If you’re on a sales team staring at a mess of spreadsheets and business cards, getting those contacts into your CRM is probably at the top of your to-do list. This guide is for anyone who just wants to get the job done—no fancy lingo, no “digital transformation” talk. Just clear steps to import your contacts into Capsulecrm, with some honest advice on what actually matters.
Why bother importing contacts, anyway?
Let’s be real: a CRM is only as good as the data you put in. If you’re still searching through old emails, sticky notes, or that ancient Excel file, you’re wasting time. Getting your contacts into Capsulecrm means:
- No more scrambling for phone numbers before a call
- Proper tracking of deals and conversations
- Actually being able to use the CRM for, you know, selling
Sure, it’s a bit of a chore upfront. But once you’re done, your whole team can stop playing detective and start selling.
Step 1: Clean up your data before you do anything else
This isn’t the fun part, but it’s where most screw-ups happen. If you import a messy spreadsheet, Capsulecrm will just give you a messy CRM.
What to check:
- Duplicates: Merge or delete them. Capsulecrm tries to catch these, but don’t count on it.
- Consistent formatting: First name/last name in separate columns? Good. Emails formatted properly? Even better.
- Missing info: Blank fields are fine, but try to fill in at least name and email/phone.
- Weird characters or line breaks: These can break things during import.
Pro tip: If you’re combining contacts from different sources (Outlook, Google Contacts, old CRMs), standardize your columns now. It’ll save headaches later.
Step 2: Export your contacts into a CSV
Capsulecrm likes CSV files. Almost every contact manager can export to this format.
- From Excel/Google Sheets: Just “Save As” or “Download As” CSV.
- From Outlook or Google Contacts: Look for “Export” and choose CSV format.
- From another CRM: Most have an export option—just make sure it’s CSV.
Don’t use Excel’s default “xls” or “xlsx” files. Capsulecrm won’t accept them for imports.
Step 3: Map your columns to Capsulecrm fields
Here’s where things get a little fussy. Capsulecrm wants to know what each column in your CSV means (like “First Name” or “Email”). If you mess this up, you’ll end up with contacts whose phone numbers are showing up as their company name—not ideal.
Typical columns to include:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Phone
- Organization
- Job Title
- Address
During import, Capsulecrm will ask you to match each column to a field. Take your time here. If you’re not sure, skip mapping that column (you can always add info later).
What you can ignore:
Don’t sweat things like “Notes” or “Created Date” unless you have a real reason. Capsulecrm isn’t picky, but dumping extra columns just adds noise.
Step 4: Log in and start the import
Now for the part that feels productive.
- Sign in to Capsulecrm.
- Go to the “People & Organizations” tab (or whatever it’s called—they do change UI labels sometimes).
- Find the “Import” option. Usually a button or a link.
- Upload your CSV file.
Capsulecrm will walk you through a wizard. You’ll be asked to:
- Confirm column mappings (double-check them)
- Decide if you want to update existing records or create new ones (if you’re importing again later)
- Maybe tag the imported contacts (handy if you want to filter them later)
Heads up: If you have more than a few thousand contacts, Capsulecrm can take a while. You’ll get an email when it’s done.
Step 5: Troubleshoot any errors
No matter how careful you are, something usually goes wrong the first time.
Common issues:
- Import fails outright: Usually a formatting problem in your CSV. Check for stray commas or weird characters.
- Duplicate contacts: Capsulecrm has some deduplication, but it’s not perfect. Merge by hand if needed.
- Fields in the wrong place: If your data looks weird, you probably mapped columns incorrectly. No shame—just re-import.
What NOT to do: Don’t keep importing the same file over and over “just in case.” You’ll end up with duplicates and a mess to clean up. Fix your CSV, then try again.
Step 6: Tag and organize your imported contacts
Once your contacts are in, put them into some kind of order. Capsulecrm lets you use tags, which are basically labels. Use them to group by:
- Lead source (like “Trade Show 2024” or “Webinar”)
- Customer type (“Prospect,” “Current Customer,” etc.)
- Anything else that matters to your team
Don’t overthink it. You can always add or change tags later. The goal is to make searching and filtering easier for everyone.
Step 7: Test and sanity-check before you start selling
Before your team jumps in and starts calling people, spot-check your data:
- Pick a few random contacts and make sure all the info landed where it should.
- Try searching and filtering by tag or company.
- Make sure key details (like email and phone number) are actually usable.
If you see something off, fix it now. It’s much easier than after everyone’s started working in the system.
Honest advice: What works, what doesn’t, and what to skip
- Don’t try to get your data “perfect.” Aim for “good enough” to start; you can always clean things up later.
- Don’t import every single field just because you have it. More data = more clutter.
- Capsulecrm’s import tool is reliable, but not magic. It won’t fix bad data, and it can’t guess what a mystery column means.
- If you’re importing team-wide, communicate. Let folks know when you’re doing the import, so they’re not adding contacts at the same time.
Quick FAQ
Q: Can I import contacts directly from LinkedIn or another tool?
A: Not really. You’ll have to export to a CSV first, then import that. There are third-party tools that promise to automate this, but most are more trouble than they’re worth.
Q: Can I undo an import?
A: Capsulecrm doesn’t have a true “undo” button. If you mess up, you’ll have to delete the imported contacts manually or start over. So double-check before you hit “Go.”
Q: Should I use a third-party import tool?
A: Probably not. Capsulecrm’s built-in importer works fine for most teams. Only consider a third-party tool if you have a very complex import or lots of custom fields.
Keep it simple and iterate
Importing contacts into Capsulecrm isn’t rocket science, but it pays to keep things straightforward. Start with clean, basic data. Don’t worry about getting everything perfect on day one. Once your contacts are in and your team’s up and running, you can always refine your setup.
The sooner you get out of “import mode” and into actual selling, the better. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good—and don’t let a messy spreadsheet keep you from closing deals.