When managing communication within your property list, it’s important to understand how 8020REI determines which phone number is considered the primary (or main) contact — especially when using Action Plans for SMS automation.
What Is the Primary Number?
The primary number is the phone number that has been manually marked as the "Decision Maker" or "Influencer" within a property record. This number is automatically treated as the main point of contact for that property.
Once marked, this number becomes the default recipient for any SMS steps in your Action Plans that are set to target the "Primary Number Only."
Why This Matters
By assigning a primary number, you can:
Control exactly who receives messages, instead of blasting all numbers associated with a property
Improve deliverability by sending SMS only to the most relevant contact
Prevent redundant or unwanted messages from going out to less qualified contacts
What Happens if No Primary Number Is Assigned?
If no phone number is marked as a Decision Maker or Influencer:
The system will automatically send the SMS to the first number listed on the property record (typically sorted by import order or system logic).
How Action Plans Work with Primary Numbers
Depending on how your Action Plan is configured, the system will behave differently:
1. If the SMS step is set to “Send to Primary Number” only:
It will send only to the number marked as Decision Maker or Influencer.
If no such number exists, the message will go to the first number on file.
2. If the SMS step is set to “Send to All Numbers”:
The system will ignore the primary setting and send the message to all associated phone numbers for that property.
Important: Always review your Action Plan settings and contact assignments to ensure your messages are going to the right people.
Best Practices
Assign a Decision Maker or Influencer as soon as you confirm the best contact for a property.
Use Primary Number sending options when you want to avoid duplicate outreach.
Use “Send to All” with caution, especially if there are multiple contacts with shared numbers or tenants.
Summary
The primary number is the phone marked as a Decision Maker or Influencer
SMS steps set to “Primary Number” will use that contact
If no primary is set, the system defaults to the first listed number
SMS steps set to “Send to All” will override the primary setting
Choose your strategy based on the type of communication and list quality
Have questions about contact strategy or how to optimize your Action Plans? Reach out to your Customer Success Manager for tailored guidance.