The Motii Playbook

If you are moving away from Zendesk Sell, the data import is only one part of the job. The bigger opportunity is to review how your CRM supports the way your team actually sells, follows up and reports.

In this conversation, Ben Milligan and Bhuv Sharma unpack what CRM migration really involves, from auditing old data and mapping fields through to rebuilding workflows, training the team and planning for the unexpected.

The episode is the final part of Motii's Zendesk Sell series. It is especially useful for teams considering Pipedrive as their next CRM, or anyone preparing to move from one system to another without dragging old problems into a new tool.

What We Cover

• Why CRM migration is more than a bulk data import
• How to audit current CRM data before moving anything across
• The difference between cleaning data and deciding which fields still matter
• Why data mapping and workflow design need to happen together
• How pilot migrations reduce risk before the full import
• Why every migration needs an internal champion before go live
• How team training, historical data access, integrations and rollback planning protect the transition
• Why realistic timelines matter when you are moving years of sales history, activities and notes

Resources Mentioned

• Pipedrive as a recommended CRM alternative for teams moving away from Zendesk Sell
• Monday.com as another business system where similar migration principles apply
• ZeroBounce as an example of a tool that can help validate old email data
• JustCall as an example of an integration to check before changing systems
• The Motii Playbook and Zendesk Sell migration guide

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

In This Episode
For many growing businesses, referrals are the first growth engine. They are also a sign that customers trust the work. But referrals alone can be hard to predict, scale, or build a hiring plan around. In this episode of The Motii Playbook, Fred Schnell speaks with Marta El Bay, Head of Partnerships at Surfe, about what it takes to move from word-of-mouth growth to a more deliberate outbound motion. The conversation is practical, honest, and refreshingly grounded: before buying another tool or chasing another AI workflow, businesses need to understand who they serve, clean up the way their teams work, and build a simple system they can actually use.

What We Cover

• Why referrals are a strong signal of trust, but not a reliable growth plan on their own.
• When growing businesses usually realise word of mouth is no longer enough.
• Why outbound often feels uncomfortable, complicated, or too easy to postpone.
• How messy CRM data, unclear ownership, and poor team adoption can slow down even good tools.
• Why outbound starts with a clear ideal customer profile before it starts with software.
• How Surfe helps sales teams move from LinkedIn research into CRM follow-up with less manual admin.
• Why enrichment works differently when it aggregates multiple data sources instead of relying on one fixed database.
• The first useful steps a referral-led business can take before hiring salespeople or building complex automation.

Resources Mentioned

• Surfe
• Pipedrive
• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Copper
• LinkedIn and Sales Navigator
• Clay, n8n and Make

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

In This Episode

Zendesk Sell users know the decision point is coming. With Zendesk Sell being retired, many teams are now asking the obvious next question: is Pipedrive really the right CRM to move to?

In this episode of the Motii Playbook, Fred Schnell is joined by Ben Fuller and Kile Rogers to unpack why Zendesk has recommended Pipedrive as the official migration path, what makes it a natural fit for sales-led teams, and where businesses still need to be careful before making the move.

What We Cover

• Why Zendesk has recommended Pipedrive as the official migration partner for Zendesk Sell users
• The three key reasons Pipedrive is a natural fit: Zendesk integration, sales CRM focus, and platform alignment
• What Zendesk Sell users are most worried about when changing CRM systems
• Why CRM selection should start with process, not software features
• How Pipedrive compares with other CRM options like HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Capsule and Insightly
• Why simple, activity-based CRM design can be a strength for sales teams
• The importance of user adoption, mobile access, integrations, reporting and automation
• Why businesses should avoid treating CRM migration as a straight software swap
• How a CRM can become the backbone of a growing business, rather than just another platform

Resources Mentioned

• Zendesk Sell
• Pipedrive
• Monday.com
• Motii Playbook and Zendesk Sell migration guide

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

In This Episode
If you've ever wondered what actually happens after you decide to implement a CRM, this episode takes you behind the scenes.

Katie Tassone-Milligan and Ben Fuller unpack the practical steps in a CRM implementation with a partner, from discovery and configuration through to data migration, training, go-live and adoption. The conversation is grounded in the real questions business owners ask before they commit: how much time will it take, what resources are needed, how clean does the data need to be, and what can be done before the first consultation?

