Importing contacts into HubSpot CRM is an essential aspect of effectively managing customer relationships and maintaining an organized sales process. In this article, I will walk you through the process of importing contacts into HubSpot CRM and provide personal insights and helpful tips.
Why is importing contacts important?
Importing contacts allows you to easily centralize all your customer data in one place, making it easier to track and manage your interactions with them. It also helps you to segment your contacts and target specific groups with personalized marketing campaigns.
Step 1: Prepare your contact data
Before importing your contacts into HubSpot CRM, it is important to ensure that your contact data is well-organized and in a compatible format. Make sure to have all the necessary contact information, such as name, email address, phone number, and any additional custom properties you need.
You can export your contacts from your previous CRM or other contact management systems into a CSV or Excel file. If you need to make any updates or modifications to your data, now is the time to do it.
Step 2: Access the Import tool
To begin the importing process, log in to your HubSpot CRM account and navigate to the Contacts section. On the left-hand side menu, click on “Import” to access the import tool.
Step 3: Map your contact properties
HubSpot CRM allows you to map the columns in your imported file to the corresponding contact properties. This ensures that the data is imported correctly and matches the format you have set in your CRM.
Click on “Choose a file” to upload your CSV or Excel file. HubSpot will automatically scan the file and suggest column mappings based on the headers in your file. If needed, you can adjust the mapping or add new properties.
Step 4: Review and confirm the import
Once you have mapped your contact properties, HubSpot CRM will display a preview of your imported data. Take a moment to review the data and make sure everything looks accurate.
HubSpot CRM also provides options to handle duplicate contacts during the import process. You can choose to update existing contacts, create duplicates, or skip duplicates based on specific criteria.
Step 5: Start the import
After reviewing and confirming the import settings, click on the “Start the import” button. HubSpot CRM will begin importing your contacts, and depending on the size of your file, this process may take some time.
During the import process, you can monitor the progress and HubSpot will notify you once the import is complete. Once the import is finished, you can navigate to the Contacts section to view and manage your newly imported contacts.
Conclusion
Importing contacts into HubSpot CRM is a straightforward process that helps you keep your customer data organized and accessible. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure a smooth import and make the most of HubSpot’s powerful CRM capabilities.