If you’ve dealt with B2B contact lists, you know the pain: messy spreadsheets, old data, and trying to wrangle it all into whatever tool your team’s using this quarter. This guide is for folks who want to get their large contact lists into Bullseye without losing their sanity—or wasting hours cleaning up after a botched import. You’ll learn what actually works, what to skip, and how to keep your segments useful instead of just pretty.
Step 1: Get Your Contact List Ready Before You Even Open Bullseye
Don’t rush to the “import” button just yet. Garbage in, garbage out. A little prep here saves a lot of headaches later.
What you really need:
- One file type: Bullseye plays nicest with CSVs. Don’t bother with XLSX or Google Sheets exports—just save as .csv.
- Consistent headers: Every column should have a clear, unique name (like
First Name,Company,Email). No blank columns or merged cells. - No weird formatting: Get rid of bold fonts, colors, merged cells, and formulas. Just values.
- Clean up duplicates: If you’re merging lists, use Excel or Google Sheets to remove dupes based on email or company name.
- Standardized values: For fields like “Industry” or “Country,” use the same spelling every time. If you have “USA,” “US,” and “United States” all in one column, pick one and stick with it.
Pro tip: Don’t bother filling in every single field. Just get the basics right: Name, Email, Company, and maybe Phone. You can always enrich data later.
Step 2: Mapping Your Fields to Bullseye’s System
Bullseye isn’t psychic. It needs to know what each column is. The import tool will try to auto-map your headers, but it’s rarely perfect.
Here’s how to avoid surprises:
- Use Bullseye’s template: If you’re not sure which fields are supported, download a sample import template from Bullseye first.
- Match your headers: Make your CSV headers match Bullseye’s expected field names (e.g., use “Company” instead of “Business Name” if that’s what Bullseye wants).
- Custom fields: If you need a custom field—say, “Lead Source” or “Account Tier”—set it up in Bullseye before importing. Otherwise, your data may get dropped or ignored.
What to ignore: Don’t stress about mapping every possible detail. Focus on the fields you’ll actually use for segmentation or outreach. You can always add more later.
Step 3: Run a Small Test Import First
Tempting as it is to just hit “Import All,” don’t. Even the best-prepped CSVs can trip up Bullseye in ways you won’t see until it’s too late.
How to test without regret:
- Copy 10–20 rows from your master list into a new CSV.
- Import just this file into Bullseye.
- Check everything: Are names in the right columns? Are custom fields showing up? Did Bullseye skip or mangle any rows?
- Delete the test records if needed (Bullseye usually lets you bulk delete by date or tag).
If it goes sideways: Figure out why. Usually it’s a header mismatch or a weird character in your data. Fix, re-export, and re-test.
Pro tip: Bullseye’s import errors can be vague. If you get a cryptic message, check for stray commas, special characters, or blank rows.
Step 4: Import the Full List (and Don’t Panic)
Once your test batch looks good, you’re ready to bring in the big list.
- Import in chunks if possible: If you’ve got thousands of contacts, split them into files of 5,000 or less. Bullseye handles big files, but this makes troubleshooting easier.
- Watch for timeouts: Large imports can stall if your internet is spotty or if Bullseye’s servers are having a moment. Don’t walk away—make sure you see the success message.
- Track skipped rows: Bullseye usually tells you if it skipped any records and why. Download the error log and check for patterns (bad emails, missing required fields, etc.).
What doesn’t work: Don’t try to “fix” errors inside Bullseye after import—editing hundreds of records by hand is a nightmare. Always fix your CSV and re-import.
Step 5: Use Tags and Static Fields to Segment Right Away
This is where most people get lazy and regret it later. Segmenting as you import saves you a world of pain when it’s time to run a campaign or build a report.
How to do it:
- Apply tags during import: Most Bullseye import tools let you add a tag to every contact in the batch (like “Q3 2024 List” or “Webinar Leads”). Use this. It’s a lifesaver.
- Leverage custom fields: If your CSV has a column for “Industry” or “Region,” map it to a custom field. This lets you filter and segment later.
- Don’t overthink it: Two or three key segments are enough to start. You can always get fancier later.
What to avoid: Don’t create 20 different tags or micro-segments you’ll never use. Over-segmentation just makes searching harder.
Step 6: Double-Check for Duplicates After Import
Even if you cleaned up before importing, duplicates happen—especially if you’re merging lists from different sources.
- Use Bullseye’s deduplication tool: Most CRMs have a built-in way to find dupes by email or company. Run it after every big import.
- Decide which version wins: If Bullseye finds a duplicate, you’ll need to pick which data to keep. Usually, the newest or most complete record is best.
- Merge, don’t delete: If two records have different info (say, one has a phone number, the other doesn’t), merge them to keep all the good stuff.
Pro tip: Schedule regular dedupe checks, not just after imports. You’ll thank yourself six months down the line.
Step 7: Audit Your Segments and Lists—Don’t “Set It and Forget It”
After your contacts are in Bullseye and segmented, take a little time to review.
- Try filtering by your main segments: Does your “Enterprise” tag pull up the right companies? Are regional lists accurate?
- Spot-check a few records: Open 10–20 at random and see if the data looks right.
- Get feedback from sales or marketing: They’ll spot mistakes you might miss, like misspelled company names or wrong regions.
What to ignore: Don’t stress over every tiny typo. Focus on the stuff that will break your campaigns or reports.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
Here are the problems I see most often—and how to sidestep them:
- Importing too much data: You don’t need every field from your CRM. Stick to what you’ll actually use.
- No test import: Always test a small batch first. Always.
- Ignoring custom fields: Set these up before importing, or you’ll lose data.
- Over-segmenting: More tags and lists aren’t better—just confusing.
- Fixing in Bullseye: Always fix your CSV, not the imported records.
Keep It Simple, Then Iterate
Importing and segmenting B2B contact lists in Bullseye isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overcomplicate. Start with clean, basic data. Use tags and key fields for segmentation, but don’t try to build every possible audience on day one. Test small, fix mistakes early, and add complexity only as you actually need it. Simple beats perfect—especially when you’re dealing with thousands of contacts and a ticking clock. Good luck, and don’t forget: you can always re-import if things go sideways.