Summary

• Manual data entry between traditional CRMs like Close and LinkedIn wastes hours of valuable selling time on administrative tasks.

• A successful migration requires auditing your current sales process, cleaning your data, and mapping CRM stages to new workflow tools.

• Replace Close CRM's core functions directly in LinkedIn by using labels for pipelines, reminders for tasks, and snippets for templates.

• Kondo transforms your LinkedIn inbox into a powerful sales CRM with these features, eliminating context switching and keeping you where your conversations are.

Are you drowning in admin work, jumping between Close CRM, LinkedIn, and your email just to log a single conversation? You're not alone. Many sales teams find that the manual data entry required to keep a traditional CRM updated is "killing productivity" and creates a frustrating disconnect from where the real sales conversations are happening: LinkedIn.

While Close CRM is a powerful tool, it wasn't designed for a world where your most valuable leads live inside a LinkedIn inbox. This forces a painful choice: either neglect updating your CRM (losing visibility) or spend hours on low-value data entry (losing selling time).

The solution isn't just finding Close CRM alternatives. It's a strategic shift to a LinkedIn-optimized workflow. This guide provides a detailed plan to migrate from Close CRM to a LinkedIn-optimized workflow that's faster, more efficient, and centered around your most important sales channel.

Phase 1: Your Pre-Migration Blueprint - Audit, Clean, and Align

This initial phase is critical to avoid what many users describe as the "biggest headache" of any migration project. As one experienced sales leader put it, "You can't spend enough time on the data migration upfront. It may feel like slow going, but rush it at your own peril."

Step 1: Get the Team Ready for Change

Before diving into technical details, acknowledge that "people hate change" and prepare for some resistance. To minimize this:

• Involve key team members early in the planning process

• Clearly explain why the current process is inefficient (context switching, manual data entry)

• Focus on the benefits (more selling time, fewer administrative tasks)

• Set realistic expectations about the transition timeline

Step 2: Audit Your Current Close CRM Processes

Before moving anything, map your existing sales process:

• What are your current pipeline stages in Close?

• What task types do you create most frequently?

• Which email templates do you use regularly?

• What data fields are essential vs. rarely used?

This isn't just about data; it's about understanding that "each system is different so you need to think through each process and how to best set up the new system to support that process."

Step 3: Perform a Ruthless Data Cleanup

Your new system is only as good as the data you put into it. Before exporting from Close CRM:

• Remove outdated or irrelevant contacts

• Fix formatting errors (especially first names for personalization)

• Merge duplicate entries

• Standardize field formats (phone numbers, company names)

• Archive closed or lost opportunities that don't need to migrate

A clean dataset will make your transition much smoother and your new workflow more effective from day one.

Phase 2: Designing Your New LinkedIn-Centric Stack

A true LinkedIn-optimized workflow requires a tool that tames the chaotic native LinkedIn inbox. This is where Kondo comes in as your command center for LinkedIn messaging.

Kondo: Your LinkedIn Inbox Supercharger

Kondo transforms your LinkedIn inbox from a cluttered archive into an actionable to-do list. It brings the efficiency of email powertools like Superhuman directly to your LinkedIn messages, where your most valuable sales conversations happen.

Key features that will power your new workflow include:

1. Labels & Split Inboxes: Organize conversations with custom labels (e.g., "Hot Lead," "Demo Scheduled," "Client") and view them in separate, prioritized inboxes. This becomes the foundation for replacing Close CRM's pipelines.

2. Reminders (Snooze): Set follow-up reminders on any conversation with a simple keystroke (H). The message disappears and resurfaces at the top of your inbox when it's due, ensuring timely follow-ups without relying on a separate task system.

3. Snippets: Save and reuse common messages with a simple command (;). Snippets can include variables like {firstName} for personalization, eliminating repetitive typing and ensuring messaging consistency.

4. Keyboard Shortcuts: Navigate your entire inbox without touching the mouse (E to archive, L to label), dramatically speeding up your daily processing time.

5. CRM & System Sync: While you operate in LinkedIn, Kondo can push conversation data to external systems, keeping your system of record updated automatically without manual data entry.

Selecting Your System of Record

While Kondo handles your LinkedIn messaging workflow, you'll still need a lightweight system of record to maintain historical data. Consider these Close CRM alternatives:

• For small teams: A simple Google Sheet or Notion database might be sufficient

• For scaling teams: HubSpot (free tier), Attio, or Streak

• For enterprise needs: Continue with Salesforce or other robust CRM, but use Kondo's integrations to reduce manual data entry

The key is selecting a system that integrates well with your LinkedIn-optimized workflow rather than competes with it.

