Your Salesforce migration done right.

1. Define Business Goals, Not Just Technical Specs

Start by asking the questions that matter: Why are we leaving Salesforce? What business challenges should this migration solve? What visibility or automation do we want that Salesforce didn't support?

Let these answers guide your migration priorities.

2. Audit and Prioritise Your Data

Not all Salesforce data needs to come with you. Focus on active records like open deals and engaged contacts. Archive or clean legacy records like cold leads and stalled opportunities. Review custom fields and remove unused or unclear ones.

Use this audit to shape your HubSpot structure.

3. Understand HubSpot's Data Model

Unlike Salesforce, HubSpot has standard objects (Contacts, Companies, Deals, Tickets, Leads) and optionally Custom Objects. Properties are simpler and more flexible. Relational associations are key to structuring your CRM.

Design your migration with this model in mind.

4. Backup and Safeguard

Create a secure, complete backup: export CSVs of all records, use Salesforce reports or tools to document workflows, picklist values, and field definitions. Keep copies of manually entered notes, attachments, and task histories.

These serve as a safety net and a reference.

1. Build a Property Mapping Sheet

Every field in Salesforce should be mapped to a HubSpot property, a field type (text, dropdown, multi-checkbox), and a migration method (manual, CSV, API). Flag any fields that require transformation or consolidation.

2. Choose the Right Migration Methods

For Salesforce, your options include:

• Native Salesforce–HubSpot Integration: Easy setup for syncing standard records (not recommended for large migrations)
• Third-party migration tools (e.g. Trujay, SyncMatters): Good for faster projects
• Custom API scripts: Ideal for large, complex, or customised instances
• CSV Import: Flexible and highly customisable, especially for passive data

Kongo often uses a hybrid approach tailored to your data complexity.

3. HubSpot's Import Tool is Flexible

Many clients are surprised to learn: you don't need to match a pre-set template. HubSpot allows property mapping at import. You can create new properties on the fly. You can import multiple objects and associate them (e.g. Contacts + Deals).

This dramatically reduces pre-import prep work.

4. Phase Your Imports

Migrate in manageable chunks. Start with a test batch of archived records. Move inactive records first. Leave active records (pipeline deals, open tickets) until just before cutover.

Review and adjust after each phase.

5. Run QA & Data Integrity Checks

Key areas to check: field accuracy (do values look right?), record ownership and permissions, lifecycle stages and pipeline statuses, notes, tasks, and email history.

Document findings and address errors before go-live.

1. Empower Your Users

Help teams adopt the new system. Deliver role-specific training. Provide click-by-click user guides. Set up help channels for feedback.

Use early adopters to reinforce internal confidence.

2. Document Your New CRM

Create internal documentation for property definitions, workflow logic, user access and team structures, and integration touchpoints.

This becomes your CRM playbook.

3. Implement a Governance Plan

Protect data quality with monthly health checks and audits, regular deduplication runs, compliance monitoring (Privacy Act 1988, Spam Act 2003), and ownership reviews of records and properties.

Leverage HubSpot's automation to make this easier.