My Top Ten Favourite Sage ACT! Features in 2011

As 2011 draws to a close I have been reflecting on the features in ACT! that I use the most, the ones that work best for me. These are not exclusive to the latest version (Sage ACT! 2012), but are just the ones that I've used most this year.

1. Mailmerge to Letters and E-mail
   The ability to merge information into Word documents and Outlook E-mails has been around for a while. This is probably the function I use most. I have stack of around twenty different templates set up which allow me to generate printed documents and e-mails with a couple of clicks. I also frequently use two templates in parallel. For example, I will generate a quotation in Word, then save it as a PDF. I then generate a covering e-mail and attach the PDF. I'm still looking forward to the day I can do this as one process!
2. Quick Lookups
   Like most ACT! users if I'm trying to find stuff in my database I will most likely turn first to the Quick Lookup window at the top-left of the screen. I also run the Default Lookup Field add-on from Exponenciel ( http://www.exponenciel.com/actaddons/actaddon.aspx?ID=142 ) so that the default lookup is Company rather than Contact, which saves a couple of mouse-clicks each time I need to find a company in my database.
3. Outlook Calendar Sync
   This is running constantly in the background, syncing my ACT! and Outlook calendars in both directions. So it doesn't matter whether I'm working in ACT! or Outlook, the calendars are the same. The additional benefit is that my Android phone syncs to Outlook (one way, Outlook to phone), so all my ACT! scheduled appointments turn up on my phone. Once again, I use an add-on, the Advanced Acivity Window from Exponenciel ( http://www.exponenciel.com/actaddons/actaddon.aspx?ID=140 ) so that I can select what contact information is synchronised to Outlook and then to my phone.
4. Import from Excel
   I do a lot of importing data from Excel, and it's great that at long last you can import directly from an Excel spreadsheet without having to save as a csv file first. I can't get myself to trust the automatic field matching, I'm sure it works fine but I prefer to map the fields manually to get that warm cozy feeling that the import will go as expected. The report produced after an import should flag any errors, but to my mind, by then it's too late.
5. Dynamic Groups
   Where would I be without dynamic groups? All my regular queries are saved as dynamic groups so I can select and use the latest information instantaneously. Want to find all the accountants in Birmingham with a shoe-size of 9? Providing you have fields in ACT! to capture the raw information you can set up a dynamic group to select just the contacts you want. I always start a mailmerge by first setting up a dynamic group of the contacts who will receive my words of wisdom.
6. Edit | Replace
   This lesser known function is one that I use all the time, often when out at a customer's site. Want to change the ID/Status of 300 records from Prospect to Customer? Use Edit | Replace to do it in one go.
7. Create New Fields
   Creating new fields to capture relevant bits of information that might be useful to your business is one of the greatfeatures of ACT! Sometimes it takes a little thought where those new fields should appear. Just keep in mind that the ACT! database is made up of different tables, which in turn make up the list views (Contact List, Group List, Company List and Opportunity List). It's really easy to extract and print data from each list and it can also be exported to Excel with one click. Just make sure that any new fields are set up in the right list. For example, I've added a field called Invoice Number. I've put this in the Opportunities area so it appears in the Opportunity list.
8. Open in Contact Detail View
   By default, an ACT! database greets you with the Welcome Screen. This is interesting for about 30 seconds, but then you need to change the view to do something useful. The good news is that you can change the default opening screen to Contacts, Contact List, or Dashboards. (Tools | Preferences | Startup tab | Startup view).
9. ACT! Analytics
   "Never heard of it", I hear you say, and I'm not surprised. For a while it has been possible to generate reports in Excel by using Excel's import wizardry to access your ACT! data via the back door. (You have to have the correct permissions to do this by the way). The latest versions of ACT! come with a utility that allows simple extraction of some basic Tasks and Opportunity information and for that to be  displayed in a pivot table. No. Really. This is potentially quite exciting stuff. If you would like more information check out this Knowledgebase article. http://tinyurl.com/cog3rvn
10. ACT! Scheduler
    There's no excuse for not having a backup of your database when you need it, and for not keeping your database in tip-top condition. ACT! has its own scheduler to do these things for you in the background. (Tools | ACT! Scheduler). If your main database resides on a server then set this up there. You can schedule daily backups at some convenient hour in the middle of the night. I suggest you set it up to at least retain the last five backups then delete older ones. You can also schedule database maintenence to run an hor or so later. This checks for any minor glitches and also reindexes you data so it all runs as quickly as possible.

So, there we have it. That's what I use. Surprised there's no mention of Smart Tasks, Universal Search or Google integration? It's just that I dont use them. Others may well do. ACT! is a sales and marketing toolbox. You may not need to use every tool in the box; just pick the ones that work for you!

If you would like some on-site ACT! training or support anywhere in the UK we can help. Just click the link for more information. ACT Training.

May I wish you a happy Christmas holiday and good health for tthe new year.

