If your sales team is juggling proposals in one tool and tracking deals in another, you’re probably wasting time—and letting leads slip through the cracks. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of copy-pasting info between systems and wants their sales stack to just work. I’ll walk you through integrating Proposify with your CRM so your proposals, contacts, and deals stay in sync. I’ll call out what works, what’s a pain, and where the hype falls flat.
Why bother integrating Proposify with your CRM?
Before you start connecting things, let’s get clear on the “why.” Integrating Proposify with your CRM isn’t just about automation for automation’s sake. Here’s what matters:
- No more double entry: Enter client info once, use it everywhere. Fewer typos, less grunt work.
- Faster proposals: Pull deal and contact details straight from your CRM. No more hunting for the latest data.
- Better tracking: See proposal status (sent, viewed, signed) right in your CRM, so you’re not pestering clients who already signed.
- Cleaner reporting: Link proposals to deals, so you know what’s working (and what’s not).
But don’t expect magic. If your CRM data is a mess, integration just moves the mess around. Garbage in, garbage out.
What you’ll need before you start
- A Proposify account (obviously) with admin access.
- A CRM account—Proposify has native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and a few others. If you’re using something more obscure, you’ll probably need Zapier or a custom API setup.
- Admin access in your CRM—if you can’t add new integrations, ask whoever handles your CRM.
- A test contact/deal in your CRM you can use for experimenting, so you don’t mess up live data.
Pro tip: Clean up your CRM data first. Merge duplicates, fix bad emails, fill in missing fields. You’ll save yourself a lot of headaches.
Step 1: Choose the right integration method
Not every CRM connects to Proposify the same way. Here’s how it typically breaks down:
- Native Integrations: HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Zoho CRM all have official connections in Proposify. These are easiest to set up and usually the most reliable.
- Zapier or similar: For less common CRMs (think Insightly, Copper, etc.), Zapier acts as the go-between. It’s flexible but sometimes slow, and there are limits unless you pay.
- Custom API: If you have a dev team and special needs, you can use Proposify’s and your CRM’s APIs directly. This is more work, but you can make it do just about anything.
Bottom line: Use the native integration if you can. If you have to use Zapier, keep the number of “Zaps” low—every extra step can break or get out of sync.
Step 2: Connect Proposify to your CRM
For Native Integrations (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce)
- Go to Proposify Integrations: In your Proposify account, click your profile icon, then “Integrations.”
- Choose your CRM: Click the logo for your CRM and hit “Connect.”
- Authenticate: You’ll be prompted to log into your CRM and approve the connection. Follow the prompts.
- Set permissions: Decide who can use the integration (all users, just admins, etc.).
- Map fields: Proposify will ask you to match up fields (e.g., “Deal Name” in CRM = “Proposal Name” in Proposify). Don’t just click “next”—double-check these, or you’ll end up with mismatched data.
- Test it: Create a test proposal and see if data pulls in from the CRM. Make sure updates go back the other way too.
For Zapier Integrations
- Sign up for Zapier: If you haven’t already.
- Create a new Zap: Set your CRM as the “Trigger” app, and Proposify as the “Action” app.
- Choose your triggers/actions: For example, “When a new deal is created in CRM, create a proposal in Proposify.”
- Map fields carefully: Again, check that names, emails, and custom fields line up.
- Test the Zap: Run some test data through to catch errors before going live.
For Custom API Integrations
- This is developer territory. Proposify has decent API docs, as do most CRMs.
- You’ll need to generate API keys, set up authentication, and handle errors.
- Only go this route if you have unique requirements or lots of resources.
What can go wrong? - Permissions get missed and users can’t see proposals. - Fields don’t match up, so data ends up in the wrong place. - Zapier “Zaps” get throttled or break if you change your CRM setup.
Step 3: Set up your proposal workflow
Just connecting the tools isn’t enough. You need a process for how proposals move between your CRM and Proposify.
- Decide when a proposal gets created. Is it when a deal hits a certain stage? When a rep clicks a button?
- Automate as much as possible, but not so much that junk proposals get created for every tire-kicker.
- Sync key fields like contact info, deal size, and close date. Don’t try to sync every last field—focus on what your sales and ops teams actually use.
- Set up notifications so sales reps know when proposals are viewed or signed, either via the CRM or email.
Honest take: Over-automating is easy. If you create a proposal for every new lead, you’ll drown in drafts and clutter up your system. Start simple.
Step 4: Test, test, test
Don’t trust that everything will work just because the apps say they’re “connected.”
- Create a few test deals/contacts in your CRM and see how they show up in Proposify.
- Send a real proposal to a test email—make sure it updates the CRM as expected.
- Check for data weirdness: Watch out for duplicates, missing info, or updates that don’t sync back.
- Ask your sales team to try it out before rolling it out to everyone.
If things go sideways: Disconnect, fix your field mapping, and try again. Don’t be afraid to ask support for help—most issues are data mismatches, not software bugs.
Step 5: Train your team (without overcomplicating it)
Integration only helps if people use it the right way.
- Show your sales reps how to pull in CRM data when creating proposals.
- Explain the new workflow: When does a proposal get created? Where do they check status?
- Keep instructions simple. “Click here to pull in contact info. Don’t edit this field by hand.” That sort of thing.
- Document the basics somewhere your team can find it. A one-pager is fine.
What not to do: Don’t force people to fill out 20 extra fields just because “the integration supports it.” Focus on what moves deals forward.
Step 6: Review and improve
No integration is set-and-forget. After a month or so:
- Ask your team what’s working and what’s a pain.
- Look for errors: Are proposals getting stuck? Is data missing?
- Trim unnecessary steps—if a sync or automation isn’t saving time, cut it.
- Update field mappings if your CRM changes.
Reality check: Every sales process is a little different. Treat this as an experiment, not a one-time project.
What’s worth your time (and what isn’t)
What works well
- Native integrations: Quick to set up, usually reliable.
- Syncing key fields: Contact info, deal amount, and proposal status.
- Automated notifications: No more “Did they sign yet?” emails.
What to watch out for
- Complex field mapping: The more you sync, the more you have to maintain.
- Dirty CRM data: Syncing bad data just spreads the problem.
- Over-relying on Zapier: It’s handy, but can get slow or break if your CRM changes a field name.
What to ignore
- Syncing every last field: Only map what your team actually uses.
- Custom API work unless you really need it: It’s expensive and slow to maintain.
Keep it simple, iterate as you go
Integrating proposal software with your CRM should make life easier—not add another headache. Start with the basics: connect the tools, sync only what matters, and test with your real process. Don’t chase fancy automations until you know what actually saves time. If things break, fix them and move on. And remember: the best setup is the one your sales team actually uses.