How to Export Contacts from Less Annoying CRM

Managing your customer data is crucial, and knowing how to get it in and out of your CRM is a fundamental skill. Whether you're creating a backup, migrating to a new platform, or running a detailed analysis, exporting your contacts is a common and necessary task. At Add to CRM, we're experts in CRM data management, and we're here to guide you through the complete process of exporting contacts from Less Annoying CRM. We'll also show you a modern way to build fresh, verified contact databases to fuel your growth.

Why Export Contacts from Less Annoying CRM?

Exporting your contact data isn't just for switching CRMs. There are several strategic reasons why you might need a copy of your contact list:

• Data Backup: Regularly exporting your data is a simple and effective way to create backups, giving you peace of mind.
• CRM Migration: If you're moving to a different system, a clean export is the first step in the migration process.
• Advanced Analysis: Tools like Excel or Google Sheets offer powerful features for data analysis and visualization that go beyond standard CRM reporting.
• Bulk Updates: Sometimes it's easier to export your data, make bulk changes in a spreadsheet, and re-import it.
• Sharing Lists: You can share specific, filtered lists with team members or external partners without granting them full CRM access.

Before You Export: Important Considerations

Before you click that export button, let's cover a few key points to ensure a smooth process.

Data Privacy and Compliance

When you export contact data, you become responsible for its security. Be mindful of regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Ensure you have a legitimate reason for exporting personal information and that you handle the exported file securely.

What Data Gets Exported

Less Annoying CRM allows you to export more than just your contacts. You can download separate files for:

• Contacts and Companies
• Notes
• Tasks and Events
• Pipelines

This separation makes it easy to grab exactly the information you need.

Export Limitations

One important thing to note is how Less Annoying CRM formats certain data. If a contact has multiple phone numbers or email addresses, they may be combined into a single cell in your exported file. This is easy to fix in a spreadsheet but is something to be aware of before you begin.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Here’s how to get your data out of Less Annoying CRM quickly and easily.

Preparing for Export

For the best results, we recommend tidying up your data first. Use Less Annoying CRM's powerful filtering tools to create a targeted list. For example, you can filter by a custom field like "Lead Source" or by "Assigned User" to narrow down the contacts you want to export. A clean, focused list is much easier to work with.

Exporting Contacts from Less Annoying CRM

Less Annoying CRM provides a straightforward export tool in the settings menu.

1. Log in to your Less Annoying CRM account.
2. Click on Settings from the main navigation menu.
3. On the settings page, find and select the Export Data option.
4. You will see a list of data types you can export. Choose Contacts and Companies or any other data set you need.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to download the file to your computer.

Alternatively, if you've created a filtered list on your main Contacts page, you can often find an Export button there for a one-click export of that specific view.

Export Format Options

Your data will be exported in a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file. This is a universal format that can be opened by virtually any spreadsheet application, including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers, making it perfect for analysis or importing into another system.

Working with Exported Data

Once you have your file, here’s what to do next.

Understanding Your Export File

Open your CSV file in your preferred spreadsheet program. You'll see your contact information organized into columns that correspond to the fields in your CRM (e.g., Name, Email, Phone Number, Custom Fields).

Data Cleaning and Validation

Now is the time to clean up your data. As mentioned, you might need to separate multiple email addresses or phone numbers into their own columns. Most spreadsheet programs have a "Text to Columns" feature that makes this simple.

Common Issues and Solutions

If you see strange characters in your export, it might be a character encoding issue. Ensure you're opening the CSV with UTF-8 encoding, which is the standard for web data. If you have trouble, re-exporting or using a different spreadsheet tool can often resolve the problem.

Alternative Export Methods

For more technical users, Less Annoying CRM offers an API (Application Programming Interface). This allows developers to build custom integrations that can pull data programmatically, offering more flexibility for complex workflows or automated backups.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkLess

Exporting your existing data is great for management and backup, but what about growth? For sales and business development, success depends on having a steady stream of new, high-quality leads. This is where exported lists fall short, as the data can quickly become outdated.

This is why we built LinkLess. It’s a smarter way to build fresh contact databases directly from LinkedIn, where professionals keep their information most current.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

Think about it: people change jobs, get new email addresses, and switch phone numbers. An exported list from six months ago could have a significant amount of stale data. In contrast, fresh data sourced directly from LinkedIn and verified by LinkLess is more accurate, relevant, and effective for your outreach campaigns.

How LinkLess Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkLess is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Less Annoying CRM. Use your exported data for backups and analysis, but use LinkLess to power your prospecting. It bridges the gap between managing your current database and building your future one, saving your team hours of manual research and data entry.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Follow these best practices to keep your data organized, secure, and valuable.

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend exporting your data for backup at least once a month. Set a recurring calendar reminder so you never forget. It’s a small task that can save you from major headaches down the road.

Data Security and Storage

Store your exported CSV files in a secure, access-controlled location, such as an encrypted folder or a secure cloud drive. Never leave sensitive contact information on a public or unsecured computer.

Keeping Data Current

Data decay is a real challenge. The best strategy is to continuously enrich your CRM with new information. Use a tool like LinkLess to regularly add fresh, verified contacts from LinkedIn, ensuring your database remains a powerful asset.

Common Export Use Cases

Here are a few scenarios where exporting your data is the perfect solution.

CRM Migration

Exporting your contacts, pipelines, and notes is the essential first step to moving your operations to a new CRM system.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Use exported data to create custom charts, pivot tables, and forecasts in a spreadsheet to gain deeper insights into your sales performance and customer base.

Team Distribution

Need to assign a list of leads to a new sales rep? Filter a list, export it, and share the file for easy distribution without altering data inside the CRM.

Compliance and Auditing

For compliance checks or internal audits, having a clean export of your contact history provides a clear and simple record.

Building Your Next Contact Database

While exporting is a key function, the future of sales is about efficient prospecting. Instead of buying stale lists or spending hours on manual data entry, you can build a pristine contact database with just a few clicks.

Getting Started with LinkLess

It’s incredibly simple to get started:

1. Install the LinkLess extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Navigate to any prospect's profile on LinkedIn.
3. Use the extension to find their verified email address and other contact info.
4. Click "Add to CRM" to instantly send the new contact to Less Annoying CRM.

LinkLess vs Traditional Data Sources

Compared to an exported list, which represents a snapshot in time, LinkLess provides live, up-to-date information. Compared to purchased lists, which are often inaccurate and expensive, our tool delivers verified data with 96% accuracy, ensuring you connect with the right people.

Conclusion

Knowing how to export your contacts from Less Annoying CRM is an essential skill for data management, backups, and analysis. The process is simple: filter your list, navigate to settings, and download your data.

But effective data management is a two-part strategy: maintaining what you have and acquiring what you need. While exports help with the first part, a tool like LinkLess is the key to the second. It empowers your team to build fresh, accurate contact lists with unparalleled efficiency.

Ready to supercharge your prospecting and save hours every week? Try LinkLess for free today and start building the contact database that will drive your business forward.