So you’ve got a pile of prospect data—maybe from a trade show, a download, or some sketchy spreadsheet you found on Google Drive. Now you want to actually use it in Sellmethispen to find real leads, not dead ends or duplicates. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of garbage data ruining their outreach and wants a straightforward, no-nonsense way to get clean, usable prospect lists into their CRM.
Let’s get your data sorted so you can spend less time wrangling spreadsheets and more time talking to people who might actually buy.
Step 1: Know What Data You Actually Need
Before you even touch Sellmethispen, get clear on what fields matter to your sales process. Here’s the honest truth: most teams collect way too much info and never use half of it.
Keep it simple. For most sales teams, you really just need:
- Name (first and last, or full name)
- Company
- Email address
- Phone number (optional, but useful)
- Job title (sometimes helpful, sometimes just clutter)
If your sales process is more complex, maybe you need industry, location, or some custom tag. But start with the basics. The more fields you demand, the more ways your data can get messy.
Pro Tip: Don’t try to “future-proof” by collecting every detail imaginable. You’ll just make cleaning harder. Add fields as you actually need them.
Step 2: Prep Your Spreadsheet Before Import
You could dump your raw data straight into Sellmethispen, but you’ll regret it. Garbage in, garbage out. Open your spreadsheet—Excel, Google Sheets, whatever—and do a quick cleanup first.
Here’s what’s worth your time:
- Delete empty rows and columns. Obvious, but easy to miss.
- Standardize column headers. Make sure the headers match what Sellmethispen expects (e.g., "Email" not "E-mail address" or "EMAIL").
- Check for duplicates. Use the spreadsheet’s “Remove duplicates” feature. If you’ve got multiple sources, this is non-negotiable.
- Fix weird formatting. Watch for things like names in all caps, phone numbers with random punctuation, or emails with typos.
- Split full names (if needed). If you have a single “Full Name” column but Sellmethispen wants "First Name" and "Last Name," split it here—it’s much easier than after import.
What to ignore: Don’t worry about cosmetic stuff like font or cell color. That won’t affect your import.
Step 3: Map Your Fields to Sellmethispen
When you’re ready to import, Sellmethispen will ask you to map your columns to its fields. This sounds boring, but it’s where a lot of mistakes creep in.
Sellmethispen usually accepts CSV or XLSX files. Make sure your spreadsheet is saved in one of those formats.
During the import wizard:
- Double-check that “Email” matches the email column, “Company” matches company, etc.
- If you have extra columns you don’t need, just leave them unmapped.
- Watch out for columns like “Phone” vs. “Mobile”—be sure you’re putting numbers in the right place, or just skip them if you’re not calling.
Pro Tip: If you have custom fields in Sellmethispen (like “Lead Source”), map those now. But don’t create a bunch of custom fields you’ll never use. More fields = more headaches.
Step 4: Fix Obvious Data Issues After Import
Even if you cleaned your spreadsheet, stuff can slip through. Sellmethispen will usually flag obvious problems (duplicate emails, missing required fields), but it won’t catch everything.
Here’s what’s worth fixing right away:
- Duplicates: Sellmethispen may catch exact matches, but near-duplicates (e.g., “Jon Smith” vs. “John Smith”) can slip by. Use the CRM’s merge or deduplication tools.
- Bad emails: Look for emails like “test@test.com” or your own domain—these are usually junk.
- Missing critical info: If a prospect is missing both an email and a phone number, they’re basically unreachable. Archive or delete these records.
- Weird names: If you see things like “ASDF” or “!!!” as a name, just remove them.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over every minor typo. As long as you can reach the person and know who they are, you’re probably fine.
Step 5: Tag and Segment for Smarter Targeting
Now that your data’s in, it’s tempting to blast out a generic campaign. Don’t do it. Take a few minutes to tag or segment your prospects so you can send relevant, targeted messages.
You can tag prospects by:
- Source (e.g., “Trade Show 2024” or “Website Download”)
- Industry or job title
- Geography or region
- Lead score (if you use it—just don’t overcomplicate things)
Why bother? Because sending the same message to everyone is a fast way to get ignored or marked as spam. Even simple tags help you filter and prioritize later.
Pro Tip: Don’t go wild with tags. Start with a handful you’ll actually use, not a laundry list you’ll forget about.
Step 6: Run a Test Campaign (and Watch for Bounces)
Before you go big, send a small test campaign—maybe 10-20 emails—to see what happens.
Here’s why this matters:
- Bounced emails: High bounce rates will hurt your deliverability and might get you flagged by email providers. If several bounce, go back and check your data.
- Personalization check: Make sure names, companies, and other fields pull in correctly. No one wants to get “Hi {First Name},”.
- Reply quality: Are you getting auto-replies, or are real people responding?
If your test goes sideways, fix the problems before you scale up.
Step 7: Keep Cleaning as You Go
Data doesn’t stay clean. People change jobs, emails go stale, and typos sneak in. Make a habit of regular cleanups—monthly is usually enough unless you’re importing huge volumes.
Worth your time:
- Remove obvious bounces and opt-outs.
- Merge duplicates that pop up from manual entries.
- Update info when prospects reply with new details.
What to skip: Don’t waste hours hunting down every minor error. Focus on the stuff that actually hurts your targeting or deliverability.
Honest Takes: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Doing a quick manual cleanup before import saves headaches later. - Using simple, consistent fields—don’t get fancy unless you really need to. - Tagging by source helps later when you want to see what’s actually working.
What doesn’t: - Relying on Sellmethispen (or any CRM) to magically fix your messy data. It won’t. - Importing every prospect you’ve ever found. If you wouldn’t call them, don’t import them. - Over-tagging or building complex segments you’ll never use.
What to ignore: - Fancy “AI enrichment” add-ons—these can be expensive and often just guess at missing data. - Cosmetic formatting in your spreadsheet. CRMs don’t care about font size.
Keep It Simple (and Don’t Stress)
The best prospect data isn’t perfect—it’s just clean enough to help you reach real people. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Import what you need, clean what matters, and keep moving. If you find yourself spending more time on spreadsheets than sales, you’re probably overthinking it. Iterate as you go, and you’ll get sharper with every campaign.