How to Use Contact Enrichment to Keep CRM Data Fresh

CRM data doesn’t stay accurate for long. People change roles. Companies shift direction. Every quarter, up to 40% of contact data can become outdated.

And when contact data falls out of date, day-to-day execution slows down: reps waste hours chasing prospects who’ve already left the company, sequences run with the wrong job titles or invalid addresses, calls fail because numbers are no longer in service, marketing budgets get wasted on the wrong segments, and RevOps gets dragged into constant cleanup, trying to correct records manually instead of enabling the team.

Further up the chain, the consequences are bigger: reports built on bad inputs lose their accuracy and forecasts turn unreliable. In turn, leadership starts making calls on shaky ground and confidence in the CRM itself diminishes company-wide.

This post outlines how to avoid all of the above by keeping your CRM data up to date using enrichment. You’ll get a clear, practical walkthrough of how Surfe fills gaps, verifies existing data, and keeps every record aligned with reality – whether you’re working through a CSV, running searches in the Surfe App, or building automated workflows via API.

By the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll have a scalable system to keep your CRM live, accurate, and ready for action.

Why CRM Data Goes Stale So Fast

CRM data decays faster than most teams realise. Research shows that almost one quarter of employees are planning to leave their jobs this year. Every time someone changes role or company, their contact details, job title, and reporting lines in your CRM fall out of date.

Even if your prospect stays in their role, data’s still liable to change. Phone numbers expire, and email domains get shut down or rebranded. And even when reps notice a change, they don’t always have the time to update the CRM: manual data entry is not built for the pace of change, or the pace of a sales rep’s day-to-day. 

Data decay causes problems across the entire growth function: email sequences run to the wrong people, dial-through rates fall, duplicates creep in when new records are added instead of old ones being updated, and RevOps teams waste time firefighting CRM hygiene issues instead of supporting growth.

The bottom line is that CRM data is always moving out of sync with reality. Teams need a system for keeping it current – and that is where contact enrichment comes in.

What Is Contact Enrichment?

Contact enrichment is the process of updating and validating CRM records with verified information – like direct email addresses, mobile numbers, job titles, company details, or firmographic and technographic data, for example. 

Enrichment goes beyond filling in blanks; instead, it checks what you already have, replaces what’s out of date, and adds the missing context you need to make outreach effective.

Proper enrichment matters because accurate data changes how you work:

• Outreach can be personalised with the right job title, company, and contact details.
• Signals like job changes, new funding, or rapid hiring show the right moment to reach out.
• Lead scoring models can run on reliable inputs instead of out-of-date assumptions.
• Cold leads can be re-engaged with verified, current information.

The result is a CRM that’s complete, aligned with reality, and in turn trusted by its users. Every record supports sales prospecting, reporting, and forecasting. 

The next step is understanding how to apply contact enrichment directly inside your CRM. That’s where Surfe comes in, with workflows designed to keep data accurate at scale.

How to Enrich and Update CRM Data With Surfe

Contact enrichment only delivers value if it’s built into your workflows. Surfe makes this possible by offering multiple ways to keep CRM records up to date – whether you’re refreshing existing data, building new lead lists, or automating updates at scale.

1. Bulk Refresh via CSV

If you’re sitting on a backlog of out-of-date records, the fastest way to get them current is a bulk refresh. Export the data from your CRM as a CSV and upload it into the Surfe App. It’ll run enrichment across more than 15 high-quality providers until it finds contact data that could be viable.  

Every email is then verified through ZeroBounce, and mobile numbers are validated against carrier checks. Once the file is enriched, you can push it back into your CRM in a single click. 

The result: thousands of records updated at once, ready for outreach without manual cleanup.

2. Bulk Search & Enrichment in Surfe App

When you need to build a new list, Surfe lets you run targeted searches and enrich results directly. 

Filters like company, industry, headquarters, revenue, employee size, technology stack, or keywords give you precise control over who appears in your lists: you can select and enrich up to 500 contacts at a time, then export them into your CRM, save them as a CSV, or organise them into Surfe lists.

Because enrichment includes hiring, funding, and job change alerts, your new lists aren’t just bigger – they’re more relevant and more likely to convert, too.

3. API Enrichment

For teams managing CRM data at scale, the Surfe sales API makes enrichment automatic. Instead of relying on exports or manual updates, you can build enrichment directly into your workflows and let it run in the background.

With the API, you can:

• Refresh records on a schedule – nightly or weekly, for example – to recheck emails, mobiles, and job changes for key segments.
• Trigger real-time validation of mobile numbers using SMS OTP verification whenever a new form submission or deal stage change occurs.
• Apply custom rules, like deduplication, field precedence, or region-specific routing.
• Batch-enrich target lists before campaigns to improve deliverability and dial-through rates.
• Feed verified fields straight into lead scoring and routing workflows.

With Surfe’s API enrichment in place, CRM health becomes hands-off. Reps don’t have to touch data hygiene, and leadership gets confidence that every campaign, report, and forecast is powered by verified information.

