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Act! Feature of the Month: Act! Scheduler

9/27/2016

The Act! Scheduler allows you to schedule automated tasks that will run without you even needing to have Act! open. As long as the Act! Scheduler is running and your computer is on, these tasks will run.

The tasks that the Act! Scheduler is capable of running are:

Database backup
Database maintenance
Remote database synchronization (from the remote workstation)

You can access the Act! Scheduler in Act! by clicking Tools > Act! Scheduler. Alternatively, you can also access it without opening Act! from the Act! Program folder located in the start menu.

Features of Act! Scheduler:

You can temporarily stop the service to prevent scheduled tasks from running and start it again after it’s been stopped.
The Act! Scheduler can send you e-mail alerts to notify you when a task has run.
You can use the Act! Scheduler Task Log to view a log of scheduled tasks and their result. This is useful for troubleshooting tasks in the event that you suspect that something may have interfered with their ability to run.
You can view details on scheduled tasks.

Do you need help learning to use Act! Scheduler?

FAQ: Can I Reassign Activities From One User To Another In Bulk?

9/22/2016

Yes you can! Maybe you’ve had an employee quit and you’d like to reassign their uncompleted activities to their replacement or perhaps an employee will be on a leave of absence and you’d like to assign their current activities to someone else in the interim. No problem – just follow the procedure below (we highly recommend backing up your Act! database before you begin).

1. Login to Act! as the user you wish to reassign the activities to.

2. Click Task List in the left hand navigation menu and filter the task list to the activities you wish to reassign to the new user. You can filter by the time the activity is due (past, future, today etc.), activity type, activity priority, and by which user the task is assigned to.

3. Once you have the activity list filtered, select all the activities in the list by clicking CTRL + A.

4. Copy all the activities by clicking CTRL+ C.

5. Paste all the activities by clicking CTRL + V.

You now have a copy of each of the activities originally scheduled by the old user, with the Scheduled For and Scheduled By now set as the new user. The next steps will delete the original versions of the activities originally scheduled for the old user.

6. Filter the task list to the activities originally scheduled for the old user that you are reassigning.

7. Select all the activities in the list by clicking CTRL + A.

8. Click the Delete button on your keyboard and choose the Erase option. Click OK.

You can ensure you have done the process correctly by clearing any task list filers, and ensuring all users are selected, then checking the All Dates list total at the very bottom. This should be the same before and after the process.

Need help reassigning tasks or have other “how to” questions?

What Is E-marketing Anyway?

9/21/2016

Act! Emarketing has come up here at KSC a lot this year – from this month’s webinar, to featuring it in our newsletter, to discussing the Emarketing enhancements available in the latest version of Act!. But some of you may be wondering “What the heck is e-marketing anyway, and why should I care about it?”

E-marketing is any marketing done online or digitally, but when we talk about Act! Emarketing, we’re specifically referring to e-mail marketing. Do you email your contacts about any of the following?

Company news
Industry news
Promotions, discounts and sales
New or improved products and services
Insider information (how to’s, FAQ’s, etc.)
Birthday, anniversary or holiday greetings

Then you’re already doing e-mail marketing! But if you’re still sending all your e-marketing messages using your regular day-to-day email client, you’re missing out on some great ways to improve your marketing efficiency and success.

Using a program like Act! Emarketing offers a number of benefits over your regular e-mail client when it comes to e-mail marketing:

A more professional image
Customizable mobile-friendly templates
Easily personalized emails
Tracking/analytics
Reporting
A better send process (your emails are less likely to be marked as spam)
The ability to create & schedule email campaigns in advance
Functions necessary to comply with legal requirements, such as unsubscribe

And, with Act! Emarketing, you can take advantage of powerful Act! capabilities:

Easily access Contacts, Lookups, Groups, and Companies right from within Act! to quickly build targeted email lists
Upload and host images and documents that can be used to personalize your emails
Easily share images and documents in your email campaigns by embedding or linking to your hosted library
Easily create simple webforms to capture leads from web pages, newsletters, emails, and more
View emarketing results directly on each contact record within Act!

View a prioritized list of recipients ranked by level of interaction – allowing you to contact those who are most interested in your message – right within Act!

Want to purchase the latest version of Act! and take advantage of all Act! Emarketing has to offer? Already have Act! Emarketing and looking for training in using it efficiently and effectively?

