Leads -> Contact -> Account flow?

[epoint]

Hello...

I have uploaded using a *.csv file more than 500 leads into our leads module. When we work with this module, the details of all the records are updated.

When the clients show´s intresed in one of our products, i see a button which permits me to convert a lead to a contact. Which is cool, but once this contact has purchased actually something it converts into an account. Strangly enough i dont see a button to create the account from the contact.

So resuming, our idea is to import all the contact to leads, workt them trough one by one and evaluate if the contact is "worth" the conversion into a contact. But the part where i get lost is precisly how, or better said in which way i can create (update) this contact to an account. (providing the client has purchased something offcourse)

Does this mean that i have to create the account manually and than link to the contact again? Can anybody clarify this for me please?


Hope to hear from somebody,
many thanks,
Paco

[andopes]

Hi, Paco.

I could not understand where is the problem.

Can you explain step by step what is happening beginning to Leads importing?

Cheers

[epoint]

Hello Andrés.

Ok, the idea is the following.

I have many contact i upload to the leads module. Contact which are missing some elements. We have some callcenter representatives who "clean" up the leads, by calling them up, updating the fields from every contact and offer them a service, ok?
When client shows intrest in a product i convert the client into a contact. By clicking a button which says, convert lead into contacto (Alt+V). Than the lead shows up in my contact module, correcto?

Ok, now when this contact actually buys something from us, the contact becomes a client, for this i need to move (or copy) the contact to account. The thing is that i saw that it is not the same to have a contact as having an account. So what should i do. Create a account for this client and than link it to the contact? I have no clue, because on one hand i have my accounts and on the other hand i have my contacts. In our case we have much more contacts than accounts. Isnt there an easy way to link the contacts to the account, avoiding to need to create the account from "0"?

I hope i explained myselfe a little bit better now.

I have added you to my chat, plz feel free to contact me via msn anytime.
my user name: fj_a@hotmail.com

thanks,
paco

[andopes]

Hi, Paco.

I believe it is a work flow understanding issue.

When converting a Lead Sugar try to generate a Contact and an Account, once the lead has fields for contact and account.
I believe you could create the Account when converting the Lead but create a custom field "status" with value "Inactive" by default.
When the Contact get interested in acquiring some service you can change the status to "Active".
What do you think?

Cheers

[epoint]

Hello andopes.

Yes you are maybe right, maybe it is true that i have a lack of understanding of the workflow. I appologies for this.

The thing which escapes me is when i import everything into "leads" we clear all the leads one by one, checking if we have all the contact details, and have made the first initial contact. Via phone or email. But when i convert the client into a contact how can it be created as a account? i still don´t understand it...
Does this mean i have to create the account manually when we sold something to a contact? and if so how is the relationship between the contact and the account?

I appologies on forehand for my ignorance.
Thank you for your patience.
Paco