How to Export Contacts from Zendesk Sell

Managing your customer data is essential for any business. Whether you're backing up your database, migrating to a new system, or running in-depth analysis, knowing how to export your contacts from Zendesk Sell is a fundamental skill. At Add to CRM, we're experts in CRM data management, and we're here to guide you through the entire process. In this guide, we'll not only show you how to export your existing contacts but also how to build fresh, verified contact databases to fuel your sales engine.

Why Export Contacts from Zendesk Sell?

Exporting contacts isn't just about creating a spreadsheet. It's a strategic task that serves several important business functions. Here are a few common reasons you might need to export your data:

• Data Backup: Regularly exporting your contacts creates a secure backup, protecting you from accidental data loss.
• CRM Migration: If you're switching to a new CRM, an export is the first step to transferring your valuable contact information.
• In-Depth Analysis: You can use tools like Excel or Google Sheets to perform advanced analysis and create custom reports that might not be available within the CRM.
• Targeted Marketing Campaigns: Export specific segments of your contacts to use in email marketing platforms or for targeted ad campaigns.
• Team Handoffs: Share a specific list of contacts with a new team member or an external partner without giving them full CRM access.
• Compliance and Audits: Maintain a snapshot of your data for compliance records or internal audits.

Before You Export: Important Considerations

Before you click the export button, it's crucial to understand a few key aspects of the process to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Data Privacy and Compliance

Once you export contact data, you become its custodian. This means you are responsible for its security and for complying with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Always handle exported files with care, store them securely, and ensure you have the proper consent to use the data for its intended purpose.

What Data Gets Exported

In Zendesk Sell, what you see is what you get. The data exported is determined by the columns you set up in your contact view or Smart List. This includes standard fields like name, email, phone number, and company, as well as any custom fields you've added to your view. However, related data like notes, attachments, or detailed activity histories are typically not included in a standard contact export.

Export Limitations

Zendesk Sell is robust, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The export process isn't instantaneous; it runs as a background job and can take some time, especially for very large lists. Once complete, you'll receive an email with a download link that is typically valid for only 24 hours, so be sure to download your file promptly.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Exporting from Zendesk Sell is straightforward once you know the steps. The key is using a feature called "Smart Lists" to filter and organize your contacts first.

Preparing for Export

Before you export, take a moment to ensure your data is clean and you're only exporting the contacts you need. The best way to do this is by creating a Smart List.

A Smart List is a dynamic, filter-based view of your contacts. You can create one to segment contacts by owner, location, last activity date, or any custom field you use. This is the most critical preparation step.

Exporting Contacts from Zendesk Sell

Follow these steps to create a Smart List and export your contacts:

1. Log in to your Zendesk Sell account and navigate to the Contacts page from the main dashboard.
2. In the Working Center on the left, find the Smart Lists section and click the + New button.
3. Give your new list a descriptive title, like "Q4 Export - US Leads."
4. Use the + Filter option to segment your contacts. For example, you can filter for contacts that have an email address or belong to a specific owner.
5. Customize the columns in your list by clicking the Fields button. Add or remove fields to ensure you're exporting exactly the data you need.
6. Click Save to finalize your Smart List.
7. Now, find your saved list, click the three vertical dots next to its title, and select Export.
8. The system will prepare your file in the background. You can find the downloadable file by navigating to Settings (the gear icon), then Data, and clicking the Export tab.
9. Locate your export in the list and click Download.

Export Format Options

Zendesk Sell exports your contacts in a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file. This is a universal format that can be easily opened and managed in any spreadsheet application, including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers, making it perfect for analysis, uploads, and sharing.

Working with Exported Data

Once you've downloaded your file, the work isn't over. Here’s how to handle your new CSV file.

Understanding Your Export File

Your download will be a ZIP file containing the CSV. When you open the CSV, you'll see your contact data organized into columns that match the fields you selected in your Smart List. Each row represents a single contact.

Data Cleaning and Validation

Open the file in your preferred spreadsheet program to review the data. Look for empty cells, formatting errors, or inconsistencies. This step is crucial for ensuring the data is reliable for its next use, whether that's analysis or uploading to another system.

Common Issues and Solutions

Sometimes, exported data can have minor issues. You might encounter special characters that don't display correctly, which is often an encoding issue that can be fixed during import into another tool. Dates and times will typically be formatted based on your Zendesk account's default time zone, so be aware of that if you're working with international teams.

