Importing prospect data into any CRM should be easy, but in reality, it’s usually a mess of bad spreadsheets, missing emails, and weird formatting. If you're using Velaris and want to avoid garbage-in, garbage-out headaches, this guide’s for you. Whether you're moving lists from a dusty old CRM or wrangling hand-me-down CSVs, here's how to actually get clean, usable data into Velaris without losing your mind.
Step 1: Get Your Source Data in Shape Before Touching Velaris
If you try importing a junky spreadsheet, you’ll just end up with a junky CRM. Before touching Velaris, take an honest look at your prospect data:
- Start with one sheet. If your data’s spread across tabs, combine it first. Velaris only imports from a single sheet at a time.
- Make sure every row is a real prospect. Delete summary rows, totals, or blank lines. CRMs don’t know what to do with “Q2 Totals.”
- Column names matter. Use clear, simple headers:
First Name,Last Name,Email,Company, etc. If you see “FName” or “Surname,” fix them now. - Check for duplicates. Sort by email and look for repeats. Decide if you want to merge, update, or skip duplicates—don't let Velaris make that call for you.
- Watch out for weird formatting. Dates should be YYYY-MM-DD, phone numbers should have country codes, and emails shouldn’t have “(at)” or extra spaces.
Pro tip: Open your file in a text editor once. If it looks like a crime scene, fix it in Excel or Google Sheets before importing.
Step 2: Decide What Data Actually Matters
Just because a field exists in your old CRM doesn’t mean you should bring it into Velaris. Here’s what you really need:
- Core contact details: Name, work email, company, phone. If you’re missing these, think twice about importing.
- Deal-relevant info: Lead source, status, notes. Skip “favorite color” or “fax number” unless you actually use them.
- Custom fields: Only create custom fields in Velaris if you use them in day-to-day work. Every extra field is another thing to clean later.
What to ignore: - Zombie columns with no data (e.g. 99% blank). - Outdated fields nobody’s updated since 2018. - Anything you couldn’t explain to a new hire in one sentence.
Step 3: Map Your Columns to Velaris Fields
Once your spreadsheet is tidy, it’s time to match your columns to what Velaris expects. Here’s the reality check:
- Velaris is picky about required fields. At minimum, you’ll need a name and email. If you’re missing these, you’ll get errors.
- Manual mapping beats auto-mapping. Don’t trust automated tools to guess that “Surname” = “Last Name.” Take the extra minute to check each field.
- Check field types. If you have a “Created Date” as text, convert it to a date. Velaris will choke on “Spring 2023” or “Soonish.”
Common mapping mistakes: - Mixing up “Company” and “Account,” if Velaris treats them differently. - Trying to import formulas—export as values only. - Including columns with personal notes you wouldn’t want on a profile.
Step 4: Clean Up Data—and Do It Ruthlessly
This is where most people get lazy and regret it later. Take a pass through your data for:
- Typos and inconsistencies: “Jon” vs. “John,” “Acme Corp” vs. “Acme Corporation.” Decide on your standards and stick with them.
- Broken emails and phone numbers: Use Excel’s validation tools or a quick script to spot entries that don’t fit the pattern.
- Outdated info: If a record hasn’t been touched in three years and you can’t confirm it’s real, archive it. Don’t clutter Velaris with ghosts.
Fast fixes: - Use “Find and Replace” to standardize company names, job titles, or common misspellings. - Strip out extra spaces or weird characters using TRIM and CLEAN functions in Sheets/Excel. - If you’re feeling fancy, use a script or data cleaning tool for bulk fixes. But honestly, for under a few thousand rows, manual is usually faster.
Step 5: Run a Test Import With a Small Sample
Never import your whole database on the first go. Here’s how to avoid a disaster:
- Take your cleanest 10–20 rows and import them into Velaris as a test.
- Check what lands where. Are all fields showing up as expected? Any weird formatting?
- Look for duplicates. Did Velaris flag any? Did it create new records or merge existing ones?
- Check for errors. If Velaris spits out error messages, read them—don’t just click past.
If your sample looks good, you’re ready to scale up. If not, fix your file and try again. It’s way easier to fix 20 rows than 2,000.
Step 6: Import the Full File—and Double-Check Everything
Now you can import the real deal. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Use Velaris’s import tool, not a third-party plugin, unless you have a really good reason. You want support if anything goes wrong.
- Monitor the progress. If Velaris gives you an import summary or error log, actually read it. Don’t assume “no news is good news.”
- Spot-check your data. Pick a handful of records and make sure the info landed in the right fields. Is the data usable? If not, roll back and try again.
What doesn’t work: - Blindly trusting a green “Success” message. - Assuming that because the import finished, your data is perfect. - Importing multiple lists at once—do one batch at a time.
Step 7: Set Up Basic Data Hygiene Going Forward
Importing once is easy. Keeping data clean is the real challenge. Here’s what actually works:
- Limit who can import. Make sure only a couple of people have permission to bring in new lists.
- Set up required fields in Velaris. Force every new record to have an email, company, or whatever is critical for your process.
- Schedule a quarterly cleanup. Even with the best setup, duplicates and bad data creep in. Block time to review and tidy up.
Skip the hype: You don’t need fancy AI cleaning tools or “data enrichment” services unless you’re running massive lists or have a real reason. For most teams, a simple checklist and a little discipline go a long way.
Quick Reference: What to Do, What to Skip
Do: - Tidy your sheet before importing - Standardize columns and values - Test with a small sample - Review results after importing
Skip: - Importing more fields than you’ll use - Trusting automated mapping - “Set it and forget it” approaches
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate as You Go
Data imports will never be perfect, but they don’t have to be a nightmare. Start small, focus on what you need now, and don’t sweat every field. Once your key data’s in Velaris, you can always clean up more later. Don’t let a messy spreadsheet slow you down—keep it simple, stay skeptical of shortcuts, and you’ll be fine.