Skip to content
English
Contact us
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Article 6: Day 1 in HubSpot — How to Work Contacts, Companies, Leads, and Deals Category Getting Started

Purpose:  This article is for ChainIT Pay Account Executives who are new to HubSpot or who need a clear first-day operating guide. The goal is to help AEs understand how to work inside HubSpot after Contacts, Companies, or Leads have been uploaded or assigned.

By the end of this guide, every AE should understand:

  • How HubSpot is used at ChainIT Pay
  • The difference between Contacts, Companies, Leads, and Deals
  • Where to find assigned records
  • How to create basic saved views
  • How to work Leads
  • When to create Deals
  • How to log activity
  • How to keep records clean

HubSpot’ Record views can be created from object index pages using + Add view > Create new view, Leads can be created and managed from Sales > Sales Workspace > Leads, and activities such as calls, emails, meetings, and notes can be logged on CRM records.

1. What HubSpot Is Used For at ChainIT Pay

HubSpot is ChainIT Pay’s sales CRM.

It is where we manage:

  • Contacts
  • Companies
  • Leads
  • Deals
  • Sales activity
  • Follow-up tasks
  • Notes
  • Meetings
  • Email activity
  • Pipeline
  • Account ownership
  • Sales reporting

HubSpot should be treated as the sales system of record.

That means if you contact a prospect, receive a reply, schedule a meeting, create a sales opportunity, or identify a customer issue, that activity should be reflected in HubSpot.

If it is not in HubSpot, leadership and the broader team may not know it happened.

2. The Four Main HubSpot Objects

Every AE must understand these four objects first:

  1. Contacts
  2. Companies
  3. Leads
  4. Deals

These objects work together, but they are not the same.

3. What Is a Contact?

A Contact is a person.

Examples of Contacts include:

  • Business owner
  • Office manager
  • CFO
  • Operations leader
  • Referral partner
  • Decision maker
  • Influencer
  • Prospect
  • Customer contact

A Contact record should help answer:

  • Who is this person?
  • What Company are they connected to?
  • What is their role?
  • Have we contacted them?
  • Have they replied?
  • Are they an active Lead?
  • Are they tied to a Deal?
  • What is the next step?
4. What Is a Company?

A Company is a business or organization.

Examples of Companies include:

  • Merchant
  • Clinic
  • Partner organization
  • Referral account
  • Software platform
  • Target account
  • Customer business

A Company record should help answer:

  • What business is this?
  • Who owns the account?
  • What Contacts are associated with it?
  • Has there been activity?
  • Is there an active Lead?
  • Is there an active Deal?
  • Is the Company a good fit for ChainIT Pay?
5. What Is a Lead?

A Lead is a Contact or Company that sales is actively working.

A Lead is not automatically a Deal.

A Lead means there is enough reason for outreach, follow-up, or qualification.

Examples of Leads include:

  • A Contact from an imported list
  • A Company assigned to an AE
  • A referral from a partner
  • A prospect who replied to an email
  • A business that fits our target profile
  • A prospect who requested more information
  • A campaign-engaged Contact

Leads are managed from the Sales Workspace in HubSpot.

6. What Is a Deal?

A Deal is a real sales opportunity.

A Deal should represent potential revenue.

Examples of when a Deal may be appropriate:

  • Prospect requested pricing
  • Prospect agreed to a demo
  • Prospect discussed payment pain
  • Prospect shared current provider
  • Prospect wants to compare options
  • Prospect asked about onboarding
  • Prospect is reviewing next steps
  • Prospect has a real payment need ChainIT Pay may solve

Do not create a Deal just because a Contact or Company exists.

A clean pipeline is better than an inflated pipeline.

7. Simple Object Map

Use this simple rule:

Contact

The person.

Company

The business.

Lead

The active sales target.

Deal

The revenue opportunity.

Example:

A chiropractor is a Contact.

The clinic is the Company.

If the clinic is assigned to you for outreach, it may become a Lead.

If the clinic replies, discusses payment needs, and asks for pricing, it may become a Deal.

