If you’ve ever stared at a mess of contacts wondering how you’ll ever make sense of it, you’re not alone. Importing and segmenting contacts should make life easier, not harder, but most folks end up with clunky lists and missed connections. This guide is for anyone using Gradual who wants their contacts organized and actually usable—without getting lost in the weeds or falling for shiny features that don’t deliver.
Let’s cut through the noise and walk through practical steps to get your contacts imported, cleaned up, and segmented so you can actually put them to work.
1. Prep Before You Import—It Makes a Huge Difference
Don’t just grab your CSV and hit upload. The biggest headaches with Gradual (and honestly, any contact tool) usually start before you even touch the “Import” button. A few minutes of prep will save you hours of cleanup later.
What to do:
- Clean up your spreadsheet. Remove duplicates, fix weird characters, and make sure names and emails are in the right columns. If you have columns you never use (like “Fax Number”), delete them.
- Standardize your fields. If you have “First Name” in some places and “Given Name” in others, pick one and stick to it. Gradual lets you map columns during import, but you’ll thank yourself for keeping it consistent.
- Decide what info actually matters. Don’t import every scrap of data. The more junk you bring in, the more you’ll have to manage later. Only keep fields you’ll use for segmenting or outreach.
- Back up your original data. Trust me, just do it. Things go sideways sometimes.
Pro Tip: If you’re importing from multiple sources (Mailchimp, Eventbrite, spreadsheets), merge them into one sheet before uploading to Gradual. It’s easier to dedupe and spot inconsistencies in one place.
2. Importing Contacts into Gradual—Don’t Overthink It
Gradual’s import process is pretty standard, but there are a few spots where it’s easy to trip up or waste time.
Step-by-Step: Importing the Smart Way
- Head to Contacts, then click “Import.”
- Choose your file. Stick with CSV—it almost always works best.
- Map your fields. Gradual will try to auto-detect, but double-check that “Email” is mapped to “Email,” not “Address” or some other weirdness.
- Preview your import. Scan for anything off—missing names, weird formatting, blank emails.
- Import and check the results. Even with prep, something always slips through. Spot-check a few contacts to make sure everything landed in the right place.
What to skip: Don’t get sucked into creating every possible custom field “just in case.” Start with the basics (name, email, company, maybe tags). You can always add more later. Overcomplicating things early just means more cleanup.
3. Segmenting Contacts—The Right Way (and the Wrong Way)
Segmenting is where things get useful—or get messy, fast. The goal is to group people in ways that actually matter to you, not just to have fancy lists.
The Right Way: Start Simple
- Tag by relationship, not just data. Instead of “Attended Webinar 2023-04-18,” try “Webinar: AI April 2023.” Tags should mean something when you look at them a month from now.
- Use key segments only. Start with broad buckets: customers, leads, partners, internal team. Add more only if you’re actually going to use them.
- Combine tags sparingly. Gradual lets you filter by multiple tags, but don’t go overboard. If someone has ten tags, are you really using them all?
The Wrong Way: Tag Soup
Don’t create a new tag for every tiny difference (“NYC Event 2pm” vs. “NYC Event 4pm”). You’ll lose track, and segmenting gets pointless. Only segment on stuff you’ll act on—otherwise, just use the notes field.
Pro Tips for Segmentation
- Automate what you can. Gradual supports bulk actions and sometimes automation. Use them to tag whole groups at once.
- Document your tags. If you’re working with a team, make a shared doc listing what each tag means. It sounds boring, but it prevents chaos.
- Revisit regularly. Every few months, prune tags and segments you’re not using. Dead weight just gets in the way.
4. Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
Here’s where most people get tripped up:
- Importing junk data. If you import garbage, you’ll only get garbage out. It’s tempting to “just upload everything” but resist.
- Over-segmenting. More segments don’t mean more clarity. If you’re not using a segment, it’s noise.
- Not using tags consistently. If one person tags “VIP” and another tags “vip_customer,” you’ll end up with two segments by mistake.
- Ignoring data hygiene. Contacts change jobs, emails bounce. Set aside time once a quarter to clean up.
What to ignore: Fancy features like “smart lists” and “dynamic segments” sound great, but unless you have a real use case, they’re just extra work. Stick with what helps you find and use your contacts.
5. Making Segmentation Work for You (Not the Other Way Around)
Once you’ve got your contacts imported and segmented, don’t let the system run you. Here’s how to keep it working for you:
- Keep it actionable. Every segment or tag should tie to something you actually do—send an email, follow up, invite to an event.
- Review and adjust. If a tag or segment isn’t useful, get rid of it.
- Don’t chase perfection. Good enough is good enough. It’s better to have a handful of workable segments than 50 “perfect” ones you never use.
Example: - If you run events, segment by “Attended Event 2023” and “Did Not Attend.” That’s enough to target follow-ups. - If you’re doing outreach, segment by “Warm Lead” vs. “Cold Lead.” No need to get fancy.
6. What Actually Works (And What’s Just Hype)
Works: - Clean, simple imports - Consistent, meaningful tags - Reviewing and pruning segments
Doesn’t work: - Overly complex custom fields - Dozens of micro-segments - Importing everything “just in case”
Ignore: - Buzzword features promising to “revolutionize” contact management. Most don’t.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. The best contact lists are simple, easy to update, and focused on what you actually need. Start with a clean import, use a few meaningful tags, and check in every so often to tidy things up. Gradual gives you decent tools, but real success comes from staying organized and not getting distracted by every new feature.
Just get your contacts in, segment in ways that matter, and get back to work. If you mess it up? No big deal. It’s easy to fix and try again.