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Import Your First Set of Contacts

Step 1

Create a CRM Contact List

A contact list is quite simply a group of your CRM contacts.  Expand the Main Menu option Contacts and click CRM Contacts.

Navigate to CRM list, contacts menu. CRM contacts highlighted

On the subsequent page, click Create List to create your first contact list in the MainBrainer CRM.

CRM list, list overview. Create new list button highlighted

Step 2

Upload a CSV file

The MainBrainer CRM supports contact imports via CSV files. Drag and drop the .csv file you wish to import to the area highlighted in the screenshot below. Or, click the icon to upload the .csv file. Be sure to use the file format UTF-8 (Comma-delimited).

Select or drag and drop your csv file to start import of contacts into the CRM

Step 3

Preview your Import data

The subsequent screen will display a preview of the first 100 contacts from the CSV file that you are importing. In case the first row of the file that you are importing contains header data, remember to mark the checkbox highlighted in the screenshot below.

Preview of imported contacts from your csv file

Click Continue to proceed with the import.

Click continue if your uploaded csv file looks ok

Step 4

Map the Imported Data to appropriate CRM columns

On the Mapping screen, you will be prompted to map the columns in your import file to the relevant field in the MainBrainer CRM. The entries under the heading Column Name represent the columns in your import file. The entries under the heading Map to field represent the fields available in the MainBrainer CRM.

Choose what CRM field you would like to map your data to

Now, you need to specify which columns in your import file correspond to the relevant field in the MainBrainer CRM. To do that, use the dropdown menu under the heading Map to Field (as highlighted in the screenshot above). The dropdown menu will display all the predefined CRM fields available for mapping. In case you wish to define a new custom field to map the field to, click the Create custom field button to create a new custom field. If you wish to skip the import of any column, use the option Don’t import this column in the dropdown menu.

If there are multiple columns of data in your import file that you do not want to import, you can skip mapping those fields and mark the checkbox Do not import data in unmapped fields (as highlighted in the screenshot below) to skip their import.

Do not import contacts in unmapped fields into crm

Click Continue to proceed.

Click continue when finished with mapping all fields

If you map the Email address/mobile number field, you will also need to specify the respective opt-in/opt-out status. In case you don’t, you will be prompted to do so on the next screen.

By default, the values for the opt-in status fields (i.e., the fields – SMS Marketing and Email Marketing) need to be passed as:

  • True/Yes for contacts who have opted in, and
  • False/No for contacts who have opted out.

Note: We understand that the data you wish to import might contain the opt-in status with different terminology, for example, OptIn for contacts who have opted in and OptOut for those who have opted out. In such cases, you can edit the field settings of the CRM’s opt-in status fields in accordance with your data.

Step 5

Specify the Import rules

On the subsequent Import Rules screen, you’ll need to specify the import rules, i.e. directions on how you would like to identify and handle duplicates.

Contact import, primary and secondary key for finding duplicates

  • Use my Uploaded File as the Master Data

Check the box highlighted in the following screenshot if you want to treat the file being imported as the master data. If you do so, any duplicate data in the CRM will be updated with the imported data.

During import, overwrite duplicates or keep existing data as master data

  • Use my Existing Data as the Master Data

Check the following highlighted box if you want to treat the pre-existing data in the CRM as the master data. If you do so, any duplicate data in the import file will not be updated in the CRM. New data fields if any (that is, the fields which previously did not contain any data in the CRM) will be added to the CRM.

Rules for importing a file as the master data to the CRM

Next, you’ll need to specify the field(s) you wish to use as primary and secondary keys to identify duplicates during the import.

Rules for identifying duplicates when importing to crm

Primary key – The field chosen as the Primary key will be used to identify if a record is a duplicate at the time of import. Use the drop-down menu to select Email Address, Mobile Number, or System ID as the primary key for the import. You can also select No identifying field if you wish to import the data as it is without checking for duplicates. It is mandatory to make a selection to execute an import.

Secondary key – You may also specify a secondary key for determining duplicate entries. In case you specify a secondary key, it will be used for determining duplicates if no matches are found with the primary key.

Click Continue to proceed.

Continue with crm import

Step 6

Accept Compliance Conditions

On the Compliance screen, you need to confirm that you have read and understood the GDPR and TCPA regulations for sending SMS and Emails to people in the EU and the USA.

Import to CRM, Compliance legislation

Step 7

Review Import Settings

The next screen will summarise all the settings you have chosen for the import. Review the settings and then click the Import button to import the list.

Import to CRM, Summary of uploaded file and mapping

As the import starts, it will be displayed under the Draft tab (as highlighted in the screenshot below):

Import to CRM, Status of import equals draft

Once the import is successfully completed, it will be visible under the Completed tab. In case the import failed, it would be visible under the Failed tab along with the reasons for the failure.

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