Outbound sales isn’t rocket science, but getting your contact data right can make or break your results. If you’re using ExportApollo.com (see exportapollocom.html), you want to get up and running—without wasting time cleaning up messy lists or hitting avoidable roadblocks. This guide is for people who’ve got a list (or several) and just want to get them into ExportApollo, cleaned, and ready for honest-to-goodness outreach.
Let’s skip the fluff and get right to it.
Step 1: Get Your Data Ready (Before You Import)
Before you even open ExportApollo, take a beat and look at your contact data. Most problems start with a messy spreadsheet. Here’s what you need to watch for:
- Common file types: CSV and XLSX (Excel) are what ExportApollo supports. If your data’s in Google Sheets or elsewhere, export as CSV.
- Basic columns you actually need: First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, Job Title, Phone (if you use it). Extra columns (like “Notes” or “Favorite Color”) just slow you down.
- Keep one row per contact: No merged cells, no weird formatting, no summary rows.
- No duplicate columns: If you have three “Email” columns—fix that now.
Pro Tip: Don’t trust that old list you found in the company Dropbox. Quick scan for blank fields, weird characters, or obviously fake emails (“test@test.com”).
Step 2: Clean Your Data (The Lazy, Practical Way)
Let’s be real: No one wants to spend all day cleaning spreadsheets. Here’s how to get 80% of the way there, fast:
2.1. Remove Duplicates
- In Excel: Select your data, go to “Data” > “Remove Duplicates.”
- In Google Sheets: Select your data, go to “Data” > “Data cleanup” > “Remove duplicates.”
- Decide if you want to dedupe by email, or by a combination (email + name). Usually, just email is fine.
2.2. Standardize Columns
- Make sure all columns have clear headers. (Not “Column 1” or “asdf.”)
- Fix typos in headers—“Emial” won’t get mapped automatically.
2.3. Fix Obvious Junk
- Delete rows with missing emails (unless you’re calling people by phone).
- Watch out for test entries or dummy data.
- Double-check for weird characters or line breaks in fields.
2.4. Normalize Data
- Consistent casing: "John" instead of "john" or "JOHN".
- Phone numbers should have country codes if you’re calling internationally.
What to Ignore: Don’t get hung up on formatting addresses or filling in every company website. For outbound, email and name are what matter.
Step 3: Importing Into ExportApollo
Now your data’s in decent shape, here’s how to get it into ExportApollo:
3.1. Log In and Find the Import Option
- Log into your ExportApollo account.
- Head to the “Contacts” or “Import” section (naming might vary—ExportApollo sometimes tweaks their UI).
3.2. Upload Your File
- Hit “Import” or “Upload.”
- Choose your CSV or Excel file.
- Wait for the upload. If you get errors here, they’re usually about file type or size—double-check you’re using CSV/XLSX and not something weird.
3.3. Map Your Fields
ExportApollo will ask you to map your file’s columns to its own fields. For example, it’ll try to match “First Name” in your file to “First Name” in their system.
- If it guesses wrong, manually select the right match.
- For extra columns you don’t need, either map them to “Ignore” or leave them unmapped.
Pro Tip: If you have custom fields (like “LinkedIn URL”), ExportApollo usually handles these, but check the docs if you hit a snag.
3.4. Preview and Confirm
- Review a sample of your data—catch any last-minute mistakes.
- Confirm and start the import. Depending on list size, this can take a few seconds to a few minutes.
Step 4: Post-Import—Cleaning Up in ExportApollo
Even with prep, some junk slips through. ExportApollo has basic tools to help.
4.1. Use Built-in Duplicate Detection
- Run ExportApollo’s dedupe tool if you’re merging new contacts into an existing database.
- Usually, it dedupes by email, but check their settings.
4.2. Spot Bad Data
- Filter for contacts missing emails or with obviously bogus info (“asdf@asdf.com”).
- Use built-in filters to find and delete, or fix, these rows.
4.3. Tag or Segment Wisely
- Add tags (e.g., “Q2 2024 List,” “Webinar Attendees”) for future filtering.
- Don’t overthink segments—start simple. You can always refine later.
4.4. Run an Email Validation (Optional)
ExportApollo sometimes offers email validation, or you can use a third-party tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) before import. This isn’t mandatory for small lists, but if you’re emailing at scale, bouncing on bad addresses can hurt your sender reputation.
Honest Take: Email validation tools aren’t magic. They catch obvious fakes and typos, but don’t guarantee 100% accuracy. Still, it’s better than nothing.
Step 5: Troubleshooting & Common Gotchas
Even with the best prep, stuff goes sideways. Here are some real-world problems and fixes:
- Import keeps failing? Double-check file format (CSV/XLSX), remove formulas or weird characters, and make sure no columns are blank at the top.
- Field mapping errors? Recheck your headers. Avoid duplicate names (“Email” and “email” can confuse some systems).
- Contacts not showing up? Try searching by email. Sometimes filters are set by default—clear them.
- Duplicates everywhere? Make sure you deduped before AND after import, especially if you’re combining lists from different sources.
Step 6: Best Practices (That Actually Matter)
- Always keep a clean master copy of your contacts outside ExportApollo. If something breaks, you’ll be glad you did.
- Don’t chase perfection. Get your data “good enough” and start your outreach. You can always tidy up later.
- Schedule regular cleanups—once a month, remove or update bounced emails and dead leads.
- Respect privacy: Don’t import scraped lists you wouldn’t want to receive emails from yourself. Not just a legal thing, but a reputation thing.
Wrapping Up
Clean data isn’t glamorous, but it’s what separates effective outbound teams from inbox spammers. Don’t overcomplicate things: prep your list, import it, fix the obvious issues, and move on. Most of the magic isn’t in the tool—it’s in the discipline of keeping things simple and doing regular maintenance.
Iterate, don’t agonize. You’ll get better results (and fewer headaches) by just starting and improving as you go. Good luck!