If you’ve ever opened up your CRM, tried to run a report, and realized half the contacts have out-of-date info, you know the pain. Stale emails, missing phone numbers, duplicate records—classic CRM headaches. And if you’re on a sales, marketing, or RevOps team, it’s not just annoying. Bad data slows down everything.
This guide is for anyone who’s tired of messy, incomplete CRM data and wants a straightforward way to clean it up. We’ll walk through using Keycontacts, a tool built to help you fill gaps, update stale records, and keep your CRM useful (instead of just another dusty database). No magic bullets, just practical steps.
Why Bother Enriching Your CRM Data?
Let’s be real: most CRMs are full of half-baked data. People move jobs, emails bounce, and the “notes” field is a graveyard for old info. Here’s why enrichment actually matters:
- More accurate outreach: You’re not wasting time on dead email addresses or calling the wrong number.
- Better segmentation: Clean data means you can actually use those fancy filters and reports.
- Less manual work: The less time spent Googling contacts, the more time for, well, literally anything else.
But don’t expect miracles. No tool will turn garbage into gold overnight. The goal is to make your data a little better each week, not perfect.
Step 1: Audit Your CRM to Find the Gaps
Before you start using Keycontacts, get a handle on what’s actually wrong with your data. Otherwise, you’ll just be throwing spaghetti at the wall.
What to do:
- Export a sample of your contacts (CSV is fine).
- Look for:
- Missing emails or phone numbers
- Obvious duplicates (e.g., same name, different email)
- Outdated company info (people who’ve switched jobs)
- Weird formatting (numbers in the “name” field, etc.)
Pro tip: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Focus on your top 20% of records—like active customers or high-value leads.
Step 2: Set Clear Goals—What Do You Actually Need?
Not every missing field is worth chasing. Decide what “good enough” means for your team.
Questions to ask:
- Do you need every phone number, or just emails?
- Is job title accuracy important?
- What’s your budget for enrichment (time and/or money)?
Write down your must-haves. This keeps you from getting lost in the weeds later.
Step 3: Prep Your Data for Import
Most enrichment tools—including Keycontacts—work best with a clean(ish) spreadsheet.
How to prep:
- Standardize your headers (e.g., “First Name,” “Email,” “Company”).
- Remove obvious junk or test records.
- Deduplicate—at least roughly. Keycontacts can help, but cleaner input saves headaches.
Pro tip: If you have sensitive data, double-check what you’re uploading. Don’t risk sharing things you shouldn’t.
Step 4: Upload Your Data to Keycontacts
Here’s where the rubber meets the road.
- Sign in or create an account on Keycontacts.
- Upload your CSV or connect your CRM (if you’re comfortable with API integrations—otherwise, stick to the CSV for now).
- Map your fields. Keycontacts will usually auto-detect, but double-check that “Email” isn’t mapped to “Job Title” by mistake.
- Select what to enrich: You can usually pick which fields you want updated—don’t enrich everything just because you can.
What works:
Keycontacts is pretty good at matching contacts by email or name/company combo. If you’ve got lots of LinkedIn URLs, that helps too.
What doesn’t:
If your data is really spotty—missing both email and company, for example—don’t expect miracles. No enrichment tool is psychic.
Step 5: Review the Enriched Data
Don’t just blindly accept all the new info—this is where things can go sideways.
How to review:
- Look for obviously wrong updates (e.g., someone’s job title now says “CEO” at a company they’ve never worked for).
- Spot-check a handful of contacts you know personally. Does the tool’s data line up?
- Check for duplicates: Some tools create new records instead of updating old ones. If you spot this, fix it before importing.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over 100% accuracy. If 90% of updates look good, you’re winning.
Step 6: Push Updates Back Into Your CRM
Once you’re happy with the results, it’s time to actually update your CRM.
Two main options:
- Manual import: Download the enriched CSV and use your CRM’s import tool. Most CRMs let you “update existing records” by matching on email or ID.
- Direct sync: If Keycontacts supports it and you’re comfortable, set up a direct integration. Just be sure to test with a small batch first.
Watch out for:
- Overwriting good data with bad (always back up your CRM first).
- Creating duplicates (set your matching rules carefully).
Step 7: Set Up a Regular Data Hygiene Habit
Data gets stale fast. Enrichment shouldn’t be a one-time thing.
How to stay on top of it:
- Set a recurring reminder (monthly or quarterly) to re-audit your CRM.
- Use Keycontacts to check for changes—like job moves or bounced emails.
- Build a simple workflow: Export > Enrich > Review > Import. Don’t overthink it.
What Keycontacts Does Well (and Where It Falls Short)
Strengths:
- Quick, no-nonsense enrichment for standard fields: emails, phone numbers, job titles.
- Simple UI—no 10-step wizard or endless config screens.
- Decent at deduplication if you prep your data well.
Weak spots:
- Struggles with truly incomplete records (no email, no company = no match).
- Some fields (like social profiles) can be hit or miss.
- Not a replacement for regular human review—bad data in still means bad data out.
Ignore the hype about “AI-powered insights” or “real-time magic.” Keycontacts is a solid utility for making your CRM less of a mess, but it’s not going to solve world peace.
Quick Tips for Efficient Enrichment
- Focus where it matters: Fixing high-value records is better than spreading yourself thin.
- Don’t pay for enrichment you don’t need: Only update the fields that matter for your workflow.
- Back up before big imports: Always.
- Start small: Do a test run with 50 records before you dump in thousands.
- Don’t chase perfection: The goal is “better,” not “flawless.”
Final Thoughts
Keeping your CRM clean isn’t glamorous, but it pays off every day you’re not hunting down a phone number or apologizing for emailing the wrong prospect. Start with small, regular improvements. Use tools like Keycontacts to do the heavy lifting, but keep your expectations grounded—no tool is magic.
Stick with what works, ignore what doesn’t, and remember: a usable, mostly-correct CRM beats a bloated, broken one every time. Iterate, keep it simple, and move on with your day.