Getting your outreach right starts with solid data. If your prospect lists are a mess—full of duplicates, typos, or old contacts—you’re not just wasting time. You’re burning bridges and possibly tanking your sender reputation. This guide is for anyone using Supergrow (if you’re new, here’s Supergrow) who wants to actually reach real people, not dead ends.
Let’s keep this practical. You’ll learn the step-by-step of importing data into Supergrow, how to actually clean it (not just push a “clean” button and hope for the best), and a few honest tips on what to skip.
Step 1: Get Your Prospect List Ready (Before Supergrow Even Sees It)
Don’t dump a raw spreadsheet into Supergrow and expect magic. Garbage in, garbage out.
What to check first:
- File Format: Stick to CSV or XLSX. Avoid Google Sheets links or anything weird—you’ll just hit errors.
- Columns: At minimum, you want First Name, Last Name, Email, and ideally Company. More is fine, but don’t overcomplicate.
- No Hidden Rows or Weird Characters: Open your file in Excel or Google Sheets. Scroll all the way down. If you see extra empty rows, delete them. Watch for odd symbols or tabs.
Pro tip: The more “standard” your column names are, the less hassle you’ll have mapping fields later.
Step 2: Importing Data into Supergrow
Now that your file is tidy, let’s bring it in.
2.1. Navigate to the Import Tool
- Log in to Supergrow.
- Go to the “Prospects” or “Contacts” section—whatever your workspace calls it.
- Look for an “Import” or “Upload” button. (If you’re lost, hit the question mark icon and search for “import.”)
2.2. Upload Your File
- Click “Upload” and select your CSV/XLSX.
- Supergrow will try to read your columns automatically. Sometimes it gets confused. Double-check every field mapping.
2.3. Map Your Fields
- Make sure
First Namegoes to “First Name,”Emailto “Email,” and so on. - If you have extra columns (like “Lead Source” or “Notes”), you can map them to custom fields—if you actually use those fields. Don’t map junk you’ll never look at.
What to skip:
If your file has fields like “Favorite Color” or “Fax Number,” just leave them unmapped unless it’s relevant. More data isn’t always better.
2.4. Preview & Validate
- Most CRMs (including Supergrow) will show you a preview. Scroll through it.
- Look for obviously broken rows—emails that don’t look right, missing names, etc.
Step 3: Cleanse Your Data the Right Way
This is where most people get lazy. Don’t just rely on “auto clean” features.
3.1. Duplicates: Kill Them
- Supergrow will usually warn you about exact email duplicates.
- But watch for things like:
- Same person, two emails (maybe work and personal)
- Duplicates with misspelled names or swapped first/last names
How to handle: - Merge or delete as needed. If you’re not sure, keep the work email and ditch the rest.
3.2. Validating Emails
- Supergrow often has an email validation feature. Run it if it’s available.
- For big lists, consider using a separate email validation tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) before importing, especially if your list is old.
Why bother? - Invalid emails mean bounces. Too many bounces can get your domain flagged as spam.
3.3. Standardize Fields
- Fix inconsistent capitalization: “jane DOE” → “Jane Doe”
- Remove extra spaces: “ Bob ” → “Bob”
- Make sure company names are consistent: “IBM” vs “I.B.M.”—pick one.
Quick tip:
Excel’s “TRIM” and “PROPER” functions can help clean these up before importing.
3.4. Remove Trash Data
- Delete rows with missing or obviously fake emails (
asdf@asdf.com,test@test.com) - Skip anyone who unsubscribed or bounced in previous campaigns (if you’re recycling old lists).
Step 4: Use Supergrow’s Cleansing Features—But Don’t Trust Them Blindly
Supergrow offers built-in tools to help, but they’re not magic.
What works: - Auto-deduplication by email - Flagging invalid formats - Sometimes flagging catch-all or disposable email domains
What doesn’t: - It won’t catch subtle duplicates (e.g., “Jon Smith” and “John Smith” at the same company) - It won’t know if someone changed jobs - It probably won’t fix bad capitalization or weird company names
Bottom line:
Use Supergrow’s tools as a first pass, but always do a manual review—especially for big or high-value lists.
Step 5: Final Review Before Hitting “Import”
Don’t trust a “100% clean” badge. Take a last look.
Checklist: - Are all required fields filled out? - Any emails obviously fake or missing? - Are you uploading to the right list or segment? - Double check for people who opted out—don’t re-import them by accident.
Pro tip:
Import a small test batch first. See how it looks in Supergrow, and if your outreach templates work as expected.
Step 6: After Import—Spot Check and Tag
You’re not done when you hit “Import.”
- Spot check: Click into a few random records. Make sure names, companies, and emails look right.
- Tag or segment: Add tags so you know where this batch came from (e.g., “June2024_TradeShow”). You’ll thank yourself later.
- Audit duplicates again: Sometimes stuff slips through—especially if you’re merging with existing data.
What NOT to Obsess Over
- Perfect LinkedIn URLs: Nice to have, but don’t hold up your outreach for missing social links.
- Full addresses: Unless you’re sending gifts, you don’t need street addresses for cold outreach.
- Overly rich profiles: More fields = more places for errors. Stick to what you actually use.
Honest Take: What Actually Matters for Outreach
- Email deliverability trumps list size. A smaller, clean list will always outperform a giant, messy one.
- Personalization works best when you have the basics right (name, company, role). You don’t need 20 custom fields.
- Iterate: No list is perfect. Import, clean, send, measure results, and refine as you go.
Keep It Simple—And Keep Going
Clean data isn’t glamorous, but it’s the difference between a killer campaign and a flop. Don’t get hung up on perfection. Do a solid job on the basics, keep your lists lean, and revisit your process every few months. Outreach is a moving target—so keep cleaning, keep learning, and don’t sweat the small stuff.