If you're a B2B sales leader tired of chasing scattered deals across spreadsheets, emails, and half-baked CRM notes, this one's for you. You know the drill: sales wants visibility, managers want reports, and prospects want a smooth experience. Most CRM setups promise to make it all click, but the reality is usually a mess of manual updates and lost context. Integrating Flowla with your CRM can help, but only if you do it right—and ignore the hype.
Let's break down how to actually connect Flowla to your CRM, what’s worth your time, and what pitfalls to watch for. No fluff, just a practical guide to making your pipeline management less of a headache.
Why bother integrating Flowla with your CRM?
Before we get into the how, let's be honest: integrations are a pain if they don’t deliver real value. So, what’s the point?
What Flowla brings to the table: - Centralizes deal communication (think: shared workspaces, timelines, and next steps) - Tracks buyer engagement (who’s reading what, when) - Makes handoffs smoother between sales and customer success
What integration can actually fix: - Eliminates double entry (no more copying notes or tasks between tools) - Keeps your pipeline view up-to-date without nagging reps - Lets salespeople spend more time selling, less time clicking
If you’re still updating the CRM after every call and hoping everyone else does too, you’ll benefit. If your team already hates your CRM, Flowla won’t magically fix it—but it can make it less annoying.
Step 1: Figure out what you really need to integrate
Don’t just switch everything on. Take five minutes to nail down what you actually want from Flowla + CRM together.
Questions to ask: - Do you want Flowla activities (like shared spaces or buyer views) to show up automatically in your CRM? - Are you trying to trigger CRM workflows based on buyer engagement in Flowla? - Do you need two-way sync, or is one-way enough? - Which objects matter—deals, contacts, notes?
Pro tip:
Start small. Trying to sync everything usually means you sync nothing well.
Step 2: Check your CRM’s integration options
Flowla has native integrations for some CRMs, but not all. Here’s what matters:
- Native support: Does Flowla have a direct plugin or connector for your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, etc.)? Check their documentation or support.
- Zapier or API: If not, can you use a tool like Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), or a direct API connection?
- Custom fields: Are you able to create custom fields or objects in your CRM to capture Flowla data?
If you’re on an obscure CRM, be ready to roll up your sleeves for some manual API work.
Step 3: Set up the integration (the right way)
Let’s get practical. Here’s how most Flowla integrations work:
1. Connect Flowla and your CRM
- Log into Flowla and head to the integrations/settings section.
- Select your CRM from the list. If you’re using Salesforce or HubSpot, you’ll typically authenticate with OAuth.
- For Zapier or custom APIs, you’ll need to generate API keys and set up triggers/actions.
Gotchas: - Make sure the user setting up the integration has the right permissions in both tools. - If you’re testing, use a sandbox account first—don’t risk your real data.
2. Map your fields
Don’t just accept defaults. Take a look at what fields you’re syncing. Most teams only need: - Deal/opportunity names - Contact info - Flowla activity logs (e.g., when a sales room is created, when a buyer views a doc) - Notes or comments
Skip syncing every tiny field unless you genuinely need it. More fields = more headaches.
3. Test with real (but harmless) data
Run a test deal through the system: - Create a Flowla workspace or sales room for a test contact. - Do a few buyer actions (view a doc, leave a comment). - Check your CRM—did the data sync as you expected? - Make sure nothing is duplicated or missing.
If you see weird results, fix your field mappings before rolling it out.
Step 4: Set up useful automations (not just busywork)
Here’s where a lot of teams go overboard. Automations can be great, but only if they actually save time or reduce errors.
What works: - Automatically log Flowla activity (like buyer engagement) to the CRM timeline - Trigger a follow-up task in CRM when a buyer opens a key document or leaves a comment - Update deal stages in CRM when certain milestones are hit in Flowla
What doesn’t work: - Creating a new CRM record for every tiny Flowla event (you’ll drown in noise) - Spamming reps with notifications for every buyer click
Pro tip:
If your reps start ignoring the “automation” emails, your setup is working against you.
Step 5: Train your team—briefly
Don’t make this a three-hour meeting. Here’s what they actually need to know:
- Where to work: When should reps use Flowla, and when should they use the CRM?
- What’s automated: What data flows between the tools, and what do they still need to update manually?
- How to troubleshoot: Who do they ask if something’s not syncing?
A one-pager or a 10-minute screencast is usually enough. The point is to reduce confusion, not create more process.
Step 6: Monitor and tweak (expect some hiccups)
No integration is perfect out of the gate. Watch for:
- Data not syncing or duplicating
- CRM fields getting overwritten or blanked out
- Reps ignoring Flowla because it feels like “just another tool”
Schedule a quick check-in after a week or two. Ask your team what’s working, what’s a pain, and what’s actually getting used. Be ready to turn off automations that cause more hassle than they solve.
What to ignore (unless you love pain)
Some things look cool in demos but usually aren’t worth it:
- Trying to sync every single email, doc view, or comment. You’ll just clutter your CRM.
- Complex multi-way syncs with other tools. Unless you have a dedicated ops team, keep it simple.
- Custom objects for every Flowla action. Most teams do fine with just notes and activity logs.
If you find yourself needing a flowchart to explain what’s happening, you’ve gone too far.
Honest take: What works, what doesn’t
What works: - Reducing double entry—so reps are actually willing to use both tools - Surfacing buyer engagement in the CRM, so you can actually see who’s interested - Triggering reminders based on real activity, not guesswork
What doesn’t: - Overcomplicating the setup. More “automation” usually means more things break. - Hoping integration alone will fix a broken sales process. Tools help, but people and habits matter more. - Ignoring adoption—if your team hates using Flowla or your CRM, nothing you integrate will matter.
Keep it simple, iterate, and focus on what matters
Integrating Flowla with your CRM can cut down on busywork and actually give you a clearer sales pipeline—if you keep things focused. Start with the basics, get feedback, and add complexity only when it genuinely helps. The best integrations are the ones your team barely notices because everything just works.
Don’t waste time chasing perfect. Connect what matters, skip the rest, and get back to selling.