CRM setup
Prepare your customer data before a CRM import
Clean a working copy, agree field meanings and check a small sample before importing customer records.
By EngageNet Team · 2 min read
Keep the original file unchanged
Make a working copy of the spreadsheet before cleaning it. Keep a note of where the data came from and who is responsible for reviewing it. This gives your team a reference if a column is misunderstood or an entry is changed incorrectly. Avoid circulating unnecessary copies containing customer contact information.
Give each column a clear meaning
Use separate columns for company, contact, phone, email and any other fields supported by the import you intend to use. Remove merged headings and decorative rows from the working copy. Keep identifiers such as phone numbers as text where appropriate so spreadsheet formatting does not remove leading characters or rewrite the values.
Review matches instead of deleting blindly
Look for repeated contacts and inconsistent spelling, but do not assume every repeated name is an error. A company may have several contacts or branches. Agree how existing customers should be matched under your import process. If you cannot tell whether two rows describe the same record, flag them for a person to review.
Check the supported import format
Use the template and fields accepted by the specific EngageNet import screen available to your company. Do not assume every spreadsheet column can be imported or that the system will infer missing values. Where supported, try a small, authorised sample first and review the result before bringing in the rest of the file.
Verify records after importing
Compare sample records with the source file, paying attention to phone numbers, company names and ownership. Confirm that salespeople can see the records they are meant to handle. If rows failed, investigate the reason before resubmitting them. Keep track of what was already accepted so a retry does not unintentionally create duplicate records.