And How to Start Unlocking the Other 90%
If you spend any time in the HighLevel community groups, forums, or Facebook discussions, you will notice a common theme.
A lot of users say something like:
“I know HighLevel is powerful… but I feel like I’m barely scratching the surface.”
Honestly, they are probably right.
Over the last few years I have worked with many businesses and agencies using HighLevel. One thing I have noticed repeatedly is that most users only use a small percentage of what the platform can actually do.
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In many cases, they use pipelines, maybe calendars, maybe email marketing, perhaps forms and funnels, but huge parts of the platform remain untouched.
And it is not because people are lazy.
Usually it is because HighLevel is enormous.
HighLevel Is Not a Normal CRM
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings.
Many people initially approach HighLevel as though it is simply another CRM platform.
It is not.
Modern HighLevel has evolved into something much bigger.
It now includes CRM, email marketing, SMS marketing, automation workflows, websites, funnels, calendars, online courses, communities, reputation management, social media scheduling, AI tools, Voice AI, conversational AI, memberships, surveys, quizzes, invoicing, proposals, reporting, WhatsApp integration, mobile apps, white label SaaS functionality and AI-powered workflows.
That is why I often describe HighLevel as:
“The WordPress of marketing and business automation systems.”
The flexibility is incredible.
But flexibility can also become overwhelming.
Why So Many Users Get Stuck
1. Too Many Features at Once
When people first log in to HighLevel they often feel excited.
Then very quickly, they feel confused, distracted and overwhelmed.
There are so many menus, settings, modules, workflows, and integrations that people struggle to know where to begin.
Many users end up jumping randomly between features without building a clear operational system.
That creates frustration very quickly.
2. People Buy HighLevel Before They Have a Strategy
This is extremely common.
A business owner hears:
- “HighLevel can replace all your tools.”
- “HighLevel can automate your business.”
- “HighLevel can build funnels.”
- “HighLevel can do AI.”
So they subscribe.
But they do not yet have a clear customer journey, a sales process, follow-up systems, lead qualification, onboarding systems or operational workflows.
Technology amplifies systems. It does not magically create them.
This is why strategy matters first.
When we receive an initial enquiry from a potential MarketerM8 subscriber, one of the first things we often do is work with the client to draft a Marketing Automation Plan.
This effectively becomes our “architect’s blueprint”.
Before building anything inside HighLevel, we map out lead flow, sales stages, follow-up processes, customer journeys, automations, bottlenecks and communication systems.
In many ways, this is similar to an architect designing a building before construction starts.
It means we do the hard work first on the “virtual piece of paper” before building systems inside the platform.
Without this stage, many businesses end up overcomplicating things, building random disconnected workflows, duplicating effort, automating poor processes and becoming overwhelmed.
A clear plan dramatically simplifies implementation.
Here is a video where I explain this concept in more detail:
Watch the Marketing Automation Plan video
Most Users Stay in the “Basic Tools Zone”
A lot of users never move beyond pipelines, contacts, calendars and basic email campaigns.
Meanwhile they completely ignore some of the most powerful parts of the platform.
Workflows & Automation
This is arguably the real power of HighLevel.
Automated follow-up, reminders, nurture sequences, lead routing, missed call text back, appointment confirmations, review requests, onboarding and reactivation campaigns can save enormous amounts of time while improving consistency.
Voice AI & AI Receptionists
This is one of the fastest-growing areas inside HighLevel right now.
Many businesses still miss calls, rely on voicemail and lose leads outside office hours.
Modern AI receptionists can answer calls 24/7, qualify leads, book appointments, answer FAQs, transfer calls and send follow-up texts.
Most HighLevel users have not even explored this yet.
Social Media Planner
A surprising number of users still pay separately for Buffer, Hootsuite and social schedulers, while ignoring the social planning tools already built into HighLevel.
Reviews & Reputation Management
This is one of the most underused revenue-generating tools in the platform.
Businesses obsess over lead generation while ignoring reviews, testimonials, reputation signals and Google review growth.
Often these can dramatically improve conversion rates without increasing advertising spend.
Communities & Courses
Many people still think of platforms like Kajabi, Circle and Skool, without realising HighLevel can already handle much of this functionality.
This is especially valuable for coaches, consultants, educators, agencies and membership businesses.
The Biggest Mistake. Trying to Do Everything at Once
This is where many users go wrong.
They try to build workflows, create funnels, launch AI, build websites, automate onboarding, set up memberships and connect APIs all at the same time.
That usually ends badly.
Instead, the best approach is often to start simple.
One pipeline. One workflow. One customer journey. One automation problem to solve.
Then build gradually.
This is actually very similar to Gall’s Law:
“A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.”
The strongest HighLevel systems usually evolve over time.
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
One of the biggest challenges with HighLevel is that many users do not realise what is actually possible inside the platform.
They only use the features they happen to stumble across.
For example, many users may never discover missed call text back workflows, AI receptionists, automated review requests, pipeline automation, conversational AI, advanced calendar routing, social media scheduling, WhatsApp integrations, communities and memberships, automated onboarding systems, and AI-powered workflows unless somebody shows them.
That is why so many users remain stuck in the “10% zone”.
It is not because they are incapable.
It is usually because they have never seen the bigger picture, real-world implementations, practical use cases, operational systems and how experienced users are using the platform.
