CRM Import Checklist: What Small Businesses Should Prepare

Moving customer information into a CRM starts with deciding what each record should mean.

A spreadsheet might mix contacts, quotes, appointments, and old notes in the same row. Moving those rows without a plan can carry the same confusion into the new system. Before choosing an import date, prepare a small, reviewable set of data and a list of questions for your CRM provider.

Still deciding whether to move? Start with our CRM vs. spreadsheets guide. If a change makes sense, use these six steps to prepare.

1. List your sources and choose the starting set

Write down where customer information lives: shared spreadsheets, individual files, website exports, and your current business software. For each source, record who maintains it and when it was last updated.

Choose a manageable first group, such as active customers and open inquiries. Keep a separate list of older records that need review. Avoid combining everything immediately just because it can be exported.

Save an untouched copy of every original export before making changes.

2. Decide which information belongs together

A customer and a potential sale are different things. One business may have several contacts, and one contact may have multiple quotes or jobs.

List the relationships you need to preserve. Ask the provider how its proposed setup would represent them and whether separate files are needed.

Then define your essential fields. Depending on your work, these might include:

• Contact name and company
• Email address and phone number
• Current customer or opportunity status
• Record owner
• Next action and due date
• Original source and existing record ID

Write a short definition for each field so everyone uses it consistently.

3. Make values consistent before mapping fields

Check dates, phone numbers, status labels, and blank cells. “Quote sent,” “quoted,” and “proposal out” may mean the same thing to your team. Agree on one label and keep a record of the changes.

Separate information that needs separate fields. A cell containing a phone number, a name, and “call Friday” will require review before you know where each part belongs. Preserve leading zeros in identifiers rather than treating them as ordinary numbers.

Ask the provider for accepted file formats, required columns, date formats, and field limits. Prepare the file against those requirements rather than guessing.

4. Review duplicates without losing useful history

Look for repeated email addresses, phone numbers, company names, and existing IDs. Treat these as clues for review. A shared office number does not necessarily mean two people are the same contact.

For confirmed duplicates, decide which details are current and which notes must be preserved. Keep a simple decision log.

Ask how the proposed import handles matching records, updates, and conflicts. Confirm what happens when a match is uncertain before importing the full file.

5. Preserve contact preferences and test the awkward cases

Keep existing opt-out flags, contact preferences, and their supporting records with the data. Ask how those restrictions will be represented and checked before any messages are enabled.

Prepare fictional examples that resemble your real data: a missing email address, two contacts at one company, a long note, and an open quote. Use these to discuss field mapping without sending customer information during an initial evaluation.

Our CRM demo checklist can help you turn those examples into specific questions.

6. Agree on how you will check the result

Decide who will approve the mapped fields, resolve rejected rows, and compare the imported records with the source. Count records and inspect examples for dates, notes, relationships, and contact restrictions.

Also agree on how changes made during the move will be captured. Keep the original exports until your team has verified the result and agreed on its normal retention process.

Bring your data questions to Straton

Request a Straton CRM walkthrough with your current tools, approximate record count, and the relationships your team needs to preserve. Ask us to review the proposed setup and confirm what the migration would require before you commit to a move.