HubSpot Smart CRM – Should You Use HubSpot As Your Core CRM?

HubSpot has announced another enhancement in its product lineup; the Smart CRM can now be purchased and used as a standalone product. Historically, HubSpot’s CRM was bundled within one of its hubs,  such as Marketing Hub or Sales Hub. But with the platform’s rapid evolution, the CRM itself has become so powerful that it now stands on its own as a compelling solution for businesses looking for a centralised system for customer and prospect data.

What is HubSpot Smart CRM?

HubSpot Smart CRM is a next-generation customer relationship management tool designed to unify, enrich, and activate customer data. Unlike traditional CRMs, Smart CRM works with HubSpot’s AI and data enrichment capabilities to automatically generate, update, and contextualise customer information. This means less time spent on manual data entry and more time using insights to drive business growth.

Yes, that's right, a CRM that actually updates itself.  Imagine a target account has just received funding; Smart CRM will automatically update the funding field. Or, if one of your contacts is on holiday and you receive an Out of Office message, Smart CRM will record their status AND the date they will be returning to the office!

Key features include:

• Smart CRM Views: Role-based dashboards tailored to sales, marketing, or service teams, ensuring each user sees the most relevant information.
• Self-Generating Data: Automatically pulls in information from call transcripts, notes, and documents to populate CRM fields. The importance of having usable context within your CRM data.
• Smart Insights: Catch-up cards, alerts, digests, and contextual recommendations that keep teams aligned and proactive.
• AI-Driven Data Enrichment: Built-in tools that keep records accurate and complete, reducing reliance on manual updates.
  
  

Why Use HubSpot Smart CRM as a Standalone?

The big question for business leaders is whether HubSpot’s Smart CRM makes sense as a standalone product. For many organisations, the answer could well be yes. Here’s why:

• Best-in-Class Integrations: HubSpot connects to almost any platform. Whether you’re using Mailchimp or Klaviyo for marketing, Pipedrive for deal management, or a custom-built service platform, HubSpot can sit at the centre of your ecosystem.
• Data Centralisation: Instead of scattering customer data across multiple platforms, Smart CRM provides a single source of truth that can power decision-making across the business.
• AI-Enhanced Productivity: Smart CRM doesn’t just store data; it interprets and enhances it, making your teams more efficient.
• Scalable Entry Point: Businesses new to HubSpot can start with Smart CRM and then expand into other hubs as their needs grow.

How Does Smart CRM Compare to Other CRMs?

HubSpot’s Smart CRM now competes directly with standalone CRMs in the market. While enterprise players like Salesforce offer advanced capabilities, they also come with higher costs and complexity. HubSpot provides a balance of power, usability, and integration that positions it ahead of mid-market competitors, while remaining accessible for growth-focused businesses.

Unlocking the Value of Smart CRM with Innovation Visual

Implementing a CRM effectively is about more than just switching on the software. To get full value, businesses need to ensure their data is clean, centralised, and actionable. That’s where Innovation Visual can help. We deliver:

• Expert HubSpot Services to design, implement, and optimise Smart CRM for your unique needs.
• Marketing Transformation services that harness centralised CRM data to fuel smarter campaigns.
• Data Audits to assess and improve the quality of your customer and prospect data before implementation.
  
  

Should You Use HubSpot as a Standalone CRM?

The launch of HubSpot’s Smart CRM as a standalone product gives businesses like yours a powerful new option. Whether you are looking to centralise data, reduce reliance on manual updates, or gain AI-powered insights, Smart CRM provides the flexibility to work alongside your existing tools while laying the foundation for future growth.

For many organisations, it could be the smartest move yet.