The Revenue Impact of Ongoing Enrichment

Keeping CRM data up to date isn’t just about saving rep time (though that is important). Good quality data has a direct impact on pipeline health and revenue outcomes: 

• Data accuracy improves: verified emails reduce bounce rates. Validated phone numbers mean higher dial-through rates. Outreach lands more often, and conversion rates go up.
• CRM health stabilises: duplicates are reduced, records stay consistent, and reports reflect reality. Teams stop wasting time fixing errors and start trusting the system again.
• Forecast confidence increases: when opportunities are tied to verified contacts and accurate firmographic data, pipeline projections stay on course. Leadership can plan against numbers that reflect what’s actually happening.
• Rep efficiency climbs: sellers spend less time chasing dead records or patching data and more time engaging with live prospects. More hours are dedicated to revenue-driving activity.

Let’s take an example: a 50-rep team with 100,000 contacts in their CRM. Around 30,000 of those records will decay each year. If only 20% of those lost records could have been converted into meetings, that’s 600 missed opportunities. At a $500 cost of acquisition per opportunity, the wasted pipeline adds up to $300,000 annually. Continuous enrichment pays for itself many times over.

Why Surfe Is Different for CRM Data Enrichment

Not all data enrichment tools are built the same. Surfe is built to be well-rounded – it’s  designed for scale, accuracy, and compliance:

• Waterfall enrichment across 15+ providers: Surfe pulls from a broad network of high-quality sources, which increases match rates and improves accuracy across global datasets.
• Real-time verification: every email is validated through ZeroBounce and mobile numbers are checked against carrier data. That means records don’t just look current – they are current.
• Flexible workflows: from bulk CSV uploads to in-app searches and API integrations, Surfe adapts to the way your team works. The platform supports enrichment as a one-off project and embedding it into automated systems.
• Job-change monitoring: Surfe continuously tracks changes in roles and companies, making it easy to refresh records with one click and keep outreach aligned with reality.
• Enterprise-grade compliance: Surfe is SOC 2 Type II-certified and GDPR aligned. You can enrich data at scale without introducing security or compliance risks.

The result is a CRM enrichment system you can rely on – accurate, verified, and built for teams that need confidence in their data.

Keeping CRM Data Up to Date: Final Thoughts

CRM data doesn’t stay accurate on its own. People move jobs, companies change direction, and details fall out of date faster than most teams can keep up. Without enrichment, your CRM becomes unreliable – hurting rep productivity, pipeline accuracy, and leadership’s ability to plan.

Surfe makes it possible to keep CRM data up to date at scale. From bulk CSV refreshes to targeted list building and automated API workflows, enrichment becomes a system you can rely on. Every record stays verified, current, and ready to drive revenue.

The cost of letting data decay is high. The cost of fixing it manually is higher still. Why should you have to choose between the two? 

FAQs

What Is CRM Data?

CRM data is the information stored in your customer relationship management system. It usually includes contact details like emails, phone numbers, and job titles, as well as company-level firmographic and technographic data. This data is used to power sales, marketing, and customer success workflows. When CRM data is accurate and complete, it supports effective outreach, clean reporting, and reliable forecasting. When it falls out of date, it slows teams down and undermines confidence in pipeline.

Why Does CRM Data Go Out Of Date So Quickly?

CRM data decays fast because business information changes constantly. People move roles or companies, email domains get rebranded, and phone numbers expire. Even when reps notice changes, updating records manually isn’t realistic – their focus needs to be on selling, not data entry. 

What Problems Does Bad CRM Data Cause?

Out-of-date CRM data creates issues across the entire revenue team. Reps waste time chasing prospects who have moved companies. Email sequences bounce or target the wrong people. Phone numbers fail, dropping dial-through rates. Marketing budgets get spent on the wrong accounts. RevOps teams are pulled into manual cleanup instead of enabling growth. At leadership level, reports and forecasts become unreliable because they’re built on flawed inputs. The result is wasted effort, missed opportunities, and reduced confidence in the CRM.

What Is Contact Enrichment In CRM?

Contact enrichment is the process of updating CRM records with verified, accurate information. It checks what’s already in your system, replaces outdated details, and fills in missing context. Enrichment typically includes direct emails, mobile numbers, job titles, company data, and firmographics or technographics. Done well, it ensures every record reflects reality. That means outreach can be personalised, lead scoring models can run on reliable inputs, and sales teams can reconnect with previously cold leads. Enrichment makes CRM data complete, trusted, and useful.

How Can You Keep CRM Data Up To Date?

The most effective way to keep CRM data up to date is through continuous enrichment. Tools like Surfe make this possible by offering bulk refreshes via CSV, targeted list building inside the Surfe app, and automated enrichment through the Surfe API. These workflows verify every email and mobile number, track job changes, and keep records aligned with reality. Instead of relying on reps to update data manually, enrichment becomes a system that runs in the background and keeps CRM data accurate at scale.

What Is The ROI Of Clean CRM Data?

Clean CRM data directly impacts revenue. Verified records mean fewer email bounces, higher dial-through rates, and better conversion rates. For example, a 50-rep team with 100,000 CRM contacts could see 30,000 go out of date in a year. If just 20% of those lost records could have converted into meetings, that’s 600 missed opportunities – worth $300,000 in pipeline. Enrichment pays for itself many times over.