Exporting and Managing Prospect Data from Seamless for Your Sales Team

If you’ve ever tried getting prospect data out of a tool and into something your sales team will actually use, you know it’s rarely as simple as hitting “export.” This guide is for sales leaders, ops folks, and anyone stuck in the weeds of getting good data from Seamless into something actionable. We'll cover what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid wasting your time on busywork that doesn’t move the needle.

Why Export Prospect Data from Seamless in the First Place?

Seamless claims to make finding leads easy—and to be fair, it’s pretty good at surfacing contact info. But getting that data into your CRM or sales workflow is where most people hit a wall. Maybe you want:

  • Cleaner lists: The stuff in Seamless isn’t always formatted for your CRM.
  • Better targeting: You want to slice and dice your data before importing.
  • Avoiding duplicates: No one wants to call the same prospect twice.

If you’ve been copying and pasting, or dumping files into your CRM and hoping for the best, you’re not alone. Let’s do this right.

Step 1: Exporting Your Prospect Data from Seamless

First: Get your data out. Here’s how.

  1. Go to Your Lists in Seamless
  2. Log in, navigate to the “Lists” or “Saved Leads” section.

  3. Pick the list you want to export. If you haven’t used lists, do it now—exporting a random batch is a mess.

  4. Select Your Prospects

  5. You can usually select all, or just specific contacts. Bulk selection saves time.

  6. Export Options

  7. Look for the "Export" button. Seamless typically offers CSV exports. Sometimes they push integrations (like Salesforce), but CSV is safest if you want control.
  8. Choose CSV. Export the file to your computer.

Heads up: Seamless sometimes restricts large exports or throttles based on your plan. If you hit a limit, break your export into smaller chunks.

Pro Tip: Always export more than you think you need. It’s easier to cut down a big list than to go back and re-export missing prospects.

Step 2: Cleaning and Prepping Your Exported Data

Here’s where most people get tripped up. That shiny new CSV isn’t ready for primetime.

What You’ll Usually Find

  • Messy columns: Extra fields you don’t care about.
  • Inconsistent formatting: Names in all caps, weird phone number formats.
  • Duplicates: It happens, even within Seamless.

What to Do

  1. Open in Excel or Google Sheets

  2. If your file is huge, Google Sheets can choke. Excel or a text editor like Sublime Text handles big files better.

  3. Delete Useless Columns

  4. Keep only what your sales team or CRM needs: Name, Title, Company, Email, Phone, LinkedIn, etc.

  5. Ditch the filler columns (like “Industry” if you’re not using it).

  6. Standardize Formats

  7. Fix capitalization: Use formulas to make names “Title Case.”
  8. Clean up phone numbers: Consistent formats save headaches later.

  9. Check email formats—bad emails are worse than no emails.

  10. Deduplicate

  11. Use the “Remove Duplicates” tool in Excel/Sheets.

  12. Deduplicate by email first. If you don’t have emails, use a combo of name + company.

  13. Spot-Check for Junk

  14. Scroll through. If you see “Test Test” or sketchy domains, delete them.

What Not To Worry About:
Don’t obsess over every little field. Focus on what your team actually uses. The rest is noise.

Step 3: Importing into Your CRM or Sales Tool

Now you’ve got a clean(ish) CSV. Don’t just shove it into your CRM—pause and make sure you’re not about to create chaos.

Before You Import

  • Back up your data. Keep your cleaned CSV somewhere safe.
  • Have a field map ready. Know how your columns match to CRM fields. Some CRMs (like HubSpot or Salesforce) let you map columns during import.

How to Import

  1. Go to Import in Your CRM

  2. Most CRMs have a clear “Import” or “Add Contacts” option.

  3. Upload Your CSV

  4. Follow the prompts to map columns. Double-check that emails, names, and companies line up.

  5. Set Ownership and Tags

  6. Assign leads to the right reps or teams.

  7. If you can, tag these as “Seamless Export” so you can track their results separately.

  8. Run a Test Import

  9. Import a handful of rows first. Make sure everything looks right—names, emails, company fields, etc.

  10. If it’s messed up, fix the CSV and try again.

  11. Full Import

  12. Once you’re confident, import the full list.

Watch Out:
Some CRMs auto-create accounts/companies if they see new company names. This can create duplicates. Double-check your CRM’s import settings.

Step 4: Keeping Your Prospect Data Useful Over Time

Getting data in is just the start. Keeping it usable is another battle.

What Works

  • Regular Cleanups: Set a reminder to deduplicate and update fields monthly or quarterly.
  • Feedback Loops: Ask your sales team what’s missing or wrong with the data. If reps keep getting bounced emails, your source needs a rethink.
  • Consistent Fields: Don’t keep changing your field structure. Pick what matters and stick with it.

What Doesn’t Work

  • Overengineering: Don’t build a Rube Goldberg machine of “automations” before you know what your team actually uses.
  • Ignoring Feedback: If your reps hate the data, they’ll ignore it. Listen and adjust.
  • One-Time Imports: Data decays—repeating this process beats doing it once and forgetting.

Pro Tips

  • Track Data Sources: Always tag or note where data came from (like “Seamless – June 2024 Export”). It’ll save you later.
  • Don’t Trust 100% Accuracy: Seamless and other tools pull from public data and guesswork. Expect some errors.
  • Avoid Importing Everything: More isn’t better. If a lead looks wrong, leave it out.

Step 5: Automating (If You Must)

Everyone loves the idea of “seamless” (yeah, I know) automation. But don’t automate until your manual process is solid.

Realistic Automation Options

  • Native Integrations: Seamless offers integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, etc. These can save time, but they don’t clean your data for you.
  • Zapier & Other Tools: You can set up automations to send new leads to Google Sheets or your CRM. Test with small batches first.
  • CRM Workflows: Use your CRM’s built-in tools to assign, tag, and update records.

What to Ignore

  • Overhyped Plugins: Anything claiming to “scrub” all your data automatically is probably overselling.
  • Giant One-Click Imports: These often skip validation and create more mess than they solve.

Bottom Line:
Automation is great—once you know what actually works for your team. Don’t rush it.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Exporting and managing prospect data from Seamless isn’t rocket science. But it does take a little discipline and a willingness to clean up after the software. Start small, don’t overcomplicate things, and check in with your sales team regularly. The simpler your process, the more likely your team is to use the data—and actually turn prospects into customers.

Remember: Good enough and consistent beats “perfect” but never used. Iterate as you go, and don’t be afraid to cut what doesn’t work.