A Complete Guide to HubSpot Contract Management for Sales Teams

You can prospect, cold call, and send LinkedIn DMs around the clock, but bad contract management can doom your sales process from the start.

Why?

Letting contracts slip through the cracks or requiring prospects to jump through too many hoops can stall negotiations. That causes inertia, and inertia can prevent even the most eager prospects from closing.

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HubSpot isn’t just a marketing powerhouse. It can be used to build an efficient sales process from prospecting leads to signing on the dotted line. With HubSpot’s contract management capabilities and integrations with leading e-signature tools, you can streamline your contract workflow, minimize administrative burdens, and keep your team focused on closing deals.

Read on for a complete guide to make contract management simple for your sales team.

Key Takeaways

Short on time? Here’s the tldr:

• HubSpot integrates seamlessly with top e-signature tools like DocuSign and PandaDoc, making contract management efficient and automating actions post-signature.
• Tailor HubSpot’s deal pipelines and stages, automate approvals, and use conditional workflows for a streamlined contract lifecycle.
• HubSpot provides robust security features, including audit trails and access controls, to safeguard contract data and support compliance.

Got 10 more minutes? Keep reading and follow along in your HubSpot portal with our examples.

Why HubSpot is Ideal for Contract Management

Like I said above, HubSpot isn’t just a tool for your marketing team. It’s a powerhouse that can drive your sales process (and if that doesn’t convince you, check out more reasons your sales team should use HubSpot).

Not only can HubSpot allow you to:

• Identify website visitors
• Manage and prioritize prospects
• Build an ABM strategy
• Integrate HubSpot with valuable prospecting channels like LinkedIn

Its contract management capabilities, along with integrations with top tools, can help streamline your sales workflow and bring all your data under one roof.

For any business looking to improve its contract process, HubSpot offers an accessible yet powerful solution.

HubSpot’s Contract Management Ecosystem: Top Integrations

The beauty of HubSpot is that if it doesn't have a best-in-class tool built in, it probably integrates with one. That’s the case for contract management; HubSpot integrates with many of the top e-signing tools on the market and brings all the data they collect straight into your CRM.

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HubSpot’s top contract management integrations include:

• DocuSign: Known for secure and legally binding e-signatures.
• HelloSign: A user-friendly solution for smaller teams.
• Adobe Sign: A robust option for document-heavy workflows.
• PandaDoc: Popular for its customizable templates and document tracking.

Combine any one of these tools with HubSpot, and it’s easier than ever to generate, send, and track contracts, while keeping your customer and prospect data centralized. That means more transparency for your sales team, better data in your CRM, and a smoother sales process to turn prospects into loyal customers.

HubSpot’s philosophy around integrations is just one of the reasons I love using it and recommend it to any sales team. HubSpot can integrate with so much more than contract management tools, too. Check out our guide on HubSpot integrations and also our HubSpot LinkedIn Integration to make your marketing and sales process smoother.

How to Streamline Contact Management in HubSpot: Step-By-Step

HubSpot makes it easy to manage documents and contracts, thanks to templates and third-party platforms (which we’ll cover later). By connecting HubSpot to tools like DocuSign or PandaDoc, you can create, send, and track contracts all in one place, streamlining your workflow and enhancing team efficiency.

Here’s a quick breakdown to get started:

1. Choose your contract management platform: First, select a contract management software that best fits your needs from the built-in HubSpot integrations list.
2. Connect your account with HubSpot: Go into your contract management tool’s “Integrations” page, and enable the HubSpot integration.
3. Configure permissions: Ensure team members have the appropriate permissions to view, edit, and send contracts.
4. Create contracts and use your template: Use standardized contract templates from third-party companies that fit your business needs to maintain consistency and reduce the risk of errors.
5. Automate contract actions: Enable workflows to send reminders, notify teams, or trigger other actions upon contract signing.

Here’s an Example With PandaDoc

First, we select the PandaDoc integration.

Then, we create a contract for one of our deals.

Populate fields with data from HubSpot, reducing manual input and ensuring accuracy.

And voila! A contract ready for signing. 

Why HubSpot is the Obvious Choice for Sales Teams to Manage Contracts

Couldn’t you just send a PDF to a prospect and cobble together a solution with your CRM to keep your data in sync?

Well, sure, and to make fire, you could bang two rocks against each other and it’ll work eventually, too. HubSpot is the obvious choice for better contract management for the following reasons:

• Better collaboration and teamwork
• Centralize your data in one place
• Automate post-signature actions
• It’s secure and compliant
• Built-in analytics

Collaboration and Teamwork in Contract Management

Effective contract management hinges on teamwork and collaboration, as multiple stakeholders often need to contribute to drafting, reviewing, and finalizing agreements.

HubSpot, in partnership with Contractbook, offers a suite of collaborative tools designed to streamline this process. With features like threaded comments and real-time suggestions, team members can negotiate contract terms more efficiently, directly within the HubSpot platform or through integrated tools.

