Duplicate Contacts

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Before importing contacts with shared contact details, it’s crucial to adjust your CRM settings to allow for duplicates in certain fields while ensuring unique identification through other means.

Accessing Settings:

  • Navigate to the ‘Settings’ section of the CRM. The ‘Business Profile’ section will be opened. Scroll to the ‘Contact Deduplication Preferences’ section.
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Adjusting for Duplicates:

  • Look for options labeled ‘Allow Duplicate Contact’ and ‘Allow Duplicate Opportunity’.
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  • Ensure both options are enabled. This setting permits the system to accept multiple contacts with identical phone numbers and email addresses.

Importing Contacts with Shared Information

Once the settings are adjusted to allow duplicates, the next step involves importing the contacts while ensuring each individual is uniquely identified despite shared contact details.

Initiating Contact Import:

  • Go to the ‘Contact Import’ page within the CRM.
  • Select ‘Import Contact’ and upload the file containing your contacts. Click ‘Open’ followed by ‘Next’.
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Configuring Import Settings:

  • Click on ‘Advanced’ to access more detailed options.
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  • It’s crucial to select ‘Add New Contact Records’. This option focuses on adding new entries without altering existing ones.
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  • For the crucial step, under ‘Skip Existing Contacts Based On’, choose ‘None’. This instructs the CRM to bypass the default behavior of identifying duplicates based solely on email addresses, allowing the system to create new records for individuals sharing contact details.
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Finalizing the Import:

  • Click ‘Submit’ to start the import process.
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  • Refresh the page to see the newly added contacts, ensuring that individuals with shared contact details are now uniquely listed in the system.
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Practical Example

To illustrate, if you’re managing a family’s account where two members, Margaret and Javier Ramos, share an email and phone number but need separate records, following the above steps will allow you to create distinct entries for each. After the import, you’ll see two entries for Margaret Ramos and two for Javier Ramos, each recognized as a unique contact in the CRM.

Troubleshooting and FAQs

What if I accidentally create duplicates?

  • The CRM offers tools to merge duplicate contacts, allowing you to consolidate information and maintain clean records.

Can I revert the import if I make a mistake?

  • While direct reversion isn’t typically available, you can delete incorrect entries and re-import the correct information.