Unifying Field Phone Calls, SMS, and CRM Data
in HubSpot
How we replaced buggy, disconnected dialing tools with a seamless Aircall and Sakari ecosystem, turning on-the-ground canvassing into actionable HubSpot data.
At a Glance: The Connecticut Project Action Fund
The Connecticut Project Action Fund (TCPAF) – An advocacy group utilizing door-to-door field teams to drum up community involvement for progressive issues statewide.
Field canvassers relied on buggy calling tools that dropped calls in poor-service areas. Their data was disconnected from the main CRM, leaving management blind to rep productivity and outcomes.
A mobile-optimized integration of Aircall (for power-dialing and local presence) and Sakari (for automated SMS), feeding all field dispositions directly back into a unified HubSpot CRM.
The Ecosystem Challenge: The Gap Between the Field and the Office
The Connecticut Project Action Fund already heavily utilized HubSpot. Their website, marketing initiatives, and overarching operations all lived within a robust HubSpot ecosystem. But the people actually on the ground having the most critical conversations - the canvassing team - were siloed.
To connect with constituents, the field team was relying on a legacy dialing tool (Kixie). For canvassers walking through neighborhoods with spotty cell service, the software was buggy and unreliable. Dropped calls and poor audio quality weren't just an occasional annoyance; they were actively tanking connection rates and frustrating a team of non-technical users who just wanted to do their jobs.
The Legacy Pain Points:
- 01 Unreliable Tech: Spotty internet connections led to dropped calls, severely limiting rep productivity out in the field.
- 02 Managerial Blind Spots: Because field tools weren't deeply integrated with the CRM, management couldn't easily measure productivity or track true call outcomes.
- 03 Disconnected Follow-ups: Field data couldn't seamlessly trigger post-conversation marketing actions, breaking the constituent journey.
TCPAF needed all field operations to feed back into HubSpot so they could truly understand what was happening in the state and drive immediate follow-on actions.
The Strategy: A Frictionless Field Engine
When Nonprofit Tech Shop stepped in, the goal was "one truth, zero re-entry." Whether data was coming from a door knock, a marketing email, or a press release, it all needed to live on a single constituent record.
To do this, we architected a new field ecosystem utilizing Aircall for voice and Sakari for SMS, completely integrated with their existing HubSpot portal. We didn't just give them new software; we built a system specifically designed for the realities of field work: mobile-friendly, heavily automated, and highly trackable.
The Playbook in Action
Empowering the Field Team
1. Reliable Dialing & Local Presence
To solve the connectivity and answer-rate issues, we migrated the team to Aircall. We provisioned 37 dedicated numbers across key target regions (Hartford, Waterbury, Manchester, etc.).
By enabling "Local Presence," constituents see a familiar local area code when a canvasser calls, drastically improving pick-up rates. Most importantly, Aircall’s mobile-friendly Workspace allowed canvassers to effortlessly use a Power Dialer right from their phones while out in the field.
2. Dynamic Campaigns & Managerial Oversight
Previously, getting a list of contacts to the field team meant dealing with manual CSV exports. We utilized Aircall's Campaigns tool to fetch highly segmented lists (up to 5,000 contacts at a time) straight from HubSpot.
For the canvassing manager, this unlocked total operational visibility. Managers can now assign specific lists to specific reps, track completion rates, monitor average call durations, and see active call times.
To keep the CRM clean, we implemented custom call tags and workflows. When a canvasser logs an outcome (a "disposition"), it syncs perfectly to the HubSpot contact record, triggering the correct next step automatically.
List
Campaign
3. Automated SMS Nurturing via Sakari
Phone calls are only half the battle. To support the field team, we integrated Sakari to handle automated text messaging directly from HubSpot.
For example, if a constituent opts in or submits a specific form (like the SNAP Resource Guide), HubSpot automatically triggers a Sakari SMS workflow. The constituent immediately receives a text, waits two days, and receives a follow-up text, all without a canvasser having to lift a finger.
The Impact
and Results
By giving the field team tools that actually work for them, productivity and data capture skyrocketed. The impact of unifying field operations with the CRM was immediate:
Calls Logged in 30 Days
Automated SMS Enrollments
Managerial Visibility
Manual Data Entry Required
What this unified framework provides:
- 10,000+ Calls in One Month: Armed with a reliable Power Dialer and local numbers, the team successfully executed over 10,000 inbound and outbound calls in their first 30 days.
- 700+ Automated SMS Enrollments: Over 700 constituents were actively engaged in automated SMS nurture sequences (like the SNAP Resource Guide) triggered by field interactions and form fills.
- 100% Managerial Visibility: Leadership can now view real-time analytics on canvasser performance, call completion, and campaign pacing from a single dashboard.
- Zero Manual Data Entry: Every call outcome, inbound inquiry, and SMS reply is logged perfectly onto the HubSpot contact record.
Looking Ahead: A Blueprint for Advocacy Organizations
For advocacy groups, political campaigns, and community organizations, a canvasser's conversation is only as powerful as the CRM backing it up.
By replacing buggy, disconnected tools with a deeply integrated ecosystem, TCPAF eliminated manual data entry and empowered their field team.
Today, marketing, press, and field ops all operate from the exact same real-time playbook, ensuring that every door knocked and every call made translates directly into lasting community impact.