How we use HubSpot at Picker New starter guide — getting started with HubSpot at Picker Picker | 2026
How we use HubSpot at Picker New starter guide — getting started with HubSpot at Picker Picker | 2026
This is your starting point for using HubSpot at Picker. It covers everything you need to know to get set up, what to read, and the most important rules to follow from day one.
Welcome to HubSpot at Picker HubSpot is Picker’s CRM — the single place where we track contacts, companies, and commercial opportunities. Every team uses it differently, but the same core principles apply to everyone.
This guide will get you oriented quickly. It is not a full how-to — for that, read the guide relevant to your role (see below). This guide tells you what to do first, what to read, and what never to do.
Step 1 — Get access Who to contact
The HubSpot administrator will set up your account. You cannot add yourself.
What you will receive
An email invitation from HubSpot. Click the link and set up your password.
First thing to do
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Go to your profile icon (top right) → Profile & Preferences → Security. This is mandatory for all users with edit access.
Connect your email
Connect your Outlook inbox so that emails sent from HubSpot are tracked on contact and deal records, and replies thread back automatically. Go to your profile icon (top right) → Profile & Preferences → Email → Connect email account. Select Microsoft Office 365 and follow the prompts to authorise. If you have a shared inbox (e.g. a team inbox), speak to the HubSpot admin about setting that up separately via Settings → General → Inbox.
What access you will have
Your permissions are set by the admin based on your role. If something is not visible or accessible that you need, contact the admin — do not try to work around it. Some users have a Marketing seat which gives access to emails, forms, campaigns, and lists but not to the Deals pipeline. If you need access to both, speak to the admin about your seat type.
Step 2 — Read your role guide There are four guides available. Read the one that matches your role before you do anything else in HubSpot.
Sales guide
For anyone managing deals and pipeline — L&D bookings, Licensing, Programmes opportunities. Covers creating deals, pipeline stages, required fields, tasks, and closing deals.
Marketing guide
For anyone managing email campaigns, forms, lists, and marketing communications — including the marketing agency. Covers naming conventions, form rules, campaigns, and suppression lists.
Admin guide
For the HubSpot administrator only. Covers user management, property governance, workflows, forms, and quarterly data quality checks.
Opportunity Form Guide
For Programmes rota users who submit commercial opportunities via the HubSpot form. Short and simple — no HubSpot account needed to use the form.
Step 3 — Get oriented Before you start using HubSpot actively, spend a few minutes familiarising yourself with the main areas:
Contacts
The people Picker works with or is in conversation with. Every contact should be associated to a company.
Companies
The organisations those contacts belong to. Check whether a company already exists before creating a new one.
Deals
Commercial opportunities. Every deal must have an associated company and contact, and belong to the Master Pipeline.
Tasks
Your to-do list. HubSpot creates tasks automatically when deals move between stages. Check your tasks daily.
Activities
Calls, emails, notes, and meetings logged against contacts and deals. This is how the team tracks the history of a relationship.
The most important rules Rule 1: Every deal must have an associated company and contact. Without this, the deal cannot be reported on correctly. Rule 2: One deal per product. If a client is purchasing multiple products, create a separate deal for each. Associate all deals to the same company. Rule 3: Never create new properties, subscription types, or forms from scratch without speaking to the HubSpot admin first. This keeps the system clean for everyone. Rule 4: If you are in a marketing role, apply both suppression lists on every email send. Never skip this step. Rule 5: Do not edit Portfolio Pillar or Product / Service on a deal after the Proposal stage without admin approval.
Things that are different at Picker A few things work differently in Picker’s HubSpot setup compared to out-of-the-box HubSpot:
Close date vs Contract end date
These are two separate fields. Close date is the date a deal is agreed. Contract end date is only used for Recurring revenue deals and is what triggers the renewal reminder workflow. Do not confuse them.
Quarter
This field populates automatically based on the close date. Do not edit it manually.
Picker Deal Type
Picker uses a custom Deal Type field (Picker Deal Type). Do not use the default HubSpot Deal type field — it is hidden from the layout but still exists in the system.
Loss reason
Required before a deal can be marked Closed Lost. You cannot close a lost deal without selecting a reason.
Address collection
Contact addresses are not collected upfront. A task is automatically created at Contract Negotiation stage to prompt the deal owner to collect the address.
Programmes opportunities
The Programmes team submits opportunities via a standalone form rather than creating deals directly in HubSpot. See the Opportunity Form Guide.
Who to go to for help
HubSpot questions — system, access,
The HubSpot administrator
properties
Process questions — how we do things Your line manager at Picker
HubSpot help resources
knowledge.hubspot.com
Picker | Picker HubSpot — New starter guide | 2026