8. First Step: Confirm Your HubSpot Access

Before working records, confirm that you can log into HubSpot.

Check that you can access:

  • CRM
  • Contacts
  • Companies
  • Sales Workspace
  • Leads
  • Deals
  • Tasks
  • Reports or Dashboards, if assigned
  • Sales Ops Knowledge Base

If you cannot access one of these areas, do not create workarounds. Raise the issue through the proper support process.

9. Second Step: Find Your Contacts

To find Contacts:

  1. Log into HubSpot.
  2. Go to CRM.
  3. Click Contacts.

From the Contacts page, you can:

  • Search Contacts
  • Filter Contacts
  • Create saved views
  • Open Contact records
  • Review activity
  • Log calls and emails
  • Create tasks
  • Associate Contacts to Companies
  • Create Leads or Deals when appropriate
10. Third Step: Find Your Companies

To find Companies:

  1. Log into HubSpot.
  2. Go to CRM.
  3. Click Companies.

From the Companies page, you can:

  • Search Companies
  • Filter Companies
  • Create saved views
  • Open Company records
  • Review associated Contacts
  • Review associated Deals
  • Add account notes
  • Create tasks
  • Create Deals when appropriate
11. Fourth Step: Find Your Leads

To find Leads:

  1. Go to Sales.
  2. Click Sales Workspace.
  3. Click Leads.

From the Leads area, you can review active Leads assigned to you.

AEs should use this area to:

  • Work assigned Leads
  • Review Lead status
  • Prioritize outreach
  • Log activity
  • Qualify or disqualify Leads
  • Create Deals when there is real opportunity
12. Fifth Step: Find Your Deals

To find Deals:

  1. Go to CRM.
  2. Click Deals.

Deals may be shown in a board or table view, depending on your setup.

Use Deals to manage:

  • Active sales opportunities
  • Deal stage
  • Pipeline status
  • Close date
  • Revenue amount
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Companies
  • Next steps
13. Create Your First Contact View

Every AE should create a view called:

My Contacts

Recommended filter:

  • Contact owner is me

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM.
  2. Click Contacts.
  3. Click + Add view.
  4. Click Create new view.
  5. Name the view My Contacts.
  6. Choose visibility.
  7. Add the filter Contact owner is me.
  8. Save the view.

Saved views help users filter and return to specific record lists. HubSpot’s current guidance shows saved views are created from object record pages using + Add view > Create new view.

14. Create Your First Company View

Every AE should create a view called:

My Companies

Recommended filter:

  • Company owner is me

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM.
  2. Click Companies.
  3. Click + Add view.
  4. Click Create new view.
  5. Name the view My Companies.
  6. Choose visibility.
  7. Add the filter Company owner is me.
  8. Save the view.
15. Create Your First Lead View

Every AE should create a view called:

My Open Leads

Recommended filters:

  • Lead owner is me
  • Lead status is open, new, attempting, connected, or working

Steps may vary based on HubSpot permissions and the Lead object configuration, but generally:

  1. Go to Sales.
  2. Click Sales Workspace.
  3. Click Leads.
  4. Locate the Lead view or filter area.
  5. Filter to Leads assigned to you.
  6. Filter to active or open Leads.
  7. Save the view if available.
16. Create Your First Deal View

Every AE should create a view called:

My Open Deals

Recommended filters:

  • Deal owner is me
  • Deal stage is not Closed Won
  • Deal stage is not Closed Lost

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM.
  2. Click Deals.
  3. Click + Add view.
  4. Click Create new view.
  5. Name the view My Open Deals.
  6. Choose visibility.
  7. Add the filter Deal owner is me.
  8. Exclude Closed Won and Closed Lost.
  9. Save the view.
17. Create a Follow-Up Needed View

Every AE should create a view called:

Follow-Up Needed

This can be created for Contacts, Deals, or both.

Recommended Contact filters:

  • Contact owner is me
  • Next activity date is today or overdue

Recommended Deal filters:

  • Deal owner is me
  • Deal stage is not Closed Won
  • Deal stage is not Closed Lost
  • Next activity date is today or overdue

Purpose:

This view helps prevent missed follow-up.

