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Day 1 in HubSpot: How to Work Contacts, Companies, Leads, and Deals.

 ChainIT Pay Internal Knowledge Article

 Day 1 in HubSpot: How to Work Contacts, Companies, Leads, and DealsChainIT Pay Internal Knowledge ArticlePurpose

This guide is for ChainIT Pay sales users, account executives, referral partners, and team members who are new to HubSpot or need a simple refresher.

The goal is to help you understand how to use HubSpot after your Contacts, Companies, or Leads have been imported or assigned.

By the end of this guide, you should understand how to:

  1. Navigate to Contacts
  2. Filter Contacts
  3. Create saved Contact views
  4. Navigate to Companies
  5. Filter Companies
  6. Create saved Company views
  7. Understand what a Lead is
  8. Create Leads from Contacts or Companies
  9. Work Leads from the Sales Workspace
  10. Understand what counts as engagement
  11. Know when to create a Deal
  12. Create Deals from Contact or Company records
  13. Associate Deals correctly
  14. Keep HubSpot clean and organized
1. What HubSpot Is Used for at ChainIT Pay

HubSpot is ChainIT Pay’s customer relationship management system, also called the CRM.

HubSpot is where we manage:

  • Contacts
  • Companies
  • Leads
  • Deals
  • Sales activity
  • Follow-up tasks
  • Customer notes
  • Pipeline visibility
  • Relationship history

HubSpot should be treated as the system of record for sales activity.

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

If it is not in HubSpot, the rest of the team may not know it happened.

2. The Four Main HubSpot Objects You Need to Know

There are four main objects sales users need to understand first:

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

Each one has a different purpose.

3. What Is a Contact?

A Contact is a person.

Examples of Contacts include:

  • Business owner
  • Decision maker
  • Office manager
  • Referral partner
  • Operations leader
  • Finance leader
  • Technology contact
  • Prospect
  • Customer contact

A Contact record may include:

  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Job title
  • Associated Company
  • Owner
  • Lead status
  • Email activity
  • Call activity
  • Notes
  • Meetings
  • Deals

Use Contacts when you are working with a specific person.

4. What Is a Company?

A Company is a business or organization.

Examples of Companies include:

  • A merchant
  • A clinic
  • A customer business
  • A referral partner company
  • A software platform
  • A target account

A Company record may include:

  • Company name
  • Website domain
  • Industry
  • Company owner
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Deals
  • Notes
  • Tasks
  • Activity history

Use Companies when you are working the business account, not just the individual person.

5. What Is a Lead?

A Lead is a person or company that sales is actively working.

A Lead is not always a Deal yet.

A Lead means there is enough reason for sales follow-up.

Examples of Leads include:

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

A Lead should be worked, qualified, updated, and either moved forward or disqualified.

6. What Is a Deal?

A Deal is a real sales opportunity.

A Deal should be created when there is actual commercial opportunity.

Examples of when a Deal may be appropriate:

  • The prospect asked for pricing
  • The prospect requested a demo
  • The prospect agreed to review payment options
  • The prospect has a known business need
  • The prospect is discussing switching payment providers
  • The prospect is ready to apply or onboard
  • There is a real opportunity to generate revenue

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

A Deal should represent a real opportunity in the sales pipeline.

7. Simple Difference Between Contacts, Companies, Leads, and Deals

Use this simple explanation:

Contact

The person.

Company

The business.

Lead

The person or business sales is actively working.

Deal

The revenue opportunity.

Example:

Jim Meadows is the Contact.

Jim’s business or clinic list may relate to a Company or group of Companies.

If Jim or one of his referred businesses needs payment services, that may become a Lead.

If there is real interest, a sales conversation, pricing, or onboarding opportunity, that may become a Deal.

8. How to Navigate to Contacts

To find your Contacts in HubSpot:

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

This opens the Contacts index page.

The Contacts page is where you can:

  • Search for people
  • Filter Contacts
  • Create saved views
  • Open Contact records
  • Review activity
  • Create tasks
  • Send or log emails
  • Create Leads
  • Create Deals when appropriate

HubSpot’s current record navigation uses CRM > Contacts for Contacts and CRM > Companies for Companies. HubSpot’s record index pages allow users to view, filter, and manage records.

9. How to Search for a Contact

From the Contacts page, use the search bar to search by:

  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Company name, if available

Best practice:

Always search before creating a new Contact.

Email address is usually the strongest way to search for a Contact.

10. How to Filter Contacts

Filters help you narrow the Contact list.