This is one reason live training and workshops can be so valuable.
Often, a single workshop can completely change how somebody sees the platform.
A user might suddenly realise:
- “I didn’t know HighLevel could do that.”
- “I didn’t realise those tools were already included.”
- “I’m paying separately for software HighLevel already replaces.”
- “That one workflow alone could save me hours every week.”
These moments happen constantly.
Start With the Quick Wins First
One mistake many HighLevel users make is trying to build everything at once.
In reality, the smartest approach is usually to focus on quick wins first.
The systems that immediately save time, reduce missed opportunities, improve follow-up, increase conversions and remove repetitive admin are often the highest-value starting points because they create immediate impact inside the business.
And importantly, they build confidence.
Once a business owner sees HighLevel genuinely improving day-to-day operations, the platform suddenly starts making far more sense.
Quick Win Example 1. Sales Pipelines & Opportunities
Setting up the sales pipeline and opportunities system is very often one of the fastest wins inside HighLevel.
Many businesses still rely on spreadsheets, post-it notes, inboxes, diaries or memory.
That is dangerous.
Leads get forgotten. Follow-ups get delayed. Quotes go cold. Opportunities slip through the cracks.
A properly structured sales pipeline creates visibility and accountability.
You can instantly see where leads are in the sales process, who needs following up, what quotes are outstanding, where deals are getting stuck and which team members need to take action.
One dentist I worked with had a major issue with enquiries not being followed up consistently.
The leads were coming in. But there was no structured process ensuring somebody followed up every opportunity properly.
We implemented a clear sales pipeline and opportunity management system inside HighLevel.
The receptionist now had visibility of new enquiries, consultation stages, treatment follow-up, outstanding opportunities and overdue follow-ups.
In the first year alone, this generated an additional £1 million in revenue from leads that previously were not being followed up consistently.
Not because the business suddenly generated more leads.
But because they stopped losing the leads they already had.
Quick Win Example 2. Reactivating Old Leads & Quotes
Another powerful quick win is reactivating lapsed enquiries and old quotes.
Many businesses are sitting on years of old enquiries, unconverted leads, expired quotes and dormant contacts.
These contacts already know the business. Often timing was simply wrong when they originally enquired.
A sash window restoration company I worked with had a large database of quoted enquiries that had never been properly followed up.
The quotes had simply gone cold.
Using HighLevel, we launched a very simple reactivation email campaign to reconnect with previous enquiries.
The result?
An additional £30,000 in sales generated from just a few minutes of work.
No additional advertising spend. No new lead generation campaign. Just better follow-up and reactivation.
This is why quick wins matter so much.
Often the biggest opportunities inside a business are already there.
They simply need better systems.
Why We Run Free Live HighLevel Workshops
This is exactly why we run the free live weekly MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops.
The goal is not simply to teach features.
The goal is to help business owners and agencies see what is possible, understand real-world use cases, simplify implementation, avoid overwhelm, learn practical systems and gradually unlock more of the platform.
Every week we cover different areas of HighLevel including foundations, workflows and automation, calendars and appointments, forms and surveys, websites and funnels, social media planning, database management, AI tools, Voice AI, memberships and communities, and advanced marketing systems.
Many attendees tell us the workshops help them discover tools and capabilities they had no idea already existed inside their account.
And often that is the turning point where users finally begin unlocking the other 90%.
You can explore the free live workshops here:
Explore the free MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops
The Businesses Winning With HighLevel
The businesses getting the best results are usually not the ones using every feature.
They are the businesses using the right features consistently.
Typically they simplify, systemise, automate repetitive tasks, improve follow-up, improve customer communication, remove bottlenecks and build operational consistency.
That is where the real value comes from.
AI Is Changing the Conversation Again
In 2026, the conversation around HighLevel is shifting again because of AI Studio, Agent Studio, Voice AI, conversational AI, lightweight AI-powered tools and AI workflows.
This is opening the door for businesses to create systems that would previously have required developers, custom software, multiple SaaS platforms and expensive integrations.
Now many of these tools can be built directly inside HighLevel or connected very quickly.
That is why many people are beginning to describe HighLevel less as a CRM and more as an AI Operating System for small businesses.
So How Do You Unlock the Other 90%?
Honestly, you do not need to master every feature.
Most businesses do not.
The key is identifying your biggest bottlenecks, your biggest time drains and your biggest missed opportunities.
Then using HighLevel strategically to solve those problems one step at a time.
That might mean improving lead follow-up, reducing missed calls, automating appointment reminders, improving onboarding, creating nurture systems, automating review requests or centralising communication.
Small operational improvements compound very quickly.
Final Thoughts
HighLevel is one of the most powerful business automation platforms available right now.
But its biggest strength can also become its biggest challenge.
The platform can do so much that many users become overwhelmed before they ever unlock its real value.
The businesses that succeed with HighLevel are usually not the businesses trying to use every feature immediately.
They are the businesses building simple systems consistently and expanding gradually over time.
And in many cases, unlocking the “other 90%” is less about learning more technology.
It is about building better systems.
Written by Julian Mills. HighLevel consultant and marketing strategist helping businesses automate lead generation, follow-up and customer communication using AI-powered systems.
Learn more about Julian Mills.
You can also explore the free weekly MarketerM8 HighLevel Workshops.
