I Give Up. Your Team Should Ditch HubSpot And Just Use Spreadsheets.

Ok so as a big fan of HubSpot I have been wrestling with this for years now. Should you just give up on using HubSpot and go back to spreadsheets? Well I am ready to make a big admission... When it comes to managing your contacts, tracking donations, or keeping things organized, we all want the easiest solution. So why complicate things with fancy software when you’ve already got the perfect tool: a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheets are the ultimate solution. They’re familiar, simple, and, let’s be honest, who hasn’t been using them since high school? In fact, spreadsheets have been around since 1979. That’s over 40 years of glorious, grid-filled greatness. Everyone knows how to use them.

You can add contacts into rows, fill in all the details you want, and—wait for it—you can even share them with your team! Collaboration is just a click away. It’s seamless, intuitive, and your team doesn’t even have to learn anything new. Honestly, why would anyone need more?

Then there’s HubSpot. While I have tried my best to convince people it is easy the reality is that it isn’t. I mean, let’s start with the fact that your team probably doesn’t even know what a CRM is (Customer Relationship Management, in case you’re wondering). HubSpot is a whole new world, with different terms, dashboards, and workflows. You’re asking your team to learn something new? Sounds like a lot of work.

If “Easy” Is Your Goal…

If your main goal is to keep things easy—then I think you should stick with the spreadsheet. There is nothing more familiar to your team. No new software to set up, no training sessions, and no need to think too hard. Just keep adding those rows. It’s familiar, it’s safe, and nothing says “growth” like a nice color-coded Excel file, right?

But, If Growth Is What You’re After…

Now, stick with me for one more minute. What if you’re not just looking for easy? What if—and I know this is crazy—you actually want to grow? What if your real goal is to grow?

• Do you want to scale your nonprofit’s donations or bring in more volunteers?

• Are you hoping to streamline your sales process or grow your client base?

• Do you have big goals that require more than just the bare minimum?

Well, in that case, maybe spreadsheets aren’t the answer after all. I know, shocking.

The Truth About Growth

Here’s the thing: growth rarely happens in our comfort zones. And while spreadsheets are great for small tasks, they’re not exactly built for scaling. Growth comes from diving into the unfamiliar and using tools designed for expansion—tools like HubSpot.

Sure, HubSpot takes a bit of learning and effort, but so does anything that’s worth it. After all, no farmer plants a field of corn with a shovel—they use a tractor. It’s bigger, it’s harder to operate, but it gets the job done.

So, yes, spreadsheets are great if you want to stay right where you are. Because where you are now is easy, and it is familiar. But if you’re ready to invest in your vision, make things scalable, and grow to the next level—I believe the best tool you could invest in is HubSpot. It is a customer platform built to serve you and your team's growth. And it's an investment that is worth it.