How to switch CRMs without losing deals
by Banjo Adesuyi
Short answer: export everything first, clean it before you import, check the field mapping, and keep the old CRM running until your team has gone live. The price of a bad import is far higher than the price of the CRM, so the mapping is the step to slow down on.
The checklist
- List what you actually use. Pipelines, custom fields, automations, reports and integrations. Many teams find they use a fraction.
- Export everything. Contacts, companies, deals, notes and activity history. Keep a copy somewhere safe.
- Clean before you move. Merge duplicates, remove dead leads and agree on stage names. Don't carry old mess across.
- Map your fields. Decide where each column goes, and what you'll drop.
- Import a small test first. Try a few dozen records and check them by eye.
- Import the rest, then check totals. Compare record counts and open pipeline value with the old system.
- Go live on a set day. Tell the team which system is now the truth.
- Keep the old CRM for a month, read-only if you can, in case something's missing.
What usually goes wrong
| Problem | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Custom fields disappear | List them before you export, and map each one |
| Deals land in the wrong stage | Agree stage names first, and check a sample |
| Notes lose their link to a deal | Test the import with a few full records |
| Two systems of truth | Pick a go-live date and stick to it |
| Automations stop quietly | List them in step one and rebuild the ones you need |
How long does it take?
For a small team on a standard setup, it's usually days, not months. Heavily customised systems take longer, because the work is in deciding what to keep.
Moving to Viro
Export a CSV, upload it, and your columns are matched to Viro's fields. Anything that can't be mapped is flagged for you to review before it's finalised. Contacts, accounts, open and closed deals with stage history, notes and custom fields come across. Your old CRM stays untouched, and there's no deadline to go live.
CSV import is on every plan. Self-serve import from HubSpot, Pipedrive and Attio, plus white-glove migration, start on Growth. See how switching works or our HubSpot and Salesforce alternative guides.
