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Using the Web Info Tab to Link ACT! to Your Social Networking Sites

by Karen Fredricks on December 3, 2010

If you have ACT! 2010 or 2011 and you’re not using the Web Info tab you are missing the banana boat as we say in Florida. And, if you haven’t figured out how to use the Web Info tab in conjunction with your favorite social networking sites, then you’re in for a treat.

You’ll find the Web Info tab in both the Contact and Company Detail views. The Web Info tab is actually a browser that displays information based on data in various fields on a contact or company record. ACT! comes with a number of links to sites including Google Search, Google Maps and Weather.com so you can instantly scour the Net for more information or just see what the weather is like in your contact’s location. You can also easily add new sites; for example, many of my clients like to create a link between their contacts and Twitter.

By far my favorite web link is the one to LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site mainly used for professional networking; as of the latest count LinkedIn had more than 80 million registered users. The beauty of sites like LinkedIn is that they offer you another way to stay in front of your contacts; any posts you make on your LinkedIn site are visible to all of your LinkedIn contacts. And, in the event that a contact leaves his place of employment and changes his e-mail address, you’ll still be able to connect with him.

Here’s how you can start building your own LinkedIn network in 5 easy steps.

Start by logging in to your LinkedIn account.
Create a Lookup of the ACT! Contacts that you’d like to add to LinkedIn.
Click the Web Info tab on the Contacts Detail View and select the LinkedIn link that runs along the left-hand side of the Web Info tab.
LinkedIn will search its database for matches to the current contact record. Click the Add to Network hyperlink on the Web Info tab to send a LinkedIn invitation to the current contact.
Advance to the next Contact record and repeat the process.

Many ACT! users start out by creating a Lookup of all their customers and connecting to them. If you’ve recently joined a networking group or attended a trade show you might want to “link up” with those contacts. Eventually you might get into the habit of checking the status of any contact you’re currently working with.

Social networking is becoming an essential method of communication. If you’re an ACT! user you can stay in touch with your important contacts at the touch of a button.

Karen Fredricks
blog@techbenders.com
www.techbenders.com

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Seattle Sage ACT! 2011 Roadshow – October 13

by Bridgette Boyle on October 7, 2010

Title: Seattle Sage ACT! 2011 Roadshow – October 13
Location: Lynnwood Convention Center (North Seattle)
Link out: Click here
Description: Signup and Agenda: http://www.actplatinum.com/event.html

If you are finding your sales and marketing efforts fizzling instead of sizzling – come to our \”When Opportunity Knocks – ACT! Rocks!\” seminar. This no-cost seminar is designed for every business that could use more business. We will show you that by making connections and using the great tools found in ACT! (the #1 Contact Management program) will allow you to make the most of every opportunity and convert your leads into more closed sales. Plus with the release of ACT! 2011 you will see the new enhancements that will save you time and money.

Inviting business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals to an afternoon packed with information and tips that you can use right away. This seminar is ideal for current owners of ACT! software or if your business is needing a CRM solution.

We look forward to seeing you October 13th!

Bridgette Boyle & the Platinum CRM Consulting Team

http://www.actplatinum.com

Start Time: 13:30
Date: 2010-10-13
End Time: 16:45

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Seattle Sage ACT! 2011 Roadshow

by Bridgette Boyle on October 7, 2010

Title: Seattle Sage ACT! 2011 Roadshow
Location: Lynnwood Convention Center (North Seattle)
Link out: Click here
Description: Parking: Free
Signup and Agenda: http://www.actplatinum.com/event.html

We look forward to seeing you October 13th!

Bridgette Boyle & the Platinum CRM Consulting Team

http://www.actplatinum.com

Start Time: 1:30 PM
Date: 2010-10-13
End Time: 4:45 PM

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ACT 2011 Florida Road Show

by Karen Fredricks on October 4, 2010

Title: ACT 2011 Florida Road Show
Location: BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL
Link out: Click here
Description: Join us at the BankAtlantic Center for an interactive half-day uncovering what’s new in Sage ACT! 2011. The Florida ACT! 2011 Road Show is an opportunity to meet with people from Sage Software and to learn more about the future of ACT!, using ACT! for marketing and sales, and to determine if ACT! is a good solution for your company.

