You’ve Heard of the Harley Tax...
... Motorcycle enthusiasts know all about the Harley Tax. It’s the cost of upgrading a Harley-Davidson to make it perform the way it should have straight out of the showroom. Ducati fans? They call it the Ducati Tax—the price of maintaining a high-performance, exotic machine.
These are hidden taxes. They’re not on the invoice, but they’re very real.
And if you’ve invested in HubSpot expecting seamless growth, insight, and efficiency, you might be paying a hidden tax too.
We call it The HubSpot Tax.
What Is the HubSpot Tax?
The HubSpot Tax is the cost of having a powerful CRM platform but not getting the results you paid for. It’s the frustration of investing in world-class tools that your team doesn’t fully use. It’s the gap between what you thought HubSpot would do and what it’s actually doing for your business today.
HubSpot doesn’t fail because the software is bad.
It fails because the strategy, structure, and leadership behind it are missing.
That’s the tax.
And you’re not alone. Most businesses never fully adopt their CRM. The result?
• Missed sales opportunities.
• Disconnected teams.
• Poor data quality.
• Slow, ineffective decision-making.
It’s costing you—and no one put it on the budget.
The 5 Hidden Taxes Your Business Might Be Paying
The HubSpot Tax is just one part of the problem. There are other hidden costs that businesses face when CRM adoption falls short. Let’s break them down:
Try the CRM adoption Tax Calculator
1. The HubSpot Tax
You paid for the platform. But you’re still:
- Stuck in spreadsheets
- Manually managing leads
- Flying blind on performance
2. The SaaS Tax
You’ve got the tools. But they don’t talk to each other.
- Disconnected systems
- Multiple dashboards
- No single source of truth
3. The Innovation Tax
You keep buying new tech. But it never sticks.
- Constant pilots
- No adoption
- No process changes
4. The Change Management Tax
Your team resists. Leadership isn’t driving.
- CRM is seen as "admin"
- No shared vision
- Training fatigue
5. The Legacy System Tax
You’re stuck doing things the old way.
- Manual handoffs
- Broken workflows
- Poor insight
Your Total Score: -
- 50 = You’re efficient and aligned
- 30–49 = You're on the right path, but paying a hidden tax.
- Below 30 = You’re funding inefficiency
Book a Free Strategy Call
Let’s walk through your results and help you reduce your HubSpot tax.
📅 Book NowWhat It’s Costing You?
Most businesses don’t realise the true cost of poor CRM adoption:
• Wasted software spend: You’re paying for features you’re not using.
• Demotivated teams: Frustration builds when tools don’t work as expected.
• Poor customer experience: Disconnected systems lead to inconsistent service.
• Slower growth: Missed opportunities and inefficiencies hold you back.
• Leadership flying blind: Without reliable data, decision-making suffers.
You didn’t pay for a CRM to have another system no one uses. You paid for a platform for growth.
So why are you still stuck?
The Fix: Management-Led Adoption
The real problem isn’t technical - it’s strategic.
Most HubSpot rollouts are led from the bottom up. Teams are expected to figure it out on their own, with little guidance from leadership. That rarely works.
At CONVRG, we flip the model. We work from the top down AND bottom up.
Our Approach: The SIMPLIFI Framework
The SIMPLIFI Framework is our step-by-step process for closing the HubSpot Adoption Gap. Here’s how it works:
1. Set the Scene – Clarify your vision and strategic goals.
2. Interview Everyone – Understand user friction and blockers.
3. Map the Processes – Build a true picture of how the business works.
4. Plan the Way Forward – Align systems to strategy.
5. Lead the Adoption – Get management driving change.
6. Implement the Changes – Train, integrate, and support teams.
7. Fix What Breaks – Adapt in real-time.
8. Iterate, Iterate, Iterate – Evolve as the business grows.
With this approach, HubSpot becomes more than a tool. It becomes your operating system for growth.
Here’s the hard truth: Leadership Matters
If HubSpot isn’t working, it’s likely because leadership hasn’t embraced it as the operational hub of the business.
HubSpot should be where leaders:
• Track commercial performance.
• Make data-driven decisions.
• Communicate with teams.
If leadership doesn’t lead the way, why should the team follow?
The Payoff: What Happens When You Close the Gap
When you fix adoption at the leadership level, everything changes:
• Aligned Teams: Sales, marketing, and service work together seamlessly.
• Improved Efficiency: Automation reduces manual tasks.
• Better Data: HubSpot becomes your single source of truth.
• Increased Revenue: With better processes and insights, you close more deals.
• Scalable Growth: HubSpot evolves with your business.
Ready to Eliminate Your HubSpot Tax?
Here’s how to get started:
Take the CRM Adoption Scorecard
Get a custom score and see where your gaps are.
Book a CONVRG Consultation
We’ll walk through your results and show you how to fix the issues.
