Salesforce vs. HubSpot: A Practical Guide for Asset Management Teams

Learn why HubSpot's marketing automation, lead scoring, sales enablement, and reporting make it ideal for asset management sales and marketing teams over Salesforce.

Finding a CRM that supports asset management distribution is a challenge—especially for sales and marketing teams that need tools to nurture leads, automate tasks, and align strategy. Too often, CRMs fall short, requiring extra work for adoption and lacking key features that help teams work efficiently in a digital-first world.

In my years as a sales leader and CRM administrator in asset management, I’ve used both Salesforce and HubSpot extensively. I know what it takes to drive adoption, minimize the “admin load” on salespeople, and build processes that actually support sales and marketing alignment. Now, as the founder of GK3 Capital, I rely on HubSpot’s tools to power digital distribution for asset management clients—and here’s why I think it’s often the better choice.

In this article, I’ll compare Salesforce and HubSpot in key areas critical to asset management distribution: marketing automation, lead scoring, sales enablement, and reporting. I’ll explain why these specific HubSpot features make it the more intuitive and powerful CRM for sales and marketing teams.

1. Marketing Automation: Creating Seamless Client Journeys

One of HubSpot’s standout features is its marketing automation, which makes it easy to create and nurture client journeys that match how today’s prospects engage digitally. Here’s why that matters:

• HubSpot’s Marketing Automation: HubSpot’s workflows and sales sequences allow sales and marketing teams to design personalized, scalable journeys based on each prospect’s engagement. This lets you set up nurturing campaigns, drip email sequences, and triggered actions that guide prospects through every stage of the sales funnel. The journey feels instinctive to the user, helping create meaningful interactions that increase engagement.
• Salesforce and Pardot: While Salesforce offers marketing automation through tools like Pardot and Marketing Cloud, building similar workflows is often more complex and can feel “transactional.” Instead of smooth, customer-focused journeys, Salesforce can feel clunky and less intuitive—often requiring IT involvement to set up and maintain.

Winner: HubSpot’s marketing automation is built to be easy, effective, and aligned with the digital growth needs of asset management distribution.

2. Lead Scoring: Prioritizing Prospects Effectively

• HubSpot’s Lead Scoring: HubSpot allows you to assign points to leads based on engagement actions (like email opens, content downloads, or website visits). This scoring helps determine when a lead is ready to engage with sales and trigger automated sequences accordingly, so your sales team knows exactly when a lead is “sales qualified.” By the time a lead reaches a salesperson, they’re already 80% through the process, saving time and increasing efficiency.
• Salesforce and Pardot: Salesforce offers lead scoring, but the process often requires more configuration and customization. Because Salesforce’s scoring isn’t as tightly woven into its automation workflows, it doesn’t always provide the same seamless transition between marketing and sales that HubSpot does.

Winner: HubSpot’s integrated lead scoring and marketing automation enable asset management teams to efficiently nurture prospects, creating a more intuitive sales process.

3. Sales Enablement Tools: Maximizing Productivity and Engagement

For asset management sales teams, having the right sales enablement tools is essential. These tools can help automate repetitive tasks, streamline outreach, and manage client follow-ups effectively. HubSpot and Salesforce differ significantly in how they approach these needs.

• HubSpot’s Sales Sequences: HubSpot’s sales enablement tools allow teams to create and automate multi-step sequences for common sales processes. Whether it’s prospecting new clients, following up after meetings, scheduling appointments, or managing event invites, HubSpot enables users to design workflows that include multiple steps—such as automated emails, task reminders, and scheduled follow-ups. This setup helps salespeople maintain momentum and stay organized without needing to manage each step manually. Plus, they can enroll contacts in sequences in bulk, which means sales teams can scale their outreach efficiently and focus on the most valuable interactions.
• Salesforce’s Limitations: Salesforce’s sales tools, on the other hand, are more transactional. Rather than allowing for custom, multi-step workflows, Salesforce primarily supports single, one-time emails and tasks. It lacks the capability to automate complex sales processes that involve multiple steps or sequences tailored to specific client journeys. For asset management sales teams, this often means manually managing each follow-up step and repeating similar tasks daily—significantly reducing efficiency and making it harder to create a seamless sales experience.
• Additional HubSpot Sales Tools: Alongside sequences, HubSpot’s Sales Hub includes other valuable tools like meeting links, email templates, and document tracking. These tools make it easier to schedule meetings, share relevant content, and keep track of interactions, all in one place. For salespeople, having these resources readily available makes day-to-day work smoother and more productive.