Hors d\’oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash bar. We\’ll also have some great give-aways including lots of free ACT software!
Start Time: 2:00 PM
Date: 2010-10-22
End Time: 6:00 PM

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Are ACT FanACTics Excited about ACT 2011?

by Karen Fredricks on October 4, 2010

It was a dark and rainy night – literally – in August of 2002.

Let me digress. I was one of the 12 consultants nationwide that had been chosen to run an ACT 6 launch event. I was given 6 weeks to secure a location, make audio/visual arrangements and run a trade show of ACT addon vendors. Attendees were invited based on a circle of Fort Lauderdale; the “powers that be” didn’t realize that the only attendees coming from the east, west or south would be sporting fins so I scrambled to create my own invitation list. August is probably the worst month to hold an event in Florida as almost everyone is on vacation somewhere escaping the blistering heat.

I had told the caterers to expect 500 people. After a few lightening strikes literally rattled the windows of the Westin where the event was being held I figured my kids would be eating finger foods for the next week!

The doors to the trade show were scheduled to open at 5 PM. At 3 PM as I was scrambling around the room in jeans literally running wires when a member of the hotel staff sought me out; he didn’t look happy. Apparently folks started arriving early for the event. So many people in fact that a line had begun to snake around the entire lobby.

By 5 o’clock when we opened the doors the place was packed. We ended up having over a 90% attendance rate; the few “no-shows” were quickly replaced by the dozens of people who showed up without a reservation. Needless to say, the event was a success!

I have to admit that the event was truly one of the highlights of my life. It was amazing to see so many ACT “FanACTics” clamoring for a sneak peak of the new ACT product. After all, it had been nearly 4 years since the last ACT release and users were clamoring to see the new changes.

I’ve often wondered if I could have pulled off an event of that magnitude for any other product launch. QuickBooks? Excel? Outlook? I think not.

I am thrilled to announce that after 8 years I am once again holding an ACT event. This time it’s part of Sage Software’s “ACT Road Show” initiative. Sage is sending down a number of their executives to show ACT FanACTics some of the new ACT 2011 features as well as to answer their questions on anything from usability to future product enhancements.

I know I won’t have 500 attendees this time; I’m limiting the event to a mere 200. But I’m really looking forward to once again seeing the loyal ACT followers “raising a glass” to the latest ACT version!

If you’d like to attend please go to http://actroadshow.eventbrite.com to register.

Karen Fredricks
blog@techbenders.com
www.techbenders.com

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Sync options for ACT! 2011

by CompanionLink on September 1, 2010

As Art Russ mentioned in the last post, the new Sage ACT! 2011 supports sync with Microsoft Outlook 2010 32-bit (but not Outlook 2010 64-bit). Outlook sync now a built-in feature in ACT! 2011, but CompanionLink has offered this solution for the past 10 years. We encourage you to try the native Outlook sync in ACT! 2011 – if your needs for Outlook sync demand additional flexibility, try CompanionLink.

We support ACT! 2011 sync with all versions of Microsoft Outlook 2000 and higher, including Outlook 2010 32-bit AND 64-bit. CompanionLink also supports syncing ACT! 2011 contacts, calendar activities, opportunities, to-dos, notes and histories with a wide variety of platforms, including BlackBerry, Android, iPhone & iPad, Palm webOS, Windows Mobile, Google, and other PC applications such as GoldMine or Lotus Notes. For more details on all of CompanionLink’s sync options for ACT! 2011, visit www.companionlink.com/act

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Why 64-bit MS Office 2010 Support for Act 2011?

by Arthur G. Russ on August 17, 2010

Most software packages, including the new version of ACT! 2011, don’t currently supporting the 64-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010. However, ACT! 2011 does work with the 32-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010, Office 2007 and Office 2003. Check out the compatibility and system requirements for both ACT! 2011 and Office 2010, and then check with your ACT! software consultant for additional information. I have included a link to the Microsoft website where you can read for yourself. What is making it difficult and expensive for software developers, like Sage to support the 64-bit version of Office 2010?