Jeff

 

 

 

Sage ACT 2012 Service Pack 1 is Released (30 Nov 2011)

Today Sage released Sage ACT! 2012 Service Pack 1.

Important: there are regional variations, so if you are in the UK make sure you download the UK version!

Also note that if you upgrade one PC you must upgrade them all (Including your ACT! server).




New Features & Product Improvements

This release addresses some enhancements to data security, and ease of use in the areas of Import/Export and Microsoft® Outlook® integration.

Data Security

• Sage ACT! users with Microsoft Outlook and/or Google® integration now have the ability to configure and use those integrations with Sage ACT! over Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
• Sage ACT! users who have accepted to participate in Product Enhancement Program (PEP) now have their information sent over Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to the Sage server.

Outlook Integration

• Sage ACT! users now have the ability to remove their Outlook activities from Sage ACT! en masse, so that they can revert back to a state prior to Sage ACT! and Outlook activity integration. Users can perform sync again after the process of removal en masse.
• Sage ACT! users are able to know what duplicate checking criteria Sage ACT! is using for Microsoft Outlook contacts in the Microsoft Outlook integration setup.

Import

• Help file has been updated to include best practices for importing data to Sage ACT!.

Issues Fixed

A number of issues have been fixed, including problems with synchronisation that some users were experiencing.

Full details if issues fixed can be found here: http://kb.sagesoftwareonline.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/28507/kw/2012%20sp1

Service pack 1 can be downloaded here: http://www.act.com/Support-and-Training/Download-Center

If you are outside the USA scroll to the bottom of the page for the international versions. UK comes under EMEA.

To book a training course on ACT 2012 in the UK visit our web site at http://www.bigbluemarketing.co.uk/act-software-training-10-c.asp

Review - Sage ACT! 2012 Cookbook by Karen Fredricks

Copyright © 2011 Packt Publishing
ISBN 978-1-84968-250-3

Twenty-four years after being launched on the world, Sage ACT! software remains the world's most popular contact management and entry level CRM programme on the planet. Currently in its 2012 iteration (version 14) it continues to develop into a formidable sales and marketing toolbox.

Karen Fredricks, who has produced many manuals and guides on the use of ACT! now takes a slightly different approach with the Sage ACT! 2012 Cookbook, subtitled; "Over 90 advanced recipes for power-users of ACT! 2012 for increasing the efficiency of your business".

This book is not just about how to "push the buttons", over the 284 pages Karen reveals many of the techniques that can make Sage ACT! 2012 a key tool for your business.

Over thirteen clearly written chapters Karen takes you by the hand and, with a twinkle in her eye, she gently guides you through all the tools that you either didn't know existed or were just too frightened or confused to use.

From the simple but time-saving changes that can be made on starting ACT! such as modifying the NavBar and making the Welcome screen go away, through to more complicated areas such as Smart Tasks, Queries and Email Marketing, Karen takes each in her stride.

Along the way you will also be introduced to the new tools in the box for the 2012 version of ACT! such as Scratchpad, Google Integration and the new Universal Search facility.

The thirteen chapters are:
Chapter 1: Working with the Welcome Page and Navigation Bar
Chapter 2: Jotting Down your Notes Using Scratchpad
Chapter 3: Using Queries to Find Data
Chapter 4: Relating Contact Records
Chapter 5: Integrating Contact Information with Websites
Chapter 6: Grouping your Contacts
Chapter 7: Working with Companies
Chapter 8: Creating Golden Opportunities
Chapter 9: Integrating with Microsoft Outlook
Chapter 10: Integrating with Google
Chapter 11: Performing Routine Maintenance
Chapter 12: Creating an E-marketing Campaign
Chapter 13: Working Smarter with Smart Tasks

Each chapter is divided into consistent sections, starting with a description of the function that's being discussed and why you might want to use it.

"Getting ready" describes what needs to have been prepared before you can complete the task. For example, in the "Sending an outlook message to a single contact", the Getting ready section reads;
There are two things necessary in order to send an ACT! email message with the help of Outlook: -Outlook must be open and fully functional. You've completed the E-mail Setup in ACT! and indicated your preference to use Outlook.
-There is an email address in one of the email fields of the current contact record.

Next comes a section on "How to do it" where each key-press or mouse-click required to do the task in hand is methodically described, along with the relevant screen shots to demonstrate the procedure.

Then comes a "How it works" section which explains what's actually going on as you complete the task.

Finally in each topic comes a "There's more…" section which expands on the options available and adds some useful hints and tips and further discussion about each subject.

Practical examples are used throughout so the reader isn’t confused by jargon and nothing is left to chance; every required mouse click is listed. Although this book is described as being for advanced users, with this level of guidance anyone can follow the steps described in their own ACT! databases.

Chapter 13 on Email Marketing is especially useful for anyone wishing to use the add-on Sage Email Marketing for ACT! facility. This "connected service" is provided by the US company, Swiftpage. Although the Swiftpage service does what it says on the tin, the process itself is fairly mind-boggling and far from intuitive. Thankfully, once again Karen breaks down the process into easily digestible pieces so that the process is demystified.