Winner: HubSpot’s sales enablement tools are specifically designed to automate and streamline multi-step processes, making it much easier for asset management sales teams to engage with prospects efficiently and effectively.

4. Reporting and Dashboards: Data-Driven Decision-Making Without IT Dependency

 Here’s how HubSpot and Salesforce compare:

• HubSpot’s Reporting and Dashboards: HubSpot makes it easy for any user—not just admins—to create and customize dashboards and reports. From tracking engagement metrics to measuring pipeline health, HubSpot’s tools allow asset management teams to make data-driven decisions quickly and without technical support. This independence is a huge advantage, as it frees up IT resources and allows teams to respond to insights in real-time.
• Salesforce: Salesforce’s reporting capabilities are powerful, but they often require advanced setup and customization, which can create bottlenecks. Many firms end up needing admin or IT support to generate and update reports, which delays decision-making and limits real-time visibility.

Winner: HubSpot’s user-friendly reporting empowers asset management sales and marketing teams to access the insights they need without waiting on IT support.

5. The Game-Changer: Artificial Intelligence for Real-Time Insights and Content Creation

With AI integration, HubSpot takes CRM functionality to the next level. For asset management teams focused on digital distribution, HubSpot’s AI-powered features make it easier to leverage data, personalize outreach, and even automate content creation.

• HubSpot’s AI Features: HubSpot’s AI works in real-time with CRM data to provide actionable insights, helping teams identify trends, automate next steps, and even create content based on customer interactions. This AI integration is especially valuable for asset managers who need to be responsive to market changes and client needs quickly.
• Salesforce: Salesforce has been integrating AI through tools like Einstein, but using these features often requires advanced setup and customization, which can slow down adoption and limit practical applications.

Winner: HubSpot’s AI-powered tools enable asset management firms to tap into the full potential of their CRM, delivering timely insights and content with minimal setup.

Final Verdict: HubSpot is the Best Choice for Asset Management Distribution

From my experience working with both platforms, HubSpot stands out as the better CRM choice for asset management sales and marketing teams. Here’s why:

• Ease of Use and Adoption: HubSpot’s intuitive interface encourages adoption and reduces the learning curve, making it easier for teams to get started and stay engaged.
• Integrated Sales and Marketing Tools: HubSpot’s all-in-one approach creates seamless sales and marketing alignment, which is crucial for digital distribution in asset management.
• Productivity and Automation: HubSpot’s sales enablement and marketing automation tools allow teams to work more efficiently, with powerful features like sequences, meeting links, and AI integration.
• Accessible, Real-Time Reporting: HubSpot’s user-friendly dashboards empower teams to access the insights they need without relying on IT or admin support.

If you’re an asset manager focused on digital growth, HubSpot’s CRM tools can help your sales and marketing teams perform their best, with tools that are tailored to the unique challenges of asset management distribution.

Conclusion

Selecting the right CRM can transform asset management distribution efforts. In my experience, HubSpot’s intuitive tools for automation, lead scoring, sales enablement, and reporting make it the clear choice over Salesforce.

Asset management teams need a CRM that’s easy to adopt and supports digital distribution without the need for constant technical support.

At GK3 Capital, we specialize in helping asset management firms scale their digital distribution. With experience in both Salesforce and HubSpot, we can help you choose the right CRM to support your goals.

Considering a CRM switch or looking to improve your sales and marketing alignment? Contact us today to learn more about how HubSpot’s tools can support your growth in today’s digital-first market.