Overview

Your contact database is the foundation of your practice's growth. Every patient relationship begins with a contact record in Growth99—whether they're a brand new lead exploring your services or a loyal patient returning for their next appointment. This guide walks you through creating, editing, and managing contacts to build a comprehensive database that powers your marketing, communication, and patient care efforts.

Creating a New Contact

Adding contacts to Growth99 is straightforward, whether you're entering information from a phone inquiry, creating records for existing patients, or manually building your database.

How to Add a Contact

1. Navigate to Contacts in the top navigation menu

2. Click the Add Contact button

3. Complete the contact form with available information

4. Click Save to create the contact record

Understanding the Contact Form

When creating a new contact, you'll work through several sections of information:

General Information

Stage (Required)

• Select whether this person is a Lead or Customer

• This determines their lifecycle status options and how they'll be treated in automations

Name Fields

• First Name (Required) - The contact's given name

• Last Name (Required) - The contact's family name

Contact Methods

• Email (Required) - Primary email address for communications

• Phone (Required) - Mobile primary phone number for calls and texts

Additional Details

• Date of Birth

• Gender 

• Lifetime Value 

Address Information

Complete address details help with:

• Location-based marketing campaigns

• Driving direction links

• Service area verification

Address Fields Include:

• Address Line 1 - Street address

• Address Line 2 - Apartment, suite, or unit number (optional)

• City - City name

• State - State or province

• Country - Country selection

• Zip Code - ZIP or postal code

Marketing Preferences

Control how this contact receives communications:

• SMS - Toggle on/off for text message marketing

• Email - Toggle on/off for email campaigns

These preferences ensure compliance with communication regulations and respect patient choices.

Editing Existing Contacts

Contact information changes over time. Keep your database current by updating records as needed.

Ways to Edit Contacts

From the Contacts List:

1. Navigate to Contacts

2. Click on any contact name to open their profile

3. Click Edit to modify information

4. Save your changes

From the Inbox:

• While in a conversation, click the contact name in the details panel

• Edit information directly without leaving the conversation

What You Can Edit

All original fields remain editable, plus you can:

• Change lifecycle stage (Lead to Customer)

• Update contact status (New, Warm, Hot, etc.)

• Modify marketing consent preferences

• Add or remove tags

• Update lifetime value

• Add detailed notes about the contact

Deleting Contacts

Sometimes you need to remove contacts from your database—whether they're duplicates, test entries, or upon request.

How to Delete a Contact

1. Navigate to “Contacts”

2. Find the contact you’d like to delete and click the circular button with three dots in it

3. Select Delete 

4. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Deleting a contact is permanent and removes:

• All contact information

• Message history

• Activity timeline

• Associated tasks and notes

Consider marking contacts as "Inactive" or "Junk" instead of deleting if you might need the historical data.

Best Practices for Contact Management

Complete Information Matters

• Fill in as many fields as possible during initial entry

• Complete profiles enable better personalization

• Missing data limits your marketing and communication options

Maintain Data Quality

• Regularly review and update contact information

• Merge duplicate entries when found

• Verify email addresses and phone numbers are formatted correctly

Use Consistent Naming

• Enter names with proper capitalization

• Avoid nicknames in formal name fields (use notes instead)

• Include middle initials when relevant for identification

Leverage Organization Tools

• Apply relevant tags immediately

• Set appropriate lifecycle stages and statuses

• Add notes about preferences, conditions, or special circumstances

Respect Privacy Preferences

• Always honor marketing consent choices

• Update preferences immediately when contacts opt out

• Document special communication requirements in notes

Common Scenarios

Converting a Lead to Customer

When a lead books their first appointment:

1. Open their contact profile

2. Change Lifecycle Stage from "Lead" to "Customer"

3. Update their status to "Active"

4. Add relevant tags about their service interests

Importing Existing Patients

When adding current patients to Growth99:

1. Create as "Customer" not "Lead"

2. Include complete contact information

3. Set lifetime value if known

4. Add notes about treatment history

Managing Family Members

For practices treating multiple family members:

1. Create individual contact records for each person

2. Use consistent address information

3. Add tags like "Smith Family" for easy grouping

4. Note relationships in the comments field

Next Steps

With your contacts properly created and organized, you can:

• Send targeted marketing campaigns

• Track patient journeys through your pipeline

• Automate follow-up sequences

• Generate reports on practice growth

Remember, your contact database is a living system. Regular maintenance and updates ensure it remains a valuable asset for growing your practice.