The short answer: the best implementations are collaborative, focused and practical. A strong partner does not just configure software. They help clarify the sales process, bring the right data into the system, train the right people and keep a close eye on adoption once the team goes live.

What We Cover

• What happens before and during a CRM implementation kickoff meeting
• Why discovery starts with the sales process, not the software
• How sample data helps teams understand the system before go-live
• Why the final data migration usually happens just before launch
• How champion users help with training and internal adoption
• Why implementation is not finished the moment the system goes live
• Typical implementation timelines for a Pipedrive rollout
• What can delay a project, including dirty data and too many stakeholders
• How a phased approach can get teams using the system earlier
• What to prepare before speaking with a CRM implementation partner

Resources Mentioned

• Tools and platforms mentioned in the episode: Pipedrive, HubSpot, Salesforce, Excel, NetSuite and Miro

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

In This Episode

Zendesk has announced that Zendesk Sell will be retired, with the platform scheduled to cease operation on 31 August 2027. While that date may seem a long way off, businesses relying on Zendesk Sell need to start planning now. The CRM itself will continue operating until the retirement date, but once that deadline arrives, access to the platform and its data will be permanently removed.

In this first episode of the Motii Playbook Zendesk Sell Series, Katie Tassone-Milligan is joined by Motii Senior Implementation Specialist Kate Hay to unpack exactly what the retirement means for businesses. Together, they explore why Zendesk is stepping away from the CRM market, the broader technology trends driving that decision, and what customers should be doing today to protect their data and future sales operations.

The conversation also highlights a common misconception: migrating from one CRM to another is not simply a matter of exporting contacts and importing them elsewhere. Workflows, automations, reporting, activity history, attachments, user setup, compliance records and business processes all need to be considered. For many organisations, the migration itself may take weeks, but the planning, data preparation, platform selection and team adoption process can take 12 to 18 months.

Most importantly, this episode reframes the Zendesk Sell retirement as an opportunity rather than a disruption. Businesses now have the chance to review their current systems, improve processes, involve key stakeholders and select a platform that better supports their future growth.

What We Cover

• Why Zendesk Sell is being retired and what the August 2027 deadline means
• The industry shift separating CRM platforms from customer service platforms
• What data can and cannot be exported from Zendesk Sell
• Why CRM migrations are more complex than simply moving contacts and deals
• The risks of delaying migration planning until the final months
• How to assess whether your current data is ready for migration
• Why businesses should involve their teams early in the decision-making process
• The role of change management during CRM transitions
• Alternative CRM options including Pipedrive, Salesforce and Monday.com
• When it makes sense to engage an implementation partner to support migration

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

In This Episode

Most sales leaders can see that calls are happening. They can count activity, watch deals move and check the pipeline. What is harder to see is what actually happened inside each conversation and what context disappears when call notes are rushed, incomplete or stuck in someone's head.

In this episode of the Motii Playbook, Fred Schnell speaks with Sabrina Da Rocha, Senior Sales Manager at CloudTalk, about how sales teams can move beyond call logging and start using conversation intelligence to improve handovers, forecasting, coaching and customer experience. The conversation explores why the quality of sales conversations matters as much as the quantity, and how better call capture can help reps spend less time on admin and more time having useful, human conversations.

For business owners and sales leaders, the takeaway is practical: activity data is a good start, but it is not enough on its own. When call context is captured properly, teams can protect momentum, coach with evidence and make the CRM a more reliable source of truth.

What We Cover

• Why call logs alone do not show the full picture of sales performance
• The risk of losing deal momentum when call context sits only in a sales rep's head
• How automated summaries and transcripts reduce manual admin for busy reps
• Why CRM hygiene, pipeline stages and call intelligence need to work together
• How better handovers protect the customer experience when team members are away
• Why coaching should focus on conversation quality, not just call volume
• How leaders can use call insights in one-on-ones, forecasting and deal reviews
• The mindset shift from measuring activity to improving the quality behind the numbers

Resources Mentioned

Tools and frameworks mentioned in the episode:

• CloudTalk:  Cloudtalk is smart calling software built for sales teams. Get real-time analytics, call automation, and CRM integrations to turn more conversations into closed deals.
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• Pipedrive

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

If your trade business has the job side under control but the sales side still feels scattered, this episode is worth a listen. Fred Schnell is joined by Noam Horenczyk from Simpro and Kate Hay from Motii to unpack what happens before the job is won, why pipeline visibility matters, and how a cleaner handover can protect both margins and customer relationships.

