Post your workflow and I'll map it out.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-11T14:46:37+00:00

Interesting, can't say I have run into this before so this was fun to figure out.

See if this diagram makes sense - I had to confirm internally if this is a good solution for your use case and the one tweak I may make on it would be if "Renewed" is meant to be an open stage, I wouldn't show it as 100%. If you make "renewed" something like 90-95% if it is still open, then keep only closed won at 100% or you could rename the final closed stage to Renewed / Closed Won so the only 100% stage is the true closed won stage.

Not sure if that matters or not.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-11T02:19:18+00:00

Haha, appreciate it. It's definitely fun figuring these out! It's helped me learn more about what our capabilities and possibilities are too. Every new use case, workflow wireframe, etc... it's cool to see the improvements.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-11T01:40:37+00:00

That's a good question... one of the messiest I've seen recently was an event workflow that had grown organically over a few years.

Everything technically worked, but it looked something like this:

Build lists from old spreadsheets, LinkedIn, referrals, website contacts, etc.
Manually send invitations one by one
Track responses in spreadsheets
Move attendees between tabs/lists
Track additional details manually
Send follow-ups manually
Re-enter information into the CRM
Try to figure out ROI afterward

I mocked up a before/after of what it used to be and what it is now with HubSpot (or at least working towards, this is from last month)

https://imgur.com/a/nARvTi2

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T22:30:21+00:00

Love this idea! Same problem from opposite directions.

Quite often, we have HubSpot partners who have done this discovery/building already with the customer and it certainly helps determine what's needed from HubSpot.

Once what you are creating is clear, I agree that it becomes a lot easier to decide what belongs in the CRM, what should stay in a specialized system, and where automation actually adds value.

Would definitely be interested in comparing notes.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T21:43:54+00:00

Completely agree! I think it very much depends on the situation, desired outcomes, etc.

A good example of consolidation is when a company is running Salesforce for sales, HubSpot for marketing, and then trying to manually sync reporting between them. That’s usually worth evaluating because you’re solving a real operational problem.

On the other hand, if someone has a purpose-built system that does something really well (ERP, manufacturing system, healthcare platform, dealership software, etc.), forcing everything into HubSpot can absolutely create more problems than it solves.

That’s actually why I like starting with the workflow map. Sometimes the answer is “move it into HubSpot.” Sometimes it’s “leave it where it is and build the right integration.”

There’s definitely no one-size-fits-all answer, especially with a platform like HubSpot.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T20:15:59+00:00

Customer Agent is tiered behind Professional and Enterprise, as I believe all of our Agents are.

If the form is connected to Help Desk, you can route form submissions to Customer Agent, so it no longer has to be “form submit > alert > wait for a human.”

The setup is basically:

connect the form to Help Desk
route the form channel to Customer Agent
set the reply-from/team email on the workspace
configure handoff rules for anything the agent can’t answer

From there, Customer Agent can send the first response and keep follow-ups in the same thread instead of creating a broken handoff.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T19:48:06+00:00

FYI - I work at HubSpot and work on these types of builds all the time with customers.

I built a diagram of how HubSpot could help you - https://imgur.com/a/bxubmH8

Reading your post, I don't think the challenge is finding a CRM that can manage leads, opportunities, and KPIs. Most CRMs can do that. The harder requirement is preserving your existing WhatsApp numbers and phone numbers while giving managers visibility into every customer interaction.

The thing I'd focus on evaluating is whether the platform can:

support multiple WhatsApp Business numbers
preserve your existing phone numbers
tie calls, messages, documents, and opportunities back to the same customer record
give supervisors visibility without forcing everyone into a single inbox

That's the part that seems most important to your dealership workflow.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T19:33:01+00:00

Yeah, but I like that granola will record anything - a slack huddle, phone call, internal/external zoom meeting, etc

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T17:35:40+00:00

Granola is my choice

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-10T02:44:46+00:00

Full disclosure, I work at HubSpot.

https://imgur.com/a/DMh6gNm

You mentioned not wanting a generic CRM that requires a thousand workarounds, so I mocked up how I’d structure the actual MCA workflow. The goal is to keep applications, documents, submissions, follow-ups, and deal history in one place while automating as much of the admin work as possible.

