Maximizing HubSpot's Potential: The Benefits of Copying Fields from Contact to Deal Records

HubSpot is a powerful platform that provides you with a variety of tools to manage your sales, marketing, and customer service efforts. One of the features that makes HubSpot so useful is the ability to create custom workflows that automate various tasks. In this blog post, we'll focus on why you may want to copy some fields from the contact record to the deal record using workflows, and why this is considered best practice from a reporting standpoint.

First of all, let's define what a contact record and a deal record are in HubSpot. A contact record is a database of information about a specific individual, such as their name, email address, and phone number. A deal record, on the other hand, is a database of information about a specific opportunity or sale, such as the product or service being sold, the expected closing date, and the expected value of the deal.

Why Copy Fields from Contact Record to Deal Record?

There are several reasons why you may want to copy fields from the contact record to the deal record. Some of the most common reasons include:

1. Improved Data Accuracy: By copying fields from the contact record to the deal record, you can ensure that the data is accurate and up-to-date. This is especially important for fields that may change frequently, such as an individual's job title or company name.

2. Streamlined Process: By automating the process of copying fields from the contact record to the deal record, you can save time and streamline your workflow. This can help you focus on more important tasks, such as closing deals and providing excellent customer service.

3. Better Reporting: By having all relevant information in one place, you can more easily create reports and analyze data. This can help you make informed decisions and track your performance over time.

Examples of Fields to Copy

Here are some examples of fields that you may want to copy from the contact record to the deal record:

1. Contact Name: This field is important to have in both the contact record and the deal record because it helps you identify the individual who is associated with the opportunity or sale.

2. Company Name: This field is important because it helps you understand the context in which the opportunity or sale is taking place.

3. Job Title: This field can be helpful in understanding the role that the individual plays within their company, which can be important in determining the likelihood of a successful sale.

4. Phone Number: This field can be helpful in case you need to reach out to the individual for any reason, such as to follow up on a deal or to schedule a meeting.

   
   

When to Use Sync Properties Instead

HubSpot now offers a more efficient way to sync data across associated records without building workflows: Sync Properties.

A Sync Property is a special property field type you can create on objects like Deals, Companies, Tickets, or custom objects. It automatically pulls and displays values from a property on an associated record—most commonly from a Contact or Company or Deal.

This feature is ideal for maintaining visibility across records without duplicating data or creating unnecessary workflows.

Use Sync Properties When:

• You want to display contact data for reporting or reference

  For example, you might want to show the associated contact’s job title or phone number directly on the deal record to build custom reports or create filtered views.

• The data is only needed for one-way visibility

  Sync Properties cannot be edited manually. They’re meant for passive data transfer from the source record to the destination record.

• You want real-time updates without workflow delays

  When the value on the source record (e.g., the contact) changes, the sync property on the associated record (e.g., the deal) updates automatically—typically within seconds.

• You want to reduce clutter in your workflows

  Many teams build complex "copy property value" workflows when all they really need is a simple, auto-updating reference field. Sync Properties simplify this significantly.

Key Details to Know About Sync Properties:

• One-way sync only — values are pulled from the source object to the destination object (e.g., from Contact to Deal), not the other way around.

• Read-only — the value shown in a Sync Property cannot be edited directly on the destination object.

• Flexible association filtering — you can configure which associated record to sync from (e.g., first created, most recently created, or based on association label like “Primary Contact”).

• Subscription required — Sync Properties are available on Professional and Enterprise tiers of HubSpot.

When Workflows Are Still the Better Option

There are still situations where copying data using workflows is the best approach:

• You need to manipulate or conditionally set property values (e.g., if Persona = IT Manager, then set Deal Stage = Technical Review).

• You need bi-directional syncing (Sync Properties are one-way only).

• You want to trigger additional actions based on the value (e.g., create a task, send an internal notification, update another field).

• You need the copied value to be editable later by a rep on the receiving object (Sync Properties are read-only).

  
  

Why This is Best Practice from a Reporting Standpoint

Having all relevant information in one place makes it easier to create reports and analyze data. For example, if you're interested in understanding the performance of your sales team, you can create a report that shows the number of deals closed by each salesperson. If you have all relevant information in one place, such as the contact name, company name, job title, and phone number, you can create a more detailed report that includes additional context, such as the industry and size of the companies that your sales team is working with.

In conclusion, copying fields from the contact record to the deal record in HubSpot can help you ensure data accuracy, streamline your workflow, and provide better reporting. Whether you're a salesperson, a marketer, or a customer service representative, having all relevant information in one place can help you make informed decisions and improve your performance. Don't wait to start getting the most out of your HubSpot investment. Book a free consultation with a CRM Consulting Agency today to learn how they can help you set up your HubSpot instance for optimal performance. With the help of a CRM Consulting Agency, you can streamline your sales process, improve data accuracy, and enhance your reporting capabilities, so you can make informed decisions and achieve your goals.