What We Cover

• Why a job management platform like Simpro does not replace a front-end sales pipeline.
• What Kate often sees inside trade businesses: individual spreadsheets, disconnected inboxes, and limited visibility for business owners.
• Why relationship-led sales still matters, but now needs faster follow-up, better tracking, and more consistent nurturing.
• How to keep “not yet” opportunities warm when customers are waiting on finance, approvals, timing, or competing quotes.
• What changes when business owners can see lead volume, conversion rates, seasonal trends, and future resourcing needs.
• Why the handover between sales and delivery is a critical point for margins, customer experience, and operational flow.
• How connecting Pipedrive and Simpro can reduce double handling and move customer, site, and job information into the right operational fields.
• Why teams are more likely to enter useful data when they understand who uses it and where it appears later.
• How AI can help trade businesses with admin, follow-ups, repeated emails, and operational gaps without replacing the people on the tools.

Resources Mentioned

• Simpro
• Pipedrive

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

In this episode of The Motii Playbook, Fred Schnell speaks with Noam Horenczyk, Principal of Technology Partnerships at Simpro, and Kate Hay, Senior Implementation Specialist at Motii, about what has changed across the trades market and why connected systems are becoming essential for businesses that want to stay profitable.

What We Cover

• Why the trades and field service market feels harder than it did during the boom years
• How labour shortages, competition and squeezed margins are changing business priorities
• Why small operational errors can quickly turn profitable jobs into loss-making work
• The role of “chaos variables” in field service, from missing parts to unavailable technicians
• How customer expectations have shifted in an on-demand economy
• Why connected systems matter more than simply adding more software
• How trade businesses can start with the workflow problem instead of chasing every new tool

Resources Mentioned

• Simpro
• Pipedrive

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

95% of Support Queries Resolved by AI Customer Service in the Era of AI

In this episode, Fred Schnell hosts Declan Ivory, VP of Customer Support at Fin, to explore how AI is transforming customer service. Discover how achieving an 83% resolution rate without human interaction is possible, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to shift your mindset toward scalable, value-driven support.

Key topics:

• The reality behind Fin’s 83% AI resolution rate and how it’s achieved
• The importance of customer experience over pure automation metrics
• Challenges faced during AI deployment and how to overcome content quality issues
• Measuring success: Customer satisfaction scores and feedback mechanisms
• The evolving role of support teams and mindset shifts needed for AI adoption
• How AI reshapes the support workforce, costs, and customer loyalty
• Critical factors for starting AI integration successfully
• The significance of quality content and conversation design in AI support
• Future trends: From cost-cutting to value creation in AI-driven support

Resources & Links:

• Fin (formerly Intercom)

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales

Motii Mini: What Nobody Tells You Before You Implement a CRM

In this episode, Katie Tassone-Milligan sits down with Motii co-founder and CRM expert Ben Fuller to unpack the uncomfortable truths behind CRM implementations — the stuff nobody warns you about upfront. With over 1,000 implementations and 5,000 demos under his belt, Ben shares the real talk on ROI timelines, why so many implementations fail, and whether you should bring in a partner or go it alone.

In this episode:

• How long it actually takes to see ROI from a CRM — and why your sales cycle changes everything
• The two biggest reasons CRM implementations fail (and how to avoid them)
• Why overcomplicating phase one is one of the most common and costly mistakes
• The "garbage in, garbage out" rule — and why dirty data kills CRM adoption
• Why old-school salespeople resist CRMs and how to get genuine buy-in from your team
• The honest case for using an implementation partner versus doing it yourself
• What to look for in a CRM partner — track record, industry experience, and ongoing support
• Why agency size matters: the sweet spot between one-person bands and giant agencies
• Why flexible, modern platforms like Pipedrive and Monday beat legacy tools like Salesforce and Dynamics
• Why a CRM is never truly "set and done" — and why that's actually a good thing

Resources & Links:

• Book a Momentum Call

Want to turn insight into action?
Book a Momentum Call and we’ll map out exactly how to apply this to your business:
👉 Book your call

Explore the Playbook
Frameworks, systems, and real execution:
👉 https://motii.co/playbook

Trial the CRM we use to build scalable revenue systems:
 👉 FREE Pipedrive Trial  

🌐 Connect with Motii

•  LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/motii
•  Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/motii.co
•  YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@MotiiSales