Before switching to HubSpot, Payroll Vault had a CRM that was technically in place—but functionally unused. Only a few franchisees logged in regularly. Most activity lived in inboxes, spreadsheets, and conversations that never made it into the system.
When they moved to HubSpot, the implementation was designed with one goal: real usage.
That meant building the system around how people actually work. It meant defining what counted as useful activity. And it meant tracking engagement from day one.
What counted as meaningful use
Logging in isn’t the goal. Logging calls, creating tasks, progressing deals, and adding notes are better indicators of real usage.
The implementation team identified core activities across roles:
- Creating contacts or deals
- Advancing deal stages
- Sending tracked emails from the CRM
- Logging calls or meetings
- Creating and completing tasks
- Adding notes to records
These activities became the baseline for measuring adoption.
What happened in the first week
In the first week after go-live:
- 55,000+ interactions were recorded across all franchise locations
- 4,671 new contacts were added
- 137 tasks were created (compared to four in the two months prior)
- Hundreds of emails, meetings, and notes were logged inside HubSpot
This wasn't surface-level adoption. Franchisees weren’t just exploring the interface. They were using the system to manage real deals.
Why users actually used the system
Three reasons made the difference:
- The CRM reflected their real workflows
The deal stages matched how franchisees sold. The contact records showed what they needed. The dashboards answered their questions. There were no extra tabs, irrelevant fields, or placeholder properties. - Tasks and follow-ups were easier to manage
Automations reminded users to follow up. Tasks were pre-populated based on deal activity. Salespeople didn’t have to remember every next step—they just had to check their queue. - Every action had a visible result
Dashboards showed what changed. When someone logged a call or sent an email, it was reflected in reports. Users could see their own progress and compare across the network. That created positive pressure and healthy competition.
Adoption without forcing adoption
No one was required to meet a quota. No usage targets were tied to penalties. Adoption came from usefulness, not enforcement.
When the system helps users do their work more efficiently, adoption happens on its own.
Design the CRM for what people will actually do
Adoption doesn't come from access or announcements. It comes from systems that make daily work easier.
If your CRM shows a pipeline, but no one moves deals through it—it's not working. If your reports are empty, the system isn’t failing. It was never connected to the work in the first place.
Schedule a call if you need a CRM that people will actually use—without pushing them to do it.
Every challenge has a solution - you just need the right plan and a clear next step. Together, we can quickly pinpoint what matters most and make sure you’re set up for meaningful results.
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