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Emarketing with Act! - Learn To Send Your First Message

9/1/2016

Are you ready to get started with e-mail marketing? Act! emarketing is a simple and cost-effective way to grow your business.

We’ll help you learn to create professional, eye catching campaigns that reach customers and prospects with the right message at the right time.

In this session we will explore:

Creating an Act! emarketing account
Modifying existing Act! emarketing templates
Preparing to send your first Act! emarketing message

Join us for a webinar on September 22nd, 2016 at 11:00 AM CDT.
$35 fee/per attendee.

Labor Day Hours

8/31/2016

Here at Kristi Smith Consulting, we work hard and we know you do too. In honor of Labor Day we’ll be closed Monday, September 5th. We hope you enjoy a fun and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

If you have any imminent support needs, we recommend scheduling a support appointment now!

SCHEDULE SUPPORT

Introducing Act! v18.2

8/24/2016

We’re pleased to announce the release of Act! v18.2! Features and benefits include:

Act! Connect Link For Desktop Users
The all-new Act! Connect Link delivers the power of the Act! Connect integration platform to Act! Premium desktop users with no complicated setup – simply install and go!

Now, whether you are using the web, desktop, or Cloud version of Act! Premium, it’s easier than ever to leverage the power of Act!

Connect for simple integrations with hundreds of popular business apps that help you save time and accelerate your sales and marketing efforts.

Act! emarketing Enhancements
New Act! emarketing administrative features allow admins to designate which users can send emarketing campaigns, and from which sender profile.

Act! Premium For Web Enhancements
Act! Premium for Web updates enhance the usability of Opportunities by allowing users to manage Opportunity processes and products from the web client. Additionally, Act! Premium for Web users can streamline management of Contacts using the Copy/Move Contact Data option, making it easier to manage the integrity of their Act! data.

Enhanced Security And Control
Additional administration and security options for Act! Premium Web API gives administrators expanded control over how the Web API and related integrations are used within their business.

Quality And Performance Updates
Dozens of performance and quality enhancements across the product portfolio based on user and partner feedback.

Looking for more information or ready to upgrade?

Time Is Running Out!

8/16/2016

Attn: Act! Pro v16, Premium v16 and Premium v17 Users

You are eligible to save up to 25% when you upgrade to Act! Pro v18 or renew into an Act! Premium subscription. In addition to the latest version of Act! Premium, subscriptions include access to expert technical support and training resources, AND the next version of Act! when it's released—at no additional cost.

Hurry! Your special pricing will only be available until September 30, 2016. Also, by the end of this year, Act! v16 will no longer be supported by Swiftpage (KSC support will continue to be available for all versions of Act!).

Act! Introduces the All New Outlook Add-In

7/26/2016

The new Act! Outlook Add-In is available in the Microsoft Office store here. The Add-In is only available for Act! users with an annual Act! subscription.

Features and Benefits
With the new Act! Outlook Add-In, users can streamline workflow, save time, and ensure they maintain a complete record of all customer and prospect interactions.

View Interactions from Microsoft Outlook
Quickly and easily view the past interactions of any customer stored in Act!, with all of the details of past meetings, phone calls, and emails, without ever leaving the Outlook interface.

Add New Contacts
Add new and/or edit existing contacts across both platforms with the click of a button right from an email in Outlook.

Comprehensive Act! Contact History
Easily maintain a complete record of all customer and prospect interactions by attaching the text of an Outlook email to an Act! contact, all from within Outlook.

Create Act! To-Dos
Quickly schedule meetings, calls and other to-dos with Act! Contacts from an Outlook email, streamlining workflow and increasing efficiency.

Are you looking to transition to an annual Act! subscription? Or do you need help installing or using the all new Act! Outlook Add-In?

FAQ: How do I recover my Act! username or password if I have forgotten it?

7/14/2016

Note: This does not apply to Act! Premium Cloud. If you are using Act! Premium Cloud, refer to Act! KB Article 38148.

DIY Username and Password Recovery:
If someone else on your team can login to the database, have him/her click on the Lookup menu, choose Advanced, then Users.

This will show a list of users.

In most cases, the Contact name is the same as your username.

