How to choose a HubSpot migration partner: 12 questions to ask
The questions that separate a partner who will protect your data and your sales team from one who will just import a CSV.
The short answer: Choose a HubSpot migration partner by asking how many moves from your CRM they’ve done, who does the work, how the price was set, whether data will be exported to files, who gets access and until when, how consent carries over, how many rehearsals they run, how they’ll get reps using HubSpot and exactly what they guarantee.
Most HubSpot migration proposals look alike: a scope, a timeline and a price. The differences that matter, how a partner handles your data, whether your team will use what they build and what happens if something goes wrong, rarely appear unless you ask. These twelve questions bring them out.
Experience
1. How many moves from our specific CRM have you done?
Leaving Salesforce is a different job from leaving Pipedrive or a spreadsheet. Ask for examples from your source system and a reference you can call. A newer firm should be upfront about its track record and what it offers instead.
2. Who exactly will do the work?
Names and roles, not “our team.” Ask whether any work is subcontracted, and to whom.
Scope and price
3. How did you arrive at this price?
A price set before anyone has looked at your system will be corrected later through change requests. Look for a partner who scopes first.
4. What’s not included?
Activity history, attachments, automations, integrations, reports and training are the usual surprises.
Data handling
5. Will our data be exported to files at any point?
The right answer is no. See why spreadsheets are the most common leak.
6. Who will have access to our systems, and when does it end?
Expect named people, minimum permissions and a fixed end date, with proof of revocation at the end.
7. Will you sign a data processing agreement before you get access?
Hesitation here tells you how carefully your data will be treated.
8. How will you carry over opt-outs and consent?
If the answer is vague, read GDPR and CCPA risks when moving to HubSpot.
Method and adoption
9. How many full rehearsals will you run before cutover?
At least one; ideally two. “We’ll test a sample” is not a rehearsal.
10. How will you make sure our reps use HubSpot?
Listen for a setup designed around your sales process, role-based training on real deals and a way of measuring adoption after go-live. See getting your sales team to use HubSpot.
11. What will you reconcile on cutover day?
Specific measures, such as pipeline value by stage and owner, and a written rollback plan.
Accountability
12. What do you guarantee, how is it measured and what happens if you miss?
The most revealing question. A partner with a real process can point to written success criteria, a defined window and a specific remedy. See what a migration guarantee should cover.
Reading the answers
Good partners answer quickly and in writing, because the answers describe how they already work. These are the questions we expect to be asked; our answers are on the how it works, security and guarantee pages.
Sources and further reading
- GDPR Article 28: Processor, GDPR text
- Getting started with the HubSpot CRM Data Migration Service, HubSpot Academy
Platform features and policies change. Check the vendor’s current documentation before acting on any detail in this article. This article is general information, not legal advice.