Without having the book in front of you it's difficult to convey just how brilliant it is. Karen's experience in producing training materials shines through on every page.

If you want to use ACT! as more than an address book you need this guide. If you have already been using ACT! for a number of years you will still learn a huge amount by working through this book.

Did you know you can duplicate Secondary Contacts?
No, neither did I.

http://www.packtpub.com/sage-act-2012-cookbook/book
Jeff Granger
ACT! Trainer in the UK

www.bigbluemarketing.co.uk
ACT Training

Hosted ACT! for Web (Or, ACT! for Web Made Easy)

We all know that Sage ACT! is the top-selling contact management and entry-level CRM software in the world. It is used by millions of people to manage their working day and their customer reationships.

Nearly all of these people have ACT! installed on their computers.

Which is fine.

What's less well known is that there's another way to get all the benefits of ACT! without having to install any software at all, ACT! for Web.

Now ACT! for Web has been around for many years now. Infact, the very first job I did as an ACT! consultant was an ACT! for Web (Version 6) installation fo a labelling company north of Manchester.

Traditionally, the client sets up their own web server, and we then install ACT for Web on that server. The people using ACT! then access the system via a web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer).
The benefits are:

• There's no software to install and maintain on the clients' computers.
• Upgrades and maintenence are therefore much easier.
• There are no hardware issues; providing you have IE8 or 9 it just works.
• No software means no drain on you PCs' resources so your computer runs faster.
• You can work from anywhere you have an internet connection; no LANs, WANs or VPNs to worry about.

However, if the concept of setting up and maintaining a Web Server makes you shudder, there is now an easier way; Hosted ACT for Web.

We have partnered with a UK datacentre who do all the techie stuff. You just pay a monthly charge and you are up an running with you very own secure ACT! for Web database that you can access through your web browser.

And it's fast. You could be up and running in just a day or two.

The basic system gives you up to five ACT! users, but you can have as many as you want (up to 100). Each user has their own unique User Name and Password so your data is secure.

The system is ideal for sales teams who work from home and for remote workers.

Back-ups, Windows updates and ACT updates are all taken care of, and we can also help with the initial configuration of your database and importing any existing data you may have. We can also provide an on-site ACT training day to get you off to a flying start.

For more information and for a quote, call me on 0845 603 6755 or visit our web site http://www.bigbluemarketing.co.uk/act-for-web-hosted-49-c.asp

ACT Hints and Tips - Add an "All Contacts" button to your Tool-bar.

Here's a great tip which just helps to speed things up when using ACT!
When working witth ACT! we often do Lookups to select a sub-set of our Contact records. It might be all of our Prospects, everyone who is in Birmingham, or something completely different.
We can tell that we are working with just a selection of the database rather than the whole thing in a couple of ways.
Firstly, the big number in the top menu bar will be smaller than usual.
Secondly, if you look at the very bottom left of the ACT screen, just above the Windows Start button, you will see the Lookup status.
It will either say Lookup: All Contacts or Lookup: <Field Name>. where the field name is the name of the field used for tthe current Lookup. Bet you hadn't spotted that!

So we've done our Lookup, but how on earth do we get back out of it so we can work on all of our contact records again?
Well, the traditional way is to Click "Lookup" then "All Contacts" from the menu-bar.
Well here's a way that is a little more obvious and will save you a click every time.
We can add an "All Contacts" button to the tool-bar.
Here's how to do it.
Right-click in a blank part of the ACT! tool-bar (on the right somewhere).

Select Customise... at the bottom. The "Customise Menus and Toolbars" window appears.
Select "Lookup" in the Categories window and "Lookup All" in the Command window
Now, holding the mouse down, drag "Lookup All" to the ACT! tool-bar then let go of the mouse.
You can put the new button anywhere you like but to the right of the >| arrow seems logical to me.
Now Close that window and you are ready to go.
Whenever you are in a lookup and want to return to all of your contacts, just click the "All Contacts" button!

What's more, you can add this button to both your Contact Detail View and your Contact List View.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Enjoy.

For on-site ACT Training with lots more useful hints and tips you won't find in the manuals just click the link below,
ACT Training

Map of Big Blue Marketing ACT! Training Customers

I have always worked on the principle that the best and most relevant training is delivered on-site at the customers' premises where we can use the client's own ACT! database as part of the training programme.
As a result, I travel thousands of miles a year the length and breadth of the UK.
To prove the point, here's the latest map showing where all out customers are located.
The map was created using data from our own ACT! 2012 database.
Want to know how?
If you would like ACT Training delivered at your premises click the link!

ACT Hints and Tips - ACT! 2012 Set up Web Info Tab for Gmail

ACT!'s built in email functionality does not integrate with Gmail. However, you can send Gmails from Sage ACT! from the Web Info tab by setting up a custom web link: https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to={E-mail}
Selecting this link in Web Info tab will have a Gmail new mail message ready for writing with the e-mail address of the contact preloaded in the To field.