In today’s digital age, companies increasingly rely on platforms like HubSpot to streamline their marketing, sales, and service efforts. HubSpot offers a powerful CRM solution capable of transforming how businesses operate. However, many businesses find themselves unable to harness the full potential of HubSpot. They fall into what we at Real Inbound call the HubSpot Adoption Gap—the disconnect between simply purchasing HubSpot and achieving meaningful, organisation-wide adoption.
You’ve probably noticed it: clients who’ve invested in HubSpot but aren’t seeing the results they expected. Sales teams continue to use spreadsheets, marketers rely on third-party tools, and leadership is disconnected from the data. The problem isn’t HubSpot—it’s how it's being used.
This article dives into the common pitfalls businesses face when trying to close the HubSpot Adoption Gap and, crucially, offers the solutions that will help you guide your clients to success.
1 Lack of Leadership Buy-In
The Pitfall: The first and perhaps most significant mistake is the absence of leadership buy-in. Without active involvement from senior management, HubSpot risks being seen as just another tool or software in a vast tech stack. Leaders who aren't engaged may not push for full utilisation, which results in a fragmented approach across departments.
Why It Happens: Many leadership teams mistakenly believe that CRM adoption is purely a technical issue to be handled by IT or marketing. They don’t recognise that the real challenge is change management, which requires buy-in from all levels of the business.
The Solution: Educate your leadership team on HubSpot's capabilities beyond CRM. Help them see HubSpot as a driver for organisational change and growth. One way to achieve this is by creating a Management Control System (MCS)—a system that enables leadership to track the adoption progress, set clear goals, and hold teams accountable. Regular reporting and dashboards should be established to show the direct impact of HubSpot on business performance.
2 Failing to Define Clear Goals and Objectives
The Pitfall: Another common issue is businesses diving into HubSpot without clear, measurable goals. This leads to sporadic and incomplete usage across different teams. Without clear objectives, businesses are more likely to abandon HubSpot before it can provide real value.
Why It Happens: Sometimes, companies are eager to implement HubSpot but fail to outline what success looks like. They assume that HubSpot’s built-in features will work out of the box without needing a specific action plan.
The Solution: Take the time to collaborate with your clients to define clear, measurable goals for HubSpot adoption. These goals should align with their larger business strategy. Whether it’s increasing lead-to-customer conversions, improving sales pipeline management, or streamlining customer service, every department should have actionable KPIs that can be tracked through HubSpot.
3 Not Customising HubSpot to Fit Business Needs
The Pitfall: HubSpot is not a one-size-fits-all tool. Many companies fail to customise it for their specific needs, which leads to inefficient processes and low user adoption. For instance, default properties may not be relevant for certain sales processes, or the workflow automations may not reflect real-world scenarios.
Why It Happens: Clients often want to get up and running as quickly as possible and use HubSpot out of the box. However, they may not realise that without customisation, they won’t get the full benefits of the platform.
The Solution: Work with your clients to tailor HubSpot to their workflows. Whether it’s creating custom properties, automating specific business processes, or building personalised dashboards, HubSpot should feel like a natural extension of their existing operations. A customised system increases team buy-in and ensures that HubSpot works to the business's advantage.
4 Insufficient Training and Onboarding
The Pitfall: One of the most critical steps in closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap is proper onboarding and training, but it’s often rushed or overlooked. When teams don’t know how to use HubSpot, it inevitably leads to underutilisation and frustration.
Why It Happens: Some clients assume that their teams will learn as they go or that the platform is intuitive enough to require minimal training. However, without proper onboarding, employees can quickly revert to using old tools and methods.
The Solution: Offer continuous, role-specific training for every team that will use HubSpot. Onboarding shouldn’t be a one-time event but an ongoing process. Develop a training program that evolves as HubSpot rolls out new features and ensure that new hires receive the same level of onboarding as their predecessors. A team that is well-trained in HubSpot will leverage its full potential and feel confident using the platform.
5 Fragmented Use of HubSpot’s Tools
The Pitfall: In many businesses, different teams continue to rely on their preferred tools even after HubSpot has been introduced. For instance, marketing teams may still use Hootsuite for social media and Mailchimp for emails, while sales teams might use Excel spreadsheets to track deals.
Why It Happens: Old habits die hard. Teams often find it challenging to let go of tools they’ve been using for years, especially if they feel more familiar or comfortable with them.
The Solution: Emphasise the importance of a unified platform and encourage teams to centralise their efforts within HubSpot. Demonstrate the efficiency of having all teams—from marketing to sales to customer service—working within the same ecosystem. Run workshops to show the integration capabilities of HubSpot’s tools and how they can replace legacy systems. Over time, a unified system leads to more accurate data, better reporting, and more informed decision-making.
6 Poor Data Hygiene and Management
The Pitfall: Dirty data is a major contributor to the HubSpot Adoption Gap. If the information in HubSpot is inaccurate, incomplete, or duplicated, teams will lose trust in the platform and return to their previous tools.
Why It Happens: Many businesses underestimate the importance of data hygiene. Teams may inconsistently update records, sales reps might input partial data, or different systems might be syncing outdated information.
The Solution: Establish clear processes for data management. Make sure that your client’s teams understand the importance of keeping HubSpot records clean and accurate. Implement regular data audits, use deduplication tools, and set mandatory fields to ensure that critical information is always recorded. Clean data is the foundation of a well-functioning CRM.
7 Failing to Build a Management Control System (MCS)
The Pitfall: Without a structured approach to accountability, it’s easy for HubSpot usage to fall by the wayside. Many companies fail to set up systems that hold employees responsible for using HubSpot effectively.
Why It Happens: Leaders often assume that once HubSpot is implemented, usage will be automatic. However, without regular checks and balances, teams may revert to old habits or underutilise the platform.
The Solution: Work with leadership to build a Management Control System (MCS). This system will include regular performance reviews, dashboard reporting, and team check-ins to ensure that HubSpot is being used to its full potential. By setting clear expectations and monitoring usage, you can ensure long-term adoption success.
Conclusion: Avoiding Pitfalls to Close the HubSpot Adoption Gap
The HubSpot Adoption Gap doesn’t need to be a permanent issue. By recognising the common pitfalls and implementing the right solutions, you can guide your clients through the process of full adoption. From leadership buy-in to customisation, training, and data hygiene, every step you take toward closing the adoption gap is a step toward transforming how your clients use HubSpot to drive business success.
At Real Inbound, we’ve worked with countless partners to help them overcome these obstacles. With the right approach, you can unlock HubSpot’s full potential for your clients and establish yourself as a strategic partner.