Switch from a self-built system
Switch from a self-built system such as Base44, Airtable or Notion: what you export, how tables and fields are assigned, pitfalls and what does not come along.
This page belongs to the area Switch from another system. The process with your AI is described in Switch with your AI. It applies to everything you have built yourself or put together from tools such as Base44, Airtable or Notion.
What distinguishes your system from a finished CRM
A finished CRM has fixed names: lead, deal, stage. Your self-built system has your names. That is why there is no prefabricated table for it. Your AI reads the structure, describes in Leadmode terms what it finds, and suggests the assignment. You confirm it. This is the core of the switch and the reason why the route runs through the AI.
What you export
How you export depends on your tool. We have no checked instructions for this, because the menus of the providers change. The routes are:
- Each table as CSV or Excel. One file per table, for example companies, persons, activities, tasks.
- Or via the interface of your tool. Your AI can read data if you give it access. Give it read access only.
- The structure for it. A list of the tables and fields helps your AI, even if values are missing.
Help can be found under the option "Another system" in the import under "Where does your data come from?". Its steps are kept general and are not checked for specific providers.
How tables and fields are assigned
| In your system | Leadmode | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Table with companies, customers, accounts | Company | |
| Table with persons, leads | Contact person | connection to the company via a link or identifier |
| Table with deals, projects, quotes | Opportunities | status becomes the stage |
| Table with activities, calls, logs | History | with date, author and text |
| Table with notes | Notes | |
| Table with tasks, callbacks | Tasks | with due date and status |
| Table with appointments | Appointments | |
| Table with employees, users | assignment to persons | also former ones |
| Further fields | Custom fields | type is recognised |
| Status fields with free text or selection | Stage, substage, outcome | via the mapping |
Typical statuses and their assignment
Self-built systems usually have a few, own statuses, often as a selection or as free text. Typical are "new", "contacted", "callback", "appointment", "quote", "customer", "not interested".
| Your status | Suggestion in Leadmode |
|---|---|
| new | Stage New |
| contacted, not reached, callback | Stage Outreach with a matching substage |
| appointment, conversation | Stage Intro call |
| quote | stage with quote |
| customer, won | Won |
| not interested, lost | Lost with outcome |
These are suggestions. Your AI sees which values really exist in your data and shows them to you as a list to confirm.
Pitfalls
- Links. Linked records often appear in exports as names or internal identifiers. Your AI needs a column that unambiguously connects persons with the company.
- Names are not unique. Two companies with the same name are confused by the assignment via the name. Export an identifier too, if your tool has one.
- Multiple selection and tags. They become selection fields with several values. Check the options.
- Formula and rollup fields. The calculated value is taken over, not the formula.
- Attachments and images. They do not come along.
- Time. Check date format and time zone. If the time is missing, the order in the history is uncertain.
- Timestamps on creation. If your system sets the change date only at export, it does not match the original time. Tell your AI which column contains the real time.
- The future. Calls and completed tasks in the future are rejected.
What does not come along
- Files, attachments and images.
- Emails as a mailbox and call recordings.
- Your own automations, forms and views. You rebuild them in Leadmode, for example with Flows with AI.
- Permissions of your system.
Acceptance
- Count the records per table and give the numbers to your AI as "expected".
- Have the reconciliation report shown to you. Each difference must have a reason.
- Open three to five companies you know well. Check history, tasks, owner and stage.
- Check that blocks arrived and that no email went out.
- Complete the order. If you do not like the result, take it back and start again.