About This Episode
Every day, companies invest in CRMs like HubSpot, hoping to streamline operations, close more deals, and drive growth. But there’s a massive gap between what these tools can do and how businesses actually use them.
And that gap? It’s costing time, efficiency, and a lot of money.
Will Smith shared a staggering fact, 43% of CRM customers use fewer than half of the features available to them.
Think about it. That’s like buying a high-performance sports car and never taking it past second gear. You might feel good about the investment, but you’re missing out on speed, efficiency, and some serious revenue.
And this isn’t just a one-off problem. We’ve seen it with hundreds of businesses. Leaders sign up for HubSpot (or another CRM), pay the subscription fee, and then… what? They use it for basic contact storage, maybe a few reports, but the real power? It sits untapped.In this episode of Endless Customers, I sat down with Will Smith, one of our HubSpot Trainers here at IMPACT, to uncover why so many companies underutilize their CRMs and, more importantly, how you can optimize yours to increase revenue by up to 41% per salesperson.
How CRM underutilization is costing your business
Here’s the deal: CRMs like HubSpot aren’t cheap. If you’re on the enterprise plan, you’re making a serious investment, one that’s meant to help your business run smoother, sell smarter, and grow faster.
So why do so many companies pay for all of this power and then barely use it?
Will’s theory? People stick to what they know.
“People know what they like and like what they know.” Will shares. “So they get stuck in this little 43% box.”
It’s a cycle we see all the time. A business signs up for HubSpot, does the initial setup, learns just enough to get by, and then… stops exploring. No one is pushing the system to do more, no one is questioning how to make processes more efficient. Instead, the CRM becomes nothing more than a fancy address book.
And, that’s a problem.
A CRM isn’t just a database. It’s a growth tool. It’s meant to:
- Track every customer interaction so no lead slips through the cracks.
- Automate follow-ups so your team never forgets to check in.
- Streamline sales processes so deals close faster.
- Provide real-time insights so you know exactly what’s working and what’s not.
But if you’re only using the basics, you’re leaving revenue on the table, and in many cases, losing business without even realizing it.
Underutilizing your CRM isn’t just a missed opportunity. It actively hurts your business in ways you might not even notice:
- Missed follow-ups: A lead comes in, but no one follows up on time because there’s no system in place to track it. The prospect goes cold. Revenue lost.
- Inconsistent data: One salesperson logs details one way, another does it differently, and suddenly your reports are a mess. Leadership can’t trust the numbers. Decision-making suffers.
- Wasted time: Your team spends hours manually updating records, searching for emails, and trying to remember where a deal left off. All things a CRM should handle automatically.
- Sales teams running in circles: Instead of focusing on closing deals, your reps waste time navigating a disorganized system, leading to slower sales cycles and lower revenue.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But here’s the good news: fixing it isn’t as hard as you might think.
In the next section, we’ll break down exactly how to get unstuck and start using your CRM the way it was meant to be used.
How to get your team excited about your CRM (like they are about AI)
Right now, everyone is obsessed with AI. Teams across industries are buzzing about tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.
But your CRM, the tool you’re already paying for, is likely sitting underutilized.
What if you could make your CRM feel just as powerful?
The good news? AI can make your CRM more valuable than ever if you prepare for it the right way.
Instead of treating your CRM like another contact storage system, think of it as the foundation for all your future AI capabilities.
But here’s the catch: AI is only as good as the data it has to work with.
“To get the most out of AI, you have to start by cleaning up your CRM.” Will shares, “If you put garbage in, you get garbage out.”
Your CRM and AI aren’t separate, they’re connected. If your CRM is full of incomplete records, outdated contacts, and inconsistent tracking, AI won’t magically fix those problems. Instead, it will amplify them.
If your team is excited about AI, use that momentum to get your CRM in order. You’ll need to:
- Standardize how data is entered: Ensure your team is logging every deal, lead, and customer interaction consistently. If AI is going to learn from your data, the data has to be correct.
- Remove duplicates and incomplete records: If your CRM is full of old, messy, or duplicate contacts, clean it up before expecting AI to improve your workflows.
- Automate where you can: Use workflows to keep data organized and reduce manual entry.
- Create a process for CRM maintenance: Keeping your CRM clean isn’t a one-time project. Make it a habit with regular audits, clear guidelines, and accountability for your team.
So before you jump into AI-powered sales automation, chatbots, or predictive analytics, get your CRM in order first.
Four steps to stop wasting your investment and start driving growth with your CRM
Will lays out a clear roadmap for businesses who want to break this cycle, maximize their CRM, and start driving serious growth.
These four steps will help you clean up your CRM, streamline your sales process, and ensure your team is using it the right way.
1. Get everyone to use it, the right way
One of the biggest reasons CRMs fail to deliver results is because different departments use them inconsistently.
Sales track deals one way.
Marketing logs leads another way.
Leadership barely touches the system.
