How to export and organize lead data from Salesintel efficiently

If you’re wrestling with messy exports and clunky spreadsheets, you’re not alone. Exporting lead data from Salesintel is supposed to be a shortcut, not another to-do list. This guide is for anyone who wants to pull useful lists from Salesintel, keep them organized, and actually get some work done—whether you’re in sales ops, marketing, or just the unlucky soul stuck doing data cleanup.

Let’s cut through the noise and get you a process that actually works.

Step 1: Define What You Need—Before You Click Export

Don’t just grab every lead you can. Unfiltered exports waste time and clutter your CRM. Before you even log in to Salesintel:

  • What’s your goal? Are you building a call list, prepping an email campaign, or updating your CRM?
  • Which fields matter? Typical essentials: Name, Job Title, Company, Email, Phone, Industry, Company Size, Location.
  • How “fresh” do these leads need to be? Salesintel lets you filter by last verified date—use it.
  • Are there any dealbreakers? If you can’t contact leads outside the US, don’t export them.

Pro tip: Write this down. Otherwise, it’s too easy to fall into “just-in-case” data hoarding.

Step 2: Use Salesintel’s Filters Like a Pro

Salesintel’s filtering is strong, but it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. Here’s how to cut to the chase:

  • Start broad, then narrow. Filter by job title or function first, then company size or industry.
  • Use “last verified” date. Old data = bounced emails and wasted calls.
  • Don’t overfilter. If you get too granular, you’ll end up with a tiny, unhelpful list.
  • Save your search. If you’ll run this export again, save your filters for next time.

What to ignore: Most of the “intent” and “technographics” filters are hit-or-miss unless you know exactly why you need them. They’re easy to overuse.

Step 3: Export Your Data—But Go Small First

Now you’re ready to export. Resist the urge to grab everything in one shot.

  1. Export a small sample first. Download 20–30 leads. Open the file and check:
  2. Are all the fields you need included?
  3. Is the data actually usable (emails in the right columns, names not in all caps, etc.)?
  4. Are there any weird formatting issues?
  5. Adjust your filters or export settings if needed.
  6. Once you’re happy, export the full list. Salesintel exports as CSV or Excel. Choose CSV if you’ll import into a CRM; Excel is fine for manual review.

Heads up: Large exports might take a while or even fail. Keep your batches under a few thousand rows if possible. If you need more, break them up.

Step 4: Clean Up the Data—Don’t Skip This

Here’s where most people get lazy. Don’t. Even the best data providers have issues: duplicates, bad emails, weird characters, etc.

Quick cleanup checklist:

  • Remove duplicates. Use Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” or Google Sheets’ equivalent.
  • Standardize formats. Make sure phone numbers, states, and names look consistent.
  • Spot-check key fields. Are there missing emails? Gaps in company size?
  • Fix obvious garbage. “N/A” job titles, placeholder emails, or addresses that don’t make sense.

Tools that help: Excel, Google Sheets, or a free tool like OpenRefine for bigger messes.

What to ignore: Don’t waste time fixing minor typos in names or addresses—unless you’re planning a mail merge.

Step 5: Map Fields for Import (If You’re Using a CRM)

If you’re moving your leads into HubSpot, Salesforce, or any CRM, field mapping is where things go sideways.

  • Match columns to CRM fields. Make sure “Company Name” in your CSV matches “Account Name” in your CRM, etc.
  • Watch for weird formats. Dates and phone numbers love to go haywire on import.
  • Test with a few rows first. Import a mini-batch to catch errors before you dump in thousands.
  • Create custom fields if needed. If there’s data you’ll actually use (like “Last Verified Date”), don’t just throw it away.

Pro tip: Keep an “original” version of your export. If you mess something up, you’ll be glad you did.

Step 6: Organize and Segment—Make It Useful

Now you’ve got leads in a spreadsheet or CRM. Time to make it actually useful:

  • Tag or segment by source. Mark these as “Salesintel 2024-06” or similar. Future you will thank you.
  • Group by persona or campaign. You’ll get more mileage splitting by role, industry, or whatever matters for your outreach.
  • Set up views or saved filters. Don’t scroll through endless lists—slice and dice so you can work efficiently.

What NOT to do: Don’t start blasting emails to the whole list. Start with your best fit segments first.

Step 7: Keep It Fresh—And Know When to Delete

Lead data goes stale fast. Set a recurring reminder to:

  • Run a fresh export each quarter (or as needed).
  • Archive or delete old lists. Don’t let your CRM turn into a digital junk drawer.
  • Spot-check for deliverability. High bounce rates? Time to refresh.

Automated enrichment tools can help, but don’t expect miracles. Nothing beats a process where you regularly clean and update your lists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I automate this whole process?
Sort of. There are tools that can connect Salesintel to your CRM, but you’ll still need to check for weird formatting, duplicates, and mapping issues. Full automation usually means full mess.

What’s the best format to export leads?
CSV is safest. It’s ugly but reliable. Excel files sometimes act up during import.

Is Salesintel’s data any good?
It’s decent, but no tool is perfect. Always check for outdated info, bounce rates, and missing fields. Treat every export like it’s “mostly good,” not gospel.

Keep It Simple—And Don’t Overthink It

Exporting and organizing lead data from Salesintel isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to drown in details or chase “perfect” data that doesn’t exist. Stick to what you need, keep your process tight, and don’t be afraid to delete what you don’t use.

Iterate as you go—your future self (and your sales team) will thank you.