Designing And Mining Your ACT! Data

by Rich Spitz

November, 1998

Yes, you’re using ACT!. But how much thought have you given to the design and structure of your database? As an ACT! Certified Consultant I have seen numerous examples of users "throwing together," in a most haphazard manner, one of their most important assets: Their Data.

Strike It Rich

Just putting names and addresses inside ACT! isn’t enough these days. Let me give you three reasons:

1. It isn’t going to generate more sales!

2. It won’t get you more business!

3. You won’t make more money!

Design and Mine your data, and you’ll strike it rich.

Setup Your ACT! Fields

Here is an example. I’ve an ACT! field named Newsletter. When I add a new prospect to my database I must decide if I want to add this person to my mailing list. Since almost everybody gets my newsletter, I’ve set the default value to Yes.

I use this example to point out that you need to set up the fields as you’re creating your ACT! database. This way you won’t have to go through a major project each time you create a new field.

Editor: Rich’s quarterly newsletter is a two page summary of big news in the computer and ACT! world. If you are in the Northeast and are interested in getting on Rich’s mailing list, you can reach him at 914-654-8717 or via e-mail at actman@msn.com.

Assigning Default Values

This is how you assign a default value:

1. Select Edit, Define Fields. The Define Fields box appears.

2. Select the field you want to edit.

3. Enter the default text in the Default Value field.

Whenever you add a new contact to your database by selecting Contact, New Contact, or pressing the Insert key, the default value is inserted.

Indexing The New Field

This is how you make this field an indexed field. ACT! indexed fields enable you to perform instant ACT! lookups from the Lookup pulldown menu. This is how you do it:

1. Click the Define Fields Advanced Tab.

2. Click the New Index button. Select the field that you want to index from the Index On menu.

3. Select additional fields to index from the Then On menu. Click OK. ACT! reindexes your database.

This is how you perform a lookup on your newly created indexed field:

1. Select Lookup Other Fields. The Lookup Other dialog box appears.

2. Select the field from the Available Fields drop-down list.

3. Enter the text you want to find.

Database Design

As you’re designing your database, here’s a question to ask yourself: If your company were to come up with a new product what information would help you to market it to your existing customers?

• If it would be helpful to know which of your products your customers were purchasing, Then you should have a field for Existing Products.

• If you needed to know the type of business your customers were in, then you should have a field for Industry.

Customer Profiling

Another strategy is customer profiling. Lets say you’ve a group of products that are geared toward companies with 25 to 100 employees and another that is geared to customers with under 25 employees.

Then you should have a field for the Number Of Employees. The number can then be entered from a drop-down menu.

What type of customer is currently buying your product? Do they have any common characteristics? (The profile could be anything from income to location to industry to revenue.) Take the time to find and discover them. It will give you a tremendous edge.

Now that you’re able to identify your customer profile it will help you to expand your customer base. Furthermore it will help to target new customers should you purchase a prospect lists.

ACT!Tip: Many lists are available on the Internet, on CDs, and from list brokers. When you know your customer profile, purchasing the right list is a breeze.

So think about what information you need, then customize your ACT! database. Ask yourself, what information is valuable to you that will allow you to mine that data. The great thing about ACT! is that it enables you to add or delete fields at any time. The sooner you do it the better. Get to work!