This guide will walk you through the process of bulk importing leads into your TalkWiz.ai account using a CSV or Excel file. This is the most efficient way to add a large number of contacts at once and even trigger automated AI conversations right from the start.
The most crucial step is ensuring your data is formatted correctly. We highly recommend starting with our pre-made template.
Your CSV or Excel file must have a header row with the following column names. The first row of your spreadsheet must contain these exact headers.
| Column Name | Required? | Description |
first_name | Required | The first name of the lead. If left blank, it will default to "Unknown". |
last_name | No | The last name of the lead. |
phone | Yes | The lead's phone number. This is the most critical field and must be included. The system will format the number automatically. |
email | No | The lead's email address. |
category | No | Assigns the lead to a specific category for filtering and targeted campaigns. Default options include cold_lead, warm_lead, hot_lead, appointment_made, interested_in_pricing, pending_appointment, requested_information, and customer. You can also use custom categories that you have created under the Lead Categories tab. |
address | No | The street address of the lead. |
city | No | The city of the lead. |
state | No | The state or province of the lead. |
zip | No | The zip or postal code of the lead. |
start_conversation | No | A powerful feature to automatically engage the lead. Type yes in this column to have the AI immediately start an outbound conversation with this lead upon import. |
initial_message | No | Provides context for the AI. This should contain a message as if the lead sent it to you. This helps the AI formulate a highly relevant first response. |
By putting yes in the start_conversation column for a lead, the system will:
initial_message column.initial_messageThe initial_message field is your secret weapon for making the AI's first message incredibly relevant. This field should contain what the lead has said or what their primary interest is, written from their perspective.
Example:
Imagine you met a lead at an open house, and they told you, "I'm looking for a 3-bedroom home under $500,000." To get the best AI response, your row for that lead might look like this:
start_conversation: yesinitial_message: I'm looking for a 3-bedroom home under $500,000.When imported, the AI will use this "initial message" to craft a specific and helpful opening text, such as, "Hi [first_name], it's Taylor from [business_name]. I have a few 3-bedroom homes under $500k that I think you'll love. Are you free to chat about them this week?"
Once your spreadsheet is saved as a CSV or Excel file, follow these steps:
The system will begin processing your file. You will be notified once the import is complete. If you used any category names that don't already exist, the system will store them as text values and let you know.