Examples of useful Contact filters:

  • Contact owner
  • Create date
  • Last activity date
  • Lead status
  • Lifecycle stage
  • Email
  • Company name
  • Industry
  • City
  • State
  • Recent conversion
  • Last contacted date
  • Next activity date

Basic steps:

  1. Go to CRM
  2. Click Contacts
  3. Select or create a view
  4. Add filters
  5. Choose the property you want to filter by
  6. Set the condition
  7. Apply the filter
  8. Save the view if you want to use it again
11. How to Create a Saved Contact View

A saved view lets you quickly return to the same filtered list.

For example, you may want a view called:

  • My Contacts
  • My New Contacts
  • My Chiropractor Contacts
  • Contacts Needing Follow-Up
  • Recently Engaged Contacts
  • Contacts Without Companies

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM
  2. Click Contacts
  3. Click + Add view
  4. Click Create new view
  5. Name the view
  6. Choose who can see it
  7. Add filters
  8. Save the view

HubSpot’s saved view process allows users to create record views from object index pages, such as Contacts or Companies, using the + Add view option and saved filters.

12. Recommended Contact View: My Contacts

Every AE should create a view called:

My Contacts

Recommended filter:

  • Contact owner is me

Purpose:

This view shows the Contacts assigned to you.

Use this view every day.

13. Recommended Contact View: New Contacts Assigned to Me

Create a view called:

New Contacts Assigned to Me

Recommended filters:

  • Contact owner is me
  • Create date is after the import date
  • Last activity date is unknown or before assignment date

Purpose:

This view helps you identify newly assigned Contacts that need first outreach.

14. Recommended Contact View: Contacts Needing Follow-Up

Create a view called:

Contacts Needing Follow-Up

Recommended filters may include:

  • Contact owner is me
  • Next activity date is today or overdue
  • Last activity date is older than 7 days
  • Lead status is open, attempted, connected, or working

Purpose:

This view helps prevent missed follow-up.

15. Recommended Contact View: Recently Engaged Contacts

Create a view called:

Recently Engaged Contacts

Recommended filters may include:

  • Contact owner is me
  • Last activity date is within the last 7 days
  • Recent email reply
  • Recent meeting booked
  • Recent call logged

Purpose:

This view helps you focus on Contacts showing real activity.

16. How to Navigate to Companies

To find Companies in HubSpot:

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

This opens the Companies index page.

The Companies page is where you can:

  • Search for businesses
  • Filter Companies
  • Create saved Company views
  • Open Company records
  • Review associated Contacts
  • Review associated Deals
  • Add notes
  • Create tasks
  • Create Deals when appropriate
17. How to Search for a Company

From the Companies page, use the search bar to search by:

  • Company name
  • Website domain
  • Phone number
  • Associated Contact
  • City or state, if available

Best practice:

Always search before creating a new Company.

Company name and domain are usually the strongest ways to search for Companies.

18. How to Filter Companies

Filters help you narrow the Company list.

Examples of useful Company filters:

  • Company owner
  • Company name
  • Website domain
  • Industry
  • City
  • State
  • Create date
  • Last activity date
  • Associated Contacts
  • Associated Deals
  • Lifecycle stage
  • Target account status

Basic steps:

  1. Go to CRM
  2. Click Companies
  3. Select or create a view
  4. Add filters
  5. Choose the property you want to filter by
  6. Set the condition
  7. Apply the filter
  8. Save the view if you want to use it again
19. How to Create a Saved Company View

A saved Company view lets you quickly return to the same filtered list of businesses.

Examples:

  • My Companies
  • My Target Accounts
  • Companies Needing Follow-Up
  • Companies Without Contacts
  • Companies Without Deals
  • Recently Engaged Companies

Steps:

  1. Go to CRM
  2. Click Companies
  3. Click + Add view
  4. Click Create new view
  5. Name the view
  6. Choose who can see it
  7. Add filters
  8. Save the view
20. Recommended Company View: My Companies

Every AE should create a view called:

My Companies

Recommended filter:

  • Company owner is me

Purpose:

This view shows Companies assigned to you.

Use this view every day.

21. Recommended Company View: Companies Without Contacts

Create a view called:

Companies Without Contacts

Recommended filters:

  • Company owner is me
  • Associated Contacts is unknown

Purpose:

This helps identify Companies that may need cleanup, research, or contact association.

