If you’re tasked with wrangling leads inside a CRM, you know the pain: messy spreadsheets, duplicates everywhere, and sales reps who can’t find a thing. This guide is for folks who actually want their CRM to save time, not waste it. You’ll learn how to import and organize leads in Theroishop without losing your mind—or your deals.
1. Get Your Data Ready Before You Touch Theroishop
Yes, I know you’re itching to just upload that CSV, but 90% of import messes start before anyone opens Theroishop. Here’s what matters:
- Clean up your spreadsheet. Delete junk columns, fix inconsistent formatting, and make sure each column has a header. If you don’t know what a column is for, neither will your CRM.
- Standardize your data. Pick a format for phone numbers, addresses, names, etc. Stick with it. If half your leads are “Bob Jones” and the other half “Jones, Bob,” you’ll regret it.
- Scrub for duplicates. It’s easier to deal with duplicates in Excel (or Google Sheets) than after import. Use “Remove Duplicates” features, or a quick formula if you have to.
- Decide what’s actually a lead. Don’t just dump in every contact. If someone’s never expressed interest, you’re just cluttering things up.
Pro tip: If you’re importing from multiple sources (like a trade show list and website signups), keep them in separate files for now. You’ll want to track where each lead came from.
2. Map Your Columns to Theroishop Fields (Don’t Just Click ‘Next’)
When you start the import in Theroishop, it’ll ask you to match your spreadsheet columns to its lead fields. This is where most folks blow it:
- Double check the mapping. Don’t let “First Name” get mapped to “Company Name” by accident. It happens.
- Use custom fields if needed. If you’ve got info that doesn’t fit the standard fields (say, “Favorite Snack”), set up custom fields before importing. Otherwise, that data gets lost.
- Don’t import unnecessary info. If you don’t use “Fax Number,” just skip it. More fields = more clutter.
What to ignore: Don’t bother mapping columns you won’t use. Less is more here—fewer distractions, easier searching later.
3. Use Tags and Sources from Day One
If you want to slice and dice your leads later, tagging up front is a lifesaver.
- Tag by source (e.g., “Webinar,” “Referral,” “Purchase List”). Theroishop lets you create tags or use a “Source” field—use both if you want.
- Segment by priority or status. If you already know some leads are hot and others are just suspects, tag them now.
- Consistency matters. If you call one tag “Webinar2024” and another “Webinar-2024,” you’ll have a mess.
Pro tip: Make a quick reference doc for your team listing approved tags and sources. Otherwise, everyone invents their own, and your reports will be useless.
4. Import a Test Batch (Seriously, Don’t Skip This)
It’s tempting to just hit “Import All” and hope for the best. Don’t.
- Import 5-10 leads as a test. Check how they look in Theroishop. Are fields mapped right? Tags working? Any weird characters or missing info?
- Fix issues now, not later. If you spot a problem, it’s way easier to adjust your spreadsheet or mapping before importing the full list.
- Delete the test batch after checking. Keeps your data clean.
What to ignore: Don’t assume “it’ll all sort itself out.” It never does. If something looks off in your test, it’ll be a disaster with 500 leads.
5. Import the Full List (with Your Finger Hovering Over ‘Undo’)
Once your test looks good:
- Batch your imports. If you have thousands of leads, break them into a few batches. Easier to troubleshoot if something goes wrong.
- Watch for error messages. Theroishop will usually tell you if it runs into duplicate emails, missing required fields, or unsupported formats. Don’t just click past warnings—read them.
- Assign ownership if you can. If you know which sales rep should handle which leads, assign them now. If not, set a default owner and sort it out later.
Pro tip: Export a backup of your leads from Theroishop right after importing. That way, if something gets messed up, you have a snapshot you can revert to.
6. Organize Leads with Smart Views and Filters
Now that your leads are in Theroishop, don’t just let them sit in one giant list.
- Set up saved filters. For example, “Leads from Website,” “Uncontacted Hot Leads,” or “Leads Assigned to Me.”
- Use stages or pipelines. Move leads from “New” to “Contacted” to “Qualified” or whatever fits your sales process. Don’t overcomplicate it—three to five stages is plenty.
- Archive or delete junk regularly. Leads that bounce, are clearly spam, or go cold for months? Get them out of your active view.
What to ignore: Don’t create a million filters or stages hoping to cover every scenario. You’ll just confuse your team and slow things down.
7. Keep Your Data Clean (Set a Monthly Reminder)
CRMs get messy fast. Make it a habit—not a heroic annual cleanup.
- Deduplicate monthly. Theroishop may have built-in tools, or you can export and clean in Excel, then re-import.
- Review for incomplete entries. Leads without emails, phone numbers, or key info should get flagged for follow-up or archived.
- Update status and ownership. When someone leaves the team, reassign their leads right away.
Pro tip: Assign one person as your “CRM janitor.” They won’t love the title, but everyone will appreciate the results.
8. Train Your Team (Or You’ll End Up Back at Square One)
The best import in the world won’t matter if your team keeps creating new fields, duplicating leads, or ignoring tags.
- Share your process. Walk the team through how to add leads, use tags, and update statuses.
- Lock down permissions if possible. Not everyone needs to create new fields or delete records.
- Make it easy to ask questions. A living FAQ doc or a Slack channel can cut down on accidental messes.
What to ignore: Fancy automation or AI “lead scoring” features. Focus on getting the basics right first.
9. When to Use Automation (and When to Skip It)
Theroishop, like most CRMs, offers automation—auto-assigning leads, sending emails, updating stages. Use it for boring, repetitive stuff, but don’t automate judgment calls.
- Good use cases: Assigning new web form leads to reps, sending a welcome email, alerting when a lead hasn’t been touched in 7 days.
- Bad use cases: Automatically qualifying leads, reassigning accounts based on vague rules, or letting the system merge possible duplicates without your review.
Pro tip: Automate only the things you’d trust a summer intern to do.
10. Don’t Fall for Over-Organizing
It’s tempting to build complicated hierarchies, endless custom fields, and color-coded tags. Resist.
- Stick to what you’ll actually use. If you have to explain your system every time someone joins, it’s too complex.
- Review your setup every quarter. Delete unused tags, merge duplicate fields, and check if your filters are still relevant.
What to ignore: Any feature you “might use someday.” Focus on what makes your current workflow easier.
Organizing leads in Theroishop doesn’t have to be a chore or a massive project. Start with good data, keep your setup simple, and focus on habits (not just one big import). Don’t worry about having everything perfect—just aim for “better than last month.” The simpler your system, the more likely your team will actually use it. And that’s what wins deals.