Hey everyone,
I’m in a bit of a pickle with our company’s CRM. We just switched from Hubspot to Zoho, and it’s a total mess. They basically dumped everything into Zoho without any filtering.
Here’s what I’m dealing with:
- 9000 Accounts
- 37,468 Contacts
- We’re only a 3-person company!
I’ve already:
- Backed up 3500 leads and deleted old ones
- Stopped the auto-creation of leads from emails
- Uploaded about 500 real client accounts from Stripe
Now I’m stuck. Should I just delete everything and start fresh? Or maybe archive old stuff and focus on new leads? I’m worried about losing contact-lead connections.
Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Any tips or tricks? Or know any affordable services that could help clean this up?
I’m open to any ideas. This data mess is driving me crazy!
I’ve been through a similar nightmare with a CRM migration, and it’s no picnic. In your shoes, I wouldn’t delete everything outright - there might be hidden gems in that data. Instead, consider a phased approach:
First, use Zoho’s built-in deduplication tools to merge duplicate records. This can significantly reduce your numbers without losing data.
Next, segment your data. Create lists for active clients, recent leads, and cold contacts. This helps prioritize what to keep.
For the bulk of old data, consider exporting it to a separate database or spreadsheet. This way, you’re not losing anything, but it’s not cluttering your day-to-day operations.
Focus on enriching the data for your active accounts and recent leads. Quality over quantity is key here.
Lastly, implement strict data entry protocols moving forward. This prevents future bloat and keeps your CRM lean and mean.
It’s a time-consuming process, but it pays off in the long run. Good luck with the cleanup!
Having gone through a similar ordeal, I’d advise against a complete purge. Instead, focus on strategic data cleaning. Start by using Zoho’s filtering tools to identify and isolate your most valuable contacts - recent customers, active leads, and key business connections. These should form your core dataset.
For the rest, consider creating a separate archive within Zoho or exporting to a standalone database. This preserves potentially useful information without cluttering your daily operations.
Implement a scoring system for leads and contacts based on recency of interaction, deal value, or other relevant metrics. This can help prioritize which data to keep active.
Moving forward, establish clear data entry guidelines and regular cleaning schedules to maintain CRM hygiene. It’s a time-intensive process, but it’ll set a solid foundation for your growing business.
Having navigated similar CRM chaos, I’d suggest a targeted approach. First, leverage Zoho’s advanced search and filtering to identify your most valuable contacts - recent customers, hot leads, and key partners. These should form your core dataset.
For the rest, consider creating a separate ‘archive’ view within Zoho. This keeps potentially useful info accessible without cluttering your main workspace.
Implement a lead scoring system based on engagement, deal potential, or industry relevance. This helps prioritize your focus and justifies keeping certain contacts active.
Don’t forget to set up automated workflows for data hygiene - like flagging inactive contacts after a certain period. This prevents future buildup.
The cleanup is tedious, but it’s an investment in your company’s efficiency. Once done, you’ll have a lean, mean CRM machine that actually supports your growth rather than hindering it.
been there, done that. ugh, migrations suck! dont delete everything tho. try this: use zoho’s filters to keep only active leads/clients from last 6 months. archive the rest somewhere safe. then clean whats left - merge dupes, update info etc. going forward, be strict bout data entry. good luck mate, itll be worth it!