Acting on Recommendations

Recommendations are only valuable if you act on them. This page provides a practical framework for turning audit recommendations into completed improvements, whether you are implementing them yourself or handing them off to a client’s team.

Recommended Workflow

Step 1: Review and Prioritize

Start by reviewing the full recommendations list, which is already sorted by priority score (highest first).

1. Open the audit report and navigate to the Recommendations section.
2. Scan the list from top to bottom. The priority score has already done the heavy lifting — the most impactful, easiest items are at the top.
3. Identify the Quick Wins quadrant items. These are your immediate action list.
4. Note the Major Projects that will require scoping and planning.
5. Set aside Fill-Ins and Thankless Tasks for later consideration.

Step 2: Group by Category

Recommendations are tagged by category (e.g., Email Deliverability, Pipeline Configuration, Workflow Optimization). Grouping by category helps you work efficiently:

• Batch similar work — Fix all email-related items in one session rather than jumping between unrelated tasks
• Assign by expertise — Route pipeline recommendations to the sales ops person and email recommendations to the marketing team
• Estimate total effort — Sum the time estimates within each category to scope the work

Step 3: Implement Quick Wins First

Quick wins (Impact 3+, Effort 2 or less) should be completed before anything else:

1. Work through the quick wins list from highest to lowest priority score.
2. Make the changes directly in the HubSpot portal.
3. Document what you changed and when.
4. Mark each item as complete in your tracking system.

Quick wins typically take a few minutes to an hour each. A focused session of 2-4 hours can clear an entire quick wins list.

Step 4: Scope Major Projects

Major projects (Impact 4+, Effort 3+) need more structure:

1. For each major project recommendation, define the scope — what exactly needs to be done, who needs to be involved, and what the expected outcome is.
2. Estimate the timeline based on the effort score and time estimate.
3. Identify dependencies — some projects may need to be done in a specific order (e.g., pipeline restructuring before workflow updates).
4. Present the scope to the client for approval before starting.

Step 5: Re-Audit to Measure Progress

After implementing recommendations, run a new audit on the same portal:

1. Navigate to Audits and launch a new audit for the same portal.
2. Compare the new portal score to the previous one.
3. Review which data points improved and which still need work.
4. Generate new recommendations from the updated data.

This creates a measurable before-and-after that demonstrates the value of the work completed.

Creating an Action Plan for Clients

When presenting recommendations to clients, structure them as a phased action plan:

Phase 1: Immediate (Week 1)

All quick wins. These can typically be completed in a single day or sprint.

• List each quick win with its description, time estimate, and expected impact
• Total estimated time for Phase 1
• Expected score improvement after completion

Phase 2: Short-Term (Weeks 2-4)

Major projects that can be completed within a month.

• Each project scoped with deliverables and timeline
• Dependencies between projects noted
• Resources and access requirements identified

Phase 3: Medium-Term (Month 2-3)

Larger major projects and batched fill-ins.

• Strategic improvements that require more planning
• Fill-ins grouped into efficient work sessions
• Review checkpoint scheduled

Phase 4: Ongoing

Recurring maintenance and periodic re-auditing.

• Schedule regular audits (monthly or quarterly)
• Address new recommendations as they appear
• Monitor score trends over time

Tracking Progress

Keep track of implemented recommendations using whatever project management tool your team uses. For each recommendation, track:

• Status — Not started, in progress, completed, or skipped
• Date completed — When the change was made
• Actual effort — How long it actually took versus the estimate
• Notes — Any complications, workarounds, or follow-up items

This data helps refine future estimates and demonstrates progress to clients.

Common Pitfalls

• Skipping quick wins for major projects — Always start with quick wins. They build momentum and produce visible results fast.
• Implementing without re-auditing — If you do not re-audit, you cannot prove improvement. Always run a follow-up audit.
• Treating all recommendations equally — The priority score exists for a reason. A priority-14 item deserves attention before a priority-4 item.
• Ignoring thankless tasks permanently — While they should be deprioritized, some may become relevant as the portal matures. Revisit them periodically.