Phase 3: The Step-by-Step Data Migration from Close CRM

This is the technical core of your move. Follow these steps carefully to address the common fear of losing important data during migration.

Step 1: Secure a Full Data Backup

Before you do anything else, perform a complete backup of your Close CRM data. This is your safety net and a non-negotiable step to prevent data loss.

Step 2: Export Data as CSV Files

From Close, export these essential data sets:

1. Contacts and leads

2. Companies/organizations

3. Opportunities/deals

4. Notes and activities (if available)

5. Email templates

Save each export as a clearly labeled CSV file.

Step 3: Map Your Data Fields

This is where your audit from Phase 1 pays off. Create a detailed mapping document that connects fields from Close to your new system.

Most Importantly: Map your Close pipeline stages to the new labels you'll create in Kondo:

• Close Field: "Lead Status" → Kondo: Label

• Value: "Potential" → Label: "Lead"

• Value: "Qualified" → Label: "Hot Lead"

• Value: "Demo Scheduled" → Label: "Demo Scheduled"

Properly mapping fields avoids major problems and data chaos down the road.

Step 4: Run a Test Migration

Do not perform a bulk import immediately. Take a small sample of your data (e.g., 50 contacts) and run a trial migration. This allows you to identify and fix any mapping issues or errors before committing to the full dataset.

Step 5: Execute the Full Migration and Validate

Once your test is successful, run the full migration. Afterward, spot-check key records in the new system to ensure everything transferred correctly.

Phase 4: Redesigning Your Sales Workflow

This section illustrates how to complete the migration from Close CRM to a LinkedIn-optimized workflow by translating old habits into new, more efficient actions.

Before: Close CRM Pipelines → After: Kondo Labels

Old Way: Dragging a deal card across columns in Close CRM's pipeline view.

New Way: Inside your LinkedIn inbox, select a conversation and press L. Apply a label like Lead > Demo Scheduled. Your pipeline is now a set of filterable, prioritized inboxes directly where your conversations happen.

Pro Tip: Use Kondo's unified inbox to see messages from both your regular LinkedIn and Sales Navigator in one place, managed by the same label system.

Before: Close CRM Tasks → After: Kondo Reminders

Old Way: Manually creating a task in Close: "Follow up with John in 5 days." This exists separately from the conversation context.

New Way: After chatting with John on LinkedIn, simply press H and set a reminder for 5 days. The conversation is snoozed and will reappear automatically at the top of your inbox when it's time to act.

Before: Close CRM Templates → After: Kondo Snippets

Old Way: Navigating to your templates in Close, copying the text, and pasting it into LinkedIn.

New Way: In a LinkedIn message, type ; followed by a keyword (e.g., ;followup1). Kondo instantly inserts your pre-written message, complete with personalization variables like {firstName}.

Phase 5: Team Training and Adoption

A successful migration from Close CRM to a LinkedIn-optimized workflow hinges on your team embracing the new process.

Step 1: Conduct Hands-On Training

Schedule a team-wide session to demonstrate the new workflow live. Focus on the "why"—how this new process eliminates their biggest frustrations (less admin, no more tab-switching).

Step 2: Create a Simple Playbook

Document the new standards in a one-page guide:

• What does each label mean?

• What are the top 5 keyboard shortcuts everyone should know?

• How should snippets be formatted and used?

Step 3: Establish a Feedback Loop

The first version of your workflow won't be perfect. Encourage feedback from the team and be prepared to make adjustments. This fosters a sense of ownership and ensures the system works for everyone.

Transform Your Sales Process, Not Just Your Tools

By following this guide, you've successfully migrated from Close CRM to a LinkedIn-optimized workflow. You've eliminated the friction of manual data entry and empowered your team to manage their entire sales cycle from their LinkedIn inbox.

The result is more time spent selling, stronger relationships built on timely follow-ups, and zero opportunities lost in the chaos. You're not just using different Close CRM alternatives; you've fundamentally redesigned your sales process to be faster, smarter, and centered on the platform where your customers actually are.

Ready to stop fighting your tools and start closing more deals? Try Kondo today and transform your LinkedIn inbox into a powerful, organized sales machine.