By facilitating collaboration in this way, HubSpot helps organizations maintain quality and attention to detail. This collaborative approach not only speeds up the contract lifecycle but also enhances accountability and transparency among team members.

Centralize Contract Data in One Place

One of the biggest advantages of managing contracts within HubSpot is the ability to centralize data, making it easier to track deals and avoid duplicate data.

This reduces administrative work and minimizes the risk of errors by keeping everything organized in one location.

Key features of HubSpot’s centralized data include:

• Automatic Data Syncing: With data sync, updates in HubSpot reflect across platforms, keeping information accurate.‍
• PDF Uploads and Attachments: Store contract files directly in deal records or contact files, ensuring easy access.‍
• Custom Fields: Create custom properties, such as “Contract Status” or “Renewal Date,” for additional tracking.

Centralized data management ensures that the latest contract versions and client information are always at your team’s fingertips, fostering better collaboration and client communication.

Automate Post-Signature Actions with HubSpot

HubSpot's automation capabilities simplify actions such as post-signature actions, reducing manual work and ensuring every step of the contract lifecycle aligns seamlessly with your sales pipeline.

Once a contract is signed, HubSpot can:

• Send Notifications: Notify relevant team members when a contract is signed, so everyone stays informed.
• Trigger Follow-Up Workflows: Initiate workflows for follow-ups, feedback requests, or client surveys, ensuring ongoing engagement.
• Set Contract Renewal Reminders: Schedule automatic reminders to stay on top of contract renewals and key deadlines.
• Adjust Your Pipeline: Adjust deal stages to reflect contract milestones, making it easy to monitor contract progress in real time.

Enhance Security and Compliance in HubSpot Contract Management

HubSpot offers robust security features to safeguard contract data and ensure compliance with industry regulations.

Here are the key security features that make HubSpot a secure choice for contract management:

• Access Controls: Manage who can edit these deals at each stage, ensuring that each sales team member interacts only with the deals relevant to them.‍
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Adds an extra layer of protection, preventing unauthorized access.‍
• Audit Trails: Maintain a comprehensive record of every change made to a contract, promoting transparency and accountability.

These features protect client information and sensitive data, allowing you to manage contracts with peace of mind.

Leverage Analytics for Contract Insights

HubSpot’s analytics capabilities provide valuable insights into contract performance, enabling you to make data-driven decisions.

Here’s how HubSpot analytics can improve your contract management:

• Optimize Lead Conversion: Track contract milestones to identify and remove bottlenecks, improving deal closure rates.
• Analyze Performance: Use metrics like contract renewal rates and response times to gauge team efficiency.‍
• Share Reports: Custom reports make it easy to communicate progress with stakeholders, fostering transparency and accountability.

By analyzing these insights, you can refine contract workflows and ensure continuous improvement.

3 Best Practices for HubSpot Contract Management

Here are some practical tips to maximize HubSpot’s contract management features:

1. Regularly Update Templates: Ensure that templates are up to date with current terms and compliance requirements.
2. Automate Reminders for Renewals: Use automation to send timely renewal reminders, preventing lapses and ensuring continuity.
3. Monitor Contract Statuses: Regularly review contract progress to identify and address any bottlenecks or issues.

Following these best practices will help your team manage contracts efficiently, maintain organization, and improve overall productivity.

Level Up Your Sales Process in HubSpot With the Outbound Handbook

With HubSpot’s contract management capabilities, your team can manage contracts efficiently, from creation to post-signature actions. Integrations with tools like DocuSign and PandaDoc, alongside powerful automation and data centralization, make HubSpot a powerful solution for sales teams aiming to streamline their workflows and close deals faster.

Contract management is just one part of an effective sales process, though. To help you build a scalable sales process in HubSpot, we wrote the HubSpot Outbound Handbook. This guide will show you how to prospect better in HubSpot while keeping your CRM up-to-date and spotless.

Click the button below to get the guide!

How does HubSpot help with contract compliance and security?

HubSpot offers essential security features for contract management, such as access controls, two-factor authentication, and audit trails. These features ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive contract information, helping companies maintain compliance and data security.

Is DocuSign compatible with HubSpot?

Yes, DocuSign integrates with HubSpot, allowing you to insert data from HubSpot contact, company, or deal records directly into DocuSign templates. This integration simplifies sending and tracking signed documents while keeping all client records up to date.

Can you create and manage contracts in HubSpot?

Yes, you can manage contracts directly in HubSpot by integrating it with contract management tools like Juro or PandaDoc. This integration lets you create, send, and track contracts without leaving the HubSpot platform, making contract workflows seamless and centralized.

What is contract management in HubSpot?

Contract management in HubSpot involves handling all stages of contract creation, tracking, and storage within the HubSpot CRM. This includes drafting, approvals, signatures, and ongoing management, ensuring a streamlined process for sales teams and legal compliance.

Can you send contracts through HubSpot?

Yes, with the right integrations, HubSpot enables you to send contracts directly to contacts or deal participants. You can also track contract status, automatically retrieve contract details, and trigger further actions based on contract progress.

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