Alternative Export Methods

For more technical users or those needing automated workflows, Zendesk Sell offers an API. This allows developers to build custom integrations that can pull contact data programmatically, offering more flexibility than the manual export process. However, for most day-to-day business needs, the Smart List export is the most efficient method.

Building Fresh Contact Databases with LinkZen

Exporting your existing data is great for management and analysis. But what about growth? Sales and marketing teams thrive on fresh, accurate leads, not just historical data. This is where building a new, verified contact database becomes critical.

Instead of just managing the data you already have, you can actively build a pipeline of high-quality prospects with our Chrome extension, LinkZen. It's designed to find verified, up-to-date contact information directly from LinkedIn profiles and add them to your CRM with a single click.

Why Fresh Data Beats Exported Data

Contact data goes stale quickly. People change jobs, companies are acquired, and email addresses are deactivated. An exported list is a snapshot in time and can become outdated within months. In contrast, LinkZen sources data in real-time from LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network. This ensures you're reaching out with 96% accurate, verified contact information, dramatically reducing bounce rates and saving your team valuable time.

How LinkZen Complements Your Export Strategy

LinkZen is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and adds them directly to Zendesk Sell. It works in perfect harmony with your data export strategy. Use your exports for backups and historical analysis. Use LinkZen to enrich your existing records and, more importantly, to continuously feed your CRM with fresh, high-intent leads. This two-pronged approach ensures your database is both secure and constantly growing with new opportunities.

Best Practices for Contact Data Management

Effective data management is an ongoing process. Here are a few best practices to follow.

Regular Export Schedules

We recommend performing a full contact export on a regular schedule, such as monthly or quarterly. This ensures you always have a relatively recent backup of your most valuable asset.

Data Security and Storage

Store your exported CSV files in a secure, access-controlled environment. Avoid saving them on local desktops or personal devices. Use encrypted cloud storage or a secure company server to protect the data.

Keeping Data Current

Data decay is inevitable. The best strategy is to continuously update and add to your contact list. By using a tool like LinkZen, you can make it a daily habit to add new, verified contacts from LinkedIn, ensuring your CRM remains a powerful and current sales tool.

Common Export Use Cases

Here are a few practical scenarios where exporting contacts from Zendesk Sell is the solution.

CRM Migration

Your CSV export is the foundational file you'll use to map and import your contacts into a new CRM system, ensuring a smooth transition.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Use your exported data in a spreadsheet to create pivot tables, charts, and custom dashboards to track sales performance, identify trends, and analyze your customer base in ways the CRM can't.

Team Distribution

Need to assign a list of leads to a specific sales rep for a targeted outreach campaign? Export a Smart List and share it with them directly.

Compliance and Auditing

For compliance purposes, an export provides a timestamped record of your contact database, which can be used to demonstrate data handling practices to auditors.

Building Your Next Contact Database

While managing your existing data is important, the future of your business depends on acquiring new customers. LinkZen is the modern way to build your contact database. It shifts the focus from managing old, potentially stale data to proactively sourcing fresh, verified leads directly from where they live online: LinkedIn.

Getting Started with LinkZen

It's incredibly simple to get started:

1. Install the LinkZen extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Navigate to any prospect's profile on LinkedIn.
3. Click the LinkZen button to instantly find their verified email and phone number.
4. Click "Add to CRM" to send the complete profile directly to Zendesk Sell. No more copy-pasting or manual data entry.

LinkZen vs Traditional Data Sources

Compared to traditional methods, LinkZen offers superior quality and efficiency. Exported lists become outdated. Purchased lists are often inaccurate and expensive. LinkZen provides real-time, verified data sourced directly from professional profiles, giving your team a significant competitive advantage.

Conclusion

Knowing how to export your contacts from Zendesk Sell using Smart Lists is a vital skill for data management, analysis, and security. It gives you control over your data for backups, migrations, and reporting. However, effective CRM management in today's fast-paced world is about more than just maintaining old data—it's about constantly injecting fresh, accurate information into your pipeline.

Ready to stop managing stale data and start building a pipeline of fresh, verified leads? Try LinkZen for free today and reclaim hours of prospecting time each week.