Every CRM I have ever been handed had the same problems: the same person three times under three spellings, phone numbers in the notes field, and tags nobody remembers inventing. Owners stop trusting it, stop opening it — and then wonder why follow-ups slip. Here is the checklist I run to fix that.
1. Export and back up first
Before touching anything, export the whole database. Cleaning without a backup is how "organised" becomes "gone."
2. Merge duplicates properly
Search by email first, then by phone, then by similar names. Merge — never delete — so history survives. Pick one "true" version of each field and note conflicts for the owner to confirm.
3. Standardise the fields
- One format for names, phone numbers and countries
- Company names spelled one way, every time
- A short, agreed list of tags and statuses — and delete the rest
Inconsistent fields are why reports lie. Five minutes of rules saves hours of confusion later.
4. Clear the dead weight
Bounced emails, test entries, contacts with no data and no activity — archive them out of the main view. The list gets shorter and suddenly feels manageable again.
5. Leave a maintenance routine
A cleanup is a one-time event; a routine keeps it clean. Mine is simple: ten minutes weekly to merge new duplicates and fix new entries while they are fresh.
A trustworthy CRM changes how an owner works — follow-ups stop depending on memory. If yours needs rescuing, this is exactly the kind of project I take on; see the Services page for how we would start.