How do you convert a custom Lead record type to the custom Opportunity types?

[RightMediaLaura]

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Hi All,

I created 5 new Lead & Opportunity types to fit our business needs.

Lead A needs to convert to Opportunity A, Lead B to Opty B, etc.

When I go to convert one of the custom Lead types to an opportunity, I never got a chance to even choose one of the custom opportunity types to use in Lead conversion.

Is it possible to do this with the conversion process?

Thanks!
Laura

[apexsutherland]

Laura,

The best way to ensure that your Opportunities get set to the correct Record Type is to use a workflow rule to update the Record Type field based on some criteria in the Opportunity.

Are you familiar with how to set up Workflow Rules?

- Alex

[RobLofaro]

There is a workaround to set the Opportunity and/or Account Record type to match that of the Lead's.  Follow these steps:

1.  Create a formula field on the Lead and populate this with the Lead Record Type ID field

2.  Create a Large Text field on the Opportunity with length = 1300 (needed to match length of formula field) called Lead Record Type

3.  Update Lead Mapping to map the Lead Record Type field with the Opportunity: Lead Record Type field

4.  Create a workflow rule on the Opportunity for each record type with the criteria of Lead Record Type = record type id A. 

5.  Add a Field Update on the rule to set the Opportunity Record Type to the appropriate record type matching Lead Record Type A

[hokie81]

Rob,

Trying to get this procedure that you noted to work for me but I can't seem to get the custom Lead Record Type to map to the customer Opportunity Lead Record type:

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There is a workaround to set the Opportunity and/or Account Record type to match that of the Lead's.  Follow these steps:

1.  Create a formula field on the Lead and populate this with the Lead Record Type ID field

2.  Create a Large Text field on the Opportunity with length = 1300 (needed to match length of formula field) called Lead Record Type

3.  Update Lead Mapping to map the Lead Record Type field with the Opportunity: Lead Record Type field

4.  Create a workflow rule on the Opportunity for each record type with the criteria of Lead Record Type = record type id A. 

5.  Add a Field Update on the rule to set the Opportunity Record Type to the appropriate record type matching Lead Record Type A

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Let me preface all this by noting that I am a newby here but I do think I've got a pretty good feel for the application and customizing it; still... I did all five of the above steps but when I display all the fields in the page layouts for Lead and Opportunity records, it looks like the custom field from the lead in step 1 is not mapping via spte e to the Opportunity field defined in step 2. Here's the low-down on the above:

1.  Create a formula field on the Lead and populate this with the Lead Record Type ID field -- Pretty sure I got this right. I defined a custom lead field called Lead Record Type using the formula scheme and using field in the formula called RecordTypeId. I made sure no blanks were in front of or after the field in the formula (not that that matters...) And I see by including that field in my page layout that it is set to the record type of 012800000002FQS which is what I expect the value to be.

2.  Create a Large Text field on the Opportunity with length = 1300 (needed to match length of formula field) called Lead Record Type -- Ditto here. Made the field in Opportunity. Included it in page layouts for Opportunities and see it showing up (albeit blank) in the page layout.

3.  Update Lead Mapping to map the Lead Record Type field with the Opportunity: Lead Record Type field -- This is hard to screw up... I mapped Lead Record Type to Opportunity: Lead Record Type. But I don't see any value (should be 012800000002FQS) getting mapped across when I look at the Opportunity Lead Record Type in the Opportunity. I think any downstream workflow isn;t going to work unless this Opportunity field gets mapped.

4.  Create a workflow rule on the Opportunity for each record type with the criteria of Lead Record Type = record type id A. 

5.  Add a Field Update on the rule to set the Opportunity Record Type to the appropriate record type matching Lead Record Type A

Both of the above were done. I tried using equals as well as contains in the criteria and neither worked. Again I think this stems from the Opportunity Lead Recod Type not getting mapped into...

Any help would be appreciated...

Chris

[Cyberfire]

Hokie81 -

  I'm attempting to get this to work as well, as I desperately need record types from my leads to translate to the opportunities that are created.

  I tried something that looks like it might work - create custom field for leads as "long text area" - under default value, use the formula editor to select the default value of "$RecordType.Name".

  Now, map that over to the custom field in opportunities, and the data is actually mapped! From there the workflow should work - I'll be testing this tomorrow to make sure.

[cmarkle]

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Cyberfire wrote:
Hokie81 -

  I'm attempting to get this to work as well, as I desperately need record types from my leads to translate to the opportunities that are created.

  I tried something that looks like it might work - create custom field for leads as "long text area" - under default value, use the formula editor to select the default value of "$RecordType.Name".

  Now, map that over to the custom field in opportunities, and the data is actually mapped! From there the workflow should work - I'll be testing this tomorrow to make sure.

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I tried this an it basically worked. Only problem with it is that if you change the lead type say from lead type A to B before converting the lead, this custom field value doesn't change correspondingly... Still, it did map over to the Opportunity where the other scheme continues to elude me...

Hokie81