18. What to Review Before Outreach

Before contacting a prospect, review:

  • Contact name
  • Company name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Website
  • Industry
  • Owner
  • Lead source
  • Prior activity
  • Notes
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Company
  • Associated Deals
  • Last activity date

Good outreach starts with context.

19. How to Work a Contact

When working a Contact:

  1. Open the Contact record.
  2. Review the Company association.
  3. Review prior activity.
  4. Check notes and tasks.
  5. Determine the reason for outreach.
  6. Call or email the Contact.
  7. Log the activity.
  8. Update Lead status if applicable.
  9. Create the next task.
  10. Create a Deal only if there is real opportunity.
20. How to Work a Company

When working a Company:

  1. Open the Company record.
  2. Review associated Contacts.
  3. Review prior activity.
  4. Review associated Deals.
  5. Review business information.
  6. Research the account if needed.
  7. Identify the right person to contact.
  8. Log research or outreach notes.
  9. Create tasks for follow-up.
  10. Create a Deal only if there is real commercial opportunity.
21. How to Work a Lead

When working a Lead:

  1. Open the Lead.
  2. Review the associated Contact or Company.
  3. Review prior activity.
  4. Determine why the Lead exists.
  5. Begin outreach.
  6. Log calls and emails.
  7. Update Lead status.
  8. Add qualification notes.
  9. Create a follow-up task.
  10. Create a Deal only when qualified.
22. How to Work a Deal

When working a Deal:

  1. Open the Deal.
  2. Confirm the associated Company.
  3. Confirm the associated Contact.
  4. Review Deal stage.
  5. Review close date.
  6. Review last activity.
  7. Confirm the next step.
  8. Log activity.
  9. Update stage or close date if needed.
  10. Create the next task.

Every active Deal should have a clear next step.

23. What Counts as Meaningful Engagement?

Meaningful engagement includes:

  • Email reply
  • Phone conversation
  • Meeting booked
  • Demo request
  • Pricing request
  • Referral introduction
  • Current provider discussed
  • Payment pain identified
  • Processing volume shared
  • Objection raised
  • Onboarding question asked

Meaningful engagement should be logged in HubSpot.

24. What Does Not Count as Meaningful Engagement?

These do not usually count by themselves:

  • Contact was imported
  • Company was imported
  • AE sent one email
  • AE left one voicemail
  • Email was opened but not answered
  • Contact exists on a list
  • Company looks like a good fit but has not replied

These may justify continued outreach, but not Deal creation by themselves.

25. When to Create a Deal

Create a Deal when:

  • Prospect has engaged
  • There is a business need
  • ChainIT Pay may be a fit
  • There is potential revenue
  • There is a next step
  • The opportunity belongs in pipeline

Do not create a Deal simply to show activity.

Pipeline should reflect real opportunities.

26. How to Create a Deal from a Contact

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM.
  2. Click Contacts.
  3. Search for the Contact.
  4. Open the Contact record.
  5. Find the Deals section.
  6. Click Add or Create Deal.
  7. Enter the Deal name.
  8. Choose pipeline.
  9. Choose Deal stage.
  10. Add amount if known.
  11. Add close date if known.
  12. Confirm Contact association.
  13. Associate the correct Company if available.
  14. Save.
27. How to Create a Deal from a Company

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM.
  2. Click Companies.
  3. Search for the Company.
  4. Open the Company record.
  5. Find the Deals section.
  6. Click Add or Create Deal.
  7. Enter the Deal name.
  8. Choose pipeline.
  9. Choose Deal stage.
  10. Add amount if known.
  11. Add close date if known.
  12. Confirm Company association.
  13. Associate the correct Contact if available.
  14. Save.
28. Deal Naming Standard

Use this format:

Company Name - Opportunity Type

Examples:

  • ABC Chiropractic - ChainIT Pay Processing
  • Smith Clinic - Online Payments
  • Premier Services - Merchant Services Review
  • SR22 Savings - Account Review
  • Partner Referral - Payment Processing Opportunity

Avoid vague names like:

  • New Deal
  • Follow-Up
  • Payment
  • Test
  • Deal 1
29. Activity Logging Standard

HubSpot allows calls, emails, meetings, messages, notes, and other activities to be logged on records. Activities can also be associated with related records, helping the team see communication history across Contacts, Companies, Deals, and other objects.

