If you’re sick of bouncing between your CRM and your sales tools, you’re not alone. This guide is for sales teams, ops folks, and anyone who wants their pipeline actually working — not just looking impressive in a dashboard screenshot. If you’re thinking about tying your CRM to Dealpad, or you tried and hit a wall, you’re in the right place.
Let's walk through the real steps, including what works, what doesn’t, and some gotchas no one tells you about. Whether you’re using Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, or something weirder, the basics are the same.
Why bother integrating your CRM with Dealpad?
Let’s keep it real: manual data entry is a time suck. Worse, it leads to deals slipping through the cracks because the info in your CRM doesn't match what’s in Dealpad, or vice versa. Integration means:
- No more copy-paste hell.
- Your team works from one source of truth.
- Updates to deals sync automatically.
- Fewer “Hey, is this the right deal stage?” Slack messages.
But, integration isn’t magic. It takes a bit of setup and, depending on your CRM (and budget), might need some ongoing babysitting. But if you stick with it, you'll spend less time chasing your tail.
1. Prep: What you need before you start
Before connecting anything, nail down these basics:
- Your CRM credentials: You’ll need admin rights to connect most CRMs to Dealpad.
- Dealpad account: Obvious, but worth mentioning. Make sure you can access the integrations/settings area.
- A list of fields to sync: Don’t just connect everything “because you can.” Decide what actually matters (e.g., deal stage, owner, close date).
- A test record: Always safer to test with dummy data — no one likes accidental mass emails or overwriting real deals.
Pro tip: If your CRM is heavily customized, be ready for some mapping headaches. Standard fields work fine; custom fields might need extra setup.
2. Find and connect the integration
Here’s how to get Dealpad talking to your CRM:
In Dealpad
- Log in and head to your settings panel.
- Look for an “Integrations” or “Connected apps” section. Most CRMs show up here.
- Select your CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive).
- Click “Connect” or “Authorize.” You’ll get bounced to your CRM to approve permissions.
In your CRM
Depending on your CRM, you may need to approve Dealpad on the CRM side as well. For example:
- Salesforce: You might need to install a Dealpad app from the Salesforce AppExchange.
- HubSpot: Usually a simple OAuth popup.
- Pipedrive: Similar OAuth process.
Heads up: If your company blocks third-party integrations, IT might need to whitelist Dealpad.
3. Map your data fields
This is where most people get tripped up. Don’t just “sync all” and hope for the best. Take five minutes to map the fields you actually use.
- Standard fields: Deal name, value, stage, owner. These are easy.
- Custom fields: Things like “Implementation Date” or “Renewal Risk” need manual mapping.
- Direction: Decide if you want one-way sync (CRM → Dealpad or vice versa) or two-way.
What to ignore: Don’t bother syncing fields you never look at. More data just means more clutter.
Gotchas: - Some CRMs treat picklists/dropdowns differently. Make sure values match. - If you’re syncing notes or activity logs, expect some weird formatting. Not all systems handle this elegantly.
4. Set up sync rules and triggers
Integration isn't just about connecting; it's about deciding when and how things stay in sync.
- Auto-sync: Most integrations offer real-time or scheduled sync (every X minutes/hours).
- Manual sync: Some teams prefer to push updates manually to avoid surprise changes.
- Triggers: Only sync deals in certain stages (e.g., “Qualified” and up) to avoid noise.
Pro tip: Start simple. Overcomplicating sync rules leads to confusion fast. You can always finesse it later.
5. Test with dummy data
This step gets skipped way too often — then people wonder why their pipeline’s a mess.
- Create a test deal in your CRM. Fill out the fields you plan to sync.
- Check Dealpad. Did the data come over? Are the fields in the right place? Is anything missing or weirdly formatted?
- Edit the deal in Dealpad. Does it sync back to the CRM (if you set up two-way)?
- Try deleting/updating fields. Make sure nothing breaks or deletes your real data.
What to watch for: - Duplicate deals appearing - Fields not updating as expected - Permissions errors (e.g., Dealpad can’t write to certain CRM fields)
6. Train your team (without overwhelming them)
Once the plumbing’s in place, make sure your team knows:
- Which fields matter and should be kept up to date
- Where to make updates (CRM or Dealpad) — ideally, it shouldn’t matter, but people like to know
- What not to touch (e.g., don’t rename deal stages unless you want chaos)
Keep it light. A quick Loom video or a five-minute huddle beats a 40-page PDF no one will read.
7. Watch and tweak
No integration is ever “set and forget.” Here’s how to keep things humming:
- Check sync logs weekly for failures or weirdness.
- Solicit feedback from the team — if something’s annoying, fix it.
- Review fields quarterly. If you’re not using a field, stop syncing it.
Honest take: Most problems come from overcomplicating things. Start with the bare minimum, see what breaks, and add complexity only if you need it.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to ignore
What works
- Standard fields: These almost always sync without drama.
- Simple, one-way syncs: If your team mostly lives in the CRM or mostly in Dealpad, keep it one-way.
- Clear ownership: Know who’s responsible for fixing sync issues.
What doesn’t
- Syncing everything: Clutters both systems and creates more problems than it solves.
- Custom field overload: Too many custom fields = more breakage, more maintenance.
- Relying on automation to “just work”: Always check your data.
What to ignore
- Pointless vanity metrics: If you don’t act on it, don’t sync it.
- Over-architected workflows: Keep integrations simple unless you have a real, proven need.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, fix as you go
Integrating your CRM with Dealpad isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Get the basics working, test with real (but safe) data, and don’t try to automate every edge case from day one. The real win? Less time fighting your tools, more time actually moving deals forward.
If something breaks, don’t panic — just roll back, simplify, and try again. Keep it simple, iterate, and your pipeline will actually work for you, not the other way around.