Revlyn

How to automate renewals in HubSpot.

A step by step guide for businesses where renewals carry most of the revenue. Every closed won deal gets a renewal decision, and every renewal gets a deal well before a competitor reaches out.

Why this matters.

We work with a book publishing company whose business comes from two places: renewals from existing organisations and new organisations signing up for the first time. Renewals are the larger share.

When most revenue is repeat business, the real risk is not losing a pitch. It is forgetting to ask. If the CRM does not know a renewal is coming, nobody reaches out, and a competitor does.

Revenue mix

Protecting the 70% starts the moment a deal is won.

The whole process at a glance.

One question at closed won splits every deal into one of two automated paths. Nothing is left undecided.

Step by step setup.

01

Create the renewal properties

Before any automation, the CRM needs somewhere to store the renewal decision. Create these deal properties in HubSpot settings.

  • Scope of renewal? (dropdown: Yes, No)
  • Tentative renewal date (date picker)
  • Why no renewal deal needed (dropdown of common reasons, for example one time purchase, account closed, moved to competitor, other)
  • No renewal details (multi line text, where the rep explains the reason in their own words)
02

Make the pipeline ask the question at closed won

In your pipeline settings, add conditional stage properties to the Closed won stage. When a rep moves a deal to Closed won, a popup appears and the deal cannot be saved until it is answered.

  • Required on Closed won: Scope of renewal?
  • If Yes: Tentative renewal date becomes visible and required
  • If No: Why no renewal deal needed and No renewal details become visible and required
03

Build the renewal deal workflow

Create a deal based workflow that turns a Yes answer into a real renewal deal at the right time.

  • Enrolment trigger: Deal stage is Closed won AND Scope of renewal is Yes AND Tentative renewal date is known
  • Delay: until a date based on Tentative renewal date, 90 days before
  • Action: create a deal in the Renewals pipeline, copying the company, contacts, owner, and amount
  • Action: create a task for the owner to start the renewal conversation
04

Build the no renewal nurture path

A No today is not a No forever. Keep those contacts warm so you are the first name they think of when things change.

  • Enrolment trigger: Deal stage is Closed won AND Scope of renewal is No
  • Action: add the associated contacts to a No renewal nurture list (segment)
  • Connect that list to a nurture email series with regular updates on what is happening in your organisation
  • Review the Why no renewal reasons monthly to spot patterns worth fixing

Choosing your lead time.

We use 90 days before the renewal date. That number is a starting point, not a rule. Match it to your sales cycle: the renewal deal should appear early enough to have the conversation, handle budget approvals, and still beat competitors to the call.

Short cycle

Simple renewals with one decision maker may need 30 to 60 days.

Typical cycle

90 days suits most renewals that involve a review or a budget sign off.

Long cycle

Committee or procurement led renewals may need 120 days or more.

What you get.

No forgotten renewals

Every closed won deal must be marked Yes or No, so every expected renewal gets a deal created automatically.

Earlier conversations

Reps start talking to customers months before the date, which supports a high closure rate on renewals.

A reason for every No

Structured reasons plus written detail show you why customers do not renew, and nurture keeps the door open.

Want this built in your HubSpot?

We can set up the properties, pipeline rules, workflows, and nurture for your renewal cycle.

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