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Chicago ACT! USER GROUP
Meeting Notes
Meeting Date: October 8, 1996
NEWS YOU CAN
USE: Windows users: the latest version of
ACT! for Windows is version 2.0.9. This update contains bug fixes for
Mobile Link users. The update solves the problem of unintended duplication
of contact record notes during merging. Should you update to 2.0.9?
Remember that Symantec Tech Support supports only the latest version of
ACT!. If your livelihood depends on ACT!, consider updating. The ACT! 2.0.9
update is available from Symantec or from E Tech Systems at (847) 352-4770
for $10 shipping and handling. ACT! 3.0 (for Windows 95) will be shipping
in November. This is a major upgrade and will cost about
$99.
MEETING
FEATURE: This month, our featured speaker
was E Tech’s Ralph Will. Ralph is a member of E Tech’s Internet Services
Group. Ralph discussed the virtues of establishing an Internet Web site and
how to use it as a tool to gather sales leads and provide cost-effective
customer support.
An Internet presence, once considered a means to give one’s
business a trendy up-to-date image, is slowly proving itself capable
of generating quantifiable results. While the percentage of people
who purchase products over the Internet is only 14%, the number is
growing each day.
The secret to getting results is to understand - and
capitalize upon - the key attributes of an Internet web site. A web
site, of course, is capable of providing detailed information about
your product or service. What is unique is that this information can
be easily updated regularly - every day (or every hour) if you need
to. There is no other conventional form of advertising that offers
this sort of flexibility. Secondly, an Internet web site is
interactive. For example, at UPS’s web site you can type in the
sender’s and recipient’s zip codes along with the weight of a
package, and, the shipping cost of the package is automatically
calculated and displayed.
An Internet web site can serve to generate qualified sales
leads for your products or services in a cost-effective manner. The
key to realizing cost savings is to ask the right questions and to
provide structure for the individual’s response. Because a web site
is interactive, an interested suspect can contact your business (say
to request a product demo or to place an order) easily and
conveniently - even if it’s 10 PM and no one is at your office. There
are no phone numbers or fax numbers to remember or write down. While
faxes and e-mail inquiries are subject to interpretation, a
structured format for responses (such as a form users can fill out
on-line) means requests can be handled with great efficiency. It’s
easy to see how this can translate into time and money
savings.
Once leads are captured, they may be distributed to field
sales staff by zip code or any other "rule". A new capability Ralph
discussed was using an add-in package in conjunction with a web site
to "package" leads as ACT! contact records. These leads could then be
sent via Internet e-mail to a salesperson halfway around the
world!
Another way companies can benefit from setting up a web site
is to provide cost effective customer support and service
information. For example, all the owner of a piece of manufacturing
equipment needs to do to access service information or product
updates and enhancements is to visit a web site set up for that
purpose. As a matter of fact Symantec, the manufacturer of ACT!, will
be offering future software updates for ACT! 3.0 through their web
site. (Norton AntiVirus already uses the "LiveUpdate" feature.) What
could be simpler?
OPEN FORUM:
Recording the Date a Document Was Sent
Q How can I get the date a document was sent to
automatically appear in a contact record field?
A ACT! automatically enters the date any letter was sent
(and its name) in two fields located on the "back" (second screen) of
a contact record, however only the name and date of the last letter
sent is shown. All letters sent will be recorded in history, though.
To insert the present date in any field, Windows users should press
the F4 key followed by the Insert key.
Printing My Schedule in a Task List Report
Q How do I get my schedule to print out in a Task List
report?
A What you need to do is tell ACT! to include this
information in reports. Sound simple? This is done by switching to my
record (LOOKUP, MY RECORD) and changing Access from Exclude to
Include. (Access is a field located on the rear (second screen) of
the contact record.)
Scanning Artwork Into ACT! Documents
Q Can information be scanned directly into ACT!
2.0?
A No. Try scanning artwork into another program such as
Windows Paintbrush. Then use the cut and paste commands to move the
image into an ACT! document, template, or report. Small images can
successfully be imported.
Error Message: General Protection Fault
Q I’m getting a General Protection Fault on my Windows PC
when using ACT!. Any suggestions?
A First update your software to the latest version. (The
current version of ACT! for Windows is 2.0.9.) Then compress and
re-index your database(s). The best way to do this is to close your
database and execute the command: FILE, REINDEX.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! OUR NEXT MEETING . .
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of the ACT! User Group will be held on Tuesday January 14.
(There will be no meeting in December.) The ACT! User Group (a SIG of
the C.C.S.) holds meetings on the second Tuesday of the month eight
months out of the year. User Group meetings are free and open to all
C.C.S. members. They are held at the Midway Motor Lodge in Elk Grove
Village. Call E Tech Systems at 847-352-4770 or visit
www.etechsys.com for details.
© Copyright 1996 by Alan M. Lee, all rights reserved. Other
nonprofit computer user's groups may reprint this material providing
credit is given the author and C.C.S. Future rights for publication
reserved by Alan M. Lee. ACT! is a registered trademark of Symantec
Corporation.
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