If you’re running outbound sales, you know the drill: spray-and-pray doesn’t work, but hand-crafting every email isn’t scalable. You need a system that lets you talk to the right people, in the right way, without making your life a spreadsheet nightmare. This guide is for sales teams, founders, and anyone who wants to set up smarter outreach using Lagrowthmachine—with a focus on real segmentation and a clean import process that doesn’t eat your week.
Let’s break down how to segment your contact lists (properly), get them into Lagrowthmachine without drama, and avoid the common traps that waste time or land you in spam folders.
Step 1: Get Your Contact List in Shape Before Anything Else
Don’t rush to import. Most headaches happen because the list is a mess from the start. Here’s how to avoid that.
1.1. Clean Up Your Raw Data
- Remove duplicates. Multiple emails for the same person? Pick one.
- Fill in missing essentials. At a minimum: First name, last name, company, email, LinkedIn URL (if you’ve got it).
- Check formatting. Make sure columns are labeled clearly—no cryptic headers like “custom_3”.
Pro tip: Tools like Google Sheets, Excel’s “Remove Duplicates,” or free deduplication add-ons can save you hours. Don’t overthink it—just make sure you’re not contacting the same person twice.
1.2. Decide What Actually Matters
It’s tempting to hoard every data point. Most of it you’ll never use. Focus on columns you’ll actually segment or personalize by.
- Job title/role
- Industry
- Company size
- Country or region
- Any signals you care about (funding, tech stack, etc.)
If you’re not going to use it, leave it out for now. Less noise, less chance of errors.
Step 2: Segment Your List Like You Actually Mean It
Blasting the same message to 1,000 people is a great way to get ignored or flagged as spam. Segmentation lets you send targeted, relevant outreach—without a ton of work.
2.1. Pick Segments That Make Sense
Don’t go wild and create 20 micro-segments. You’ll never keep up. Aim for 3–5 meaningful groups based on things that matter for your product or pitch.
Some common ways to segment: - By industry: e.g., SaaS, e-commerce, agencies - By job role: e.g., founders, marketing leads, tech leads - By company size: e.g., <50, 50–500, 500+ - By geography: if you need to localize or time-zone your outreach
What not to do: Segment by ultra-niche stuff unless you have a real reason. “Companies who use both Stripe and Intercom” is probably overkill unless that’s your absolute sweet spot.
2.2. Tag Each Contact
Add a new column called “Segment” or “Tag” to your spreadsheet. Fill it in for every contact: “SaaS-Founder”, “Ecom-Marketer”, etc. Keep it short and consistent.
This will make filtering and campaign setup in Lagrowthmachine way easier later.
Step 3: Export Your List for Lagrowthmachine
Lagrowthmachine only cares about a clean, well-formatted CSV. Here’s how to prep it:
- Export as CSV. Doesn’t matter if you built it in Sheets, Excel, or Notion.
- Double-check headers. Make sure they match what you’ll want to map in Lagrowthmachine.
- No empty rows or weird characters. They’ll throw errors or break your import.
Don’t: Export as XLSX or paste in random contacts by hand. Always use a CSV.
Step 4: Import Contacts into Lagrowthmachine
Now you’re ready to get that list into Lagrowthmachine and start building campaigns.
4.1. Find the Import Feature
- Log in to Lagrowthmachine.
- Go to your leads or audience section (the wording changes sometimes).
- Click on “Import” or “Add Contacts”. It’ll prompt you to upload your CSV.
If you don’t see this, check your permissions or ask your admin—some plans restrict who can import.
4.2. Map Your Columns
Lagrowthmachine will try to match your spreadsheet headers to its internal fields.
- Check every mapping. Make sure “First Name” isn’t mapped to “Company”, etc.
- Custom fields: If you have custom data (like “Tech Stack”), map it to a custom field in Lagrowthmachine or leave it unmapped if you’re not using it.
Pro tip: If you’re importing tags/segments, make sure you map your “Segment” column to the right field or use Lagrowthmachine’s tagging system after import.
4.3. Spot and Fix Errors
If the import fails: - Check for missing required fields (Lagrowthmachine will highlight these). - Look for weird characters, line breaks, or long text in single cells. - Try importing a smaller test batch to isolate the problem.
Don’t waste an hour troubleshooting a massive list—test with 10 rows first if you’re getting errors.
Step 5: Double-Check Your Imported Contacts
Before blasting out messages, sanity-check your list.
- Are all expected contacts there?
- Are tags/segments showing correctly?
- Does the data look right? (No “null@null.com” emails, swapped names, etc.)
If something’s off, it’s easier to fix now than after sending.
Step 6: Set Up Outreach Campaigns Based on Segments
Lagrowthmachine lets you build campaigns and personalize messages based on the data you imported.
6.1. Filter by Segment
- Use the segment/tag field to filter your list.
- Create separate campaigns or flows for each main segment.
6.2. Personalize Without Overcomplicating
- Use merge fields for first name, company, etc.—but keep it simple.
- Don’t fall for the “hyper-personalization” hype unless you have the data and time. Even basic “Hey {first_name}, saw you’re leading marketing at {company}” beats generic, but don’t try to shoehorn in fake context.
6.3. Set Cadences and Channels
- Decide: Will you email, LinkedIn message, or both?
- Stagger sends so you don’t look spammy.
- Monitor replies and remove contacts that bounce or opt out.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Small, meaningful segments you can actually manage. - Clean, accurate data (always worth the extra 10 minutes). - Simple personalization—don’t try to write a novel for each person.
What doesn’t: - Over-segmentation. You’ll lose track and never launch. - Importing lists you haven’t reviewed yourself. Surprises = trouble. - Relying on Lagrowthmachine (or any tool) to “fix” bad data. Garbage in, garbage out.
Ignore: - Fancy enrichment tools unless you really need them. Many add noise or cost for little gain. - Overly complicated workflows. Start simple, add complexity only when you’re sure you need it.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
The best setups are the ones you actually use. Get your segments and imports working, launch a campaign, and see what happens. If you’re spending hours fiddling with tags or debating your “ideal” CSV format, you’re stalling.
Start small, learn, and adjust. That’s how you get sales outreach that actually works—and keeps you sane.