How to Import Contacts into Spotler

Keeping your CRM data fresh and accurate is fundamental to any successful sales process. For Spotler users, importing contacts is a core task, but it can often be a time-consuming and frustrating one. At Add to CRM, we've helped countless businesses streamline their data management, and we've seen the challenges firsthand.

That's why we created this guide. We'll walk you through the official manual process for importing contacts into Spotler. But more importantly, we'll show you a much faster, more efficient way to do it. We developed a solution to eliminate the manual work, and we're excited to share it with you.

Preparing Your Data for Import

Before you even think about uploading a file, proper preparation is key to avoiding errors and saving yourself a headache. From our experience, focusing on these four areas will ensure a smoother import:

• Clean Your Data: Go through your spreadsheet and remove any old or irrelevant fields. Check for and delete duplicate records, and ensure information is consistent. For example, make sure all states are abbreviated the same way.
• Use the Right Format: Spotler works best with CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. While it can handle basic Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), converting your file to CSV is the recommended best practice.
• Create a Header Row: The very first row of your file must be a header row. These are the labels for your columns (e.g., "First Name", "Last Name", "Email", "Company Name"). This is crucial for helping Spotler match your data to the correct fields in the CRM.
• Set Up Custom Fields First: If your data includes information that doesn't fit into Spotler's standard fields (like a specific industry code or lead source), you must create these as Custom Fields in your CRM before you start the import process.

Manual Import Process

Once your data is prepped, you can begin the manual import. We've seen clients spend a lot of time on these steps, which highlights why a more automated solution is often needed. Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. In your Spotler account, navigate to Settings, then click on Data Management, and open the Import Data tab.
2. Set Your Default Fields: Spotler has mandatory fields that must be filled for every record. Here, you'll need to select a default 'Account Owner' from your list of users and give your import a 'Source' name (e.g., "2024 Conference Leads"). This ensures that if a record in your file is missing this information, the default value will be used.
3. Upload Your Data File: Drag and drop your prepared CSV file into the gray box, or click the box to browse and select the file from your computer.
4. Map Your Data Fields: This is the most critical—and often tedious—part of the process. Spotler will attempt to automatically match the column headers from your file to the fields in the CRM. You must carefully review each match. Use the dropdown menu in the “Match Field” column to correct any errors or to map a column to a different field. If there's a column you don't want to import, select “Don’t import”.
5. Begin the Import: Once you are confident that all fields are mapped correctly, click “NEXT”.

Handling Duplicates and Data Validation

Spotler has a built-in tool that scans for duplicate records by comparing the data in your file to the existing data in your CRM. You can choose how the system identifies duplicates, for example, by a contact's email address or an account's name. This step requires careful consideration to prevent creating messy data. The system will then show you a preview of new records to be added and existing records to be updated. You must tick the checkboxes to confirm before the import begins.

Supported Field Types

Spotler can import standard field types like text, numbers, dates, and email addresses. However, the data must be correctly formatted. An invalid email address or a wrongly formatted date will cause the record to be rejected, forcing you to find the error in your file and start the process over.

Import Limitations

We've seen many users get frustrated with the limitations of manual importing. A single rejected record due to a formatting error can halt the process. The time spent preparing files, mapping fields, and correcting errors is time that could be spent engaging with prospects. This recurring pain point is exactly what led us to build a better way to get contacts into your CRM.

Importing Contacts using LinkSpot

After observing these challenges repeatedly, we developed LinkSpot as our solution. We wanted to eliminate the need for spreadsheets and manual data entry altogether when it comes to prospecting. LinkSpot is a Chrome extension that lets you find verified contact information directly from a LinkedIn profile and add that person to Spotler with a single click. No files, no mapping, no hassle.

Benefits of using LinkSpot

LinkSpot is a Chrome extension that finds verified contact information from LinkedIn profiles and automatically adds them to Spotler. We built it to be superior to the manual process in every way:

• Save Time: Stop wasting hours on data preparation and import contacts in seconds.
• Increase Accuracy: Access a database of over 220 million professionals with 96% accurate, verified contact information. This means fewer bounced emails and more conversations.
• Boost Efficiency: Add leads to Spotler directly from LinkedIn while you're prospecting. No more switching between tabs or copy-pasting data.
• Eliminate Manual Work: LinkSpot handles all the field mapping for you, so you can focus on selling.

How to get started with LinkSpot

Getting started is incredibly simple:

1. Install the Chrome Extension: First, install LinkSpot from the Google Chrome Store and connect it to your Spotler account.
2. Go to a Person's Profile: Navigate to the LinkedIn profile of a prospect you want to add.
3. Find Contact Details: Open the LinkSpot extension to instantly see the person's verified email address, phone number, and other key details.
4. Click 'Add to CRM': With a single click, the prospect is created as a contact or lead in Spotler, with all their information perfectly synced.

Other Import Methods

For a very large, one-time data migration, Spotler's support team can run the import for you. You can contact them by emailing [email protected] with your data file. While helpful, this isn't a scalable solution for adding new leads on a daily basis.

Try LinkSpot Today

While the manual import process works for bulk data uploads, it's not designed for the fast-paced world of modern sales. We invested in building LinkSpot because we believe your time is better spent building relationships and closing deals, not wrestling with spreadsheets.

Ready to get back 4+ hours per week and streamline your prospecting workflow? Try LinkSpot for free and see how easy it is to add contacts to Spotler.