If this fails to help and/or you can’t remember the password, ask your Act! database administrator to click on the Tools menu, Choose Manage Users, find your name, double click and then click Reset Password.

Username and Password Recovery Assistance:

If you are the Act! administrator and you’ve lost your Act! password, we have advanced password resetting tools and we can reset your password for you. If your Act! administrator is no longer with your company and needs to be changed, we can help with that as well.

Other options:
Note: These involve contacting Act! corporate support, not KSC.
Note: This section applies to North American Act! users only.

For Act! users with active support plans:

Act! users with only one database user and active Act! Support plans can contact Act! support during regular business hours (M-F 8:30AM - 8:30PM EST) at (877) 716-6296 to have the password reset at no additional cost.
Act! users with multiple database users and an active Act! Support plan can have the password reset at no additional cost, however it is necessary to first download and complete the Login Disclosure form. Follow the instructions on the form to complete and submit it.

For Act! users with no active support plan:

Act! users with no active support contract can purchase a one-time Username and/or Login Disclosure service. Users will need to first download and complete the Login Disclosure form. Follow the instructions on the form to complete and submit it.

Note: Refer to Act! KB Article 14150 for more details.

Are you looking for a quick, no-hassle password reset?

Act! Feature of the Month: Act! Emarketing

7/13/2016

Did you know that your purchase of a recent version of Act! Premium (v16 and above) includes a basic Act! Emarketing account at no extra cost? Powerful, easy-to-use emarketing tools help you reach the right customers and prospects with the right message, so you can:

Grow your business
Drive sales success
Create customers for life

With Act! Emarketing you can create and send campaigns, analyze results and insights, and view comprehensive contact history – all within Act!

Take Advantage of Powerful Act! Capabilities

Easily access Contacts, Lookups, Groups, and Companies right from within Act! to quickly build targeted email lists.
View emarketing results directly on each contact record within Act!.
Take notes, view complete history, and edit contact details to keep your data up-to-date – no synching, uploading, or downloading needed.

Grow Your Business with Lead Capture

Easily create simple webforms to capture leads from web pages, newsletters, emails, and more.
Copy/Paste HTML into your web page, newsletter and more.
Or, use a hyperlink to Act!’s hosted form.
Extended and Basic forms included.
Stay organized using Act! Group functionality.

Send Your Email with Confidence

Ensure your message gets to the inbox, with our expert advice and handy strategic tips for higher conversions and improved deliverability.
Our dedicated deliverability team manages sender reputation to ensure your emails are sent with outstanding delivery rates.
Send personalized emails immediately or schedule for future delivery with ease.

Track More Than Just Your Emails

Find out exactly what happened after your email was sent, including open rates, clicks, bounces, opt-outs, and more in easy-to-analyze graphs and detailed reports.
Use what you learn to continuously hone your messages.
These results can also be recorded in Act! history so you can make sure future communications reach the right people.

Expedite Follow-up with Intelligent Call Lists

View a prioritized list of recipients ranked by level of interaction – allowing you to contact those who are most interested in your message – right within Act!.
Robust integration within Act! allows you to easily create Histories, Activities, Lookups, and more – right from the contact within the Call List.

Organize Your Leads

Enable Call Lists at time of send or anytime thereafter to get dynamic, up-to-date interaction information.
View and manage Call Lists for each of your campaigns, or combine the hottest leads from all your campaigns into one.
Review all Call List results, or for campaigns over a specified time frame.

Host & Share Your Media

Ensure customers notice your message with personalization options like dynamic data integration and attention-grabbing images.
Upload and host images and documents that can be used to personalize your emails.
Easily share images and documents in your email campaigns by embedding or linking to your hosted library.

Create Email Templates with Ease

With over 100 email templates provided, you’re sure to find one that fits your business need, or easily import your own HTML files for a completely custom campaign.
Customizing your email template is simple with our intuitive drag-and-drop template editor.
Mobile-friendly templates offer maximum readability on mobile devices.

New for Act! v18 - Act! emarketing has been greatly improved for Team use. As an administrator, you have greater control over who can send emarketing message with Call List filters and Act! emarketing permissions for send and Smart Tasks.

Want to purchase the latest version of Act! and take advantage of all Act! Emarketing has to offer? Already have Act! Emarketing and looking for training in using it efficiently and effectively?

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