How to Switch From HubSpot to CrmLeaf
Move your contacts, companies, and deals over, then pick up everything HubSpot doesn't cover once a deal is won - inspection, BOQ, milestones, and inventory.
CrmLeaf TeamUpdated July 20262-3 weeks, phasedSales Ops & Admins
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Start Free TrialExport Your HubSpot Data
Why it matters: HubSpot's export tool is straightforward, but knowing exactly which objects to pull avoids a second trip back for data you missed.
- In HubSpot, go to Contacts → Export and export all contacts as CSV
- Go to Companies → Export and export all companies
- Go to Deals → Export, including deal stage, amount, and owner
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEThree CSV files - Contacts, Companies, Deals - each opened and spot-checked.
Map HubSpot Objects to CrmLeaf
Why it matters: HubSpot's object model doesn't map one-to-one onto a solar workflow - getting this right avoids losing the inspection and proposal detail HubSpot never had a field for.
- Contact → Lead / Contact
- Company → Company / Client (post-sale)
- Deal → Deal (with added Inspection & Proposal stages)
- Deal stage "Closed Won" → Deal Won → new Client + Project created
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEA mapping table confirming where every HubSpot field will land in CrmLeaf.
Import Contacts, Companies & Deals
Why it matters: Importing in this order - contacts before deals - avoids CrmLeaf creating placeholder contacts with missing details.
- Go to CRM → Import and upload your Contacts CSV first
- Import Companies next
- Import Deals last, so they link to the contacts and companies already in the system
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEEvery imported deal shows the correct linked contact and company, not a blank field.
Rebuild Your Deal Pipeline
Why it matters: This is the step that actually closes HubSpot's biggest gap for a solar business - a pipeline that reflects inspection and proposal as real, trackable stages.
- Go to CRM → Deals → Pipeline Settings
- Recreate your stages, adding Site Visit Scheduled, Inspection Completed, and Proposal Sent if HubSpot never had them
- Re-assign each imported deal to its correct current stage
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEEvery imported deal sits in a stage that reflects its actual solar-specific status.
Decide What to Do With Marketing Sequences
Why it matters: HubSpot's marketing automation is genuinely strong - deciding this deliberately avoids losing sequences you still need.
- Option A: Keep a HubSpot Marketing Hub subscription for email sequences and landing pages, while running sales and delivery in CrmLeaf
- Option B: Rebuild simpler sequences using CrmLeaf's Email Integration and manual follow-up tasks, if your sequences are lightweight
Note: Don't cancel HubSpot entirely until you've confirmed which option fits - reactivating a cancelled Marketing Hub can mean rebuilding sequences from scratch.
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEA clear decision recorded on whether HubSpot Marketing Hub stays active alongside CrmLeaf.
Connect Email Integration
Why it matters: This replaces HubSpot's email logging - without it, threads stop being tracked the moment you switch.
- Go to Settings → Integrations → Email
- Connect Gmail or Outlook for each rep
- Confirm a test email logs correctly to a Contact or Deal
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEA test email thread appears on the correct Deal timeline in CrmLeaf.
Run a Short Parallel Period
Why it matters: A defined two-week window gives your team a safety net without letting the migration drag indefinitely.
- Keep HubSpot active but stop entering new deals into it
- Work exclusively in CrmLeaf for two weeks
- Confirm no rep has reverted to logging activity in HubSpot out of habit
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONETwo full weeks of new deal activity exist only in CrmLeaf.
Decommission HubSpot
Why it matters: Downgrading rather than fully cancelling preserves historical data access if you later need to reference an old deal.
- Export a final backup of all HubSpot data as an archive
- Downgrade to HubSpot's free tier if you want to retain read-only access, or cancel fully if not needed
- Remove HubSpot-related integrations no longer in use
WHAT YOU SEE WHEN DONEYour team works exclusively in CrmLeaf, with a HubSpot data backup archived.
You've completed this tutorial
You're fully switched over. Next: make sure your first proposal out of CrmLeaf looks great.
Next: Solar Proposal CreationContinue learning
Keep going with the next tutorials in the Solar CRM series.