Duplicate data in Salesforce (or “dupes”) are hands-down the commonest concern that we’re referred to as in to wash up at Iceberg.
You would possibly suppose resolving duplicate data must be a fast and simple repair.
However as we’ll see on this article, deduping your data truly takes extra tactical work than you’d count on.
As an example:
- How do you outline a replica lead should you promote to separate accounts who’re a part of the similar franchise?
- How do you retain your information clear and duplicates at bay when a replica is perhaps created through an API?
- Do it’s essential automate the method? In that case, what are the proper instruments for the job?
I’ll be protecting these tactical gremlins on this article, in addition to providing you some sensible options to stopping and cleansing up duplicate leads in Salesforce.
Be a part of the dialog: How you can clear up duplicate data in Outreach.io 💬
What are duplicate leads?
Duplicate leads or data in Salesforce occur when the identical particular person or firm is entered into Salesforce greater than as soon as.
…proper?
Really, the definition of duplicate leads relies on your group.
I’ll offer you two concrete eventualities to point out you that I’m not intentionally nitpicking right here.
Situation 1: You promote ERP (Enterprise Useful resource Planning) software program to Fortune 100 corporations.
There’s no purpose you’ll ever deliberately create a number of accounts for a corporation like GE. On this state of affairs, you possibly can use the Account Title discipline to examine for duplicates. You recognize that ‘GE’, ‘Basic Electrical’, and ‘GE Inc’ are all duplicates—a simple repair. Crafting your definition of a replica shall be a comparatively simple course of.
Situation 2: You promote POS (Level of Sale) techniques to particular person franchises.
There have been over 13,000 McDonald’s places within the US in 2019, so discovering two accounts with McDonald’s within the title doesn’t imply you’ve discovered a replica. On this state of affairs, your definition of a replica will must be extra complicated.
Take a look at my article: Do I Want Salesforce? Guidelines 📚
Greatest practices for outlining duplicate leads in your org
It’s essential to assemble a clear, written definition of what a replica is earlier than shifting ahead.
Whereas “fuzzy” definitions may be helpful in some cases, they’ll’t be relied on. In case your definition leaves any room for interpretation or subjective judgment, you’ll battle to remove duplicates in a programmatic manner.
Lastly, you also needs to remember that there are various levels of duplicate leads. Some are full carbon copies of each other. Others comprise solely partially copied info.
And, as time goes on, one of many data could also be up to date — and the others not.
For instance, two data would possibly comprise the identical title, cellphone quantity, e-mail, and so forth. However as time goes on, solely a type of data is up to date with new details about the client.
So watch out to maintain probably the most up-to-date and correct document.
How you can repair duplicate leads in Salesforce
The way in which you’ll resolve duplicates — and forestall them within the first place — will depend upon a number of elements:
- What number of data you’re coping with
- What kinds of objects you’re working with (normal or customized)
- The numerous methods new data may be entered into Salesforce
Bear in mind after I stated the fixing duplicate leads was extra tactical than you’d think about?
You is perhaps advantageous simply leveraging Salesforce’s built-in Duplicate Administration. However this software is certainly not with out its limitations. In lots of instances, you’ll want a customized repair (extra on that in a minute).
I’ll stroll you thru methods for managing duplicate data in Salesforce, each natively inside Salesforce and through third-party apps.
Associated: Knowledge Governance: Salesforce Objects in Lead-to-Money Course of 📚
SALESFORCE NATIVE DUPLICATE MANAGEMENT
Salesforce has its personal native duplicate administration system for customers on the ‘Efficiency’ and ‘Limitless’ plans.
This might effectively be sufficient for many SMBs, who use normal objects and aren’t coping with large quantities of information.
If that is you, you’ll be able to arrange your individual guidelines immediately inside Salesforce for Accounts, Leads, and Contacts to assist keep away from duplication of data.
Professional tip: Bear in mind, organising cross-object guidelines is essential as a result of many Leads can exist as Contacts and vice versa.
How you can handle duplicates in Salesforce
Relying on the kind of document you’re making an attempt to dedupe (e.g. accounts, contacts, offers, and so forth), the you’ll more than likely wish to give attention to e-mail tackle and firm area.
Actual matches
For instance, you’ll be able to create a regular “Account Actual Title” match that robotically blocks or alerts a consumer if an account already exists with the identical title.
Professional: Easy and simple to arrange
Con: You probably have slight variation in your account names, you’ll be able to nonetheless find yourself with a replica document. For instance, one SDR enters an organization’s title as “IBM,” however one other enters it as “Worldwide Enterprise Machines.”
