DIY CRM Fails Because You’re Not Asking These 5 Questions

Too many firms approach CRM like a tech project — not a growth strategy.

They spin up HubSpot or Salesforce with internal resources. A few trainings. Some templates. A rough idea of how the system should work.

But six months later, the wheels come off: broken workflows, messy data, low adoption, and zero confidence in reporting.

It’s not because your team isn’t smart.

It’s because CRM isn’t just a tool — it’s infrastructure. And building it right takes the same level of rigor you apply to compliance, investment ops, and fund structuring.

Before You DIY CRM, Ask These 5 Questions

1. Are your internal “owners” actual experts?

Most DIY CRM efforts — especially in Salesforce — are owned by:

• An ops lead who’s great in Excel
• A marketing manager who’s done a few trainings
• A sales leader with big ideas and no platform experience

The result? A Franken-system that serves no one and frustrates everyone.

If you're selling funds — not building software — why architect your own CRM?

2. Is there a governance model or just chaos?

Without centralized CRM ownership, systems devolve into internal conflict:

• Conflicting workflows and automations
• Duplicative properties with no naming standards
• No documentation or update protocols

Eventually, marketing can’t scale. Sales won’t adopt. Leadership can’t trust dashboards.

3. Who mapped the data architecture and are they thinking long-term?

A CRM built for fund distribution must support:

• Product launches and multi-class structures
• Advisor-firm-branch-team hierarchies
• Platform and territory segmentation
• External attribution (e.g., Broadridge, DST, referral partners)

HubSpot’s object model offers the flexibility to support this — if it’s designed intentionally from the start.

Without it, your system will outgrow itself quickly — and retrofitting Salesforce later is often more expensive than starting over.

4. Who owns performance, adoption, and integrity?

In most DIY setups, the answer is: nobody.

• No clear owner
• No roadmap or audit process
• No plan for when key people leave

We’ve seen systems with:

• 30% unused fields
• 60% duplicated records
• Dashboards showing different numbers for different users

Not because anyone failed — but because no one was set up to succeed.

5. If you wouldn’t DIY your investment strategy, why DIY your CRM?

High-net-worth families don’t manage their own allocations. Fund managers don’t run compliance off the side of their desk. You hire experts for the areas that matter most.

Your CRM is no different. It’s your growth engine. And if it’s mismanaged, everything downstream suffers — marketing performance, sales enablement, advisor engagement, fund flow reporting, and territory planning.

Why HubSpot Beats Salesforce for Fund Managers

We’ve worked with firms on both sides. Here’s what we’ve learned:

• HubSpot is faster to launch, easier to govern, and more intuitive for your team
• Salesforce requires a full-time admin and ongoing development just to stay functional
• Most firms never use even 20% of Salesforce — but pay 100% of the price

With a purpose-built HubSpot system, wholesalers, marketers, and leadership actually use the CRM — because it reflects how they work.

What Goodwood Brings to the Table

We design CRM infrastructure the way you design portfolios — with alignment, precision, and long-term ROI.

• HubSpot Solution Architecture Design Accredited
• 75+ HubSpot CRM implementations
• 25+ years in investment management
• Custom-built systems for ETF sponsors, private fund managers, SMAs, and asset allocators

Bottom Line

If you're serious about growth, stop treating CRM like a side project. It’s not a “tech tool” — it’s the infrastructure behind every dollar you raise.

• Architected for how investment products are sold
• Designed for real adoption by wholesalers, marketers, and investor relations
• Supported with training, documentation, and long-term governance

Your CRM Should Drive Growth — Not Frustration

We’ll show you what a high-performing HubSpot system really looks like — and how to build one that actually works for your team.