Practical steps to physically implement your CRM

Early-stage teams usually start lean. If you can accomplish core CRM tasks without coding or pulling engineers away from product work, that’s a win. But sometimes, deeper integrations or system capabilities (like real-time product analytics, streaming lead data through a custom database, or performing higher-level waterfall enrichment) require developer resources. In fact, I believe that as teams grow and progress, the best teams naturally integrate engineering alongside traditional pseudo-technical staff.

As organizations scale and RevOps complexity grows, there’s a surge of people calling themselves “GTM engineers.” In theory, having technical talent on the GTM side is great. But if you’re going to use the word “engineer” in your title, you better be able to write code. Otherwise, it’s just marketing spin—similar to how “growth” is often a sexier label for what used to be called “marketing.”

I’ve seen legitimate GTM engineering teams—like at Ramp—where qualified software developers write code specifically for revenue technology. That’s an entirely different proposition than someone in RevOps or marketing who dabbles in integrations but can’t actually code. Don’t get me wrong—the best marketing and RevOps operators can (and should) learn coding fundamentals: APIs, SQL, light automation, you name it. Having that technical base makes them incredibly effective. But it doesn’t automatically make them “engineers.”

RevTech is really about how you configure and connect marketing, sales, and customer success tools. Simply changing someone’s title to “GTM engineer” won’t magically level up your systems. What you need is a cross-functional team culture where real developers collaborate with RevOps, and where GTM pros are motivated to learn enough tech to be dangerous. That’s the combination that drives results.

Rant over. Let’s learn how to implement a CRM, so you too can be a “GTM Engineer” (or, at least, a highly effective RevOps professional who knows how to sling a bit of code).

Pick Your Path

1. No-Code/Low-Code
   1. When to Use: Basic contact management, pipeline visibility, or hooking up your webform via Zapier.
   2. How: CRMs like HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Zoho have built-in import functions and native connectors.
   3. For example, at Clarify, Austin ingests their customer lead lists using a webhook and zapier. They could have built something more robust, but for their stage, this easy, fast, and flexible approach worked perfectly.
2. Light Technical Support
   1. When to Use: You have a CDP (Segment) or warehouse, but only need occasional SQL or basic API calls.
   2. How: A part-time dev or a RevOps pro with moderate tech skills can set up these data feeds.
   3. For example, At Clarify, our part-time dev spent half a day hooking up Segment to our CRM so new leads from product usage events were automatically created. Easy once we mapped the fields.
3. Full-On Engineering
   1. When to Use: Advanced two-way data sync, real-time product usage, or deeply customized workflows.
   2. How: Usually building an integration from scratch via the CRM’s REST API or SDK.
   3. For example, Ramp needed real-time product usage scores for each lead, so they had a dev build a custom API pipeline. Overkill for many, but critical for them.

2. Upload & Structure Your Existing Spreadsheet

Many early-stage companies have old lead lists or Google Sheets lying around. Bringing them into the CRM correctly from the start prevents messy data and rework.

Step-by-Step

1. Backup the Original Sheet
   1. Keep an untouched copy somewhere safe. If anything goes sideways, you can revert.
2. Use CRM Templates
   1. Many CRMs (e.g., HubSpot, Zoho) provide downloadable CSV templates. Aligning your columns with their headers drastically reduces import errors.
3. Separate Contacts vs. Companies vs. Deals
   1. CRMs treat these as distinct objects. Create separate files (e.g., contacts.csv, companies.csv, deals.csv).
   2. Practical Tip: If a row has a deal stage or contract value, put that in deals.csv. If it’s an organization name, that’s companies.csv.
4. Clean & Standardize
   1. Remove duplicates (Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” or pivot tables).
   2. Fix naming inconsistencies (“Acme, Inc.” vs. “ACME Inc.”).
   3. Excel Formula Tip: Fuzzy lookup add-ins or similarity formulas can highlight partial duplicates for manual review.
5. Map Columns to CRM Fields
   1. Rename columns to match CRM fields (e.g., “Email Address”). If you need a custom field like “Lead Source,” create it in the CRM first.
6. Test Import
   1. Import 20–50 rows. Check if everything lines up. If there’s a mismatch, fix it in Excel and try again.

3. Map Out Future Data Flows (Sketch Your RevOps Diagram)

Once your historical spreadsheet data is safely in the CRM, look ahead. Where will new leads come from, and where does CRM data need to go? This step ensures you plan both inbound (data sources feeding the CRM) and outbound (tools that rely on CRM data).

3.1 Identify Your Upstream Data Sources

• Manual Entry: Reps adding leads from conferences or emails by hand.
• Web Forms: Website forms (“Request a Demo”) feeding the CRM directly or via Zapier.
• Product Usage (If You’re SaaS): Trial sign-ups or usage metrics might need real-time updates.
• CDP or Warehouse Sync: If you have a CDP (Segment, RudderStack) or warehouse (BigQuery, Snowflake), it might unify user data before passing it to the CRM.

3.2 Decide What Downstream Data Flows You Need

• Email Marketing Platforms: Automatically sync CRM contacts with Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or HubSpot Marketing to save time on segmentation.
• Analytics & BI Tools: Tools like Fivetran/Airbyte can push CRM data to your warehouse for deeper reporting in Looker or Tableau.
• Support Platforms: Integrate CRM data with Zendesk or Intercom for a complete support-and-sales history.