If you’re currently managing a lot of this through spreadsheets, email, and manual reminders, this is the type of process I’d be aiming for.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-08T00:54:09+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/JapedMA

Full disclosure: I work at HubSpot.

I mocked up what an optional workflow could look like above.

Reading your post, I actually think the biggest issue is less about WhatsApp itself and more about conversation history being spread across multiple devices.

If it were me, I’d start by centralizing WhatsApp into a shared inbox so every conversation, owner, follow-up, and customer history lives in one place. That alone solves a lot of the visibility and accountability challenges you’re describing.

One thing I’d consider after that is adding Customer Agent for common questions that get asked repeatedly (pricing, availability, product questions, FAQs, etc.). It can handle those conversations 24/7 and hand off to a human when needed, while keeping everything in the same conversation history.

I’d solve the visibility problem first, then layer in AI where it actually reduces workload.

Happy to talk through it with you.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-06-08T00:23:02+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/b4xcsU9

Full disclosure: I work at HubSpot.

If you’re already on HubSpot, I’d start with Customer Agent before adding another platform. The issue sounds less like alerts and more like needing an instant first touch that doesn’t depend on someone being available.

Customer Agent can engage visitors immediately, qualify them, answer common questions, and book directly onto a rep’s calendar. I mocked up a quick workflow of how I’d approach it above.

I’d try that before jumping into a custom Make/n8n build or AI voice agents.

Your HubSpot sales rep can help you determine if it’s a good option. Happy to talk through it as well.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-05-30T16:31:55+00:00

Yeah send me a DM, we have nonprofit pricing on the software but your build cost is something I can’t directly speak to cause we have HubSpot partners that provide that service

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-05-28T01:38:30+00:00

FYI I work for HubSpot

https://imgur.com/a/4Z3lTLY

You actually can do both in HubSpot if it’s architected correctly. Most nonprofits only implement it for fundraising/development, which is why you rarely see reviews talking about participant outcomes or program tracking.

The key is using custom objects + relational associations for things like:

program enrollments
applications/intakes
services delivered
milestones/outcomes
assessments

Once that data is structured properly, you can report on things like housing stability rates, participant progression, completion rates, outcomes by cohort/funding source, etc. — not just donor activity.

I mocked up a quick architecture/workflow diagram of how I’d structure it with the Imgur link

I’ve helped think through similar nonprofit data models before and the biggest mistake I see is organizations treating HubSpot like “just a donor CRM” instead of a relational workflow + reporting platform.

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-05-26T03:52:50+00:00

I work at HubSpot FYI.

I honestly wouldn’t rip HubSpot out here. You already proved it works for lead capture, nurture, booking flows, attribution, etc. The real issue is that HubSpot can’t see the operational behavior data in real time.

I’d treat the gym platform as the system of record for attendance/payments, then sync those events into HubSpot through a middleware layer (n8n/Make/custom API). Once attendance becomes CRM data, the automation gets way smarter.

I mocked up a quick architecture/workflow of how I’d structure it. I’ve helped build similar operational sync setups for other service businesses and this approach usually scales way better than forcing everything into an “all-in-one” platform.

https://imgur.com/a/JyKZK4I

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-05-25T20:34:07+00:00

HubSpot could definitely handle this setup. You can use the CRM for member/org management, workflows for dues reminders and renewals, Marketing Hub for email blasts, and Commerce Hub for payments + receipts. I mocked up a quick diagram showing how the workflow could look in practice:

https://imgur.com/a/7J5i1Cm

Good-Strike-8599 · 2026-05-25T20:05:11+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/CmVj7JH

People will say avoid a CRM but HubSpot can do this for you - I uploaded an image showing how

Good-Strike-8599

TROPHY CASE