If you’re juggling cold outreach and keeping your CRM up to date, it’s easy to feel like you’re always a few steps behind. Maybe you’re copying emails into your CRM by hand, or worse—forgetting to follow up with a hot lead. This guide is for people who want to stop wasting time on grunt work and actually use their data: sales teams, founders, and anyone running outbound campaigns. If you want to plug Saleshandy into your CRM and make everything just… work, you’re in the right place.
Let’s break down how to actually integrate these tools, what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid the most common headaches.
Why bother integrating Saleshandy with your CRM?
It’s a fair question. Here’s the real answer: If your outreach tool isn’t talking to your CRM, you end up with scattered data, missed follow-ups, and a lot of “Did I email this person already?” moments.
Integrating the two means: - No more manual data entry (your least favorite task). - Every conversation tracked—no more blind spots. - Cleaner reports because all your touchpoints live in one place. - Automated workflows so you can focus on closing, not clicking.
But don’t expect magic. Good integrations take a little setup and sometimes a little wrangling. Let’s get into how it actually works.
What you’ll need before you start
Don’t get halfway through and realize you’re missing a piece. Here’s your pre-flight checklist:
- A Saleshandy account (any paid plan for most integrations)
- A CRM like HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, or similar
- Admin access to both tools (you’ll need to connect, and maybe install plugins)
- A clear idea of what you want to automate (outbound email logging, lead status updates, etc.)
- Zapier or similar automation tool (unless your CRM has a native Saleshandy integration—spoiler: most don’t)
Pro tip: Write down your must-haves before you start. “Sync outbound emails and responses to Salesforce,” for example. This keeps you from getting distracted by every shiny workflow Zapier offers.
Step 1: Map out your workflow
Don’t just connect everything and hope for the best. Figure out what matters.
Ask yourself: - Do you want every email logged to your CRM, or just replies? - Should new leads from Saleshandy automatically create CRM contacts? - Will you update lead statuses in your CRM when someone replies, clicks, or schedules a meeting?
Sketch out your “if this, then that” logic. Example: - If someone replies to my Saleshandy campaign, mark them as “Contacted” in my CRM. - If a new lead opens an email three times, create a follow-up task.
You don’t need to automate every possible action—start with the stuff that actually saves you time.
Step 2: Check for native integrations (and don’t get your hopes up)
Here’s the honest truth: Most CRMs don’t have a direct, one-click Saleshandy integration. Saleshandy supports Gmail, Outlook, and a few others, but when it comes to CRM, you’re probably relying on third-party tools like Zapier.
That’s not the end of the world—it just means a little more setup. Before you dive into Zapier, check: - The CRM’s “Integrations” or “Marketplace” section for Saleshandy. - Saleshandy’s own integration settings.
If you strike out, no worries—Zapier (or Make.com, or Pabbly Connect) will be your best friend.
Step 3: Connect Saleshandy and your CRM using Zapier
Assuming you’re using Zapier (because most people are), here’s how to make the magic happen. The process is basically the same for other automation tools.
3.1 Set up triggers in Saleshandy
Saleshandy can trigger Zaps based on: - New email sent - Email opened - Email replied - Link clicked
Pick the events that matter for your workflow.
3.2 Choose your CRM action
Depending on your CRM, you might want to: - Create or update a contact/lead - Log an activity or note - Change a deal or lead status - Create a follow-up task
Example:
If someone replies to your Saleshandy email, Zapier creates a note in their CRM contact record and sets their status to “Contacted.”
3.3 Connect your accounts
- Authenticate your Saleshandy and CRM accounts in Zapier.
- Pick your trigger (e.g., “Email Replied” in Saleshandy).
- Pick your action (e.g., “Update Contact” in HubSpot).
- Map the fields—match “Email” to “Email,” “Name” to “Name,” etc.
Heads up: Not all CRMs let Zapier create or update every field. You might have to compromise or work around limitations.
3.4 Test, don’t guess
Run a test Zap before turning it on for real. Double-check: - The right contact gets updated - No duplicates are created - The right data ends up in the right place
You’ll thank yourself later.
Step 4: Avoid common pitfalls
Here’s where most people trip up:
- Duplicate contacts: If your CRM doesn’t check for duplicates, Zapier can easily create the same contact every time someone replies. Use deduplication features if available.
- Messy data: Don’t dump every campaign and every email into your CRM. Only sync what matters (e.g., positive replies, not every “out of office”).
- Field mismatches: Make sure the fields you’re mapping actually exist in your CRM. Custom fields can help, but too many and you’re back to chaos.
- Zapier task limits: If you’re on a free or low-tier Zapier plan, you’ll hit task limits quickly with big campaigns.
Pro tip: Start simple and scale up. Automate one thing well before adding more.
Step 5: Automate your follow-up process
Once the basics are working, you can get creative: - Automatically assign leads to a rep when they reply. - Create follow-up tasks in your CRM when someone clicks but doesn’t reply. - Update deal stages based on engagement.
Just don’t overdo it. If you automate every tiny action, you’ll end up with a CRM full of noise.
What works (and what doesn’t)
Works well: - Logging replies and engagement to the CRM - Creating new lead records automatically - Basic status updates and task creation
So-so: - Syncing all email activity—your CRM gets noisy fast - Custom, complex multi-step automations (Zapier gets pricey and brittle)
Not worth it: - Logging every campaign touchpoint (opens, clicks, etc.) unless you really need that detail - Trying to sync every custom field—stick to essentials
Other ways to streamline (if you hate Zapier)
If Zapier isn’t your thing, you’ve got options: - Make.com (formerly Integromat): More flexible, sometimes cheaper, but steeper learning curve. - Native CRM plugins: Some CRMs (like HubSpot or Zoho) have browser plugins or email integrations that log emails directly. - Manual CSV imports: Not sexy, but for small teams, exporting contacts from Saleshandy and importing to your CRM once a week can do the trick.
Reality check: Sometimes, “good enough” beats perfect automation—especially if your outreach volume is low.
Keeping things sane: Maintenance tips
- Review your Zaps/automations monthly. Tools change, APIs break, and you don’t want to find out three months later that nothing’s synced.
- Clean up duplicates regularly. Use your CRM’s merge tools.
- Audit your fields. Too many custom fields = confusion.
- Document your setup. If you leave, don’t make the next person start from scratch.
Wrapping up: Start simple, fix what’s broken
Saleshandy and your CRM can work together without making your life harder, but don’t try to automate everything on day one. Pick the workflows that actually save you time, and test them before relying on them. Be honest about what you really need to sync. Most teams get 80% of the value from just a handful of automations.
Keep it simple. Automate what matters. And if something breaks? Don’t panic—just fix it and move on. The goal is less busywork, not a perfect system.