22. Recommended Company View: Companies Without Deals

Create a view called:

Companies Without Deals

Recommended filters:

  • Company owner is me
  • Associated Deals is unknown

Purpose:

This helps identify Companies that do not yet have an active Deal.

Important:

Do not create a Deal just because a Company does not have one.

Only create a Deal when there is real engagement or commercial opportunity.

23. Recommended Company View: Recently Engaged Companies

Create a view called:

Recently Engaged Companies

Recommended filters may include:

  • Company owner is me
  • Last activity date is within the last 7 days
  • Associated Contact has recent engagement
  • Associated Deal is open

Purpose:

This helps you focus on businesses showing activity.

24. How to Create Leads from Contacts or Companies

A Lead can be created from a Contact or Company when the person or business should be actively worked by sales.

HubSpot currently supports creating Leads from the Sales Workspace, and users can create either a Contact Lead or a Company Lead.

Basic path:

  1. Go to Sales
  2. Click Sales Workspace
  3. Click Leads
  4. Click Create Lead
  5. Choose Contact or Company
  6. Complete the required information
  7. Save the Lead

You may also see options to create or associate Leads from certain record pages depending on your HubSpot setup and permissions.

25. When to Create a Lead

Create a Lead when there is a real reason for sales follow-up.

Good reasons include:

  • Assigned prospect list
  • Referral introduction
  • Campaign response
  • Email reply
  • Demo request
  • Pricing interest
  • Phone conversation
  • Known payment need
  • Existing relationship
  • Target account fit

Do not create Leads randomly.

A Lead should represent a person or company that sales should actively work.

26. How to Work Leads from the Sales Workspace

To work Leads:

  1. Go to Sales
  2. Click Sales Workspace
  3. Click Leads
  4. Open your assigned Leads
  5. Review the Contact or Company
  6. Review past activity
  7. Determine the next step
  8. Call, email, or follow up
  9. Log the activity
  10. Update the Lead status
  11. Create a Deal only when appropriate

The Sales Workspace should help you prioritize your active sales work.

27. Lead Status Expectations

Every Lead should have a clear status.

Common Lead statuses may include:

  • New
  • Attempting
  • Connected
  • Working
  • Qualified
  • Disqualified
  • Converted to Deal

Your exact HubSpot setup may use different names.

The key rule is simple:

Do not leave Leads unclear.

A Lead should always show where it stands.

28. What Counts as Engagement?

Engagement means the prospect has taken a meaningful action or had a meaningful interaction.

Examples of engagement:

  • Replied to an email
  • Took a phone call
  • Asked for pricing
  • Requested a demo
  • Asked for more information
  • Was introduced by a referral partner
  • Scheduled a meeting
  • Shared current payment provider
  • Shared payment pain points
  • Provided processing volume
  • Discussed onboarding
  • Asked about switching providers

Examples that do not count as meaningful engagement by themselves:

  • The Contact exists in HubSpot
  • The Company exists in HubSpot
  • The person was imported from a spreadsheet
  • The person received one email but did not respond
  • The business appears to be a good fit but has not engaged yet
29. When to Create a Deal

Create a Deal when there is real commercial opportunity.

A Deal should usually be created when:

  • The prospect has engaged
  • There is a business need
  • There is potential revenue
  • There is a possible ChainIT Pay fit
  • There is a next step
  • The opportunity may move through a sales pipeline

A Deal should not be created just because:

  • A Contact was imported
  • A Company was imported
  • A Lead was assigned
  • You sent one email
  • You want to show pipeline activity

A clean pipeline is more valuable than an inflated pipeline.

30. How to Create a Deal from a Contact Record

If you spoke with or engaged a Contact and there is a real opportunity, create the Deal from that Contact record.

Steps:

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

Creating a Deal from the associated record helps keep the Deal connected to the right Contact and can help carry relevant activity into the Deal timeline.

31. How to Create a Deal from a Company Record

If the opportunity is tied to a business account, create the Deal from the Company record.

Steps:

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

Use a clear Deal name.

Recommended format:

Company Name - Opportunity Type

Examples:

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

Avoid vague names like:

  • New Deal
  • Payment
  • Follow-Up
  • Test
  • Deal 1
33. Deal Association Standard

Every Deal should be associated with the correct records whenever possible.

