Dirty Data is Killing Your CRM

Data doesn’t usually thrive in a CRM system. In fact, that’s probably where it goes to collect dust and wither away… right?

CRM data management is one of those tasks that gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list, being palmed off to different departments until it’s left as a weird amalgamation of mismatched, sometimes out-of-date data.

The problem is that dirty data is killing your CRM.

And whilst that might not seem like a big deal, there’s the potential for a massive ripple effect on your bottom line.

Bad CRM data kills revenue

44% of respondents to Validity’s State of Data report estimated their company loses over 10% in annual revenue due to poor quality CRM data, with those who saw the quality of their CRM as “poor” or “very poor” being 450% more likely to say there is nobody responsible for managing the data in their CRM system.

Yep, there it is — not only does bad CRM data negatively impact revenue, but it’s also likelier to happen due to people avoiding any responsibility for their CRM’s data in the first place.

There are a few factors that contribute to dirty data that can end up eroding your CRM’s effectiveness over time, though.

Firstly, a reliance on manual processes. These processes aren’t scalable. The volume of data points generated every day is simply too high, and it’s impossible to manage manually! Then the governance issues come to a head, with nobody knowing what their role is with the CRM or who is responsible for what, creating the perfect storm of ignorance for bad data to thrive in.

Naturally, a lot of businesses in 2026 and beyond will opt for AI to speed up processes, but the fact of the matter is that without good data, AI can’t do anything but speed up the degradation of your CRM on the whole.

CRM data quality is a business-wide issue

If your CRM’s data is poor, it means that your CRM isn’t your single source of truth.

Subsequently, your efficiency across the board is negatively affected, and it’s definitely not just a ‘sales problem’.

That looks like:

Whether it’s the old ‘crap in, crap out’, or you’re noticing smaller cracks appearing that are cumulative with your CRM, something needs to change.

Bad data, bad results (it’s in the forecast!)

Bad data doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It spearheads every decision, which means that your decisions then tread into murky water.

Overinflated pipelines, missed renewal dates, bad resource planning, poor forecast accuracy, you name it — the focal point of all your decisions and future forecasting will put you on the back foot from the jump.

Like I said earlier, it’s the “crap in, crap out” approach. Forecasting relies on data to predict future performance, meaning if the data is poor, skewed, or out-of-date, you’re getting equally outdated and inflated projections.

That also means contending with inaccurate conversion rates, misallocated resources, missed opportunities, and an overall lack of trust in data. 

When your CRM data is dirty, your emails suffer, too

Kind of the same point as above, really — bad data, bad results.

When you’re working with outdated, incorrect, or duplicate data, you’re going to quickly suffer from high bounce rates, low engagement, and an increasingly poor sender reputation.

Then you’re contending with deliverability issues that are hardly an easy fix once your ISP has decided your emails aren’t trustworthy. 

Your email content could be beautifully designed, but if it isn’t personalised and able to land in the right inboxes, people will never receive them (let alone open them).

Add in sales targeting leads that are incorrect, and you’ve got the perfect storm of generic content that likely won’t even land in inboxes to begin with. 

Accurate, up to date data is integral to your CRM, which is integral to the success of your business

Treating your CRM as a filing cabinet will result in breeding the exact same environment as a filing cabinet. Dusty, decrepit, and out of sight, out of mind.

If you’re part of a modern business, you need to be using modern practice, and that means getting the best results possible by setting standards for your CRM data, ownership, and reports.

You want one shared source of truth rather than different dashboards for different teams, so that when leadership are making decisions, they’re based on factual and accurate data.

Dirty data in = poor results out.

You can read our full guide to cleaning up your CRM (without crying) to get started on fixing it.

Your CRM could be increasing revenue and efficiency

If you want sustainable business growth, you need to start treating CRM as an embedded business function.

If you’re struggling to assess your current CRM strategy, you know who to call. 

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