After meaningful activity, AEs should:

  1. Log the activity.
  2. Add a clear note.
  3. Update Lead status or Deal stage.
  4. Create the next task.
  5. Associate activity to the correct record.
30. What to Log After a Call

Log:

  • Who you spoke with
  • What was discussed
  • Current provider, if mentioned
  • Payment pain points
  • Objections
  • Decision maker information
  • Timing
  • Next step
  • Follow-up task

Example:

“Spoke with office manager. Current provider is Stripe. Owner makes payment decisions. Main issue is reporting and reconciliation. Requested overview and follow-up next Tuesday.”

31. What to Log After an Email Reply

Log or confirm the email is logged.

Then add a note if needed:

  • What the reply said
  • Whether the prospect is interested
  • What question they asked
  • Whether pricing or demo was requested
  • What the next step is

Do not let replies sit without action.

32. What to Log After a Meeting

Log:

  • Who attended
  • What was discussed
  • Business need
  • Current provider
  • Pain points
  • Product interest
  • Objections
  • Timeline
  • Decision makers
  • Next step

Create the next task immediately.

33. First-Day Daily Workflow

Use this workflow on Day 1:

  1. Log into HubSpot.
  2. Confirm access.
  3. Find Contacts.
  4. Find Companies.
  5. Find Leads.
  6. Find Deals.
  7. Create My Contacts view.
  8. Create My Companies view.
  9. Create My Open Leads view.
  10. Create My Open Deals view.
  11. Create Follow-Up Needed view.
  12. Review assigned records.
  13. Begin outreach only after understanding the records.
  14. Log activity.
  15. Create next-step tasks.
34. First-Week Workflow

During the first week, focus on:

  • Understanding assigned records
  • Creating saved views
  • Connecting email plugin
  • Reviewing imported data
  • Cleaning obvious issues through support
  • Working assigned Leads
  • Logging all activity
  • Creating Deals only when appropriate
  • Building your dashboard
  • Asking for help when needed
35. Common First-Day Mistakes

Avoid:

  • Working from the old spreadsheet instead of HubSpot
  • Creating duplicate Contacts
  • Creating duplicate Companies
  • Creating Deals too early
  • Forgetting to save views
  • Not logging activity
  • Not creating follow-up tasks
  • Ignoring Company associations
  • Guessing on pricing or compliance
  • Changing ownership without clarity
36. Minimum Day 1 Checklist

Before the end of Day 1, confirm:

Access
  • I can log into HubSpot.
  • I can access Contacts.
  • I can access Companies.
  • I can access Leads.
  • I can access Deals.
Views
  • I created My Contacts.
  • I created My Companies.
  • I created My Open Leads.
  • I created My Open Deals.
  • I created Follow-Up Needed.
Sales Workflow
  • I understand Contact vs Company.
  • I understand Lead vs Deal.
  • I know when to create a Deal.
  • I know how to log activity.
  • I know how to create tasks.
  • I know where to ask for help.
37. Final Standard

Your first day in HubSpot is about creating control.

Do not rush into random outreach.

Start by understanding your records, creating your views, and learning where everything lives.

The ChainIT Pay Day 1 standard is:

  • Know where your records are.
  • Create your working views.
  • Understand Contacts, Companies, Leads, and Deals.
  • Work from HubSpot, not spreadsheets.
  • Log activity as it happens.
  • Create Deals only when opportunity is real.
  • Keep the CRM clean.

Clean first steps create clean sales habits.

Clean sales habits create clean pipeline.

Clean pipeline creates better forecasting and better execution for ChainIT Pay.