A clean Deal should include:

  • Deal name
  • Deal owner
  • Associated Company
  • Associated Contact
  • Deal stage
  • Amount, if known
  • Close date, if known
  • Next step
  • Notes or activity history

Why this matters:

If a Deal is not associated correctly, leadership cannot easily understand:

  • Who the opportunity is with
  • What Company it belongs to
  • Who the decision maker is
  • What activity has happened
  • What the next step is
  • Whether the pipeline is accurate
34. What to Do After Creating a Deal

After creating a Deal:

  1. Confirm the associated Contact
  2. Confirm the associated Company
  3. Add a note summarizing the opportunity
  4. Add the next step
  5. Create a follow-up task
  6. Update the Deal stage
  7. Make sure the close date is realistic
  8. Continue logging activity

A Deal without a next step is not being actively managed.

35. Basic Data Hygiene Rules

Good HubSpot data makes sales easier.

Bad HubSpot data creates confusion.

Follow these rules.

Rule 1: Search Before Creating

Before creating a Contact or Company, search first.

Search by:

  • Email
  • Company name
  • Domain
  • Phone number
Rule 2: Do Not Create Duplicates

If the record already exists, use the existing record.

Do not create another version.

Rule 3: Associate Records

Contacts should be associated with Companies when possible.

Deals should be associated with Contacts and Companies when possible.

Rule 4: Log Activity

Calls, emails, meetings, notes, and next steps should be logged in HubSpot.

Rule 5: Keep Ownership Clear

Every active Contact, Company, Lead, or Deal should have a clear owner.

Rule 6: Do Not Guess

Do not guess on:

  • Pricing
  • Compliance
  • Underwriting
  • Risk
  • Product capabilities
  • Integration timelines
  • Support commitments

Confirm with the right internal team before answering.

36. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these mistakes:

  • Working from spreadsheets after records have been imported
  • Creating duplicate Contacts
  • Creating duplicate Companies
  • Creating Deals too early
  • Leaving Leads without status
  • Leaving Deals without next steps
  • Forgetting to associate Deals to Contacts and Companies
  • Failing to log emails or calls
  • Using vague Deal names
  • Guessing on pricing, risk, or compliance questions
37. Daily Workflow for Sales Users

Use this workflow each day.

Step 1: Review Your Tasks

Start with tasks due today and overdue tasks.

Step 2: Review Your Leads

Go to Sales Workspace and review assigned Leads.

Step 3: Open Your Contact Views

Review:

  • My Contacts
  • Recently Engaged Contacts
  • Contacts Needing Follow-Up
Step 4: Open Your Company Views

Review:

  • My Companies
  • Recently Engaged Companies
  • Companies Without Deals
Step 5: Complete Outreach

Call, email, or follow up with assigned prospects.

Step 6: Log Activity

Log calls, emails, meetings, and notes.

Step 7: Update Lead Status

Make sure each worked Lead has the correct status.

Step 8: Create Deals When Appropriate

Create a Deal only when there is real engagement and commercial opportunity.

Step 9: Set the Next Step

Every active Lead or Deal should have a next action.

38. Weekly Workflow for Sales Users

Once per week, review:

  • Leads with no recent activity
  • Contacts with no associated Company
  • Companies with no associated Contacts
  • Companies with no Deals
  • Deals with no next step
  • Deals with outdated close dates
  • Duplicate or incomplete records

This keeps your CRM clean and your pipeline accurate.

39. Quick Reference Checklist

Before you begin working your assigned records, confirm:

Contacts
  • I know how to find Contacts
  • I created a My Contacts view
  • I created a Contacts Needing Follow-Up view
  • I know how to search before creating a new Contact
Companies
  • I know how to find Companies
  • I created a My Companies view
  • I created a Companies Without Deals view
  • I know how to search before creating a new Company
Leads
  • I know where to find assigned Leads
  • I understand what a Lead is
  • I know how to update Lead status
  • I know when a Lead should become a Deal
Deals
  • I understand what a Deal is
  • I know when to create a Deal
  • I know how to create a Deal from a Contact
  • I know how to create a Deal from a Company
  • I know how to associate Deals correctly
Data Hygiene
  • I search before creating records
  • I avoid duplicates
  • I log activity
  • I set next steps
  • I do not guess on pricing, compliance, risk, or technical questions
40. Final Rule

HubSpot works only when the team uses it consistently.

Your responsibility is to:

  • Work from HubSpot
  • Keep your views organized
  • Log your activity
  • Update Lead status
  • Create Deals only when appropriate
  • Associate records correctly
  • Keep the CRM clean

Clean activity creates clean pipeline.

Clean pipeline creates better forecasting.

Better forecasting helps ChainIT Pay grow in a more organized, scalable, and professional way.