When to create a record
- Fit score at or above your threshold.
- Not a customer, partner, competitor or internet provider.
- More than a single blog bounce.
Matching rules
- Match by domain to existing accounts.
- Then by company name, normalised.
- Never create a duplicate; add activity to the existing account.
Fields to store
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| First AI source | ChatGPT ad / ChatGPT answer |
| Buyer question | Month-end close for logistics |
| Pages read | Pricing, NetSuite integration |
| Fit score | 86 |
| First and last seen | 12 Oct / 19 Oct |
Keep it clean
- Review new records weekly for the first month.
- Merge duplicates monthly.
- Archive records with no activity after 180 days.
A weekly hygiene routine
- Merge duplicates created in the last week.
- Delete records from internet providers and hosts.
- Check that fit scores and owners are set.
- Spot-check five records against the website data.
Questions
Should identified companies become leads or accounts?
Accounts. A company record without a person isn't a lead.
Can we create contacts automatically?
Only from people who gave their details. Don't create contacts from company identification.
What about companies already in the CRM?
Add the AI activity to the existing record and notify its owner.
Why junk records are expensive
Every record sales opens and dismisses costs a minute and a little trust. After a few weeks of internet providers, students and competitors, reps stop opening AI-sourced records at all, including the good ones. The cost of a noisy CRM isn't storage; it's the meeting nobody booked.
Field definitions to agree with sales
- First AI source: the first time the company arrived from a ChatGPT ad or answer.
- Buyer question: the shortened question from the ad group, or "organic answer".
- Fit score: the current score, recalculated as data changes.
- Status: new, contacted, meeting, not a fit.
Document these in one page and link it from the CRM view. New reps will thank you.
When to automate, and when not to
Automate matching, field updates and alerts. Keep a human review for new account creation in the first month, until you trust the filters.
Start here: Company identification from AI. More articles in Company signals.