Looking to stop bouncing between Deeto and your CRM, or just tired of copying and pasting leads? This guide is for sales and ops folks who want Deeto’s referral and advocacy tools to play nice with their CRM—without a weeklong project or a trip to IT.
Below is the no-fluff, step-by-step walkthrough. I’ll call out where things can get messy and what you can safely ignore.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
This isn’t a “just click and it’s done” kind of thing. Here’s what you actually need on hand:
- Access to both Deeto and your CRM: Admin permissions save a ton of time.
- List of fields you care about: Don’t integrate every field just because you can.
- API credentials or integration keys: Most CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, etc.) make you set this up.
- A test account or sandbox: Optional, but saves you from messing up real data.
Step 1: Map Out What You Want to Sync (Don’t Skip This)
Before clicking anything, decide what “seamless” actually means for your team. Otherwise, you’ll end up syncing junk you don’t use—or worse, overwriting good data.
Ask yourself: - Which leads or contacts should flow from Deeto to your CRM? (All, or only qualified ones?) - Do you need to sync notes, activities, or just contact info? - Should new Deeto leads create new CRM records, or update existing ones? - What triggers the sync? (Instant, daily, manual push?)
Pro tip:
Draw this on paper or a whiteboard first. It saves you from “integration regret” later.
Step 2: Connect Deeto to Your CRM
The details depend on which CRM you use, but here’s the general drill:
If Deeto Has a Native Integration
- Log into Deeto.
- Go to “Integrations” or “Settings.”
- Look for your CRM (e.g., “Connect to Salesforce”).
- You’ll be prompted to log in to your CRM and grant permissions.
- Pick what to sync: leads, contacts, activities, etc.
- Save and test the connection.
What works:
Native integrations are usually the fastest and least buggy. You’ll get updates and support from both sides.
What doesn’t:
Don’t expect every field or custom object to be supported. If your sales process is heavy on custom fields, be ready for some manual mapping.
If You’re Using Zapier or a Similar Tool
- Create a new “Zap” (or whatever your tool calls it).
- Set Deeto as the trigger app (“New Lead in Deeto”).
- Set your CRM as the action app (“Create Contact” or “Update Lead”).
- Map fields one by one. Don’t just hit “Select All.”
- Test it with dummy data.
What works:
Zapier and friends are flexible and quick to set up—good for smaller teams or non-standard CRMs.
What doesn’t:
You’ll run into weird edge cases with deduplication and error handling. Zapier also gets expensive fast if you’re syncing a lot.
If You’re Going Full Custom (API-to-API)
- Get Deeto’s API docs (usually in their Help Center).
- Dig up your CRM’s API docs.
- Write a script or use middleware (like Workato, Tray.io).
- Handle authentication securely—don’t hard-code your keys.
- Map only the fields you need.
- Log errors somewhere you’ll actually check.
What works:
You get full control and can handle any field or workflow.
What doesn’t:
This is overkill for most teams. Maintenance is on you—when Deeto or your CRM changes, your script breaks.
Step 3: Field Mapping (The Part Everyone Rushes and Regrets)
Don’t just map everything 1:1. Most CRMs will let you pick which Deeto fields go where. Take this slow:
- Only map what you’ll use: Extra fields clutter your CRM and confuse your team.
- Decide on field types: Make sure emails map to email fields, not notes, etc.
- Handle duplicates: Set rules—should new Deeto leads update existing CRM contacts or stay separate?
- Watch out for picklists and dropdowns: Values might not match up perfectly between platforms.
Heads up:
If your CRM has validation rules (like mandatory fields), test with real data. Otherwise, leads might silently fail to sync.
Step 4: Set Up Sync Frequency and Error Handling
Syncing in real time is nice… until it breaks. Here’s what to consider:
- Real-time sync: Great for small teams or low volume. More moving parts, so more chances for errors.
- Batch sync (hourly, daily): Safer for bigger volumes. You’ll spot issues before they snowball.
- Manual sync: Good for early pilots or if you’re paranoid about bad data.
Error handling
- Set up alerts for failed syncs (Slack, email, whatever you’ll check).
- Make sure failed leads don’t just disappear—log them somewhere.
- Have a rollback plan for big changes (always test in a sandbox first).
Step 5: Test with Real (But Not Critical) Data
Don’t trust the “Integration Successful!” banner. Actually test:
- Send a few leads from Deeto. Check if they show up in your CRM.
- Try edge cases—missing emails, funky characters, duplicate names.
- Check all mapped fields—do phone numbers, tags, or notes come through?
- See what happens when a sync fails. Is it obvious? Can you fix it?
What to ignore:
Don’t waste time on complex automation until the basics work. You’d be shocked how many “integrated” setups stall on step one.
Step 6: Roll Out to Your Team (and Actually Tell Them)
Flip the switch, but don’t just hope for the best. Communicate changes:
- Send a quick guide or Loom video explaining what’s new.
- Tell people where to look for Deeto leads in your CRM.
- Show how to flag or correct bad data (it’ll happen).
- Give them a way to report issues—group chat, shared doc, whatever.
Pro tip:
Check in with your team after a week. Are they actually using it? What’s confusing? Fix small stuff fast.
Step 7: Tune and Tweak (But Don’t Gold-Plate It)
You’ll find things that bug you—missing fields, odd duplicates, etc. Make small tweaks, but resist the urge to automate everything right away.
- Review field usage after a month: Are some fields always blank? Drop them.
- Track errors: Fix recurring issues, but don’t chase every one-off.
- Keep it simple: The more complex it gets, the more it’ll break.
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
- Don’t sync everything: Just because Deeto can send 50 fields doesn’t mean you should accept them all.
- Avoid duplicate contacts: If your CRM doesn’t deduplicate, you’ll spend hours cleaning up.
- Document your setup: A simple Google Doc beats trying to remember what that Zap did three months from now.
- Don’t expect magic: No integration is truly “seamless.” There will be bugs. Budget some time each month to check on things.
- Ask for help: If you hit a wall, Deeto’s support team is usually helpful if you’re clear and specific.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Integrating Deeto with your CRM isn’t rocket science, but it pays to be thoughtful. Map only what you need, test with real data, and don’t overcomplicate things. Start simple, see what actually helps your team, and improve from there. The goal isn’t a perfect setup—it’s one that actually saves you time and headaches.