When there’s no alignment, your CRM turns into a mess of inconsistent data. That means missed follow-ups, duplicated work, and unreliable reporting, which makes it impossible to get a clear picture of what’s working and what’s not.
Your CRM needs consistency across the board.
Every customer interaction should be logged, every deal should be tracked, and no leads should fall through the cracks.
The first step is making sure everyone is following the same process. Standardized workflows, required fields, and internal guidelines can go a long way toward turning your CRM into a tool that actually helps your business grow.
2. Automate what you can
If your team is still manually updating deals, sending follow-ups, or tracking tasks, you’re wasting valuable time.
CRM automation is one of the easiest ways to boost efficiency and ensure nothing gets forgotten.
Top-performing sales teams save time and boost efficiency with HubSpot automation that:
- Send follow-up emails automatically so leads don’t go cold.
- Remind sales reps to check in on deals at the right time.
- Move leads through the pipeline seamlessly without manual updates.
If your CRM isn’t helping your team work faster, it’s not being used to its full potential.
Will put it simply, “If you’re still doing these things manually, you’re not just working harder, you’re working slower.”
And in sales, speed matters. The faster you respond, the more deals you close.
3. Use lead scoring to prioritize the best opportunities
Too many sales teams rely on gut instinct to decide which leads are worth their time. But gut instinct isn’t reliable, and it definitely isn’t scalable.
With lead scoring, we can say, ‘If they hit a 16 or above, they’re a hot lead.’ And now we know exactly who to go after.
Lead scoring assigns actual numbers to potential buyers based on their behaviors and interactions. This helps your team:
- Prioritize leads who are ready to buy.
- Stop wasting time on unqualified prospects.
- Follow up with the right people at the right time.
If you’re still guessing which leads are worth pursuing, it’s time to let data guide your sales process.
4. Assign a CRM champion
Not everyone on your team will become a CRM expert overnight. And that’s okay.
Rather than expecting every salesperson or marketer to master HubSpot on their own, Will suggests designating a CRM champion, someone who can:
- Navigate the system with confidence.
- Guide others on best practices.
- Ensure consistency across the team.
But here’s the key: This person shouldn’t become the internal help desk on all things HubSpot, or your CRM of choice. They should be a guide, not a crutch.
Empowering the team to problem-solve on their own. They can do this by:
- Encouraging self-sufficiency: Directing team members to HubSpot documentation or online resources.
- Promoting troubleshooting: Using Google, ChatGPT, or other tools to resolve simple issues.
- Providing guidance: Stepping in only when the team has tried problem-solving first.
This ensures the CRM champion doesn’t get bogged down with endless questions while making sure the team is truly learning how to use the system effectively.
The revenue potential: 41% per salesperson
Alright, let’s talk numbers because, at the end of the day, results matter.
That’s not just a slight improvement, it’s a transformational shift for businesses looking to scale.
So how does this increase happen?
- More follow-ups happen automatically.
- Leads are prioritized more effectively.
- Salespeople spend more time closing.
And here’s where things get interesting: Once one person on your team starts seeing success, it spreads fast.
“Sales teams are competitive,” says Will. “ When one person starts winning with the CRM, others follow. It becomes contagious.”
Suddenly, the whole team wants in.
They start using automation, tracking leads more effectively, and following the best practices that drive results. Before you know it, your entire sales team is operating at a higher level, closing more deals with less effort.
And that’s how a 41% increase in revenue per salesperson becomes a real possibility, not just a statistic.
Remember, your CRM should work for you, not against you
A CRM should never feel like just another piece of software your team is forced to use. It should be the engine that drives your sales and marketing efforts, helping you close more deals, improve efficiency, and ultimately grow your business.
By following these four steps (getting everyone aligned, automating where you can, prioritizing leads effectively, and designating a CRM champion) you can turn your CRM from a data graveyard into a revenue-generating powerhouse.
The businesses that fully embrace their CRM see real results, up to a 41% increase in revenue per salesperson.
So the real question is: Are you ready to stop wasting potential and start seeing results?
If you’re serious about growth, it’s time to stop treating your CRM like an afterthought and start making it the most valuable tool in your business.
Connect with Will Smith
Will Smith is a certified HubSpot Trainer with a track record of 100+ companies successfully onboarded to the HubSpot platform.
Connect with Will on LinkedIn
Keep Learning
- Watch: HubSpot Updates That Will Transform Your Business
- Read: How to Know When You’ve Outgrown HubSpot Sales Hub Starter
- Check out: Our HubSpot Mastery Program
- Watch: Data-Driven Success: HubSpot Fuels Berry Insurance's Massive Growth
Endless Customers is a podcast produced and distributed by IMPACT, a sales and marketing training organization.
We coach businesses to implement our They Ask, You Answer framework to build trust and fill their pipeline.
For inquiries about sponsorship opportunities or to be considered as a guest, email awinter@impactplus.com.
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Author: awinter@impactbnd.com (Alex Winter)
* This article was originally published here
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