A huge advantage of using a database to store prospects is eliminating duplicate phone calls or paying for the same leads twice. When a lead is written on paper, stored in Excel or Outlook, or even some web based software programs that can’t handle duplicates, it’s close to impossible to keep things straight and know if you already have the person’s information saved somewhere else.
Blitz’s automatic duplicate checker notifies users about potential duplicate leads within their small business CRM software, and allows them to be merged together. When a lead is opened in Blitz, if another lead in the system has the same name, phone number, or email address, users will see a “# Potential Duplicates” message within the lead log. Below are instructions on finding and merging duplicates:
- When you see the message “Found # potential duplicates,” click “View Potential Duplicates” prior to calling or emailing the lead. This should be the first thing that is checked before contact is made.
- The summary page will show all potential duplicates, allowing you to pinpoint the most likely duplicate. Most of the time you will only have one if you keep your database clean. Click the check box next to the potential duplicate and select “Review & Merge” in the dark blue bar. If you have decided at this point that the lead is not a duplicate, click “Return to Lead Log” to go back.
- The two leads will be lined up, allowing users to choose which information to keep. The lead on the left you will keep, and the lead on the right will go to the recycle bin (to flip them, click the double arrow above the “Merge” button). Any information to keep can simply be copied and pasted over to the left lead. All notes, appointments, milestones, files, tags, and opportunities will be merged into the new lead. When completed, click the “Merge” button between the two leads.
