If you’re running campaigns and want your gifting to actually mean something (and not just get lost in a spreadsheet), getting your Reachdesk and HubSpot working together is a must. This guide is for hands-on marketers, ops folks, or anyone tired of copy-pasting lists and hoping nothing falls through the cracks. No fluff—just real steps, what breaks, and what actually helps.
Why bother syncing Reachdesk and HubSpot?
Before we dive in, here’s the blunt truth: if you want gifting to drive pipeline or retention, you need the data in one place. If your team’s juggling between Reachdesk and HubSpot, you’ll miss stuff. Leads get skipped, reports don’t add up, and follow-ups fall flat. Syncing these tools means:
- You can trigger gifts based on HubSpot workflows (not just manual lists).
- Sales and marketing can actually see what’s been sent, to who, and when.
- ROI is easier to track (so you can defend the spend).
But: integration is never magic. Don’t expect every data point to flow perfectly. Some things just won’t sync the way you wish.
Step 1: Prep Your HubSpot and Reachdesk Accounts
Don’t skip this. If your data’s a mess, integration just spreads the mess around.
- Clean up your contacts and companies. Duplicates? Bad emails? Fix them first.
- Decide what you want to sync. Not every field matters. Focus on what triggers a send (lifecycle stage, deal status, etc.) and what you want to track (gift status, response, budget).
- Check permissions. Both tools need admin-level access for setup. If you’re not the admin, get them in the room for setup.
Pro tip: Map out your ideal workflow on paper before you touch any settings. Saves headaches later.
Step 2: Connect Reachdesk to HubSpot
Reachdesk has a native HubSpot integration, but it’s pretty literal—what you see is what you get. Here’s how to hook it up:
- Log into Reachdesk.
- Go to Settings > Integrations.
- Find HubSpot and hit Connect.
- You’ll be prompted to log into your HubSpot account. Authenticate with an admin login.
- Approve permissions. Reachdesk needs to read/write contacts, deals, and a few other things. If your HubSpot admin is nervous, show them Reachdesk’s docs—this is standard.
Once connected, you should see HubSpot as a connected integration in Reachdesk. If you get an error, double-check you have the right level of permissions in both tools.
Heads up: If you have multiple HubSpot accounts, make sure you’re connecting the right one. Sounds obvious, but people mess this up all the time.
Step 3: Configure What Syncs Between Tools
Here’s where most teams go wrong: they just sync everything. Resist that urge.
Choose Your Sync Direction
- Contact sync: Do you want Reachdesk to update HubSpot contacts, or just read from them?
- Activity sync: Should HubSpot see all gifting activity?
- Custom fields: Are you tracking extra fields like “Last Gift Sent”?
The honest take: Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with the basics (contacts, gifting activity), then add more fields if you need them. Most teams never need more than 3-5 fields syncing.
Set Up Your Field Mapping
- In Reachdesk’s integration settings, you’ll see a mapping screen.
- Match HubSpot fields (like “Email” or “Lifecycle Stage”) with Reachdesk fields.
- Decide what happens if a field is blank or mismatched.
Pitfall alert: Field names often don’t match exactly. Double-check what you’re mapping, or you’ll end up with half-empty records.
Step 4: Build Your First Automated Campaign
Now the fun part: actually making the integration do something.
Use HubSpot Workflows to Trigger Sends
- In HubSpot, go to Automation > Workflows.
- Create a new workflow (start from scratch, or use a template).
- Set your trigger—usually a contact property change (like “Became MQL”) or a deal stage.
- Add an action: Trigger a Reachdesk send. This appears as a custom action if the integration’s working.
- Choose your Reachdesk campaign (e.g., send a coffee voucher to new SQLs).
What works: Triggering gifts based on clear signals—deal stage, demo booked, or a win/loss. Keep it simple to start.
What to skip: Don’t automate “just because.” Spray-and-pray gifting won’t help your pipeline and will annoy prospects.
Step 5: Test Everything (Seriously)
Never trust an integration out of the box. Here’s how to sanity-check your setup:
- Send a test gift to yourself. Make sure the right fields pull from HubSpot.
- Check the activity log in both tools—did the send show up? Did the right data flow?
- Try edge cases: What happens if a contact is missing an address? Or gets updated after a send?
- Loop in a teammate to double-check (fresh eyes catch dumb mistakes).
Real talk: Most “integration failures” are just test steps skipped. Don’t be that person.
Step 6: Reporting and Troubleshooting
Once you’ve got a few sends running, you’ll want to see what’s working.
Tracking in HubSpot
- Gift sends should show up as timeline events on contact and deal records.
- You can build custom reports (e.g., “Gifts sent by campaign,” “Meetings booked after gift,” etc.).
- Not every data point syncs—don’t expect Reachdesk to fill every reporting gap.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Missing data or broken sync: Usually a permission issue or a field mapping typo.
- Duplicate sends: Check your workflow logic—are you triggering sends on every field update?
- Delays: Sometimes there’s a lag (especially with big lists). Wait 10-15 minutes before panicking.
If you get stuck, both Reachdesk and HubSpot have pretty responsive support, but you’ll get faster help if you can point to the exact step or error.
Pro Tips and Gotchas
- Start small. Run one automated campaign before rolling it out everywhere.
- Review permissions regularly. If someone leaves your team, integrations can break quietly.
- Keep your data clean. Garbage in, garbage out. Integrations can’t fix bad lists.
- Budget visibility: Reachdesk can track budget usage, but you still need to watch for over-sends—build alerts if you’re nervous.
- Don’t chase shiny features. Stick to what helps your team follow up faster or close deals. Ignore fancy “engagement scoring” until you’ve nailed the basics.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Sweat Perfection
Syncing Reachdesk and HubSpot isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. The best setups are usually the simplest: a couple of key workflows, clear reporting, and regular reviews to keep things tidy. Start small, test as you go, and tweak only what actually helps your team work better.
Most importantly: don’t expect the integration to magically fix campaign gaps or bad data. Use it to automate the boring parts, so your team can actually focus on the stuff that moves the needle.