3min
When businesses invest in HubSpot, they’re often looking for a transformative tool to improve efficiency, unify teams, and drive growth. But without tailoring the platform to fit the business, HubSpot can quickly become a source of frustration rather than a catalyst for success.
At Real Inbound, we’ve seen it time and again: a default HubSpot setup that doesn’t quite align with business processes, leaving users disconnected and disengaged. This mismatch leads to what we call the CRM Adoption Gap—the space between implementing HubSpot and getting your team to use it effectively as part of their daily operations.
One of the most effective ways to bridge this gap is by leveraging HubSpot’s custom properties. These allow you to adapt the CRM to meet your specific business needs, making it more intuitive, user-friendly, and aligned with your goals.
This article explores how custom properties can transform your CRM, improve adoption rates, and ultimately set your business up for success.
What Are HubSpot’s Custom Properties?
Custom properties in HubSpot are personalised fields that allow you to store data unique to your business processes. While HubSpot provides a robust set of default properties like "Lead Status" or "Annual Revenue," these may not fully reflect your company’s workflows or priorities.
Examples of Custom Properties
- Sales-Specific Metrics: Track fields like "Preferred Contact Method" or "Renewal Date."
- Marketing Insights: Add fields for "Campaign Engagement Score" or "Primary Conversion Channel."
- Service Data: Use properties such as "Customer Satisfaction Score" or "Issue Severity."
These fields are key to building a CRM that aligns with your business strategy.
Why Custom Properties Matter for CRM Adoption
- Relevance Boosts Engagement
If your CRM reflects your team’s day-to-day needs, they’ll be more likely to use it. For example, a sales rep will value a system that tracks their specific KPIs, like "Deal Profitability," rather than generic metrics.
- Improved Data Accuracy
Custom properties help collect the right data from the start, leading to better reporting and actionable insights.
- Streamlined Workflows
Tailored properties reduce friction, making it easier for users to find, track, and act on the data they need.
- Enhanced Reporting
With the right fields in place, your dashboards and reports provide insights directly tied to your strategic goals, improving decision-making and accountability.
By customising HubSpot, you can ensure it feels less like an off-the-shelf tool and more like a bespoke solution for your business.
Steps to Build a Custom CRM That Drives Adoption
Step 1: Audit Your Current Data Needs
Before creating custom properties, evaluate the gaps in your existing CRM setup.
- What’s missing? What fields do teams need to do their jobs effectively?
- What’s redundant? Remove unused properties to keep the system clean.
Step 2: Engage Stakeholders
Involve sales, marketing, and service teams to ensure the custom properties reflect their workflows and priorities.
Step 3: Build Custom Properties
Define and create fields for each HubSpot object:
- Contacts: Fields like "Preferred Communication Time" or "Account Tier."
- Companies: Data points like "Billing Cycle" or "Parent Company."
- Deals: Metrics like "Deal Complexity" or "Approval Stage."
- Tickets: Service-related fields such as "Resolution Deadline" or "Customer Type."
Step 4: Test Before Launch
Pilot your custom properties with a small group of users. Gather feedback, refine the setup, and ensure the system is intuitive.
Step 5: Provide Role-Specific Training
Train each team on how the new properties align with their specific roles and tasks. Show them how these changes improve their day-to-day workflows.
Real-World Success Story
The Challenge
A tech company struggled to track key renewal data for its subscription clients. Without this information, sales reps were missing opportunities to upsell or secure renewals.
The Solution
We added a custom property called "Subscription Renewal Date" and created workflows to notify sales reps 30 days before a renewal was due.
The Outcome
- Renewal rates improved by 40%.
- Sales reps saved hours of manual tracking.
- HubSpot adoption increased as teams saw immediate value in the system.
Continuous Improvement: Keep Your CRM Aligned
Custom properties aren’t a "set it and forget it" feature. To ensure they remain effective, follow these best practices:
- Quarterly Audits
Review your custom properties regularly to ensure they align with evolving business needs.
- Leverage Feedback
Encourage teams to share what’s working and what isn’t. Use their input to refine your setup.
- Stay Updated
HubSpot frequently introduces new features. Stay informed to ensure your CRM stays ahead of the curve.
How Real Inbound Can Help
At Real Inbound, we specialise in helping businesses close the CRM Adoption Gap by tailoring HubSpot to their unique needs.
We offer:
- Custom Property Design: Build a CRM that reflects your business processes.
- Training & Support: Ensure your team understands and uses the new system effectively.
- Strategic Guidance: Align your CRM setup with your growth goals.
Key Takeaways
- Custom properties are a powerful tool for aligning HubSpot with your business, improving relevance and usability.
- Tailoring your CRM fosters adoption, improves data accuracy, and streamlines workflows.
- Regular reviews and team feedback are essential for keeping your CRM aligned with your goals.
Ready to unlock HubSpot’s full potential?
Sign up to our 5 email series CRM Adoption Success Scorecard to assess your readiness for CRM adoption and discover actionable steps to optimise your system.
