So, you’ve got a pile of contacts and you want to actually do something with them—preferably without wasting hours fiddling with spreadsheets or staring at error messages. This guide is for folks who need to get their lists into Connectandsell, keep things organized, and not lose their mind in the process.
Whether you’re in sales ops or just the person who drew the short straw, you’ll find concrete steps here. We’ll cover what matters, what doesn’t, and how to not shoot yourself in the foot.
1. Get Your List in Shape Before Importing
The biggest mistake most people make: dumping a messy, half-baked contact list straight into Connectandsell and hoping for the best. Spoiler: that never works out.
What to check before importing:
- Columns matter. Make sure your spreadsheet has clear, consistent headers (like “First Name,” “Last Name,” “Email,” “Phone,” “Company”). Don’t get creative—use the basics.
- No missing data. If you’re missing key info (like phone numbers for a dialing tool), fix it now or drop those rows.
- One row = one person. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised.
- No weird formatting. Extra spaces, odd characters, or merged cells will cause headaches.
Pro tip:
Standardize phone numbers to one format (e.g., +1-555-867-5309). Consistency beats fancy formatting.
2. Choose the Right Import Method
Connectandsell lets you add contacts a few different ways. Here’s the honest rundown:
CSV Imports
Best for: Bulk uploads, regular updates.
- Format your CSV as described above.
- Make sure you’re using UTF-8 encoding to avoid garbled names.
- Double-check column mapping during import—Connectandsell will try, but it’s not psychic.
Manual Entry
Best for: Adding a handful of contacts, not your whole database.
- Only use this for one-offs.
- Tedious for more than a dozen contacts.
CRM Integrations
If your contacts live in Salesforce or another CRM, look for Connectandsell’s native integrations. Direct sync is usually smoother than exporting/importing files—just don’t assume it’s “set and forget.” Sync errors happen.
What to ignore:
Don’t waste time on “fancy” import templates unless your org has some weird custom process. The default CSV works for 99% of companies.
3. Clean Up Duplicates and Garbage Data
After importing, you’ll probably notice issues—duplicates, typos, or contacts that shouldn’t be there.
How to clean up:
- Use Connectandsell’s built-in deduplication. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
- Manually review flagged records. Machines miss things humans catch (and vice versa).
- Don’t obsess over perfection. Prioritize fixing contacts you’ll actually call.
What’s not worth your time:
Chasing down every little formatting issue. If the core data is there (and reachable), it’s good enough for sales.
4. Segment Your Lists (But Don’t Overthink It)
You want reps calling the right people, not just anyone. Segmentation helps, but don’t let it become a six-month project.
Simple ways to segment:
- By geography (region, state, country)
- By company size or industry
- By deal stage or lead source
Start with basic groups. You can always get more granular later, but “just get calling” beats “analysis paralysis.”
Pro tip:
If you’re not sure how to segment, ask your reps what actually matters to them. They’ll tell you.
5. Keep Your Lists Fresh
Old lists kill productivity—and morale. No one wants to call 500 dead numbers.
How to keep things up to date:
- Set a calendar reminder to refresh lists monthly or quarterly.
- Archive or delete contacts who’ve been marked “Do Not Call” or “Bad Number.”
- Sync with your CRM regularly if you’re using an integration.
What to skip:
Don’t pay for expensive “data cleaning” software unless you have thousands of records and a huge outbound team. For most, a little manual review goes a long way.
6. Manage Permissions and Access
Not everyone should have the keys to the whole castle.
- Limit who can import or edit contact lists. Mistakes here can ruin your data.
- Use roles and permissions in Connectandsell—give most people “view” access, and restrict “edit/import” to trusted folks.
- Audit your lists every so often. Trusted folks can still make mistakes.
7. Track What’s Working (and What’s Not)
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Connectandsell gives you basic analytics; use them.
Check regularly:
- Call connection rates by list segment
- Disposition outcomes (e.g., “bad number,” “not a fit”)
- Which sources produce the best conversations
Drop segments or sources that never convert. Don’t be sentimental about dead lists.
8. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Let’s be real—everyone stumbles here at some point. Here’s what to watch for:
- Importing contacts without phone numbers. Wastes everyone’s time.
- Uploading the same list twice. Leads to duplicate calls, annoyed prospects, and bad reporting.
- Ignoring “Do Not Call” statuses. This has legal risks. Don’t mess around.
- Overcomplicating segmentation. Simple beats clever.
- Not communicating list changes to your team. Suddenly, no one knows what’s what.
9. Pro Tips for Staying Sane
- Keep a “master” copy of your list outside Connectandsell, just in case.
- When in doubt, start small—import a test batch before uploading your whole book.
- Document your process (even just a Google Doc with steps). Future you will thank you.
- If you hit a weird error, don’t bang your head against the wall—support can actually help.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Importing and managing contact lists in Connectandsell isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to make it harder than it needs to be. Get your list clean, use basic segmentation, and don’t sweat perfection. The goal is to get reps talking to real people—not to build the world’s fanciest spreadsheet.
Start small, learn what works for your team, and tweak as you go. And if you mess up? At least now you know where to look to fix it.