Protect the original data
Export a backup or work in a controlled staging file. Confirm who owns the CRM, which fields can be updated, and how changes will be reviewed before an import.
Define the matching keys
- Company domain for account-level matching
- Email address for contact-level matching
- Normalized LinkedIn URL where available
- A documented rule for shared domains and subsidiaries
Normalize before deduplication
Standardize capitalization, whitespace, URLs, phone formats, country/state values, and company suffixes. Consistent formatting makes genuine duplicates easier to identify without merging unrelated records.
Classify missing and uncertain fields
- Verified and current
- Found but unverified
- Catch-all or risky
- Unavailable after research
- Needs client review
Build campaign-ready segments
Create segments using fields that are complete enough to support the campaign: market, company size, role, region, fit reason, and contact status. Exclude customers, competitors, unsubscribed contacts, and suppressed domains according to the client’s rules.
Document the handoff
Record the source file, transformation rules, row counts, duplicates removed, enrichment dates, and any unresolved exceptions. A short change log makes the import auditable and the next cleanup faster.