Zendesk Sell Series Part 1: Zendesk Sell is retiring — here's everything you need to know | Episode 13

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

Resources Mentioned

Tools and platforms mentioned in the episode:

• Zendesk Sell Migration Guide: https://www.motii.co/go/zendesk-sell-retiring
• Zendesk
• Pipedrive
• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Monday.com
• Intercom
• Freshworks