What are Relationships?

Relationships are associations with one or more companies or people.

Why do I need Relationships?

Using relationships aren't a requirement; however using them can greatly affect your efficiency as your contact database grows.

How are Relationships different than a typical organizational structure?

Not much, except that they allow for future flexibility, increased awareness and marketing leverage.

Below is an example of a typical organizational structure:

+ ABC Company Ltd.

- Employee #1 - Sally (Owner)

- Employee #2 - John (Project Leader)

- Employee #3 - Rafael (Project Assistant)

Most of your correspondence with ABC Company is with Employee #2 - John (Project Leader) for more than 2 years, and then suddenly John departs the company and is now employed by ASAF Company Ltd. Your relationship with John hasn't changed however with a typical organizational structure all of your history (emails, tasks, phone logs, etc) would be lost, when you create the new company ASAF Company Ltd. in your contacts database. Below is an example of this change.

+ ABC Company Ltd.

- Employee #1 - Sally (Owner)

- Employee #2 - John (Project Leader)

- Employee #3 - Rafael (Project Assistant)

+ ASAF Company Ltd.

- Employee #1 - Charles (Owner)

- Employee #2 - John (Project Leader)

- Employee #3 - Susan (Project Assistant)

Using Relationships, you'll be able to simply relate John to both ABC Company and ASAF Company keeping all of his history with John. Below is an example

+ ABC Company Ltd.

- Employee #1 - Sally (Owner)

- Employee #2 - Alex (Project Leader)

- Employee #3 - Rafael (Project Assistant)

- Employee #4 - John (Project Leader)

+ ASAF Company Ltd.

- Employee #1 - Charles (Owner)

- Employee #2 - John (Project Leader)

- Employee #3 - Susan (Project Assistant)

Another view is as follows:

+ JOHN (Project Leader)

- Company #1 - ABC Company Ltd.

- Company #2 - ASAF Company Ltd.

As you can see Relationships allow you to associate a contact with one or more companies or people.

How can I manage Relationships?

When viewing a contact, in the lower right panel, click “relationships” link. Search for a contact and click “add” to the right of the contact. That’s it!

How can I view Relationships?

When searching for a contact, on the far right of the listing under the column heading “Relationships”, click the “view” link of the contact you wish to view the relationships of. The search will quickly refresh and show the relationships of that contact.