HubSpot migration with Belkins helped a legal services company cut down CRM costs by 50%

Challenges the client faced

Black Hills AI was stuck in a frustrating cycle with Salesforce. Every time they needed to tweak or update the system, it turned into a major headache.

First, the platform was expensive to maintain and became cluttered, nonintuitive, and ineffective without a dedicated developer and extra budget. The team wasn’t thrilled either. Simple updates to records or workflows felt like they took forever, eating into team productivity.

Second, the growing subscription price and required 3-year commitment (plus an additional budget for developers to keep the system running) only added to the client’s dissatisfaction.

Third, there was insufficient sync and visibility across sales, marketing, and service activities within their customer database. This lack of integration made it difficult to get a clear picture of the customer journey and hindered collaboration between teams.

That’s when they decided to switch to HubSpot. Black Hills chose the platform for its user-friendly, no-code setup that allowed the team to finally make changes without needing technical help. Plus, HubSpot’s all-in-one solution brought sales, marketing, and service together under one roof, saving money and making cross-team collaboration way smoother.

Why they chose Belkins

Black Hills AI chose us because we checked all the right boxes:

• Extensive HubSpot experience. Belkins’ deep knowledge of HubSpot meant Black Hills could make the most of their new CRM from day one. Also, it ensured a smooth transition.
• Ongoing partnership on lead generation and trust we’ve built. They wanted a growth partner they could count on for more than just a one-off project. Thanks to our previous history of collaboration, they knew we always stuck to our commitments and exceeded expectations.
• Deep integration with the client’s sales processes. We didn’t just set up HubSpot — we customized it to fit their specific needs, making their workflows seamless and efficient.
• Competitive pricing. After reviewing several vendors, Belkins stood out with a price point that delivered real value without breaking the bank.

Partnership objectives

Before partnering with Belkins, Black Hills AI had clear goals and expectations in mind:

• Cut CRM costs. The team needed to reduce expenses tied to maintaining and updating their CRM system.
• Simplify the tech stack. Black Hills wanted to eliminate the need for multiple disconnected systems and complex solutions and processes.
• Reduce technical dependencies. The client wanted to gain more flexibility and empower their team to handle CRM updates and workflows without relying on developers or outside help.
• Boost team productivity. Equip sales, marketing, and service teams with user-friendly, integrated tools to make their work faster and more efficient.

By partnering with Belkins, Black Hills aimed to create a unified system that could support their entire customer life cycle while saving money and giving their team more independence.

Strategy and implementation

To solve the client’s challenges and ensure a smooth transition to HubSpot, the Belkins team followed a structured, step-by-step plan:

1. Salesforce data analysis and migration planning.We started by diving into Black Hills’ Salesforce data and setup, examining its structure, workflows, page layouts, and reports. This helped us identify essential data for migration and plan a seamless transfer process.

2. Data migration and cleaning. Migrating over 100,000 records was no small task. To ensure accuracy and integrity, we followed these steps:

• Extracted data from Salesforce, addressing inconsistencies, duplicates, and outdated entries.
• Mapped Salesforce fields to their HubSpot counterparts for compatibility.
• Migrated data in blocks: deals and contacts first, followed by deal-related details like notes, emails, call logs, and contracts.
• Validated the data iteratively at each stage to confirm everything was clean and ready for operational use.

3. HubSpot configuration and sales pipeline setup. Key steps included:

• Once the data was in place, we configured HubSpot to fit Black Hills’ workflows and requirements.
• After that, we customized the user interface with tailored layouts, views, and properties for intuitive navigation.
• Finally, we set up 2 new sales pipelines — 1 for active accounts and another for sales — to bring clarity and structure to their workflows.

4. Reports and dashboards creation. We replicated and improved critical reports and dashboards from Salesforce, ensuring Black Hills had access to the insights they relied on. Using HubSpot’s tools, we rebuilt these reports with better customization and clarity, enabling informed business decisions.

5. Comprehensive team training and Q&A sessions.To get everyone up to speed, we ran multiple hands-on training sessions. These sessions weren’t just “here’s how it works” demos — we tailored them to address specific differences between HubSpot and Salesforce. These sessions focused on the following:

• Navigating HubSpot’s features and custom views
• Using the updated sales pipeline and generating reports
• Highlighting the differences between Salesforce and HubSpot
• Answering team questions in live Q&A sessions to build confidence in using the platform

6. Ongoing team support after migration. Throughout the migration process, we maintained open communication and provided real-time support. Regular feedback sessions allowed us to refine workflows and resolve any issues promptly. Post-launch, we continued troubleshooting to ensure operational stability.