Fuzzy guidelines
To keep away from the error above, attempt organising a “fuzzy rule.” This rule will return matches when two fields are related, however not a precise match.
Professional: Fuzzy guidelines can floor duplicate accounts that “precise match” searches miss.
Con: Fuzzy logic, particularly when utilized to an object like Account Title, is way from precise. So should you’re utilizing a fuzzy rule, pair it with further matching standards, like an tackle or e-mail precise match. This may also help make sure that duplicates are returned from the server when using fuzzy logic.
Utilizing the info import wizard
One other simple approach to keep away from creating duplicate contacts and leads is to import them through Salesforce’s Knowledge Import Wizard.
This characteristic robotically prevents the creation of duplicate data utilizing the document’s e-mail tackle as a novel identifier.
Avoiding cross-object duplication
Lastly, to keep away from cross-object duplication, you’ll be able to arrange guidelines comparable to “Lead-to-Contact e-mail precise match” and “Contact-to-Lead match” to alert customers to a possible cross-object duplicate.
Abstract: Limitations of Salesforce’s native duplication administration:
- It solely alerts when information is entered manually. Meaning if a possible duplicate is entered through an API, Salesforce will robotically block it. You may then probably lose necessary information and not using a third celebration resolution that may merge the 2 data
- It solely permits you to create guidelines for traditional objects so should you use customized objects you’ll want one other resolution
- It requires handbook evaluation: any batch job performed with Salesforce would require a handbook evaluation which generally is a large time suck and drain your sources. It may be possible for small corporations, nevertheless it’s not scalable
Conclusion: Moreover its Knowledge Import Wizard, Salesforce doesn’t do an important job of offering out-of-the field deduplication instruments. So most organizations will find yourself buying third celebration software program/extensions.
I’ll stroll you thru my two favorites:
APPEXCHANGE – TAKING THINGS A STEP FURTHER
At Iceberg, we’ve experimented with a number of instruments from the Appexchange for duplication administration.
In the end, we’re fairly proud of each Cloudingo (4.79 common ranking) & Leandata (4.93 common ranking).
Cloudingo
You should use Cloudingo to wash and dedupe giant portions of information which have been entered previous to any creation of duplicate guidelines. It could actually additionally deal with mass dumps the dupe guidelines missed.
Professional: You’ll be able to scan your information and auto-merge duplicates each week, on daily basis, and even each hour.
Con: A brand new duplicate can nonetheless trigger an issue throughout a small window of time earlier than the following automation runs.
Think about this situation:
You’ve gotten your every day cleanup automation scheduled to run at midnight.
Earlier within the day, a decision-maker at an current account with an necessary, energetic alternative downloads a whitepaper as a part of their analysis.
This motion triggers the creation of a brand new lead document in Salesforce, nevertheless it’s a replica of the prevailing account document.
The brand new lead is robotically routed to a Gross sales Improvement Rep, who fails to examine the system for duplicates (after all, this by no means occurs… proper?).
The SDR contacts the choice maker, which ends up in an embarrassing dialog—and an offended account govt.
What to do: In order for you your Salesforce occasion to remain clear sufficient to keep away from awkward eventualities like this, you’ll must implement a system for real-time cleansing as effectively. Happily, there are applied sciences out there to assist with this, too.
LeanData
LeanData permits you to create a workflow to your data which may be triggered at particular instances — like when a brand new document is created or when the info in a document is up to date.
These workflows may be configured to examine for duplicates, merge matching data, convert leads, replace fields, ship e-mail alerts, and extra.
Professional: LeanData is tremendous sturdy, and its workflows provide complete duplicate decision and prevention.
Con: This software is so sturdy that attending to grips with a few of the logic may be difficult.
…however we actually suggest sticking it out as it will possibly grow to be a useful software to your group.
Which resolution is best for you?
I hope by now you’ll be able to see that deduping your data isn’t a easy in-and-out course of and with out taking the time to think about your necessities you’ll be able to find yourself paying huge by way of information integrity and wasted sources.
Nobody particular person, plan, or software can assure a duplicate-free Salesforce occasion. However with the precise applied sciences and implementation plan, it’s attainable to seek out and proper the vast majority of duplications.
So earlier than leaping into begin deduplicating your data bear in mind these key factors:
- Create a transparent definition of what a replica document is
- Analyze your wants, the way you’re coming into information, and what number of data you’re dealing with to grasp what resolution(s) will work greatest for you
- Make use of a software that can retroactively clear current duplicates and rapidly discover and repair future duplicates
Iceberg is at all times completely satisfied to assist scaling corporations clear up their Salesforce cases and assist them construct options to help their development.
