Create or select account on convert lead

[pjamedia]

I am looking at using Sugar CRM for organising my photography business, but my business does not follow the general sales model as Sugar seems to be modelled around.

Instead of hunting for leads who I will be potentially selling something to, the leads in my case are glamour models who I have spotted/found somewhere, and will be going into communication with, in order that I can collect enough information about them to proposition my paying clients - with the prospect of them being interested in me shooting the model for one of their publications.

I figured that the way it may work for me is to use the leads module to record initial model's details, and then somehow use Sugar to track the progress as I speak to these models, collecting further details and images, and then converse with clients about these models and hopefully track the entire progress right through the production stage.

OK, background story over!

I find that when I create a Lead, and then try to convert it to a Contact, Sugar forces me to create an account for this contact. Now if this lead is for a glamour model (someone who I am not selling anything to, but instead will be contracting services from. Would I still have use for an account? This account creation does not seem to be optional. Is there a way to tweak Sugar so that I am not forced to create this account during this lead conversion process. Or do you think that having an account would be a good thing given my circumstance - detailed above?

Thanks in advance, Paul A

[davidboris]

Hello,

If I have understood your request well, you want to allow user to convert lead without creating/selecting Account. If yes,

2 steps,

Step 1: Copy and paste, modules/Leads/metadata/convertdefs.php to custom/modules/Leads/metadata/convertdefs.php

Search for $viewdefs['Accounts']['ConvertLead'] = array( and change the following piece of code,

 'required' => false,
'select' => "account_name",
//'default_action' => 'create', 
  

Step 2: Copy and paste, modules/Leads/views/view.convertlead.php to custom/modules/Leads/views/view.convertlead.php

Search for $jsOut .= "
</script>";

return $jsOut;

Add following code just ABOVE that code,

 $jsOut .="removeFromValidate('ConvertLead','account_name');"; 
  

[pjamedia]

David,

Many thanks for your response and solution. Wondering why the creation/selection of an account for every contact would be enforced, or rather why the default functionality is missing a 3rd option - the choice to have no account associated, such that one could be associated later on if required? Sorry for all the questions - I am new to CRMs generally so learning on my feet! Is it normal in most business to have the need for an account for every contact?

Do you think I would make use of an account option for contacts who I 'pay' rather than 'charge'. I.e. does the account option work as well for purchases as it does for sales?

Wondering also if anyone has any opinions in general given my business scenario whether they think Sugar would work for me, and also would welcome any advice for how the different modules might analogue the processes I described above - I.e. my business model.

Thanks again, Paul A

[roblaus]

You are absolutely right - this is a bug and should have been resolved in 612 but wasn't. Let's hope for the next version. Since a contact without an account is possible why would this be not the case when converting a lead?

[pjamedia]

David,

Thanks you so much for this modification. It works a treat! I would have never figured this out by myself.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Paul A