Since 64-bit servers and desktops are becoming main stream, a lot of people are thinking they need to jump on the band wagon, and install the 64-bit version of Office 2010. Hold your horses! By default the 32-bit version of Office 2010 is installed even on 64-bit computers. That’s good because if you use any third party software add-ins or plug-ins, most of these programs are written for 32-bit computers. In fact developers are still writing the tools that are needed to write the 64-bit add-ins for integration with MS Office 2010.

Stay tuned; I am pretty sure Windows Mobile phones still can’t sync with Outlook 2010 at all. Remember there was a version of Office 2003 for 64-bit computers. Was there a 64-bit version of Office 2007? Answer is no. So take your time do some homework before you decide to install Office 2010.

Back to reality, if you’re like most of my customers you’re not opening 2 gig or larger spreadsheets in Excel. If you are opening huge spreadsheets, and you don’t rely on any integration from any third party developers, you should consider installing 64-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010. By the way 32-bit version of Excel 2010 will open 2 gig and larger Excel spreadsheets. Go ahead upgrade!

For more in-depth information use this link from Microsoft. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee681792.aspx This article was written back in May 2010, so some information maybe a little dated. Trying to find one source for good information was tuff. This link should save you trying to sift through dozens of articles. Quick note of appreciation goes out to fellow Act! Certified Consultant Susan Luongo Stellar Technology Consulting, she found the above link.

I am thinking Sage ACT! 2011 is slightly ahead of most of the CRM competitors at this point, with the soon to be released ACT! 2011 which is supporting the 32-bit version of MS Office when released. Not even MSCRM claims to integrate with either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of Office 2010 to date. System requirements for ACT! 2011 are available at the following link http://www.act.com/2011/system/actpro/

Arthur G. Russ
Act! Certified Consultant
Indiana
agruss@exec-info-services.com
317-843-0186
Member of the National CRM Alliance

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To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade…That is the Question!!

by Tara Schinkel on August 9, 2010

Every year around this time I find myself answering the same question for my clients:

Should I upgrade ACT!??

Over the last five or six years, Sage Software has followed the same trend in regards to ACT! and upgrades. In the early summer, Sage Software begins presales for the latest and greatest version of ACT!. As part of the presales process, Sage Software discounts ACT! making it an attractive investment for people who need to upgrade. At the same time, Sage Software also announces that come late fall they will no longer support the version of ACT! that was released three years prior.

For companies running their business on ACT!, deciding whether or not to upgrade can be a stressful decision to make. If you have been tasked with deciding whether or not to upgrade ACT!, there are a few questions that you should be asking:

Is the version of ACT! I am using supported by Sage Software and/or by the ACT! Certified Consultant I work with?
If my version is no longer supported, what does that mean for my business? What are the possible implications if ACT! were to suddenly stop working tomorrow? What would the cost of that downtime be to my business?
Can I still purchase additional licenses for the version I am on? Depending on the version of ACT!, it may be supported but Sage Software may no longer sell the licenses for it. If the software is no longer available, do I have enough licenses to cover any growth that could occur in the next 12 to 18 months?
Am I planning to upgrade my hardware or other software in the next 12 to 18 months? If so, will my version of ACT! run on it? Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Office 2010 are all prevalent out on the market and come installed on most new machines. However, if ACT! does not work on it, what does that mean for me?
Is my existing hardware capable of running the new version of ACT!? This is a common pitfall for the people who love to upgrade every year and can end up being a budget gotcha when factoring in the cost of the new hardware that may be required to run the latest version of ACT!.
Will the new features included in ACT! make my business run better/more efficiently? What areas of ACT! need to be improved for my business to run better? Will the new version address those issues?

In working through the answers to the questions above, you will discover the answer to whether or not upgrading ACT! makes sense for your business.

Still unsure about what to do? Reach out to your ACT! Certified Consultant and seek their advice.