Execution timeline

1. Active phase (7 weeks):

• Salesforce data analysis and migration planning
• Gradual data transfer in blocks, ensuring accuracy and minimal disruption
• System configuration to match the client’s workflows
• Final pipeline adjustments and integration setup
• Comprehensive team training sessions and Q&A

2. Support (7 weeks): Post-migration support and HubSpot optimization as needed until the Salesforce cutoff date.

By combining a detailed migration strategy with personalized training, Belkins ensured Black Hills AI’s transition to HubSpot was seamless and efficient, setting their team up for sustained growth and productivity.

Impact of our partnership

Switching to HubSpot with Belkins’ guidance made a measurable difference for Black Hills AI. Here are some standout results:

• 50% reduction in CRM costs. By cutting dependency on developers and third-party tools, they slashed operational expenses in half.
• 20% increase in team productivity. Thanks to real-time access to customer insights and better collaboration across sales, marketing, and service teams, they managed to complete projects much faster. With all teams using the same platform, communication has improved, reducing delays and errors associated with data handoffs.
• 10% boost of lead-to-customer conversion rate. Comprehensive and easy-to-use features, including automated workflows, provided Black Hills with a unified view of the customer journey, which was more fragmented on their previous platform. This visibility improved their lead nurturing process and allowed marketing to provide better-qualified leads to sales.
• 20% increase in lead response rate. HubSpot’s email tracking and meeting scheduling tools shortened the client’s response time to prospects, which boosted engagement.
• 24% faster campaign deployment. The switch to HubSpot empowered the client to save time on email campaign setup, launch, and reporting.
• 13% lift in email click-through rates. Refined messaging and improved personalization efforts thanks to HubSpot’s detailed engagement analytics led to better email performance.

Additional achievements:

• Data quality improvement. Belkins cleaned and streamlined the database during migration, ensuring more reliable and actionable insights.
• Stronger team adoption. HubSpot’s intuitive interface paired with Belkins’ hands-on training accelerated team onboarding and boosted confidence in the new system.

With these improvements, Black Hills AI is now positioned for long-term success supported by a cost-effective, efficient, and unified platform tailored to their needs. What’s more, they have their marketing and sales source of truth now.

Challenges Belkins encountered

While the partnership with Black Hills AI ultimately delivered stellar results, the journey wasn’t without its bumps. Here's a breakdown of the challenges we faced, the lessons we learned, and how we adapted our strategy to stay on track:

• Overcoming user resistance to change. Black Hills AI had been a Salesforce user for over a decade. That kind of familiarity builds comfort — and a little bit of reluctance to let go. Many team members were hesitant to switch to HubSpot, worrying about losing the features and workflows they had mastered.
  • How we handled it: We didn’t dismiss their concerns. Instead, we leaned on our dual expertise in Salesforce and HubSpot to guide them through the transition. By holding targeted training sessions, we showed the team exactly how HubSpot could simplify their workflows while retaining (or improving) the functionality they relied on. Hands-on demonstrations, live Q&As, and one-on-one support sessions helped build trust and confidence in the new platform.
  • Lessons learned: Change management is just as important as technical implementation. You can have the best tools in the world, but they’re only effective if people use them enthusiastically. Investing time in empathy and education pays off.
• Data complexity during the migration. Moving over 100,000 Salesforce records wasn’t a simple drag-and-drop task. Data discrepancies, outdated information, and structural differences between the 2 platforms created additional issues.
  • How we handled it: We broke the migration into smaller, manageable blocks, which allowed us to identify and address issues incrementally. During this process, we also cleaned and standardized the data, ensuring that Black Hills AI would start fresh in HubSpot with accurate, actionable insights.
  • Lessons learned: Data migrations aren’t just about moving information—they’re an opportunity to optimize and improve. Taking the extra time to clean the data up front saved headaches down the road.

Despite these challenges, the Belkins team delivered a seamless transition to HubSpot for Black Hills AI. By staying solution-focused, leveraging teamwork, and putting the client’s needs front and center, we turned obstacles into opportunities for improvement.

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