Free template · RevOps, CRM & metrics
The CRM Setup Checklist
37 checks to configure HubSpot, Pipedrive or any CRM so it reports real pipeline from day one.
What's inside
- Process decisions to make before configuring
- Pipeline, fields and ownership checks
- Integrations, reports and automation
- A weekly, monthly and quarterly hygiene routine
Who it's for
Founders setting up or cleaning up a CRM.
Why it matters
Most messy CRMs were not set up badly in the tool. They were set up before anyone decided how the company sells. Stages get named after internal steps, fields get added because someone asked once, and nobody owns half the accounts. Six months later the pipeline report shows numbers no one trusts.
For an early-stage startup, the CRM is where your first sales data lives, and that data shapes hiring, forecasting and what you tell investors. Getting stages, ownership and lead source right at the start costs a few hours. Fixing them later means cleaning records by hand and losing the history you needed to see what works.
How to use it
- 1Work through the Before you configure section on paper first: ICP filters, buyer-action stages, ownership rules, weekly numbers and the tools that must connect.
- 2Go through sections one to five in your CRM in order, ticking each check for objects, pipeline, fields, ownership and automation as you configure it.
- 3Connect email, calendar, sequencing, scheduling, enrichment and website forms using the integrations section, then check that new records arrive with an owner and lead source.
- 4Build the reports listed in section seven and combine them into one dashboard the whole team opens every week.
- 5Put the weekly, monthly and quarterly hygiene checks on someone's calendar so stalled deals, duplicates and unused fields get cleaned up on a schedule.
Read alongside it
- How to set up a CRM (step by step)
- HubSpot setup for outbound sales teams: a step-by-step guide
- CRM data hygiene: how to keep it clean
The CRM Setup Checklist: FAQ
- How do you set up a CRM for a startup?
- Decide your sales process before you touch the tool: who you sell to, what each deal stage means and who owns which accounts. Then create a short pipeline, only the fields you will report on, ownership and routing rules, and the integrations that log activity automatically. Add reports last.
- How many deal stages should a sales pipeline have?
- Five to seven stages is enough for most early-stage B2B teams. Name each stage after something the buyer has done, such as attending a discovery call, and write exit criteria for it. Fewer, clearer stages make conversion rates and time in stage much easier to measure.
- How often should you clean CRM data?
- Use a light routine rather than a big annual cleanup. Weekly, check deals without a next step or close date. Monthly, look for duplicates, missing owners and empty required fields. Quarterly, remove unused fields and automations and compare stage probabilities with your real win rates.
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