HubSpot CRM: How to Use It and Make the Most of the Tool

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is now a central piece of any commercial and marketing growth strategy. And when it comes to solutions that combine simplicity, scalability, and smart automation, HubSpot CRM stands out as one of the most comprehensive and popular platforms on the market.

In this article, we’ll explain how to use HubSpot CRM—from your first steps to using it strategically for sales, marketing, and customer service. Whether you’re just starting out with HubSpot or looking to get more out of it, this guide will help you master the platform.

What is HubSpot CRM?

HubSpot CRM is a free platform (with paid features available in the Pro and Enterprise tiers) that allows you to manage contacts, companies, deals, support tickets, tasks, and communications—all from one centralised place. It was designed for sales, marketing, and customer service teams, making it easy to keep all customer interactions organised, automated, and accessible from a single source of truth.

The biggest advantage? Its ease of use and native integration with other HubSpot tools like the Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, and CMS Hub.

Why is HubSpot CRM so popular?

Before diving into how to use HubSpot CRM, it’s worth understanding why so many companies—from startups to large organisations—choose this solution:

• Intuitive interface and smooth user experience;
• 100% free CRM with powerful features;
• Task and workflow automation for sales and marketing;
• Email, calendar, social media, and external app integrations (Google Workspace, Outlook, LinkedIn, etc.);
• Custom dashboards and reporting;
• Scalability and full integration across the HubSpot suite.

HubSpot CRM How to Use — Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create an account and set up your portal

The first step is to create an account at hubspot.com. After registering, your company’s portal will be created—this is the workspace where your team will operate.

In the initial setup, make sure to:

• Define your company domains;
• Invite your team members;
• Connect your email and calendar accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.);
• Link your company’s website (optional but useful for tracking).

Now you’re ready to begin using the CRM.

2. Import contacts, companies, and deals

If you already have a database of contacts or leads, you can easily import it into HubSpot:

• Go to “Contacts” > “Import”;
• Choose the record type (Contacts, Companies, Deals, Tickets, etc.);
• Upload a CSV file or connect directly with tools like Salesforce, Pipedrive, Mailchimp…;
• Map any custom fields as needed.

HubSpot will automatically link contacts to companies and deals where appropriate—saving you time and hassle.

3. Understand the core CRM objects

To use HubSpot CRM effectively, it’s crucial to understand its core objects:

• Contacts: individual people (leads, customers, partners, etc.);
• Companies: organisations associated with your contacts;
• Deals: sales opportunities in your pipeline;
• Tasks & Activities: calls, emails, meetings, notes;
• Tickets: support or service requests;
• Pipelines: sales stages or custom processes.

Each object can be customised with additional fields, automation rules, and advanced segmentation.

4. Manage contacts and leads smartly

HubSpot CRM allows you to track every interaction with a contact—from the first email click to the latest meeting—giving you full context.

From a contact’s profile, you can:

• See the associated company and open deals;
• Add notes, tasks, or schedule meetings;
• Send emails directly or call (with VoIP integration);
• Assign the contact to a specific salesperson;
• Trigger automation using workflows.

You can also build dynamic or static lists based on lead origin, funnel stage, previous interactions, and more.

5. Organise and speed up your sales process

The “Deals” section lets you create and manage sales pipelines that reflect the stages from lead to closed deal.

You can configure:

• Custom stage names and pipeline structure;
• Automated actions at each stage (e.g. send follow-up email, assign task);
• Deal stage probabilities;
• Required fields for stage advancement.

The visual Kanban-style pipeline view helps you easily track open deals and revenue forecasts.

6. Use automation to scale with less effort

One of HubSpot CRM’s biggest strengths is its ability to automate repetitive and manual tasks.

Examples of what you can automate:

• Lead assignment based on region, source, or volume;
• Automated follow-up emails after meetings or form submissions;
• Property updates based on user actions;
• Internal notifications when a lead becomes high-priority or changes deal stage.

All this is possible through the Workflow Tool, available in the Pro and Enterprise plans.

7. Customise the CRM to fit your business

No two companies sell in the exact same way. HubSpot CRM allows deep customisation:

• Custom properties: add fields specific to your business on contacts, deals, etc.;
• Views and filters: build custom dashboards and views per user or team;
• Permissions and teams: manage access levels and data visibility;
• Custom modules and apps: install apps from the HubSpot Marketplace.

8. Track and analyse with advanced reports

HubSpot CRM includes pre-built dashboards, but you can also create custom reports based on the KPIs that matter to you.

You can track:

• Conversion rates by pipeline stage;
• Performance by rep or channel;
• Lead sources and generated revenue;
• Average time to close deals;
• Activity types (calls, emails, tasks…).

Reports can be shared via email, presented in meetings, or synced with your BI tools.

9. Align marketing, sales, and customer service teams

HubSpot was built to integrate marketing, sales, and service into one platform. This alignment enables:

• Marketing to capture and qualify leads before passing them to Sales;
• Sales to receive leads with full context and history;
• Customer Service to access the complete customer journey from day one.

This cross-team visibility improves internal efficiency, communication, and—most importantly—the customer experience.

10. Tap into the HubSpot ecosystem and community

Beyond the CRM, HubSpot offers:

• A marketplace with hundreds of integrations (Zoom, Slack, WhatsApp, Stripe, etc.);
• A free training hub—HubSpot Academy—with certifications and tutorials;
• An active community with forums, events, and local user groups;
• Technical support via chat or email (with premium support for higher tiers).

And of course, you can count on certified partners like Liminal to support your CRM implementation, training, and strategy.

Bonus Tips for Better HubSpot CRM Usage

1. Keep it simple in the beginning. Don’t overcomplicate your setup—start with a clear pipeline and a few required fields.
2. Train your team. The more independent and confident your users are, the more ROI you’ll get from HubSpot.
3. Review your data regularly. CRM is only as useful as the quality of the data in it.
4. Set up reporting routines. Weekly or monthly performance reviews will give you valuable insights.
5. Explore integrations. HubSpot works best when connected to your ERP, e-commerce, support tools, and more.

Conclusion: How to Use HubSpot CRM Strategically

Knowing how to use HubSpot CRM is the first step toward transforming your sales team into a predictable growth engine. But more than using the tool, the real value comes from using it strategically and in alignment with your business goals.

At Liminal, we help businesses set up HubSpot the right way from day one—with tailored processes, smart automation, and a unified view across teams.

If you’re considering HubSpot CRM or already using it but not seeing results, let’s talk. We’d love to help you turn your CRM into a true competitive advantage.