Chief Executive of Huble Digital, a leading HubSpot CRM and creative marketing consultancy. With over 25 years of industry experience, Daryn leads a global team of more than 170 professionals, helping large and mid-market enterprises drive growth and digital transformation. His work focuses on empowering organizations to become more customer-centric by leveraging HubSpot and other powerful platforms to optimize CRM, marketing, sales strategy, and website development.

Daryn is also a Partner Advisory Board Member at HubSpot, where he offers strategic input on product development, partner tools, and engagement initiatives. Beyond his leadership and advisory roles, Daryn shares his insights and industry expertise as the host of the Digital Surfing podcast, where he explores emerging trends and best practices in digital marketing and CRM.

Website: https://huble.com/

Connect with Daryn.

Episode Summary

In this data-packed episode of OnBase, host Paul Gibson sits down with Daryn Smith to explore the true state of AI readiness in B2B marketing and sales. As AI becomes an increasingly essential part of ABM strategies, Daryn shares insights from his latest research on the surprising gap between executive perceptions and operational realities.

From real-world use cases of AI agents to practical tips for data audits, Daryn breaks down why unifying data across systems—and structuring unstructured data—is essential before AI can deliver on its promises. This episode offers actionable steps for ABM leaders, sales teams, and marketers looking to future-proof their strategies in an AI-powered world.

Key Takeaways

• AI Readiness is Lagging: Only 8.5% of companies are truly AI-ready, despite executives highly prioritizing AI adoption.

• Data Quality is Key: 70% of respondents prioritize data quality over AI, revealing that unstructured or siloed data hampers AI effectiveness.

• Leadership’s Role in AI Success: Leaders must champion AI adoption while being transparent about the need for continuous improvements in data management and AI training.

• Blind Automation Can Undermine Results: AI often requires contextual data and meaningful human oversight to produce relevant, impactful recommendations.

• Practical AI Applications: From creating AI-driven RFP agents to developing AI tools that emulate senior employees’ knowledge, simple yet impactful use cases can revolutionize workflows.

Quotes

“One of the best things leadership can do is view AI agents as interns you need to train and guide.”

Tech Recommendations

• HubSpot – A platform supporting ABM strategies and AI integration for CRM efficiency.
• Fathom.ai – A tool for turning unstructured sales and marketing data into actionable insights.

Resource Recommendations

Books:

• Hacking Marketing by Scott Brinker – Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More Innovative

Shout-Outs

• Dharmesh Shah – Founder & CTO, HubSpot
• Dave Gerhardt – Founder, Exit Five

Best Moments

• 01:10
  Daryn's Career Journey : From web developer to CEO, Daryn details how his unique background has shaped his approach to marketing and AI-led transformation.
• 04:53
  The Growing Importance of AI Readiness : Daryn highlights how data silos and poor data quality hinder AI’s potential and shares insights from Hubble Digital's recent research.
• 10:57
  AI’s Role in Revolutionizing ABM : Daryn and Paul discuss how AI-powered tools are automating manual tasks, leading to better account targeting and personalized campaigns.
• 14:00
  The Disconnect Between Leadership and Reality : A candid discussion on why executives often overestimate their organizations' AI capabilities.
• 34:06
  AI in Practical Use Cases : Daryn shares how Hubble Digital uses AI agents to streamline RFP responses and retain institutional knowledge.
• 22:27
  Evolving Data Systems : Tips on keeping CRM and ABM systems agile to adapt to business changes, ensuring they retain their value long term.