Re-syncing a deleted SFDC field to an existing Marketo field

[Heather_Van_Sch]

We need to reduce the number of custom Lead and Contact fields we have in SFDC and are considering deleting some fields in SFDC that do not need to be visible to our sales team, but keep them in Marketo (and continue to use them). Questions:

• What are the downsides to this approach (removing Lead/Contact fields in SFDC, but continuing to use them within Marketo)? Any alternatives?
• If down the road we decide to re-create the Lead/Contact field in SFDC and sync with the existing Marketo field, will that be possible?
• If we keep the Lead custom field, but delete the Contact custom field, the mapping remains--would that make it easier to re-sync a re-created Contact field using the same mapping as the Lead field?

Appreciate any insight you may have! Thanks - Heather

[Denise_Greenb12 · Accepted solution]

Hi Heather,

• What are the downsides to this approach (removing Lead/Contact fields in SFDC, but continuing to use them within Marketo)? The downside is that someone may assume that the fields are still in SFDC and expect them to have an effect there or have an expectation that SFDC is continuing to populate them. So long as it's understood that these are now "Marketo only" fields I can't see a problem with this approach.
• If down the road we decide to re-create the Lead/Contact field in SFDC and sync with the existing Marketo field, will that be possible? Yes. If you create the field with the same API name you might get lucky and have it connect back up again with the Marketo field. Otherwise you would need to re-create the field in SFDC, which would cause a new field to sync down to Marketo - and you'd have to ask Support to merge the fields for you so that you didn't end up with dupes.
• If we keep the Lead custom field, but delete the Contact custom field, the mapping remains--would that make it easier to re-sync a re-created Contact field using the same mapping as the Lead field? It might. Again, if you re-create the Lead field and map it to the Contact field it will probably sync back to Marketo again as a mapped to both the Lead and Contact. If not, it would sync to Marketo as a new Lead field and Marketo Support could help merge the two. But why would you do this? If the field is applicable to the Lead & Contact - it seems like you would be setting yourself up for confusion.

Denise

[Heather_Van_Sch]

Thanks Denise for this--helpful. Re: bullet #3, the thought of keeping a Lead field but delete it's Contact counterpart is to make it easier to reinstate the Contact field if it's ever needed--if indeed that is the case. I agree it would be confusing and not ideal.

[Floyd_Alvares2]

Hi Heather,

Is there a particular reason you are looking to delete these fields? but require them only in Marketo? Are you looking to populate these fields in Marketo only?

"are considering deleting some fields in SFDC that do not need to be visible to our sales team"  - From this it sounds like you just do not need the sales team to see these fields? In that case you can just hide these fields from the respective page layouts on the "sales profile" for both the Lead and the Contact.

Thanks

Floyd

[Heather_Van_Sch]

Hi Floyd--with our SFDC subscription we're limited to 100 custom fields in Lead and Contact objects, so we're now having to be very thoughtful on what fields are syncing between Marketo/SFDC, and what we just keep in Marketo.

[Floyd_Alvares2]

Hi Heather,

That makes perfect sense just wanted ton confirm there was a reason you were looking to delete fields.

If Denise's reply has answered your question, please mark her answer as correct!

Thanks

Floyd

[Denise_Greenb12]

Thank you, Floyd (and that was a good question you asked) !  And thank you, Heather!