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Technology can’t save a company who provides poor customer service

by John Kaufman on August 4, 2010

Every successful company I have dealt with invests heavily in systems and processes to insure their customers have a positive experience when dealing with them. These investments include Customer Relationship Management software such as ACT! to extensive customer service training. It’s not often that I come across one who shoots themselves in the foot repeatedly yet remains in business for a long period of time. Recently I came across one that I’d like to share with you.

I have been a happy Audi car owner since 2004 and recently traded in my 2007 for a 2010. Over the years, I have relied on a car broker to source my cars since I really can’t stand the process of buying a car from a dealer. Over the years, I developed a relationship with McDonald Automotives Audi service department in Denver for warranty work. The people were always nice, but numerous times the loaner I had reserved wasn’t available when I arrived which cost me about two hours of my working day each time this happened? It could have easily been avoided had they called me on the morning of the appointments to tell me they were short cars. Another time they actually crashed my car while fixing it.

So it’s time to trade in my leased 2007 and I decided I would put the exact model out to bid. During this process, I heard about the American Express Dealer network. I received 3 prices from the dealers, including one from McDonald Audi. I went with the low bidder who made a deal with us, who agreed upon ALL the figures, yet we when the car arrived, they added more costs – and I quote them “there are $489 in undisclosed fees we don’t tell people about” until they sit down to pay for the car. The fee is for Document preperation.

Then came the insane part of the transaction. This manager named Christian stated the fee is non-negotiatiable, but that they don’t want to sell me a car unless I’m happy. He went on to explain how important is was that when I was at a party, picnics, etc and talked about my experience with McDonald, they I tell everyone how great they are and the worst thing that could happen was me giving them negative feedback. I ordered this car and waited months for it. I had the money, but was arguing based on the pricinicapl. Do you think I’d walk away at this point?

For $489, he bought all the negative feedback in the world.

I shouldn’t be surprised even though we agreed upon figures that were “all inclusive”. Despite their constant marketing, occasional calls and nice people, they lost a customer forever. No wonder McDonald Automotive Audi is one of the worst ranked Audi dealers in the country.

In our business, we’d write off $500 in a minute if we over charged someone after coming to terms with them rather than lose a customer and have them bad mouth us.

How do you handle this sort of thing?

John Kaufman, Principal
The CRM Connection
Denver, CO

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Facebook, Swiftpage and Sage ACT! 2011 – List Building Made Easy

by Debora Boyle on August 2, 2010

Last article I discussed creating a Facebook Page for your business - so now what? The next step should be to get people to your company’s Facebook Page and start interacting with your visitors. Some ideas to generate interest are to offer a special deal, a contest or better yet something for free.

Facebook Pages come with standard tabs (Wall, Info, Photos, etc…) and adding your special offer might get lost if you post it on one of these tabs. By using an application (app) called Static FBML (Facebook Markup Language) you can add a custom tab just for your special offer. To add the tab, log into Facebook and navigate to http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=4949752878 (we also placed a link on our Facebook Page’s Favorite Pages area at www.facebook.com/ACTPLATINUM). Click the ‘Add to my Page’ link on the left navigation bar below the Static FBML logo. Once the app has been added click the ‘Edit Page’ link below your Company’s logo on your Page, then select the ‘Edit’ link under the Static FBML app. You will be able to add a title to your tab and the content, formatting the content is similar to HTML and a good reference is located at: http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Allowed_FBML_and_HTML_Tags

You can add a form to your FBML tab to request and capture information about your visitors. If you are a Swiftpage or ACT! E-marketing customer you can embed a survey and to ask for specific data from your visitors, we have an example on our Facebook Page at: http://www.facebook.com/ACTPLATINUM?v=app_4949752878
Once the visitor completes your survey you will receive their form data via email to let you know they are interested in your offer.

If you are a Pro or Team subscriber for Swiftpage or ACT! E-marketing you will have a powerful integration feature for your surveys and ACT! database. You will be able to link your survey fields to your ACT! database fields and be able to download your survey responses as new contact records to your database. Once in ACT! you will be able to segment the contacts for targeted sales and marketing efforts and use the Smart Tasks feature new to ACT! 2011. List building made easy!

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