So, you’ve chosen Pipedrive—or you’re seriously considering it. Smart move. It’s intuitive, flexible, and sales-focused. But now comes the real question:
Do you build it out yourself?
Or do you bring in a consultant to do it right from the start?
Most businesses don’t think twice before diving into the DIY route. After all, how hard can it be? A few pipelines, some custom fields, maybe an automation or two. Right?
The truth? It’s usually harder than it looks—and far more expensive if you get it wrong.
Let’s break down the real-world pros and cons of setting up Pipedrive on your own vs. working with an expert. We’ll look at time, money, mistakes, and ROI. By the end, you’ll know what’s actually best for your business.
The Case for DIY: What You Save, What You Risk
✅ Why DIY Sounds Like a Good Idea
- No upfront consultant fees
- Full control over setup
- You know your business best
- Plenty of help docs and tutorials
It’s appealing—especially if you’re a lean startup or just getting familiar with CRM software. And yes, some businesses can get a basic setup running themselves.
But here’s the challenge: Pipedrive is deceptively simple.
The basics are easy. The details are where things start to break.
❌ Where DIY Setups Often Go Wrong
- Messy pipelines: Too many stages or poorly named ones
- Wrong custom fields: Fields that don’t get used or clutter the view
- Broken automations: Emails firing at the wrong time or to the wrong contacts
- No follow-up logic: Deals with no activities or scheduled tasks
- Reporting confusion: Metrics that don’t reflect true sales activity
The result? Reps stop using the CRM. Managers stop trusting the data. And you lose time trying to fix what could’ve been done right in a few hours.
And let’s not ignore the hidden cost: your time.
If you spend 20+ hours setting up Pipedrive only to redo it later, was it really “free”?
The Case for Consulting: Pay Now, Save Big Later
Bringing in a Pipedrive consultant isn’t just about convenience—it’s about speed, precision, and long-term ROI.
Let’s talk about what working with a professional setup team actually delivers.
✅ How Consulting Saves You Time
- Done-for-you setup: Your pipeline, automations, and fields are built by someone who’s done it 100+ times
- Team onboarding: Your reps know exactly how to use the system from day one
- Custom reports: You get real insights, not just raw numbers
- Avoiding rework: No wasted hours “figuring it out” or googling tutorials
With the right partner, you can have a fully operational, data-driven CRM in less than a week.
💡 Real Talk: What’s Your Time Worth?
Let’s say your hourly value is $75 (modest for most business owners).
If it takes you 30 hours to learn, test, rebuild, and launch your Pipedrive setup, that’s $2,250 in sunk time.
Compare that to hiring an expert for a one-time setup fee—often lower—and you’ve already saved time and money.
More importantly, you’re not second-guessing your setup every month.
💸 How Consulting Increases ROI
- Better data = better decisions
- Automation that actually works
- Pipeline clarity that speeds up deal flow
- Higher team adoption
If even one extra deal closes because of a well-set CRM? That’s your ROI right there.
When DIY Might Still Make Sense
To be fair, there are cases where going DIY is reasonable:
- You’re a solo operator with a very simple sales process
- You have prior experience setting up CRMs
- You only need Pipedrive for a temporary or short-term project
- You enjoy testing, tinkering, and learning software in-depth
If that’s you—go for it. Just be prepared to invest time and revisit your system every quarter.
But if you’re scaling, leading a team, or using CRM as a serious revenue tool? You need a setup you can trust.
So, What Does a Consultant Actually Do?
A Pipedrive consultant doesn’t just “build pipelines.” They translate your business model into a smart, scalable CRM system.
That means:
- Defining deal stages and custom fields tailored to your process
- Designing automation workflows (follow-ups, assignments, emails)
- Setting up email integration and lead capture tools
- Creating custom reports and dashboards
- Training your sales team on daily usage
- Ongoing optimization as your process evolves
Want to see this in action? CRM Squirrel’s Pipedrive Consulting offers fully custom solutions—built with code, not just drag-and-drop tools—so you get a system that scales without breaking.
Try Pipedrive the Right Way—45 Days Free
If you’re still evaluating whether Pipedrive is right for your team, here’s a tip: skip the standard 14-day trial.
With this exclusive 45-day Pipedrive trial, you get an extra month to test real use cases, build a proper funnel, and even explore consulting support if needed.
That gives you the runway to evaluate results, not just features.
Final Verdict: DIY or Done for You?
If you’re comparing the two head-on, here’s how it plays out:
A DIY setup costs nothing upfront—but it typically takes 20 to 40 hours of your time. That includes learning, building, testing, and often fixing. There’s also a higher risk of setup errors, which can lead to poor team adoption and limited reporting clarity. Most DIY users stick with basic automations, and the return on investment tends to be slower.
On the flip side, hiring a Pipedrive consultant does require a budget, but the setup is often completed in just 4 to 8 hours. Error risk is low, adoption tends to be much higher thanks to training, and your reporting is tailored to your business goals. Consultants can implement advanced automations from the start, giving you faster results and a clearer path to long-term ROI.
In short, if you have the skills and the time, DIY can work. But if you want a streamlined, future-proof setup that gets real results—consulting is the smarter investment.
