Multiple contacts in one opportunity

Is there any way to have multiple contacts allocated to an opportunity? Scenario - initial contact in the prospect leaves the project or company and is replaced. If we just change the contact name we lose the email record for the opportunity (because it is tied to the original contact) - so we would like to have more than one contact associated with the opportunity.

No, opportunities are specific to a single contact. You can, post creation of the opportunity, re-assign a new contact.

Unfortunately that then loses the record of emails relating to the opportunity, because they are associated with the original contact

Not exactly…meaning, emails are associated with the email address. So if more than one contact uses the same email, you will see all the emails for that address under both contacts.

Very unlikely that 2 people have the same email address!

@Mark_Kusionowicz,

Years of helping IS users with their business models and Infusionsoft shows clearly that there are many reasons that about 1/3 of all apps have multiple contacts sharing the same email addresses. Employees of the same company, family (husbands/wives/sons/daughters), real estate companies that use multiple contacts for different properties, but for the same contact (meaning multiple contact records using the same email address).

The only thing that is “very unlikely” is that anything is actually “very unlikely”. There are too many different examples from actual experience that tells a different story because there are so many different business models with “creative” approaches out there.

Still, all that has nothing to do with the statement that email addresses do not belong to contact records but are only associated with them and therefor they are not processed or handled in the same way a contact record can be.

The answer still stands, therefor, that one contact to one opportunity record (not email address) which IS has to account for regardless of that not being ideal for everyone because not everyone ensures unique email addresses for contacts. Therefor, emails cannot be associated with opportunities because it’s a one to many relationship of information.

If it’s unlikely for you that’s great (and what I recommend people do) but it’s not for everyone so the information isn’t handled in the same unique way a contact record is and cannot be associated to an opportunity record.

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I have the same problem, where I might be having multiple conversations with different people related to the same opportunity. My workaround is I link the opportunity to the main contact. If things move on and the conversation them carries on with someone else - I reassign the opportunity to the new contact, but in opportunity notes I put “see also - contact abc” I also add a note to abc contact to say opportunity now with xyz. If a third or 4th contact gets involved I make sure their names are added to the opportunity notes box.
Hope this helps

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Thanks Jane - a helpful workaround.

If you haven’t checked out Macanta and the ability to manage contacts that have connections like this, it’s an option that is worth looking at.

Shocking that my TeleMagic from 15 yr.’s ago is a relational database and Infusion is not. I suggest you look at updating and making this a relational database. I have 5000 or more contacts in TM5 for Windows and 99% have one company with 10-20 contacts per company. I can’t believe this even came up. With all the developers on staff you should be able to knock this out in a few weeks. While doing the redesign make the contact & company pages easier to navigate. I can post a screen shot from TM that show’s level 1 for company & level 2 for contacts, there is a level 3 but I don’t need it. .All fields are drop down & customizable. TM is not Social Media friendly and that’s why I chose Infusion. I still keep TM open and cut and paste info to Infusion. TM is no longer available since SAGE bought them out 15 yrs. ago. If anyone is interested I can send a screen shot of TM.

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I looked at it but didn’t want to pay extra as I assumes Infusionsoft was working on their own relational database.

Infusionsoft is contact centric, @Bill_Abroms. So I’m sorry you were mislead. Telationships and interactions between contacts are not native to the platform. But for a very small amount each month, Macanta can do incredible things when Connections are a vital part of your business model. But totally understand if $69/mo isn’t in your budget.

@Bill_Abroms,

Infusionsoft takes things generally in order of demand based on what has been communicated to them…It’s a very long list and priority goes first to critical fixes and then, where options or improvements are concerned, how much demand has been generated. Your need isn’t the most common but if you wish to add to the list to increase the demand then you can do so at infusionsoft.com/tellus

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No problem. I’m using both CRM’s for now.

Sounds good then :slight_smile:

@Cheryl_Hunt We are in the antique lumber business. This scenario plays out often… Say they are looking at flooring… We will have contact with the Owner, designer, and builder all on the same job. What is a suggested work around to tie all of the emails in?

Thanks

I think you’d first look at how to identify each in their own roles. Likely you could/would do this with tagging. You would then need to build your workflow campaign around mitigating emails/sms etc by what tags are applied. It can be a bit tricky to keep track of in your head sometimes but functionally it could be done this way.

I pretty new to this and I do have a coach i’m working with… We are tagging people into the 5 main general categories… homeowners, building contractor, flooring contractor, architect/designer, millwork/lumberyard Can I tag another contact?

You’re referring to tagging a user rather than a contact? Not specifically, BUT most just create a contact record that can be used to act on behalf of the user and tag/work with that.

we are creating contact records for all parties involved… i edited the above post… The opportunities contact is the person that writes us a check. If I’m understanding correctly, i would then tag other contacts IE the contractor and designer inside of the opportunity.