Preparing lead import CSV files

You can carry out a simple lead import, which imports leads directly from a CSV file into NexJ CRM, as long as the file conforms to a specific default structure. These instructions only apply to the import of lead information. If you want to import contacts, you must create a full import package.
These instructions assume that you already have a file with the lead information that you want to import, and that you can open it in a spreadsheet program.
A simple lead import allows you to create a set of leads with the following information:
  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Market segment
  • Sales concept
  • Company name
  • Position at the company
  • Zip code
It is mandatory that every lead has a value provided for the Last Name and First Name fields. In addition, it must have a value for the Email field, the Phone field, or both.

Even though you can create the CSV file directly in a text editor, it is best to create it using a spreadsheet program. The following instructions assume that you already have a file containing lead data and that it is in a format that can be opened by a spreadsheet program.

If you receive your data as a CSV file from a third party, you should still open it to ensure that the contents meet the requirements for import.

To create the CSV file:

  1. Open your data in a spreadsheet program.
    The file should be organized so that each row of the spreadsheet represents a different lead, and each column represents a field of information about that lead.
  2. Edit the first row of the spreadsheet so that it contains the following column titles in this order:
    • ID
    • First Name
    • Last Name
    • Email Address
    • Phone
    • Market Segment
    • Sales Concept
    • Company
    • Position
    • Zip Code
    Important: The column headings must match these values exactly, and be in this order. Values are case sensitive. If you do not have data for one of the columns, you must still have the column and title in your spreadsheet, even if none of the cells under the title have any data.
  3. Review the data in the spreadsheet to ensure that it meets the following restrictions for each column:
    Table 1. Data requirements for simple lead import
    Column Data requirements
    ID A unique value. The recommended practice is to populate the column with a series of ascending numbers. Values are not imported into NexJ CRM. Values can be alphanumeric.
    First Name Maximum 25 characters.
    Last Name Maximum 60 characters.
    Email address Maximum 80 characters.
    Phone Maximum 80 characters.
    Market Segment Must be one of the following values:
    • STARTINGOUT
    • PRERETIREMENT
    • RETIREMENT
    Sales Concept Must be one of the following values:
    • HOMEBUYER
    • MORTGAGENEEDS
    • RETIREMENTINCOME
    • SURVIVORNEEDS
    • WEALTHTRANSFER
    Company Maximum 60 characters.
    Position Maximum 100 characters.
    Zip Code

    Maximum 15 characters.

    This field does not have format restrictions and can be used for both zip and postal codes.
    Note: Fields that exceed the maximum lengths specified in this table will be truncated during import. Invalid values in the Market Segment or Sales Concept columns will be ignored.
  4. Save the file as a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file.
    In the majority of cases, the default values for saving as a CSV file are sufficient. However, if you are given a choice of delimiters when saving your file, you should select a comma (,) as the field delimiter and a double-quotation mark (") as the text delimiter.
The leads contained in the CSV file are now ready to be imported into NexJ CRM.