# Run the first merge live with your client | Dedupely > Merging the first duplicates on a call with your client builds more trust than any report. A 45-minute session format, from the sample to the first batch. - URL: https://dedupe.ly/blog/partners/run-first-merge-live-with-client - Section: blog - Published: 2026-11-12 - Site index: https://dedupe.ly/llms.txt - Any page: append `.md` to its URL for this plain-text form --- Skip to content [New Dedupely Intelligence Now on every paid plan, monthly or yearly.](https://dedupe.ly/ai-deduplication) [Blog](https://dedupe.ly/blog) [Partners](https://dedupe.ly/blog/partners) ## Run the first merge live with your client By [Gaby Salinas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbyslns) Updated November 12, 2026 # min read TL;DR - The first merge is the moment a client decides whether to trust your cleanup. - Doing it live on a call lets them see exactly what happens to their records. - Recap the rules, review a sample together, merge one set, check it in the CRM, then merge a small batch. - End with a clear plan for the rest, and what the client should watch for. - In Dedupely, previews show the result before each merge, and Merge History records what changed. A client can approve your merge rules on paper and still be nervous about the first merge. They don't know what it will look like in their CRM, and they're the one who will hear about it if something goes wrong. Running the first merge live, on a call with the client, turns that nervousness into confidence. They see the records before, the merge and the result in their own CRM. This post gives a format for that session. ### Who should be there - **The client's CRM owner or admin.** They know the data and approve the result. - **A sales or support lead,** if their team uses the records most. - **You,** sharing your screen. Keep it to three or four people. More than that and the session turns into a debate on merge rules. ### A 45-minute format | Time | What happens | | --- | --- | | 5 min | Recap: what counts as a duplicate, which record survives, which values win | | 10 min | Review a sample of 10 to 20 sets from the safest search together | | 5 min | Merge one set, then open the merged record in the CRM | | 10 min | Check the result: values, activities, linked deals, owner | | 10 min | Merge a small batch from the same search | | 5 min | Agree on the next steps and what to watch for | ### Pick the safest search Start with the search the client is least likely to argue with, usually contacts with an exact email match. The aim of the session is a clean first result, not the biggest number. Leave the harder cases, like companies with branches or deals, for a later session once the client has seen a merge work. Example Say a consultant starts the session with contacts matched on exact email. Reviewing the sample, the client spots two sets that share an info@ address and belong to different people. The consultant rejects both sets on the call, adds a filter to leave out shared inboxes, and merges the rest. The client has seen their concern turned into a rule in under a minute. ### Check the result in the CRM Don't just show the merge in the tool. Open the merged record in the client's CRM, the screen their team uses every day, and check: - The **name, email and phone** are the ones they expect. - The **activities and notes** from both records are there. - **Linked deals and companies** moved to the merged record. - The **owner** is right. ### End with a plan Before the call ends, agree on: - **The next search** to merge, and when. - **Who checks** a few merged records the next day. - **How the team reports a problem,** and who they tell. Pro tip Record the session, with the client's permission. When someone on their team asks later why a record merged the way it did, the recording shows the decision and who made it. ### How Dedupely helps in a live session In Dedupely, previews show which record survives and which values win before you merge, with winning values in bold. You can reject a set during the call and it stays out of future searches for that object, and you can add filters on any synced field to leave out cases like shared inboxes. Merge a single set, or select a batch and merge it in one step. Merge History shows every merge with each original record's values, and most merges can be undone for 30 days, though every merge should be treated as permanent. If the client wants to follow along afterwards, you can invite them to their own company with a role that fits, like Read-only User. [Run your next client cleanup](https://v2.app.dedupe.ly/signup) ### Let the client see it happen A live first merge shows the client exactly what a merge does, on their own records, with them in the room. Start with the safest search, check the result in their CRM, merge a small batch and end with a plan for the rest. ### Frequently asked questions #### Should I merge duplicates with the client on a call? For the first merge, yes. It shows them what happens to their records and builds trust for the rest of the cleanup. #### How long should the session take? About 45 minutes: a recap, a sample review, one merge, a check in the CRM and a small batch. #### Which duplicates should I merge first? The safest ones, usually contacts with an exact email match. Leave harder cases for later sessions. #### What if the client spots a set that shouldn't merge? Reject it on the call and, if it's a pattern, add a filter. It shows them their input changes the rules. #### Who should attend? The client's CRM owner or admin, a lead from the team that uses the records most, and you. Behind the article ### Gaby Salinas Marketing Assistant at Dedupely Gaby Salinas came to CRM data from marketing and advertising, so she looks at duplicates from two sides: the match and merge logic behind them, and what they do to the people using the CRM, like the rep who calls a customer twice, the admin who gets blamed and the cleanup nobody wants to start. As Marketing Assistant at Dedupely, she follows how RevOps teams, end users, consultants and technical teams actually work with their data: the records they stop trusting, the workarounds they build and the moment they finally decide to clean up. What she finds shapes most of what Dedupely publishes. [Connect with Gaby on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbyslns) ### Contact us We’d be happy to help you get this set up. #### Write us a message We probably know the answer to your question already help@dedupe.ly Email copied to your clipboard! [Book a Zoom Whether you’re getting started or getting intense. Get in touch! Book a zoom](https://meetings.dedupe.ly/meetings/gaby-salinas/dedupely-zoom-scheduler) ### Discover Related Blog Posts Stay updated with our latest articles and insights. - [Team Collaboration Getting sales, marketing and support to agree on duplicates Sales, marketing and support use the same records in different ways. Agree on what a duplicate is, write it down and decide which values win per field. Gaby Salinas October 19, 2026](https://dedupe.ly/blog/team-collaboration/agree-on-what-counts-as-duplicate) - [Partners What should I do in my first week with a client's CRM? Your first week with a new client's CRM: get access, connect it, look before you touch anything, define duplicates and run your first test merges. Gaby Salinas October 26, 2026](https://dedupe.ly/blog/partners/first-week-new-client-crm) - [Duplicates Can you undo a merge in a CRM? Can you undo a merge in a CRM? In most, no. See what each CRM allows after a merge, and how to recover from a wrong merge. Gaby Salinas October 30, 2026](https://dedupe.ly/blog/duplicates/can-you-undo-a-crm-merge) ### Get started for free 20 free trial merges and as much free support as you need to get your duplicates under control. [Try for free](https://v2.app.dedupe.ly/signup)[Talk to sales](https://meetings.dedupe.ly/meetings/gaby-salinas/talk-to-sales) [Or sign up with Google](https://v2.app.dedupe.ly/signup/google) Running CRM cleanup for clients? [See the Partner Program](https://dedupe.ly/become-a-partner)