Cracking the Code: How to Fix Your Business and Close the HubSpot Adoption Gap

At Real Inbound, we’ve worked with countless businesses navigating the HubSpot Adoption Gap. The gap arises when businesses invest in powerful CRM tools like HubSpot but fail to integrate them fully into their workflows, resulting in unmet goals and wasted potential.

We’ve learned that this gap isn’t about the tool itself—it’s about strategy, alignment, and execution. Fixing it requires a management-focused approach that brings together your business objectives, team alignment, and processes before the system even enters the picture.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the seven-step framework we use to help businesses uncover and fix what’s not working. By the end, you’ll see how HubSpot can become the linchpin for pulling your strategy through the organisation, driving measurable growth.

Step 1: Where Are You Now?

The first step to solving any problem is understanding where you currently stand.

• Collect real numbers and feedback. How many leads are being captured? Are they converting?
• Identify bottlenecks. What’s slowing your team down or causing frustrations?
• Know your starting point. Use reports, feedback sessions, and reviews to get an honest snapshot of your business today.

This clarity is crucial. Without it, you’re shooting in the dark and risk wasting time, money, and energy on the wrong solutions.

Step 2: Where Do You Want to Be?

Next, imagine your ideal future. Ask yourself:

• What does success look like? Is it a 30% increase in conversions? Faster lead follow-up? More collaboration between teams?
• What metrics will measure this success? Be specific—this keeps you focused and accountable.
• What’s your vision? A clear, aspirational goal motivates your team and gives everyone something to aim for.

Defining where you want to go ensures that your team and systems are working toward the same outcomes.

Step 3: Spot the Differences

This is where you compare your current state (Step 1) with your goals (Step 2) to identify the gaps.

• What’s missing? Are workflows misaligned? Are tools underutilised?
• How big are the gaps? Use data to quantify these differences—it helps prioritise what to tackle first.
• What’s the impact? Is the gap costing revenue, time, or team morale?

This exercise reveals the disconnects that need to be bridged, setting the stage for actionable solutions.

Step 4: Find Out Why

Now that you know the gaps, dig deeper to uncover the root causes.

• What’s causing inefficiencies? Is it lack of training, unclear processes, or outdated tools?
• What’s getting in the way? Consider team dynamics, leadership involvement, or external factors like market conditions.
• What’s the real issue? Addressing symptoms won’t fix the problem. For example, poor adoption might stem from unclear goals rather than the CRM itself.

Understanding the “why” helps you avoid band-aid fixes and build sustainable solutions.

Step 5: Make Your Plan

Armed with your insights, it’s time to create a roadmap for change.

• What needs fixing? Prioritise the gaps based on their impact on your goals.
• What comes first? Tackle high-impact, quick-win actions first to build momentum.
• What specific actions are needed? Detail the steps required to address each gap.

Planning is where strategy takes shape. Your roadmap should outline clear, actionable steps to move from where you are to where you want to be.

Step 6: Get It Done

Execution is everything. The best plans fail without proper implementation.

• Who’s responsible for what? Assign ownership for every action item.
• What’s the timeline? Set realistic deadlines to maintain accountability and focus.
• What do you need? Identify the resources, tools, or training required to execute the plan effectively.

This phase is where HubSpot starts coming into play. With its workflows, automations, and reporting tools, HubSpot can streamline much of this execution—provided your team is ready to use it.

Step 7: Track Progress

Tracking progress is crucial for sustaining momentum and measuring success.

• Monitor key metrics. Use HubSpot dashboards to track progress on goals like lead conversions, email engagement, or pipeline velocity.
• Check if it’s working. Are the actions delivering the results you expected?
• Adjust as needed. Continuous improvement ensures you stay aligned with your goals and respond to new challenges.

This is where HubSpot truly shines. It provides the data and visibility you need to course-correct and refine your strategy over time.

Why the Tool Comes Last

Too often, businesses start with the tool, expecting it to solve their problems without addressing the underlying issues. This is a mistake.

HubSpot is a powerful enabler, but it’s only as effective as the strategy it supports. Without alignment across leadership, teams, and processes, even the best CRM will fail to deliver its potential.

By following this seven-step framework, you ensure that HubSpot becomes a tool for pulling your strategy through the organisation—not a distraction.

How Real Inbound Can Help

At Real Inbound, we’ve worked with countless businesses facing the same adoption challenges. That’s why we created the CRM Adoption Success Scorecard—a powerful self-assessment tool designed to help you evaluate your readiness, uncover hidden costs, and identify areas for improvement.

Whether it’s aligning your leadership, crafting customised onboarding plans, or empowering your team through training, the scorecard provides actionable insights to guide your next steps.

Ready to take control of your CRM adoption journey?
Download the CRM Adoption Success Scorecard today and start building a strategy that turns HubSpot into a true driver of growth.