3.3 Define Update Logic & Frequency

• Sync Frequency: Real-time vs. daily batch.
• One-Way vs. Two-Way Sync: If a contact’s email changes in your warehouse, should it auto-update in the CRM (two-way)? Or is the CRM the single source of truth?
• Handling Overlaps By Picking a Source of Gravity: For small-stage companies, it’s essential to choose a "source of gravity" for your data—whether that’s the CDP or the CRM. Many teams default to the CRM because it handles user attributes well, even if it struggles with CDP-like event data. Typically, this means user attributes are pushed from the CDP into the CRM, but event data remains separate.As companies grow and aim to unify these data streams, they often end up merging them in the data warehouse, since traditional CRMs don’t support event stream data. There’s no universally "right" answer here—just options with varying levels of trade-offs and potential headaches, whether now or later. The key is to pick your source of gravity and align your stack toward it over time.

3.4 Sketch Your RevOps Diagram

• Put the CRM in the center of a simple whiteboard or Google Slide.
• Inbound Arrows: Show webforms, inbound lead lists, or product usage data feeding into the CRM—maybe directly, maybe via a CDP.
• Outbound Arrows: Visualize how the CRM sends contacts or deal updates to your email marketing platform, Slack, or a warehouse.
• Intermediary “Tool C”: If you have a CDP (or other system) as your data hub, decide if inbound sources should flow there first to unify and clean records.

3.5 Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-Connecting: Linking every form/platform directly to the CRM plus a CDP plus a separate feed can lead to duplicate records or conflicts.
• Never Documenting Your Diagram: Future hires or admins will struggle if there’s no clear reference of how data moves.
• One-Way vs. Two-Way Confusion: Clearly define which system overwrites which. If the CRM is the source of truth, treat it that way.

Planning your data flows is one thing; actually hooking up tools is another. Properly configured integrations save time and eliminate tedious manual work.

1. Start with Native Integrations
   1. CRMs often have direct connectors for Slack, Stripe, Zendesk, or marketing tools. Use these for reliability and ease.
2. Third-Party Tools
   1. If no native integration exists, Zapier, Make (Integromat), or Workato can automate smaller flows. Ideal for early-stage ops teams with limited dev resources.
3. APIs & SDKs
   1. For advanced or custom use cases (e.g., real-time product usage scoring), devs might use the CRM’s API or SDK. More work, but can be powerful.
4. Document the Integration Logic
   1. Keep a wiki or doc that states: “Webform → Zapier → CRM (Lead Stage = Inbound), Real-time.” If your team changes, this record avoids guesswork.

5. Testing & User Acceptance

Even the best-designed integration plan can fail if untested. Pilots and sandbox testing catch misconfigurations early.

1. Sandbox / Test Pipeline
   1. If the CRM supports a sandbox, use it. Otherwise, create a separate “Test” pipeline in production labeled “DO NOT TOUCH.”
   2. Make sure to label it with Prod/Dev teams properly!
2. Pilot Group
   1. Select a small group (maybe 1–2 sales reps) to adopt the CRM for a week. They add dummy leads, move deals, and run basic reports.
3. Collect Feedback
   1. Encourage them to note duplicates, missing fields, or confusing steps. Adapt your field mappings or automations from that feedback.
4. Run End-to-End Tests
   1. Fill out a webform as a fake lead, watch it appear in the CRM, ensure Slack or email triggers fire. Fix issues before the company-wide rollout.
5. Permissioning Groups
   1. Avoid administrative fiascos where too many people have full CRUD rights in your stack—a common pitfall for startups. Over time, adding people as admins can result in everyone being an admin, making it difficult to control the stack as you scale. This creates confusion over RACI responsibilities, erodes process discipline, and sends you into debug hell when system changes break things upstream or downstream. As you grow, designate a dedicated technology administrator for each tool and enforce a process to control administrative changes, even when it’s difficult.

6. Rollout & Ongoing Support

A successful CRM depends on user adoption and continuous maintenance. Phasing your rollout ensures smoother onboarding, and ongoing support keeps data healthy.

• Phased Rollout
  • Onboard a second wave of users once the pilot group’s feedback is addressed. Provide Loom videos, short trainings, or vendor documentation.
• Maintain Documentation
  • Keep the integration wiki and data flow diagram updated. If you add a custom field or change a pipeline stage, note it somewhere accessible.
• Designate a CRM Owner
  • Even small startups benefit from a single “Ops champion.” This person monitors data cleanliness, handles integration snags, and stays on top of user questions.
• Review & Refine
  • Monthly or quarterly audits: Are fields still relevant? Are automations working as intended? Any new integrations needed?

The Bottom Line:

1. Choose the Right Setup Approach: Start no-code if you can. Pull in engineers only when required.
2. Cleanly Import Historical Data: Separate contacts, companies, and deals into structured CSVs. Align columns with the CRM’s templates.
3. Map Inbound & Outbound Flows: Use a simple diagram to visualize data movement. Decide on sync frequency and whether you need a middle tool (CDP).
4. Connect & Configure: Start with native connectors, no-code tools, or simple APIs. Document every connection in a wiki.
5. Pilot & Test: A small test group reveals duplicates or config errors early. Iterate rapidly.
6. Roll Out & Support: Phase the rollout, keep docs updated, designate an owner, and revisit your setup as you grow.

By following these practical steps—and constantly documenting your rationale—you’ll shape a CRM foundation that truly supports your sales and marketing efforts. Good luck, and remember: the best CRM is the one your team actually uses every day!

Looking ahead to Module 4:

Ready to level up beyond the basics? In our next module, we’ll explore how to strategically add new capabilities to your growing RevTech stack—whether that’s layering in marketing automation, building customer data pipelines, or even rolling out advanced analytics. We’ll tackle the questions that come up when you move from “we have a CRM” to “we have a full-fledged revenue engine,” covering common pitfalls (like “stack sprawl”) and showing you how to integrate new tools while keeping data clean, processes streamlined, and your team fully aligned on growth.